#28prompts challenge Feb 2nd

“You hear news of your next-door neighbor vanishing without a trace.”

I open the curtains, snow has come down fast and heavy. The garden is covered in around 5 inches of the fresh clean white stuff. 

The chickens in their coop looking shell shocked at the surroundings. They won't be coming out today for a run about in the garden. The plastic compost bin, green with an ice cream topping. The shed and greenhouse off limits until the thaw comes. 

Unlocking the sliding door, the dogs escape to empty their bladders. Instead of chasing and playing in the fluffy snow, they run to the fence and see tails wagging. 

I stick my head out and peer to my right. 

Two policewomen are at the neighbours door talking to Mrs Cleary. From her facial expressions alone it's obvious that she is worried. 

"You ok Jo," I ask

"No… NoNo I'm not… Tom's missing" 

"Missing?" 

"I've just got back from my mothers and there's no sign of him" 

"It is early, maybe he crashed pissed at one of his mates" 

"His phone, wallet, everything is here" 

"Gone for a walk?" 

"All his shoes are here" 

"Not likely to have got far barefoot in this. I thought he'd been quiet. We haven't heard the telly since Thursday" 

One of the policewomen walked towards the fence and removed her notebook from her trouser pocket. 

"Mr?," she asked 

"Mark Sawyer" I relied 

"Can you narrow down a bit further, the last time you saw or hear Mr Cleary?" 

"Yeah, it was definitely Thursday, as we could hear him yelling at the football. By the sounds of it they were losing" 

"Nothing since?" 

"Not a peep" 

A few more questions are asked but I couldn't help them further. The police finish up and leave. 

Jo smiles at me. I smile back. I tip my head to the bottom of my garden. She looks and smiles more at the compost bin. 

#28prompts challenge Feb 1

My twitter friend @ASYoungless Asyounglessauthor.com (check her stuff out) posted an idea of during February, she would set #28prompts and who would be interested. 

I took my time thinking about it but eventually signed myself up. Today is 10th Feb. I've just finished my 10th mini story. Somehow I haven't forgotten or missed the deadline. Mind you I didn't finish yesterday's until 45mins beforehand. That was close. 

I'm 10 in, 18 to go... 

I have surprised myself at where my creativity has taken me. Subjects I would never have thought of on my own. 

Here is the 1st prompt and my story. Hope you enjoy. 

"Write a story in which you retell a famous tale from mythology, fairy tales, literature, etc, from the POV of a minor character."

#28prompts

Poppy forces her body past Barley and pops through the mousehole first. 

"Mamma mamma, we can hear whistling" 

Mamma mouse's ears prick up, "No, not again. I'm not having it. PAPPA, PAPPA, activate Defcheese 1"

On all fours Pappa scurried away to the larder. 

"Children, roll call" 

"Quinoa here, Barley here, Peanut here" 

And then silence 

"Where's Poppy?" asked Mamma

"She's followed Pappa," came three replies 

"Stupid girl" 

Small footsteps could be heard as Pappa ran back, with a large lump of cheddar under his arm and Poppy surfing on his tail. 

"Faster Pappa Faster" 

Screeching to an abrupt halt, they stop just before they hit Mammas feet. The icy glare she gave Poppy, was enough for her to say "Sorry Mamma" 

Even before Poppy jumped off his tail, Pappa, quick as a flash starting gnawing 12 ear plugs from the lump of cheese. 

Barley didn't hesitate, he was lying on his back, mouth open catching cheesy shavings. 

"Children get them in your ears and for goodness sake don't take them out. She's coming. Keep your eyes on me at all times." 

Mamma was the final mouse to squeeze the cheese into her ears, just as Snow White burst into the kitchen singing and whistling. 

"Battlestations", Mamma mouthed to her family. 

While she could feel the vibrations of footsteps, couldn't hear that witch singing of 'we whistle while we work' 

But peeping out of her mousehole front door, she could see lips moving. 

The empty kitchen suddenly became full. Blue birds flew in the open windows. Red Deer, rabbits and a tortoise came in through the door. Chipmunks jumped in through the window. 

The birds while flying, used their beaks and claws to fold the dwarves clothing that were drying above the stove. 

To the right, an adolescent red deer had stuck his tail through the carvings on the wooden chair. A rabbit directed his tail wiggles to dust in all the curves. 

A cute red fawn was in the far corner licking plates clean. 

"That's disgusting," thought Mamma Mouse. 

Two chipmunks skipped towards the rug near the entrance to her home. She stepped backwards into the shadows out of sight. 

One chipmunk held the edge of the rug up while his friend tail swept dust under it. Snow White the slave driver of the animals wagged her skinny finger at them, "No, no, no" 

In shame, they relifted the rug and and brushed it the other direction. 

"Hell no", thought Mamma,"They aren't. Are they? They are, " she dived at her children and pushed them to safety, as the dust storm flooded her home. 

In anger she inhaled hard, her lungs filled of dusty air and blew it back out, spraying and covering the chipmunks in the dust. 

Poking out of the mousehole she yelled at them, "That's it we're moving in the Queen's castle. It was luxury here when it was just the dwarves without that harlot turning up"