Wednesday, December 11, 2019

WEP December Challenge-Footprints


Hello everyone! It's time for the December WEP Challenge! I can't believe 2019 is almost over already. Where has the time gone?

If you'd like to join us in writing about FOOTPRINTS, check out the sign-up post for more details! And thank you to the IWSG's Tyrean Martinson for coming up with this lovely prompt!


Image by H. B. from Pixabay
Christmas Clues

Cami hugged her puffy green coat tight around her body. She would have zipped it, but her little fingers had yet to master that skill. She knew how to investigate things, though. Cami was an expert at finding clues. She knelt beside the ladder that led up to the roof. She couldn’t recall seeing it there yesterday while she played in the snow.
“Stupid Dylan,” she muttered under her breath as she shivered. She would be inside playing with her new toys if it weren’t for him. But no. He had to go and say something ridiculous, and now she had to prove him wrong. Big brothers could be so dumb sometimes.
She crouched low and studied the boot prints in the snow. They were huge! She held a mitten-clad hand above it and could only cover the heel. Then she poked gingerly at it, and when she pulled her finger away, the tip was covered with a light dusting of snow. The snow was fresh, then. It must have fallen in the night while she slept.
“These are new,” she said to herself. No doubt about it, then.
The first boot print had been made at the base of the ladder, which meant someone had been on the roof and climbed down. Cami straightened and followed the tracks. They wound their way around the house, coming close to the hedge that bordered the yard more than once. Cami hopped over the line of rocks that outlined the barren flower bed and onto the snow-dusted patio. The prints weren’t as deep here, of course, but they were distinct. She stopped there for a moment, following the tracks to their end point with her eyes.
“Yes!” Cami squealed, her cold cheeks aching from the size of her grin. She’d been right about Santa!
Cami used to worry about the fact that their house didn’t have a fireplace when she was younger. She even went to her mother with her concerns. “Mommy! How can Santa get into our house? We don’t have a chimney for him!”
Her mother smiled. “Santa doesn’t need a chimney, honey. Do we need a chimney to get into the house?”
Cami had blushed, feeling silly for her panic. “Okay.” She started to shuffle out of the room before another frantic thought flew into her brain. She spun around and rushed back to her mother’s side. “Don’t lock the door! He won’t be able to get in if you lock the door!”
“I promise I won’t,” her mother said with a little laugh.
She’d believed her mother, of course, but finding the evidence was better than taking her word for it! This was proof that Santa used the front door! A small smile crossed her face. Dylan was wrong. It was so mean of him to tell her Santa wasn’t real, especially when the truth was so obvious! She broke into a sprint. She needed to tell him what she’d seen! He’d surely see the boot prints and understand how mistaken he was.
She barreled through the door, kicking off her shoes as she went. She skidded through the entryway, stopping only when she ran into something wet and cold. “Eww,” she groaned as the dampness spread through the bottoms of her socks. She traced the puddle of water to her dad’s winter clothes that he’d tossed carelessly into the corner. Mommy would be so mad about the mess he'd made.
Oh well! Cami had more important things to worry about. She shucked off her soiled socks, leaving them behind as she ran off to find Dylan and tell him the good news.

Word Count: 607
FCA



24 comments:

  1. I do hope that Dylan doesn't feel that big brother urge to diminish her triumph. I hope it so much - it would be a small Christmas miracle if he doesn't.

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  2. Lovely, Laura. A heartwarming story for FOOTPRINTS no doubt inspired by your young children. Like the little twist at the end. Daddy nearly sprung.

    Thanks for adding fun to my holiday reading! A great entry for WEP's last bash for the year!

    Happy Christmas!

    Denise

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  3. Love it! The ending is perfect - she's got her proof! :)

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  4. I think that Cami is wonderfully clever and I'm glad she got the evidence that she was looking for.
    I think I didn't stop believing in Santa Claus until I was eleven years old. Hopefully, young Cami still has a few more years of magic ahead of her.

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  5. Ah, the innocence of childhood, and a great example of a child's optimism. I love how Cami overlooks the puddles that might be evidence of foot prints from Dad!

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  6. Hi,
    Cami would have been so disappointed when she realized the clothes from her dad was Santa's clothing. Excellent tale of a child's innocence about Santa Claus. I remember how hurt I was when I discovered that my dad was Santa.
    Have a Merry Christmas and a happy crossover into 2020.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G

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  7. A fitting tale that captures the spirit of the holidays. Well done.

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  8. Oh, what a charming Christmas story! Happy holidays to you and your family, Laura.

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  9. LOL, love little Cami, a budding Nancy Drew! I just hope her brother doesn't burst her bubble, again! You wrote a lovely children's story, I could see it in print, the pictures bright, cheery and so colorful. You need to consider that. I can only imagine your children getting one in their stocking.

    Thanks for the welcome back!

    Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and the brightest of New Year's!

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  10. So cute! and absolutely apt for the season. I hope she can convince Dylan and not the other way round. You've captured the innocence and anticipation of childhood beautifully.

    As Renee says, this would make a really wonderful children's book.

    A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2020 to you and yours!

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  11. I hope Cami keeps her belief firmly in place, Dylan or no. Thanks for the warm and fuzzy Christmas story.

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  12. Beautiful christmassy child viewpoint. How real beliefs can be. How horrid are big sisters and brothers to shatter our dreams. Well constructed and described. Maybe the twist is a bit predictable. The atmosphere of Christmas and use of the prompt are costly pit across.
    Merry Christmas lore and have a jolly good holiday. See you in 2020 for more WEP adventures. Congratulations on the good work making this blog-hop successful.

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  13. I'm grinning as I read Cami's investigation. Will she find the man with the huge boot prinst? Love your style, LG. Who ever thought dad pretended to be Santa? And Cami will one day realise, like me, that Santa just borrows our parents' boots. Has anyone - other than Humbug Dylan - proved Sana is a hoax?

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  14. Awe, that's cute and sweet. I hope her brother doesn't ruin it for her. If she doesn't see the truth of daddy's boots then she's not ready yet. I hope she gets to keep her triumph.

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  15. Big brothers! My younger brother 'enlightened' me about Santa. After some initial disappointment I decided that he still exists for me. How else can you explain how much nicer people become at Christmas? To your story now - such a fun read and I love the details of the little detective poking her fingers into the prints to get to know more.

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  16. Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year.

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  17. You captured the spirit of Christmas and Santa Clause perfectly. And Ioved the mother's explanation about Santa using the front door. I never thought of that...I used to tell my kids Santa used his Christmas magic. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Writing Year!

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  18. How cute! And I love the sibling equation. It's so global. The same story on repeat.
    Sonia

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  19. Aah, a sweet and charming story, lovely.

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  20. Maybe not the best with evidence, but she still needs to believe in Santa for a while.

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  21. I loved it. Adorable! I made my daddy sleep on the couch because we had no chimney and mama insisted on locking the door at night, so Christmas Eve daddy was on the couch to let Santa in.

    Yup I so related, ROFL!

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  22. Such a sweet story!
    I have to admit I completely forgot that this prompt was my idea from whenever I submitted it and it was accepted. I'm glad it worked for you so well!

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  23. What a sweet story! Hanging onto the magic for another year. I like it, even though I never pretended about Santa to my kids :D

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  24. Hi Laura - that's a delightful story ... such fun and Cami's parents will dine out on that for years to come ... loved it - cheers Hilary

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