Morning all. I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Let’s start the week off right by diving into our Monday prompt. Pens at the ready and timers set. off we go!
I suspect Simon is going to find something surprising at the summer house. I kind of like him as a character. He seems the sort to almost stumble into a mystery.
Monday, July 14th: There was ash in the grate.
There was ash in the grate. It seemed a strange thing given the weltering heat of the day. He knew that it couldn’t be left over from winter as it was swept daily whether it needed it of not. Their housekeeper Martha seemed to believe that any service not covered with papers father specifically declared off limits would gather dust.
When little Simon thought there was some sort of dust fairy that came in the night.
The tormentor fairy for housekeepers.
Martha didn’t do the dusting herself of course, she directed her minions and then inspected their work. Simon glanced at his watch. It was half past two. Martha’s minions would have come and gone. Her inspection would have occurred shortly before luncheon.
And yet there was ash in the grate.
It was too great a mystery for Simon to leave alone. He sidled over, trying not to dray attention. As he moved, he looked at the others thinking that surely whoever burnt whatever was burnt in the grate would be conscious of the ash, perhaps monitoring it.
No one paid him the slightest attention.
It wasn’t surprising really. Marla and Dennis were winding up to one of their big fights. Right now it was pointed comments and delicate sniffs. Soon there would be slitted eyes and hissed comments forced through clenched teeth. It was shaping up to be a real banger. Luckily the door was nearer the grate than the couple. Simon figured he could satisfy his curiosity and then slip out of the door without anyone noticing.
He stopped at the edge of the fireplace, leaning on the mantle. Looking down he could see it was some sort of paperwork that was burned. It was far beyond identifying but he decided it was worth noting. He looked around and the attention of the others was still on the couple. He edged away from the fireplace and towards the door, backing up slowly wone step at a time. When the time was right, he slipped through the door and out into the hallway, making his great getaway. Throwing his slow caution to the wind he marched down the hall and away from the brewing dispute.
The problem with Marla and Dennis was that there were no bystanders. If he had been allowed to watch without being drawn in he would have found it amusing at times. But sooner or latter it would spill out and engulf anyone in the room. To be elsewhere before the spill was the safest course.
It didn’t guarantee an escape as it could still be oozing around at dinner time when they all gathered again, but there was at least a better chance of having it not spoil the rest of his day. Simon slipped out of the house, not certain whare would be safe should the argument ooze out of the parlor. It had been a while since he had checked on the summer house at the back of the property. At the moment it seemed pleasantly far enough away to serve as a destination.
He grabbed his hat as he exited the house and was immensely glad of it as he stepped out into the beating sun. It was like a heated iron pressed down by a firm hand on top of his head as though it was doing it’s best to iron the wrinkles out of his brain.
His steps slowed automatically with the weight of it, his half running escape becoming a leisurely pace. One simply couldn’t hurry in such weather. Simon was of the opinion that had he hurried the friction cause by the swift motion he forced his clothed to adapt to keep up with him would not only produce extra heat but it would possibly cause his clothing to combust in frictional protest. That would leave his skin exposed and there were places of him that had never seen the sun and would no doubt recoil in burned redness in moments.
Ten til Midnight 