I was challenged by the Writers Club Prez and VP to write a 2000 word mystery short story. They said they wanted it by January 8th, the first club meeting of the Winter term. So I pondered, jotted a few ideas, and pondered some more. Then I turned to watch my cat, Kala, playing with a pull tab from a milk gallon and an idea came to me and I flew with it. Now I ended up with 2010 words (perfect for the new year!) and it was nto easy. I had to flesh it out to add 200 words!!
Here it is, for those interested in reading it.
THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE VANISHED TOOTHBRUSH
It is never easy living with four roommates in a house with five bedrooms and four bathrooms. It was great that no one had to share a room, and the two males, Brett and Peter, shared a bathroom. Kala, Laura, and Jenny were happy to each have their own bathrooms and not have to clean up after the males. They can be such slobs! Each person was responsible for cleaning up their own bathrooms, room and any messes made by their pets.
There is the occasional problem of someone eating someone else’s snacks (each person had their own shelf for snacks), and it was usually the guys who would make that mistake so often that the girls got a labeler and began labeling their items so there would be no question as to who owned what.
Sometimes the chores that were divvied up each week would not always get done. There were always the usual excuses—I forgot, I got so busy, was it my week to do that? And again, the guys were the usual offenders.
All in all though, things were pretty good and there had been no significant difficulties in the household. The girls felt safer having two men in the house, and the guys loved having female roommates who had female friends visiting. Mutual satisfaction.
Kala knew there would be an occasional minor problem, but she never expected this. This was completely out of the realm of believability!
Someone was stealing her toothbrush! It happened the first time two days ago.
She had just finished eating her breakfast of mixed fruit and had headed to her bathroom to brush her teeth prior to dressing. When she reached for her toothbrush, which usually stood erect in the holder like a castle guard, it was not there. Hmmm…maybe I forgot to put it away? Kala glanced all around the counter, looked into the drawers, and even checked on the floor, shuddering at the thought that it may have fallen there. She did keep the room quite clean, but still…
She even peered into the cat litter box tucked away on one side of the toilet, out of sight. She was very thankful it was not there. But where was it?
No brilliant neon pink toothbrush could be found anywhere.
Maybe someone is playing a trick on me.
Kala strode stiffly back into the kitchen where her roommates were chatting, laughing, and eating their breakfast.
“Okay, which one of you miscreants pilfered my toothbrush?” she questioned, waving a finger at them.
They all turned to face her, blank stares across their faces.
“What are you talking about? Why would anyone do that?” asked Peter.
“Well, I thought one of you might think it was a funny joke. ‘Ha! Ha! Hide Kala’s toothbrush’,” she responded, loudly emphasizing the fake laughter.
They all snickered at her and each denied knowing anything about it.
“You probably just misplaced it,” Peter responded, dipping his spoon into his cereal for another bite. They all looked so innocent.
Kala fumed as she marched back to her room.
“Good thing I always keep a couple extra’s on hand,” she muttered as she ripped open the package to extract a new toothbrush, this one vivid neon yellow.
Once finished brushing her teeth, she began to lay out her wardrobe for the day. Kisses, her calico kitty, emerged from her little Kitty Kubby, stretched, and hopped up onto Kala’s blouse, which was spread upon the bed. She mewed softly and blinked her eyes as if asking where are you going?
“No Kisses! Get off. I have to wear that and I do not want it covered in cat hair.”
Kala placed Kisses onto the quilt draped across the foot of her bed. As Kala dressed, Kisses watched with interest, purring continually. When Kala moved to the bathroom, Kisses followed and sat on the counter to watch Kala apply her makeup. Kisses was enrapt with the activity and would utter an occasional meow comment, articulating her approval.
“Good bye, little sweetie. Mommy has to go to school and then to work,” Kala said, softly kissing Kisses on top of her furry little head. Kisses closed her eyes, still purring, and looked as if she were grinning broadly like the Cheshire cat. Kala checked herself in her cheval mirror to be sure nothing was out of place, before bounding down the hallway and out the door.
That night after her dinner of a baked chicken breast with rice, as Kala readied for bed, she discovered that her neon yellow toothbrush was gone! “This is not funny!” As if emphasizing this statement, she slapped her hand on the countertop.
Kala stormed briskly into the living room where her roommates were all sprawled across the floor and couch, eating popcorn, sipping sodas, and watching Monk on the big screen TV.
“Okay, give it back right now!” she demanded, hands on her hips to emphasize her demand. All activity and laughter ceased, and they all stared at her.
“Give what back?” asked Laura, tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth.
“My toothbrush! Enough is enough! This is not funny!”
“I ain’t seen it. Any of you seen it?” Brett asked turning to Laura, Peter and Jenny. Everyone piped up, “Not me.”
Kala huffed loudly and stormed down the hallway. Before she returned to her room, she quietly snuck into each bathroom to see if her toothbrush was hidden there. No luck.
Back in her own bathroom, she opened up the packet containing the new neon lime green toothbrush. “I cannot believe this childishness. I hope this is the end of it, but I am going to lock my door tonight to ensure it!” Kala stated to herself, and began brushing with angry vigor. Kisses emerged from her Kitty Kubby and perched on the edge of the counter, quietly observing Kala. She meowed loudly, as if wanting to tell Kala something.
