Wildcrib

This story is based on kinda, sorta, true events, more or less 😉

Aunt Clara’s home was super neat, like a shiny star. It was almost too perfect for her rowdy nieces and nephews. There was Mike, who was five, Helene, who was eight, Sharla, who was nine and the twelve-year-old fraternal twins, Mark and Shannon. None of them liked the idea of staying with their “no-fun” aunt for two whole weeks.

“It’ll be fine,” their parents said. “Time will fly, and soon we’ll be back from our trip.” Mom and Dad dropped the kids off. As they drove away, they saw the three youngest in the living room, noses stuck to the window, looking sad, like they were stuck in that boring place forever.

The kids all sat around, grumbling. “There’s nothing to do here,” they said.

“Come into the kitchen, kids. It’s time for supper,” Aunt Clara called. They sat at the table and started eating.

“Yuck, this tastes like prison food!” Mark exclaimed, scrunching up his nose. Shannon burst into laughter. Sharla, Helene, and Mike joined in, giggling loudly. They didn’t get the joke, but they loved feeling part of the older kids’ fun.

It had been a long, boring day, and now it was time for the three youngest’s bedtime. “Get your things ready and clean up in the bathroom after you’re done and then right to bed,” Aunt Clara said. “Call me when you’re done.”

The kids slowly went upstairs, sulking. “Well, at least the first day is over,” said Sharla.

The three youngest dashed upstairs, their footsteps echoing like a mini stampede. “Shotgun brushing my teeth first!” Sharla declared, grabbing her toothbrush. They took turns, giggling and jostling as they brushed their teeth and hair.

After they were done, the bathroom looked like a tornado had danced through it—towels everywhere, the toothpaste cap nowhere to be found, and water splashes on the mirror. But they didn’t seem to notice, their eyes already drooping as they climbed into bed, feeling like they had just completed the most epic mission.

“We’re ready,” shouted Mike from their new bedroom.

When Aunt Clara came upstairs, she looked into the bathroom and couldn’t believe her eyes. There was a towel on the floor like a sleepy blanket, blobs of toothpaste everywhere like little snowflakes, and toothbrushes left out like soldiers on a break. Water splashes decorated the mirror like stars in the sky. It was a mess.

But Aunt Clara just smiled. She had a twinkle in her eye and a plan up her sleeve. She whispered to herself, “Time for a little secret spy school training mission!” With a knowing nod, she called all the kids to the bathroom. She was ready to turn this mess into a fun adventure.

The kids jumped out of bed, making a ruckus as they dashed to the bathroom. Mark and Shannon, who were downstairs, ran up to see what all the noise was about.

The five of them gathered at the bathroom door, eyes wide with curiosity. Aunt Clara stood there, her eyes twinkling as she scanned the chaotic scene. “Towels on the floor, blobs of toothpaste everywhere, and toothbrushes left out like soldiers on a break?” she whispered to herself as if she’d forgotten the children were all there listening.

“You kids would not make very good spies,” Aunt Clara said with a knowing smile.

The kids were puzzled. Sharla finally asked, “What do you mean, Aunt Clara?”

“Oh, it’s not important,” she replied, changing her mind mid-thought. “Off to bed with you,” Aunt Clara said with a mysterious grin.

The kids went to bed, their minds racing. “What did she mean we’d make terrible spies?” asked Helen.

“Maybe she means we’re bad at hiding,” said Sharla thoughtfully.

“I don’t even know what a spy does,” said Mike, scratching his head.

Downstairs, Mark whispered to Shannon, “What do you think that was all about?”

“I don’t know,” Shannon replied, “probably some silly game she has planned.”

But truthfully, all five kids thought about it until they fell asleep. What did Aunt Clara mean?

The next day was a little better; the youngest played in the backyard most of the day, laughing and chasing each other. They teased Mark and Shannon about being glued to their phones the whole time. But when it came to bedtime, they were all curious about what might happen.

As the sun began to set, Aunt Clara called them inside. Dinner was a lively affair, filled with giggles and stories. But as the sky turned dark and it was time for bed, a sense of curiosity filled the air. They couldn’t help but wonder what might happen tonight.

