Flash Fiction – Follow The Feathers
Slowly opening the front door, Adrian listened for signs of life.
Fairly confident that nobody was home, he stepped inside.
Should he go to the kitchen for snacks or upstairs to turn on his new PlayStation and watch his new favourite show? What lay on the stairs held the answer. Brightly coloured feathers going up the stairs piqued his curiosity to follow them. How did they get there?
Hearing muffled voices, he suddenly stopped and walked towards where they were coming from. The door to his parents’ bedroom wasn’t fully closed, allowing him to look through the small gap.
The scent of his mother’s perfume hit his nostrils. She was sitting down with her back to the door wearing a dress he’d never seen her in before, one his father had probably bought her. A feathered boa lay around her neck. The mystery of the strange coloured feathers was solved. He watched briefly as she scrunched her hair and wondered if she knew the zip on the back of the dress was not zipped up all the way. Had she had her hair styled differently? It didn’t look right. Something nagged at him.
“Mum?”
“Adrian!” came a deep, shocked voice. His father turned around to face the door, spitting a feather out of his mouth; his expression readable. “I thought you were going to Danny’s after college?”
Adrian froze, his heart racing. The sight of his father, clad in a dress, feather boa and wig, left him speechless. The room behind the door filled with an awkward silence, until broken by the soft rustle of the feathers and then laughter.
“Uh, I—” his father stammered, a mix of surprise and embarrassment washing over his face. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
Adrian blinked, trying to process the scene. “Then what is it?” he asked, as he pushed open the door.
His mother laughed nervously and joined his father from the other side of the room, a playful spark in her eyes. “Maybe we should tell him. It’s about time he knows.”
With a sigh, Adrian’s father straightened and took a deep breath. “Alright, Adrian. This isn’t what you think. Your mother and I are part of a show for the charity gala this weekend. We thought it would be fun to do a dress-rehearsal at home.”
“Dress-rehearsal?” Adrian echoed, incredulity giving way to excitement. The mystery of the feathers and the strange scene before him transformed into something far more compelling.
“Yes!” his mother said, smiling brightly. “We could really use your help! How about you watch us rehearse and tell us what you think?”
Realising he was now part of this unexpected adventure, Adrian grinned. “No thanks. I’d rather go on my PlayStation. But have fun.”
As laughter filled the room, Adrian walked to his bedroom, his earlier curiosity now filled with enthusiasm for a new side of his parents and their secret world.
Switching on his PlayStation, Adrian didn’t play any games. He connected to the BBC iPlayer to watch a newly discovered show which had now become his favourite.
“Welcome to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,” said another man wearing a dress. He looked far more glamorous than Adrian’s father did.
Written for Sunday Stills hosted by Terri Webster-Schrandt: – Theme: Feathers.
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