Original Writing

Parsons Road. A cul-de-sac slap bang in the middle of London; panoramic views; pruned hedges and flowerbeds; waxed cars and local top-notch schools Perfect for raising a family, right? Wrong! This isnt your typical street with your typical characters. Its something much more different. Naturally, the radiant orb glows high in azure sky as it shines down onto the white gold. Snow. Who said fun was only childs play? It had come overnight, slow but steady, covering the tops of the roofs of the silent street below, the neighbours cars and the park around the corner; filling full like a vessel of polystyrene brimming with a freshly made cappuccino, glazing like a doughnut, immaculate yet fragile. You had to be there to see the delight on the childrens faces! Despite the wonderful scenery outside, I know that the Lennoxs are running late. Its like one of those mornings youd wish you could stop. Rewind. Play again and again, till the moment you woke up late for- plays again- this time, without all the hustle and bustle. Keep on dreaming! Theres only five in the Fanatical Family. Mum, Dad, Chris, Mandy and oh, baby Pete, the latest addition to the family. I mean, kids are always a problem, especially babies! With the excreting, the puking on your clothes and the constant wailing, this baby, I guarantee, is no way different. I cant say much for the others. Mums the busiest bee in the place, always rushing everything and usually forgetting half the things she supposed to be doing. Dads a little different; he likes to be the laid-back one, never doing much really. Chris, on the other hand, cannot be defended if the Specialist Cleaning Police entered his room, its like someone has let off an explosive full of dirty laundry, rubbish and unidentifiable objects and squished them all together. I swear, hes a sloth, but I havent managed to prove my theory to anyone, yet. Mandy, is my favourite. Shes the virtuous child, perhaps the only one Ill ever met, seriously, she could get a Nobel Peace Prize for doing half the stuff she does, and probably a OBE for controlling baby Pete! As usual everyone rushes off. Mums off to work up town, in the polished, expansive buildings, full of affluent posh suits. Dads gone to drop the kids off at school- Mandy with Chris at Parson High and baby Pete at the hell-hole of Little Peoples Day care Centre on the High Street. Ive never been there, but if I did, Id have to wear a radioactive suit! Those babies are dangerous, and Im sure that Petes their ringleader. Oh, I almost forgot! Its Chris birthday today! Better get him somethingwhat would you get for a lazy, smelly teenager? Time. I never have enough of it, yet that snow wasnt going to last for much longer, now was it? So, the race was on! Running outside, with my cheerful friends, we set out to see who could build the largest snowman? Who could turn from a little devil into a snow angel? (Pete wouldnt win, Im sure!) I felt the crunch of the first ball of snow in my hands- it was hard and cold, not soft and fragile. Where were the innocent little snowflakes I had heard about? It seemed as if the ground had turned into a gigantic bowl of freshly whipped cream and Im not afraid to admit, I did taste some! Guess what? I loved it! I wanted more, more and more! I just couldnt get enough!

The cold tickling the edge of my nose; the droplets of my breath mist before my eyes and the rouge of my cheeks glowing happily in the faces of my friends. I could not help but smile. It seemed to envelop everyone, grinning from ear to ear. A Winter Wonderland, sounds very clich, but its true! The screams of utter delight as my laughter rumbling in my stomach echoed down the street as I pelted snowballs at my mischievous friends. They couldnt get me! The warm, lazy afternoon sun peeped over the roofs. It was setting, and the snow was melting away. I could see that my friends had become tired and began complaining, Its cold, I want to go inside!, while others chirped, Wheres my hot chocolate, Mum? As the darkness fell, the snow became wet and sloshy; it wasnt the white cream from the early dawn. It sunk into clumps circling down the drain and soaking my gloves and socks to the core. The fading orb finally disappeared only to be replaced by the dim street lamps. Silence hung in the street, for much more than a moment; it floated, circling the children around me, robbing them of their smiles and strength. Their faces once full of laughter and happiness became tired and worn as they disappeared inside their homes, only to fall in front of the television. Once the incessant beat of the wet snow sloshing against the bright plastic wellingtons roused the park into life once more, only to fall quiet once the creaky gate had been shut, reverberating across to the swings, who hung in disdain. I sighed, gazing from the bottom of the street to the other side. I was alone. Gazing back to the Fanatical Family, I could see they were curled up on the sofa quietly chuckling at the Planets Funniest Animals on the television. I guess you could say, it was another day done and dusted. Hey! I see Chris! Hell-oo! Over here! I had forgotten he had gone out to celebrate his birthday. I wonder how it went. Maybe, he might like my present? Hes going to be in so much trouble, its past 10 already! Kissing his girlfriend goodnight, he begins his slow descent from the top of the street. I really do hope he likes my present, I chose it especially for him! Hey, I think his girlfriend is following him, he probably forgot something! Hey, Chris, turn around! Wait. Theres more coming. More people, at this time? Is it his friends? Theres like what? 15 or so of them. Late night surprise, if you ask me. A glint of metal churns my stomach and predicts my worst fear as I watch motionless as Chris is knifed in the back and stomach, I wail hopelessly in despair, unable to save my friend who is probably in need of medical help. Im so sorry, Chris! Why couldnt they have come for me instead? I could have saved him! A piercing scream, flood my thoughts, thank God, someones found him! Is he O.K? Shall I call an ambulance? Within seconds, the entire cul-de-sac is illuminated with blinding lights reflecting the pool of blood, slowly, sinking into the clumped snow. People whispering, is Chris alive? Is hedead? But I dont know that yet. I watch silently, as Mum flings herself across Chris lifeless body. Shes crying, blaming the cowardly murderers who did this to her son. I could have helped! He didnt have to go! Whats going to happen? Mandy and Pete wont have a big brother! This is my entire fault, I should have saved him. I should have stopped it. But... I couldnt. Why, you ask?

Ill tell you why, Im a tonne of bricks and cement, rolled into one. Im a house. Im a stupid, cowardly house.