Once again, Aunt Clara sent them up to get ready for bed. “We’re ready,” Mike called down. But when Aunt Clara got to the bathroom, the mess was even bigger! Soap residue covered the counter, the soap bar was in the sink, the liquid soap dispenser was tipped over, and tissues littered the floor.

Aunt Clara called the kids and showed them the mess. “You kids would make terrible spies.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sharla, puzzled.

Aunt Clara looked around to make sure no one else was listening and then revealed her secret. “I run a secret spy school,” she whispered. The kids were surprised and not sure if they believed her.

“No way!” said Mark, eyes wide. “A real spy school?”

“Kids can’t be spies,” said Shannon, crossing her arms.

Aunt Clara shook her head and put a hand on Shannon’s shoulder. “Yes,” she whispered, “a real spy school. But I don’t think any of you are ready,” she said. “Look at all the clues you left behind.” She pointed to the hair in the sink, the clothes on the floor instead of in the laundry basket, and the empty toilet paper roll. “And look over here,” she pointed. “The toilet seat is up.”

“That was Mike,” Sharla and Helene said together.

“A messy bathroom has nothing to do with being a spy,” said Mark, rolling his eyes.

“Are you really a spy, Aunt Clara?” Mike asked, his eyes big with curiosity.

“Well, I could tell you,” Aunt Clara said, leaning in. “But then I’d have to… make you do extra chores!” She gave a long pause for dramatic effect and then winked. The kids giggled.

The kids were excited. “What do we have to do to be spies?” they asked eagerly.

“She isn’t a real spy,” said Shannon, trying to sound serious.

Aunt Clara wasn’t discouraged. “I don’t think I can teach you in the few days we have together. It’s too hard,” she smiled. The kids argued their case, and Aunt Clara gave in. “Okay, well, the first rule of Spy School is…”

She looked at Mark and Shannon for a moment. “This is just for spy students,” she smiled mischievously.

“Oh, sure, we want to be spies too,” Mark said with an eye roll.

She looked at them suspiciously, then continued. “The first thing you need to know is… you never talk about Spy School.” The children’s eyes grew wide. “The second is you never leave a trace,” Aunt Clara explained in a secretive whisper. “No one must ever know you were here.” She then pointed out the clues they had left behind, like the towel on the floor and the toothbrush out of place. “These are all clues that you were once here.”

“Each night,” Aunt Clara said, “I will check the bathroom for clues. If I find any, you’ll have to try again the next night.” She saw the determination in the eyes of the three youngest. “Remember, you can’t tell anyone about my secret spy school, and you must leave no clues behind.”

“That’s not real spy stuff,” Mark said, disappointed.

“How would you know, Mark?” Sharla asked. “Are you a spy?”

Helene, Mike, and Sharla were ready to take on the challenge. They were determined to become top-notch spies.

“Have fun, kids,” Shannon said, as she and Mark headed downstairs.

As the next day passed, the three youngest talked about being spies all day long. Secretly, they were looking forward to bedtime. They were determined to be the best spies and agreed to help each other spot and fix all the clues they might leave behind.

On their first night of spy class, Aunt Clara went into the bathroom, followed by Mark and Shannon, who wanted to see, just for fun of course, how the kids did on their first assignment.

Helene was sure they’d left no clues behind. They were ready to be named official graduates of Aunt Clara’s secret spy school.

After a few minutes of looking around, Aunt Clara turned to Mark and Shannon. “Do you see any clues?” she asked.

They looked around. “There’s mud on the floor. That’s a clue,” Shannon said.

“Anything else?” Aunt Clara asked.

“No, I think that’s it,” Shannon replied.

Aunt Clara called the three youngest into the bathroom. They walked in, smiling and giggling, confident they had done a great job.

“How do you think you did?” Aunt Clara asked.

“We’re ready to become official spies,” Sharla said confidently.

“Are you sure?” Aunt Clara asked with a raised eyebrow. The kids went silent, suddenly unsure.

