Prima short story winner: October

Judith Cairns, 40, from Colchester, Essex, shares her touching story dedicated to her daughter Abi

 
A New Beginning

As she stood in her daughter's bedroom, she was amazed at how tidy it was. The bed was perfectly made and a row of dolls and teddy bears sat on the pillow as if keeping guard. Emily wouldn't sleep at night unless Big Bear was tucked in beside her, but he was gone and she could feel the panic rising in her stomach.

 
She thought of all the times she'd nagged Emily to tidy her room and put her toys away, and now they were all piled neatly in the corner. She began to sort through a pile of clothes, pausing to look at the pink frilly dress and sparkly tights that Emily had worn on her third birthday. She held the clothes close to her and breathed in the smell of her child. Then she hurriedly shoved them into a bin bag - they were no use now. It was the end of an era.

 
The silence was eerie and filled the house with a sense of emptiness. She desperately missed the conversations that she used to have with her inquisitive four-year-old daughter. ‘Where does the light go when you turn it off?' Emily had asked, her little face screwed up with bewilderment. She used to get so irritated by Emily's constant stream of questions and had never found time to answer them - but now it was too late. If she could turn the clock back, she would've cherished every precious moment they'd shared together. She turned her back on the room and closed the door behind her, making sure the ghost of the past was firmly shut in.

 
She always knew that this would happen one day. She'd been told what to expect but now it was real and she could not cope. Emily was gone and she wondered how she would get through the long lonely days without her lovely girl.

 
She thought a brisk walk would help to clear her head but as she put on her coat she glimpsed the little red Wellingtons by the front door and her eyes filled with tears. She rushed out of the house and felt herself being drawn to the park. It felt weird walking alone with no little hand grasping hers. She stopped and watched the mothers pushing their children on the swings and her head filled with the joyful squeals of children playing.

 
She looked at her watch and was surprised at how quickly the time had gone. She'd have to hurry now or she'd be late. Once she arrived, she stood alone, wringing her hands. Her heart was thumping and she felt strangely nervous. Suddenly, the door swung open and there was Emily, looking beautiful despite the paint stains covering her new school uniform. Emily ran over to her mother, Big Bear in one hand and her rucksack in the other, full of excited chatter about her first day at school.

For details on how to enter Prima's short story writing competition, click here...

To read November's winning story, click here...

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