FNWC, Challenge #2

It’s time for the second entry in the FNWC contest, hosted by Rutvi of https://sosugarsweet.wordpress.com/.

The Prompts I Used

Not very many, I know, but I tried.[image error]

Ten Seconds to 2nd Grade

    “Gem Farjon, you have ten seconds to get down those stairs! Do you hear me, young lady? Ten!”

Gem sighed and stood up. “Good-bye, Shelley,” she said to the chair opposite her. “I guess I’m going to have to go again. I know we don’t spend much time together any more, but we’ll figure it out, ok?”

“Nine!”

In Gem’s mind, Shelley nodded.

“I’ll tell the rest of my story later. And then I’ll tell you another. The one about the burnt rose,” she added. The burnt rose was a fairytale her grandfather had made up. She didn’t remember him – he’d died when she was a little baby – but he had been an author and written her a story.

“Eight! Gem, I mean it! It’s time for school. And you’d better have your room picked up, too, young lady! You’re seven whole years old; it’s time for you to be responsible!”

Gem scurried to pick up her clothing.

“Seven.”

Gem heard her mother’s steps coming towards her room. Thankfully, Mrs. Farjon paused a few doors down the hall.

“Louisa, aren’t you supposed to be going to school, too?” she asked Gem’s big sister.

The evil school-enforcer, Gem thought.

“Yes, Mamma, but I wanted to finish this chapter first. It’s a great book! Here, listen to this. ‘She parted the leaves to reveal a throne. I pulled at my shirt. “It’s hot.” “It has to be hot to ride her ice-cold heart of stone.”’ What do you think of that?”

“I think you’re reading trashy novels again. Gem, six!”

Gem shoved her pajamas under her bed, pushed Daisy’s chair, her chair, the table, and the tea-set into her closet, and slammed the door. Poor Shelley! Gem thought, then, No, a second grader can’t have an imaginary friend. I shan’t have Shelley anymore.

    Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

    “Gem, are you ready to go to school?” Mrs. Farjon glanced about her room. “Well. It looks great in here. I am pleasantly surprised. Grab your backpack.”

Yes, that is the same character from the last prompt, only many years younger and going by her childhood nickname.[image error]

~Kellyn Roth