The secret diary of Katie Hawcroft- Entry 4

Dear friend,

I woke early today and decided to come and talk to you before starting my day. See, keeper of my secrets…my promise to be more faithful is a good one. Anyway, it’s nice to wake early when the house is still and my covers are still warm.

Friday has come around quickly and I feel something unusual-excitement. Mum has been better this week, there were less bottles for me to clear away and I thought I saw something of a sparkle return to her eyes once again. Perhaps, I can ask her if we can get batteries this weekend. I’m hoping we can. My bed is tucked against the wall on the opposite side to the door, but given that when I stand I can almost touch all four walls, I’m fed up of looking at a clock which constantly reads 12:45. It would be nice to get it working again.

The Minnie mouse clock was from my old life, when things were normal, happy. Memories of a time as sparse to me as the loose change in my pocket, but, no less precious.

The change in Mum is a good one, perhaps she is beginning to heal. Life without Dad has been hard for her. We (mum and I) brought the clock with a few other things to the apartment when we moved and started again. My things that Mum and Dad bought together were precious treasures to be kept, at least for me. But sometimes (not this morning) late at night, when the shadows creep thin through my window, dance and freeze upon the frozen clock face that always reads 12:45, I feel a creep come upon my skin. Like water rising low at my feet, but my feet are stuck and a panic tingles from my head to my feet, as the water slowly rises and I’m trapped. Yes, it would be good to get it working again.

I’m glad to see Mum doing better. Perhaps time (yes I know) is at last working it’s magic and maybe her batteries are beginning to work again and this is a new spark of life for her.

Anyway, my dearest friend, I shall do my best to keep you informed and, if you had fingers, I should ask you to cross them and wish me well.

K

If you're enjoying these exclusive extra snippets, please consider reading Katie's story in my novel, She's Not Gone, which is available on Amazon and is only 99p to download in digital format. Thanks for supporting an indie author!

Author Sarah Northwood (c)