Helene looked over at Mark who was shaking his head no. “We think so,” said Helene, a bit uncertain.

“Let’s see,” said Aunt Clara. “Look here, there’s a muddy footprint from playing outside.” She pointed to the floor. “Had you wiped your feet, that might not be there.”

“I saw that right away,” Mark jumped in.

“That was Mike,” said Helene and Sharla.

Aunt Clara looked around slowly. “I always make sure the shower curtain is fully closed, but this one is wide open,” she said, pulling it closed.

“That was Sharla,” Mike said, smiling.

Helene shook her head. “Sharla and Mike, I’m disappointed in you,” said Helene.

“Hold on a second,” Aunt Clara said. “It looks like someone left the toilet paper unrolled and trailing on the floor.”

“That was Helene!” Mike jumped in again.

“All right, everyone to bed. Maybe tomorrow you’ll leave me no clues to find,” Aunt Clara said with a smile.

Mark and Shannon looked at Aunt Clara curiously. “The shower curtain?” Mark said.

“Neither of you noticed that, did you?” she asked. “A spy leaves the room as they find it. Being a spy is not as easy as you think.”

Sharla, Helene, and Mike went to bed and discussed their plans to make sure that tomorrow they’d get it right.

“We have to be more careful,” whispered Sharla. “No more muddy footprints.”

“And close the shower curtain,” added Helene.

“Don’t forget about the toilet paper,” Mike said, trying to remember everything.

Later that night, as they were falling asleep, Shannon and Mark talked about how easy it would be for them to leave no clues if they wanted to, that is.

The next night, Shannon and Mark could hear the kids mumbling and scrambling upstairs. Curious, they got up to go see how the children were doing on their “new spy mission.” But just as they reached the stairs, Aunt Clara stopped them. “They need to do this on their own,” she said. “You two will have your chance tonight.”

“Oh, we’re not playing your silly game, Aunt Clara,” Mark said. “We just wanted to see how they were doing.”

“Hmm,” Aunt Clara said, “is it silly or is it too difficult even for big 12-year-olds like you and Shannon?”

“Seriously, Aunt Clara, we are almost grown-ups,” Shannon said with an attitude.

“Yeah,” Mark added, “we’re not children, and we know you’re not a real spy.”

“Well, why not prove me wrong then,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Upstairs, the kids were being extra careful. They wiped their feet, closed the shower curtain, and made sure the toilet paper was rolled up properly. They even double-checked each other’s work.

“We’re ready,” Mike shouted. Aunt Clara, followed by Mark and Shannon, went to the bathroom to see if they could find any clues.

“Looks like they win,” Mark said, feeling proud. But when Aunt Clara called the kids in, she said, “You may turn out to be spies eventually.”

Mark and Shannon were shocked; the bathroom looked spotless to them.

Aunt Clara could see they’d been working hard to hide all the clues. She took a deep breath and gave the room a thorough look. All five kids were confident they had beaten her. “Let’s see,” she paused, looking around. “Can any of you see any clues you might have left behind?”

The kids looked around nervously, and Aunt Clara opened the shower curtain. “Oh no,” said Helene, “there’s soap scum in the shower from not rinsing off properly after my shower.”

“Good eye,” said Aunt Clara. “And look here.” She got closer to one of the toothbrushes and picked it up. “It looks like this toothbrush has dry bristles, indicating it hasn’t been used.” She smiled. “Mike, it’s important to brush your teeth before bed.”

Mike blushed, knowing he’d been caught.

“She sees everything,” Shannon whispered to Mark.

“And look here, wet handprints on the mirror.” Aunt Clara put her hands on her hips and smiled. “You made it pretty tough for me tonight, but remember, I’ve been a spy for a long time, and you’ve only just begun your training. You’ll have another chance tomorrow.”

As they went to bed, Shannon and Mark exchanged glances. “You know,” Shannon whispered, “maybe Aunt Clara really is a spy.”

Mark nodded slowly. “Yeah, she knows way too much. I’m starting to think she might actually be telling the truth.”

