The Opportunistic Borrower
A Story Every Day in 2024 Dec 13th ?/366
Natalie wasn't sure if Simon would be angry about her borrowing his shears but she wasn't going to chance it. It would present a wholly awkward scenario that she didn't want to navigate. And so, instead, Natalie decided to put them back where she knew Simon kept them.
This would require some stealth on her part. In hindsight, it probably would have been better if she'd just owned up and confessed to using them, endured the intense scrutiny of that moment laced with tension and humiliation, and then forgotten it as soon as she'd got back to the house.
But she didn't.
Natalie instead chose a much more convoluted route. She watched Simon's movements from her window. Darkest night was her best chance to make her way undetected into his garden where his shed was. When she had been invited to look at his "magnificent vegetable patch" (Simon's words), the door of his shed had been ajar and all of his implements had been lined up in their own designated space, hanging on hooks on the wall. It was an orderly paradise.
Natalie hadn't taken them from there. The shears had been resting on Simon's front wall and she'd thought I'll just trim my cotoneaster with a view to putting them back on Simon's front wall afterwards. But she'd procrastinated and in the meantime, Simon had told the neighbourhood on social media that they had a garden tool thief in the area and to Watch out! She felt like she couldn't be associated with that image. She wasn't a thief; just an opportunistic borrower.
So, how to return them surreptitiously? She bought a head light. Tight black clothing. She practiced leaping up the door in her kitchen, leaving scuff marks on high gloss (Simon had a high gate). She had a small knapsack that the shears fitted into beautifully.
On Tuesday night, she was ready. Unfortunately, during Tuesday afternoon. Simon invested in installing some motion sensitive cameras and security lights.
With the terror of a prison camp escapee, Natalie found herself frozen in the spotlight and gaining a social media presence she had very much wanted to avoid.
She never saw Simon's magnificent vegetable patch again.
***
366 words
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Struggling to shift
When you've been able to assume whatever form you've wanted for as long as you can remember, it's very unsettling to discover that your power to shapeshift is waning. It's not the sort of thing you can reboot either: shut down, leave it for a minute and then power up. You can either do it or you can't.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Fiction
Comments (10)
This story was hysterical. Oh, but the intricate, detailed lives of a garden tool thief and he who seeks to entrap them in a moment most vulnerable and yet spectacular!
Love the phrase “opportunistic borrower” and how Natalie’s mission played out, very funny!
Hah!!! This was funny, Rachel!!! Great story!!
Total ninja fail! Loved your story, Rachel!
I do feel sorry for her but she brought this onto herself, lol.
Think Natalie dodged a bullet - he sounds awful! Loved your story though!
LOL! Poor NatalieI I'm sure they will cut her a bit of slack though!
Hilarious… hindsight is a beautiful 🤣. Almost completed your 366/366 marathon! Incredible effort and fruit!🤩
Just asking is so much simpler, but then you wouldn't have a story. Good one Rachel!
haha. Poor Natalie got caught.