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In the Kitchen

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By Mark GrahamPublished 11 months ago 3 min read
Top Story - February 2025
The kitchen (pexels.com)

There was a kitchen not as clean as the one in the image, but a kitchen filled with clutter and love. It was a kitchen that had even last appliance and gadget that one could want to make delicious and healthy meals, but will the mother have a chance to use all that she has collected? There should be a shelf where she kept all her secret recipes, but were they really secrets or just really special to her and her family.

One day as she was making breakfast for her family, she heard a noise coming from outside. She went to the backdoor and opened it slightly just enough to see what may be out there. This time it was just the neighbor's cat looking for a morning snack. The mother went back in and continued making her family's favorite breakfast of pancakes and sausage. She already made the coffee that her husband really liked along with tea that her children liked with this particular breakfast. She set the table each with their favorite dishes and utensils. She cleaned up as she cooked, so when the food was done and set on the table, she called up the stairs "Hey guys, breakfast is ready!"

She went back into the kitchen and waited, but no one came a running. She went back to the stairs and yelled one more time "Hey guys, breakfast! I make pancakes, sausage and tea." She decided to go upstairs, and check and she started in her daughter's room, she looked in and all around no one was there, she went to her son's room, she looked in and again no one was there. She went to her and husband's room and looked everywhere including the master bath, and no one was there either. She thought, what is going on here.

She and husband were not having any issues that she knew about and in fact they were getting along really well even during his bad days at the office. The children seemed not to have any issues. Of course they had their daily concerns about school and what to do on the weekends, but nothing serious. Some people would say that our family is like that old television show 'Leave It to Beaver'. I admit I am no June Cleaver, but this is just too darn weird. Where are they?

She put on her shoes and went out to the garage to check there and when she got there was no car. She didn't hear the car leave last night what the hell is going on here. She ran over to the neighbor's house to see if they saw her husband and children leaving last night or early this morning. She knocked on their door. "Morning, Julie, what's up?" Did you see James and the kids go anywhere last night or early this morning? None of them are home. No, I haven't seen anything. No, wait there was some loud noise, but we just thought it was all those stray cats or something in the trash cans, so we just went back to sleep. Sorry, I wish I could tell you more.

Julie walked back to the house and went back to the kitchen and cleared the breakfast from the table and cleaned up. She wrapped the pancakes and sausage and put them in the refrigerator and turned the tea into a pitcher of iced tea. She then sat, warmed up the coffee, and got a cup and sat and thought again where they all could be. She dropped her napkin bent over to pick it up and bumped her head hard and fell.

When she woke up, she was in her bedroom next to her husband. She eased out of the bed and checked on her kids and they were tucked in their beds as well after giving them a peck on their foreheads. She wandered back into her bedroom and sighed. Thank goodness it was only a really bad nightmare. She rolled over gave her husband a big hug and went back to sleep for a little while longer.

When she got up the table was set the way it was in her nightmare.

familyHorrorPsychologicalthrillerMystery

About the Creator

Mark Graham

I am a person who really likes to read and write and to share what I learned with all my education. My page will mainly be book reviews and critiques of old and new books that I have read and will read. There will also be other bits, too.

Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insights

  1. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  3. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

Add your insights

Comments (20)

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  • Raymond G. Taylor7 days ago

    This was quite scary and riveting. The ending made me shudder with its ambiguity. Not sure if that was intended. Well done and belated congratulations on the top story Mark

  • Caitlin Charlton11 months ago

    The leave it to beaver reference (never watched it before) made this story very real and personal, it brought this family to life for me. I think it was also quite relatable in parts, almost nostalgic. I like the suspense as well. Keeping me on my toes, wondering where they are and why they seemed to have vanished. I giggled at the Julie bit, thinking that the loud noise were cats, but I am a little mad at her because she should’ve checked. The transition into the deepening suspense was so smooth, I didn’t even see the ending coming. You did a great job, and I am happy to see something this length from you. Congratulations on your well deserved Top story, I am a little late but this was fantastic. 👏🏽👌🏽🤗♥️

  • Denise E Lindquist11 months ago

    Congratulation on your Top Story Mark!!🎉🎉🎉

  • Fiaz ali11 months ago

    Congratulations on top story . Keep up the good work. Super proud. !!!!!

  • Well written, congrats

  • Marilyn Glover11 months ago

    Congratulations on your top story, Mark! You did an excellent job at keeping the reader hooked. I pondered all the possibilities throughout the read, not once considering it all might be a dream. The table-setting ending is quite clever and adds to the story's appeal. Keep up the fantastic work!

  • JBaz11 months ago

    You left so many openings to make us wonder WTF is going on. Congratulations

  • sleepy drafts11 months ago

    Ouu, this is so trippy! Congratulations on Top Story, Mark!!

  • Congratulations on top story . Keep up the good work. Super proud. !!!!!

  • Aida Fitriani11 months ago

    Such a great story, which can make me very curious about the story inside, very enjoyable!! I hope there is someone who is so curious about this story, It is a very interesting story, people should know about it.

  • Rohitha Lanka11 months ago

    Very nice article and we always addicted those excercise and mother take care and well written

  • Andrea Corwin 11 months ago

    Congrats on TS!! 🎉🎉 As I read this, the beginning descriptions brought back a memory of Disney World and the Carousel of Time they had years ago - “The show follows an American family as they embrace new inventions and innovations” The audience sat and revolved around the changing scenes. The revolving got stuck once when we were there 😆

  • Karan w. 11 months ago

    It was a wonderful story; it kept me hooked until the end. Congratulations On TS! 🥳🎉🥳

  • WebdesignKöln11 months ago

    Nice story.

  • Mariana Busarova11 months ago

    We cannot explain everything that happens around us... Great story!

  • C. Rommial Butler11 months ago

    Well-wrought, Mark! "Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?"

  • Tales by J.J.11 months ago

    You've effectively mixed the comfort of a loving home with a growing sense of unease.

  • A.short stories11 months ago

    incredible story, congratulations on your work ☺️

  • Marie381Uk 11 months ago

    What a wonderful story ✍️🏆⭐️⭐️

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