The mystery of the shattered glass

The plot

A SUNNY MORNING IT WAS.

I WAS DELIGHTFULLY LOST INTO THE PLEASANT DREAMS OF MY CALM SLEEP UNTIL THE ALARM WENT ON AND I WAS JOLTED OUT OF MY BED.

I ROLLED MY EYES AND JUST LAY THERE HIDING MYSELF DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE WARM BLANKETS THAT FELT MUCH BETTER THAN PARADISE.

THOSE LAST PRECIOUS MOMENTS OF SLEEP BEFORE YOU LOSE YOUR MIND ON GETTING UP AND READY ARE THE BEST PART OF THE DAY! THE ONLY CHANGE WAS

THAT

THE HOLIDAYS WERE GOING ON AND I HAD AN ASSIGNMENT TO GET DONE BEFORE SCHOOL REOPENED. IT WASN'T ANYTHING HUGE...BUT IT WASN'T SOMETHING EASY EITHER.

MY ENGLISH TEACHER, MISS LAURA WAS THE MOST CREATIVE TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD.

BUT THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH HER WAS THAT SHE WAS TOO ADAMANT TO LET HER STUDENTS CHERISH THEIR LAST HOLIDAY BREAK BEFORE THE STRAIN OF FINAL EXAMINATION HIT THEM. SO, I HAD TO WRITE A THRILLER. AND MISS LAURA CONSIDERED ME HER BEST STUDENT.

"SOMETHING TO GIVE THEM THE HORRORS...IF IT'S WORTH GOLD, THE PUBLISHERS WOULD HAVE THIS WORK IN THEIR HANDS" SHE SAID, LEANING OVER ON TO ME AS THOUGH IT WAS CONFIDENTIAL.

I REPLIED WITH AN IDIOTIC GRIN, THE WAY I DO IT WHEN I REALLY DON'T WANT TO SAY YES TO SOMETHING OR SAY NO TO IT. SHE PROUDLY WALKED AWAY LEAVING ME IN DESPAIR AND I ALMOST CURSED MYSELF ABOUT THE PAST INCIDENT.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ABOUT GRANDMOTHER NICKY!!!" THE VOICE IN MY HEAD SCREAMED AT ME.

I WAS TO ATTEND MY GRANDMOTHER'S BIRTHDAY AT ROBINSTREET. IT'S IN THE NEXT TOWN AND IT WASN'T EASY FOR ME AND MOM TO KEEP TRAVELLING BACK AND FORTH IN THIS STICKY WEATHER. IT HARDLY WAS BRIGHT AND SUNNY IN CASTORVILLE.

I STOOD UP AND STRETCHED MYSELF A FEW TIMES AS THE SHEETS LAY UNDONE AND THE BED UNTIDY. I GOT READY AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND RUSHED DOWN WITH HEADPHONES IN MY EARS AND MY LAPTOP WHICH I ALWAYS STRUGGLED TO PUSH DOWN IN MY SLING.

"SARA! IT'S 10!" MY MOM SCREAMED LOOKING AT THE CLOCK AND FORCEFULLY PUTTING AWAY THE DISHES.

"I'M SORRY MA, I SLEPT LATE. WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING?" I TRIED BEING AS SORRY AND CONSIDERATE AS POSSIBLE.

"UH! I'M LATE! YOU BE BACK BEFORE DARK HITS DEAR, MOMMA IS GONNA BE LATE!" SHE SHOUTED AS SHE PULLED HER CARDIGAN FROM THE HANGER AND RUSHED THROUGH THE DOOR. MOM WAS ALL I HAD. MY DAD WAS IN THE ARMY AND LOST HIS LIFE WHEN I WAS 5 ....YEAH TEN YEARS IT'S BEEN AND I'M HAPPY

MY MOTHER IS A STRONG WOMAN.

I GRABBED A FEW SANDWICHES AND GOBBLED THEM UP AS I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW. THE SKY DARKENED AND THERE WERE A MILLION CHANCES IT WOULD POUR BAD. JUST WHEN I WAS GOING TO LOOK AWAY FROM THE WINDOW, MY EYES NOTICED A SMALL BREAK IN THE GLASS OF THE ABANDONED HOUSE IN THE LEFT CORNER IN THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET.

I LEANED FURTHER AND FURTHER UNTIL MY NOSE TOUCHED THE COLD SURFACE OF THE MISTY WINDOW. THE DEEP TICK OF THE CLOCK STRUCK ME AND I REALISED IT WAS TOO LATE I LEFT HOME. I LOCKED THE HOUSE AS FAST AS I COULD AND STARTED ON MY WAY TO THE CAFE IN THE CORNER OF THE BLOCK.