Caffeine Junky

Caffeine Junky

The same three words repeated themselves out of the dark, gloomy alley way. “Where’s the milk?” Cold, salty sweat dripped onto the concrete ground from Jack’s forehead. ’How could I have forgotten?’ An annoying droplet of sweat trickled, irritatingly down Jack’s neck making the hairs stand to attention, as if they were the guards outside Buckingham palace. A mop with ginger tufts of tangled hair entered the street. At first sight it was just an orange blob with stormy blue eyes, but soon, the body of a middle aged woman, wearing a very shabby art smock showered in deep purples. The figure would have looked comical but the drooling spit and red, hot anger on Jack’s mum’s face, told him not to say anything.

When the pair arrived at the house, Jack chucked his bag on the floor but just as he tried to walk to the hallway without detection, a cough came to his ears. Slowly he twisted around and waited for the volcanic eruption from his mum. “OH MY GOSH! HOW COULD YOU FORGET...AGAIN!” bellowed Jack’s mum, emphasizing the last word. “Why,” she whimpered, slumping into an armchair. “Can’t you remember the milk just once? I just want a coffee.” Jack thought she was overreacting way too much. ‘Coffee isn’t that great’ thought Jack, leaving his mum to calm down in the dining room.

Jack wasn’t the richest kid nor was he the poorest. He and his mum lived in a small cramped but cosy house. It had frilly cushions everywhere and towering book shelves, with prehistoric looking books, propped up by antique pottery vases which looked like they might just crack and fall apart from the weight of the books. Over-all it made the house look like an old granny might live there, so Jack never invited any of his friends over.

Jack’s mum, as you might have noticed, has a problem with coffee. Every time she was thirsty or hungry all she would do was drink, or eat, was a frozen (as Jack’s mum called it) coffee pop on a hot day. She wasn’t the best cook either, all she would do for dinner, was bung some cabbage, baked beans and anything else she could grab. Jack’s mum always said to try it and you might like it, but as she didn’t eat any of it, it was a bit unfair.

One school morning as Jack snuck some digestives in his bag for his lunch, because the tinned prunes and sliced tomato didn’t appeal to him from last night, trudging to school, shouting could be heard. Jack rushed over, and saw wailing police sirens, yellow tape, smashed windows and signs reading:

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PERSON?
Reward $30,000

There sat pictures of Jack’s mum. Underneath the picture read,

LAST SEEN: THE COFFEE SHOP

A grainy, black and white video played and replayed of a figure smashing windows and climbing through!

“Oh no” Muttered Jack. He stumbled back with a nasty feeling in his stomach...

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