It’s been a few weeks since I posted for InMon and I will say now it might be a while before I can again, but I’m glad to be here this time, and with a story for the prompt “fridge monster”. I hope you enjoy; your comments are welcome either way.
The Fridge
“Jules, could you pass Mummy the butter please?” She’s holding the big knife and sawing away at a loaf of bread on the counter, so she doesn’t look up when she says it. Just asks, like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
And it is, right? All I have to do is walk to the fridge, open the door, grab the butter, close the door, take it to Mummy. Easy. All things I have been able to do for ages. When I was a baby, like my little sister Mary, I couldn’t, but now I’m three and a half, I could do it. Easy, right?
But it’s not easy at all.
See. There’s a light in the fridge. And the light only comes on when you open the door, and then if you look really really carefully when you close the door, you can see it going off again just before it’s shut.
And Mummy says the light is powered by magic, but Miranda at daycare says there’s no such thing as magic and Miranda is five and goes to school, so she knows things.
So if there’s no such thing as magic, who turns the light on and off? And why? Why would the whoever it is only turn it on when I’ve got the door open? Because when the door’s open, there’s light from the kitchen anyway, so the only reason they would turn the light on is to shine it on whoever opens the door. And the only reason they would do that is to decide whether to attack you.
And if they live in the fridge, they must be pretty small, so they probably wouldn’t attack Mummy or Daddy. And Mary’s too small to open the fridge, so they couldn’t reach her. So that leaves me. And the whoever in the fridge hasn’t eaten me yet, so it’s probably pretty hungry.
I wish it liked cheese. Then it could just eat the cheese in the fridge. But it doesn’t. And that only leaves me.
“Come on, Jules, I need you to help me out.”
Mummy’s getting angry, but she doesn’t know about the whoever in the fridge. She thinks it’s magic. She wouldn’t want me to open the fridge if she knew.
elmowrites 
Oh, this is so sweet and scary and charming all at once. I love the voice of the story. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read and leave your thoughts on this story, Joanna. I’m glad you like it. For some reason, I really enjoy writing in children’s voices, but not for children. I’m always pleased to find someone else thinks it works!
I love this kid. He is so logical. I laughed out loud at “to decide whether to attack you.” And the emphasis on “she’s five and goes to school” is priceless!
🙂 So pleased you liked it. I just figure this is how kids probably think. I’m pretty sure Sebastian thinks I’m being either obtuse or dumb when I don’t know what he’s asking for!
Superb story, it is exactly the way little kids would think too, very well told.
Thanks, Moi, I’m glad you think so
I love that he thinks Mummy believes the light is turned on my magic– poor dear Mummy. Great child’s voice. Lucy
🙂 I love thinking about how kids view the things we tell them. Jules trusts Mummy, so clearly if she says it’s magic, she thinks it’s magic, but the Big Girl at daycare knows better, right?
Hi Elmo,
I read the story and I must say “Hats off to your imagination.”
The moment I thought about the topic Fridge Monster, I drew a blank.
The way you came up with Magic angle and made it believable by light getting turned on automatically upon opening of the door is what I liked the most.
Of course the voice of the kid is nice and it’s evident that you have a knack in this area!
Thanks for imagining this and inspiring us to think innovatively 🙂
Cheers
Sheel
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