“Come on Kisses, bed time.” Kala cradled the pulsating cat in her arms as she securely locked her bedroom door. She gently placed Kisses upon the foot of the bed. After she had filled the kitty water bowl with fresh water and poured a few delectable kibbles into the food bowl, Kala slipped under the warm comfort of the treasured quilt. She gradually drifted off to sleep listening to the soothing purrs of her furry companion and enjoying the paw massage on her belly. That night Kala dreamed that she was merrily playing hide-and-seek with six brilliantly colored ten foot tall toothbrushes. She thought she saw one behind a tree, then behind a telephone pole, and even twirling on a carousel. Their alien-like tittering taunted her. She would come close to finding one and then-whoosh- it would disappear.
The next morning Kala rose to get ready for her morning class, feeling weary and fatigued. She gently eased her feet into her house slippers, which looked like little furry kitties. Still drowsy, she padded off to the kitchen, stretching and yawning as she slowly maneuvered down the hallway. She was carefully cutting up a banana into her bowl full of strawberry yogurt when she suddenly remembered—my toothbrush!
She hustled back to her room and rushed into the bathroom. No neon green toothbrush!
“I don’t believe this!” she screamed, fists clenched at her sides. She hollered as she stomped back down the hallway to the kitchen, banging her fists against her hips. “Whoever took my toothbrush had better put it back where it belongs before I return to my room! Enough is enough!”
She sat at the tiny kitchen table and ate her strawberry yogurt/banana blend, feeling certain that her toothbrush would be in its proper spot when she returned to the bathroom. As her roommates filed in and out of the kitchen, they each gave her a strange glance and muttered morning greetings, seeming eager to escape.
They had all left the house when she assuredly strolled back to her room and into the bathroom. She felt so sure that her toothbrush would be standing there, waiting for her. No toothbrush.
Kala angrily pulled out the last toothbrush from her drawer, this one a dazzling neon purple, and loudly slammed the drawer closed, causing Kisses to loudly meow a protest. “Can you believe this, Kisses. One of those jerks thinks this is all fun and games. Maybe they’re all in on it? Well, I am going to find out!”
Kala briskly brushed her teeth, and then, grinned broadly, pondering her brilliant plan. She slid the toothbrush into its proper place and gave it a loving pat.
Digging in her dresser drawer, she pulled out her video camera.
“Now I will catch the culprit!” she announced with a big smile on her face. There would be no way to deny it once the thief is caught on film. “Big brother, or in this case, big sister will be watching!”
Kala was almost giddy with excitement at the idea of catching her tormentor.
She hid the video camera among some knickknacks huddled on a small table across the room next to her dresser. In this spot she would plug the camera into an outlet, turn it on, aim it perfectly, and film anyone entering her bathroom.
The camera was capable of filming for several hours, and she would be home in five. She would then have her evidence in hand and expose the bandit!
All day she eagerly anticipated what she would learn, and would smile at the thought of finally catching the fiend who had been torturing her. She could hardly wait, and the day seemed to drag on. She even found herself watching the clock, something she had never done. Her eagerness made her feel giddy and she would occasionally giggle, drawing bewildered looks her way. Even her professor gave her an odd glance and gently shook his head.
When she arrived home, she hastened straight to her bathroom and saw that the neon purple toothbrush was, as expected, missing from its perch. Kala giggled.
She hurried to the camera and plucked it from its hiding place. “Now I’ve got you!” she sniggered gleefully.
As she plugged the camera into her TV and set it to play, Kala focused her eyes on the screen in eager anticipation, Kisses seated next to her, rubbing eagerly against her arm for attention. The first few minutes of the film revealed nothing, and then she saw Kisses enter the bathroom. Using the litter box- what a good kitty.
After about three more minutes, she watched Kisses emerge from the bathroom. Then she noticed that Kisses had something in her mouth, something purple. Kala moved in closer to the screen, hardly believing what she was witnessing. Kisses was carrying the toothbrush! Kala watched, amazed, as she viewed Kisses carefully dragging the toothbrush into her Kitty Kubby and climbing in after it.
“I don’t believe it!”
Kala dropped onto her knees, crawled over to the Kitty Kubby, and peered into Kisses private retreat. There they were, all of her toothbrushes! She rocked back on her butt and began laughing loudly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her roommate, Jenny, peeked in, drawn by Kala’s amusement.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, eager to share in the hilarity.
Kala could only laugh and point to the television screen, and then at Kisses, who sat poised on the bed as if unaware of what was happening.
That night after preparing a feast for her friends, Kala meekly apologized to all of her roommates for her accusations, and then played the film for them, which left them all rolling on the floor in uninhibited laughter. Kisses sat serenely observing the room full of hysterical humans. Then she yawned, stretched, and padded off to play with her toothbrushes.
After that, Kala kept her new neon baby blue toothbrush tucked safely in a drawer, and Kisses was allowed to keep all the ones she had pilfered. After all, Kala would not be using them!
2010 words!
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