A Man in an Overcoat

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 “Here’s my little birthday girl!” a high pitched voice sounded behind Ethel’s sturdy bedroom door, while Ethel covered her long hair under her yellow-green patched duvet, a gift from her auntie Al on her first communion. The sound of mother’s voice sent shivers down Ethel’s spine when suddenly a hand reached out for the covers and mother’s oval head slightly peeked in.

Ethel’s mother, Harriet Foster, was a typical mum: the mum that always cared for just like Ethel’s dad.  She wore beautiful golden silk hair, matched with a pair of scarlet eyes covered by pretty and long eyelashes, which today were coated in her favourite Rimmel mascara. Mrs. Foster had a pale tone of skin just like Ethel matched with bright red rounded lips, which didn’t have to be layered with lipstick.

“I know you’re awake” Ethel’s mum continued, now showing a huge smile on her face right above her daughters eyes.

It was Ethel’s 14th birthday, 2 years on from the sight of the man. She hadn’t seen him since and strongly convinced herself that it was just her pure wild imagination. She never told anyone about him not even her best friend Charlie Baker who lived right across the valley at number 15, who’d she met since she first came to Make-stone.

Ethel’s eyes slowly opened and a grin from ear to ear grew across her sleepy face. Mrs Foster noticing this also smiled and lifted herself up from leaning onto the soft bed and decided to rummage through Ethel’s wardrobe scavenging for something pretty that Ethel could proudly wear on her special day. While she was browsing Ethel sluggishly heaved up her weight to sit on her bed and rubbed her eyes, like someone itching at a scratch card. Ethel saw that her mum dressed to impress as a pale green dress, which layered down to her ankles and ruffled across her body, was suited to the emerald necklace she wore, across her long neck.

“This would be nice” Ethel’s mum remarked as she pulled out a cute, knee-cut, violet dress covered with lilac petit flowers.

“Yeah, but what bag would go with that?” Ethel stated when gazing at her many bags on one of her light-wood shelves.

“Oh come on, darling, you don’t have to wear a bag with it; you’ll just wear some other accessories” Mrs. Foster suggested with a persuading smile

“Guess so, but can I wear my turquoise shoes?”

“I guess you can , but you have to get ready, sweet pea, since it’s only 40 minutes and it’s your birthday party” Ethel’s mum said when coming out of her daughters room, her voice trailing behind her.

Ethel soon stood up and gradually stated moving forward to her blue floral Georgian chair in the corner of her large room, where mum had placed her clothes. It was only 40 minutes until Ethel’s shopping party. She invited her closest friends; Charlie, Jess and Anne-May. They were all from her school, “Make-Stone Grammar”.

Ethel finally dressed into her outfit, and looked deeply into the mirror. Checking for any spots she blinked and fluttered her most beautiful black eyelashes. She made sure that she looked her best, as it was her day. She then reached out for her small ruby red makeup box; she took out the fine brush, dipped it into the navy powder and lightly spread it across her left eyelid outlining her eye. Just about she was to put the sparkle onto her second eye, when a shimmer of light shown faintly behind her. After she skimmed her eye with the shadow her eyes widely opened. Her pupils looked like diamond’s sparkling in the morning sun’s light. He was back, but why? The man stared right at her again in his usual clothes, the chestnut brown overcoat and the beige hat that he wore on their first meet. Just when Ethel wanted to scream something silenced her words. The man had started yelling for something he wanted, the mouth was moving but nothing came out. He was petrified of something, something serious. Tears poured from Ethel’s tears on her face spreading the fine eye shadow down her cheek and onto her dress. The man showed panic in his miming, opening his jaw so wide but no voice coming out he lifted out his hand for support. Terrified Ethel wept as the man disappeared and gradually left her alone with a yell that she actually heard, possibly saying a warning.

Ethel leant against the mirror until the floor board creaked and her mum ran in to comfort her.