Five on Friday: They've Left Their Mark

 A few months ago I saw a call for submissions for a 100-word story. I decided to accept the challenge and write about a "ghost" story from our house:

“I see a girl on the stairs,” my young daughter said. “Where?” I asked, “School?”  “At home! She has old fashioned hair.” My interest was piqued. My imagination went wild. Our house was 200 years old; maybe it was haunted! Believers always say that ghosts reveal themselves to children first! “Do you want to see her?” she asked and then she led me to the stairs and showed me . . . paint chipped off the kick plate that looked like a girl’s silhouette. 

Years later my husband repainted the stairs but I’ll always remember our “ghost” that lived there.

 So you can see it was less of a ghost story and more of a combination of an everything is broken or filthy all the time* story  and an imaginations run wild story. Our ghost girl may be gone now that the stairs have been repainted but as I look around I can see plenty of other ways our children are leaving their marks:

1. You know what this is? A brand new pillow. As in BRAND new. Not from the thrift shop, not homemade with thrift shop fabric. Purchased from a real store and not on clearance. Do you know how old is? About two weeks old. Do you know what that is on it? Chocolate pudding.

Why we can't have nice things

2. Last week my son dented the WALL with his HEAD. This is the same child that dented my locket with his head when he was a baby so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.

Can you see it? The indentation from my baby's head?

 

It makes me wonder what's next

 3. Under the middle row of my car there is a thin, hard, orange substance. I believe it is flubber, circa 2007.

4. There is a mystery spot on the dining room ceiling which I always believed to be from one of those giant sticky hands that you're supposed to throw onto windows. Last night the kids told me it was actually play-dough, yellow to be specific.

5. I am pretty sure the number of grey hairs I've acquired in the past five years rival those you've gotten in the past seven, Mr. President. Just one more service my children provide.

*See last week's Five on Friday list