Excerpt From My Upcoming Book Titled 'Scattered Scones'

Penny’s alarm startled her as she removed her sleep mask. Her breathing was rapid, and her heart raced. She picked up her phone.

Chloe answered on the second ring. ‘Hey. You, Okay? I’m just hopping in the shower. I’ll be ready by six, like we planned.’

‘I’ve changed my mind. I can’t do this.’

‘Pen. You’re the one who was adamant about doing this. This was your idea.’

‘What if I get lost? What if I forget how to drive?’

‘That’s why we are coming with you. We can share the driving. It'll be fine. I’ll see you soon.’

‘Yeah, you’re right. I’m just anxious, that’s all. See you shortly.’

She left Damien sleeping, got Sally ready, put her bags in the car, and said goodbye to Buddy. He knew she was going somewhere, and there was sadness in his big brown eyes. ‘See you, mate. Be a good boy.’

Liam hugged the girls so hard that it hurt. Chloe pulled away so she could catch her breath. ‘We’re going for six days, not six weeks, you know.’

‘I know. I’ll miss you both. Have a good time and good luck with Emma.’

The cafe was already full of customers who were enjoying breakfast. Sally was sitting at her favourite table, finishing her homework. ‘Mum. Are you and Aunty Chloe leaving soon?’

Penny sat down beside her and stroked her ponytail. ‘Yes sweetie. Liam will drive you to the bus and Emily’s mum will pick you up after school. I dropped all your stuff there last night.’ She kissed her on the forehead. ‘And before you ask, no, I didn’t forget your iPad.’

Penny turned to Liam. “Are you sure you will be okay?’

‘Yes, boss. I’ll be fine. I’ve got this.’

Sally gave her mum one of her famous bear hugs. ‘Bye sweetie. I’ll see you in a few days.’

Hamish was waiting out the front with two ridiculously large suitcases when they pulled up. Chloe popped the boot open before helping him load them into the back of the car. It was a two-person job. ‘Shit. What have you got in there? A couple of dead bodies?’

Penny shouted out the driver’s side window. ‘You know I’d do almost anything for you, little brother, but helping you hide dead bodies isn’t one of them.’

He jumped into the backseat and leaned forward to kiss his sister on the cheek. ‘Yes, hilarious, sis. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?’

As they pulled out from the kerb, Penny felt a sudden sense of panic. ‘Oh my god. Do I have everything? Does Sally have everything? Did I get the dog enough food? Are there enough meals in the freezer?’

Chloe and Hamish exchanged a look of concern in the rear vision mirror. Chloe placed her hand on Penny’s shoulder. ‘You put reminders in your phone’s calendar app like all the articles told you to, remember? You have it covered.’

Penny gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and took a deep breath. Hamish looked up from his phone. ‘Excuse me, DJ, but can we have some music, please?’

Scrolling through Spotify, Penny found her eighties playlist, and they were off.

Work In Progress

Hayley Walsh (c) 2026