The next day, the kids discussed their plans for the night. “I sure hope we can graduate from Aunt Clara’s Secret Spy School before Mom and Dad get back from their trip. Otherwise, we might just have to stay longer,” Sharla said.

That night, the kids were sure they’d done everything perfectly. There was no way Aunt Clara would find any clues. And they were right.

To the shock of Mark and Shannon, they heard Aunt Clara say, “You did it! It’s as if no one had ever been in the bathroom,” she said with a knowing smile. “For doing so well, I’ll tell you all a story.”

Mark and Shannon exchanged glances. They were shocked that the younger kids had managed to leave no clues behind.

The kids beamed with pride, but soon enough, they started to feel jittery and wiggly.

“Is there anything wrong?” Aunt Clara asked knowingly.

Mike jumped up. “I need to use the bathroom,” he said.

“Me too,” said Sharla.

“Me too,” said Helene.

“But didn’t you already go?” Aunt Clara smiled. “So you thought you could trick me, eh?” They all laughed, and deep inside, they knew she’d known all along.

“All right, to the bathroom and right back to bed. There’ll be no inspection tonight. But remember this, you didn’t really cheat me. You cheated yourselves out of an opportunity to learn more.”

The kids smiled sheepishly. “We never thought of it that way,” they said.

As the kids went to use the bathroom, Mark and Shannon realized that Aunt Clara had known the truth all along.

As they washed up, they realized Aunt Clara was right. They had missed a chance to practice and become better spies.

“We need to make sure we do it right from now on,” said Sharla.

“Yeah, no more tricks,” agreed Helen.

“Let’s do our best,” added Mike

The kids returned from the bathroom, ready for bed. Aunt Clara tucked them in with a mysterious smile on her face. As Mark and Shannon lay in bed that night, they couldn’t shake the feeling that Aunt Clara might just be the real deal.

The next night, the kids tried again, but as hard as they tried, they left a few clues behind. Aunt Clara knew the kids felt sad, so she walked into their bedroom and said with a big smile, “It took me a long time to become a super spy.”

She continued warmly, “Don’t give up! Learn from your mistakes. Just like I did, I know you’ll get there too. Just take your time, focus, and work as a team when you can.”

“We will, Aunt Clara,” Sharla said, determined.

“Yeah, we’re not giving up!” Mike added.

“We’ll get better and better,” Helen said with a nod.

That night, the kids went to bed feeling a mix of disappointment and new determination. They whispered about their plans for the next day.

“I really hope we can graduate from Aunt Clara’s Secret Spy School,” Mike said with a grin.

Meanwhile, Mark and Shannon had decided they wanted to try to beat Aunt Clara at her own spy game.

“We’re ready to try,” Mark said confidently. “We’re sure we can leave no clues behind.”

Shannon added, “We won’t need more than one night.”

“Good luck,” said Aunt Clara. “Get ready for bed, and I’ll come up and inspect for clues later.”

Mark and Shannon were determined to get it right. They paid close attention to every detail, making sure not to leave any clues behind. There was no way two almost grown-up kids couldn’t pull off a simple spy mission like this.

Aunt Clara inspected the bathroom and smiled. The twins stood at attention by the bathroom door, waiting and excited about their inspection. “You two are good.”

They smiled, knowing they had won on their first attempt. “It was easy. We’re not little kids, you know,” Shannon said proudly.

“You may just graduate…” Aunt Clara said, taking a long pause as she continued to look around. Mark and Shannon were beaming.

“I knew it,” Mark said.

“…by the time your parents get home,” Aunt Clara finished, still  looking around.

“Didn’t we do it?” asked Mark, eyes wide with anticipation.

“It was close,” Aunt Clara said. “But look here—a smudge on the light switch from a dirty hand and an empty soap dispenser that should have been refilled when you finished the old soap.”

The kids were disappointed; they were sure they’d gotten everything. Aunt Clara saw the disappointment in their eyes.

“What fun would it be if it were easy to become a spy? No, it takes lots of hard work to be a good spy,” she said gently. “Even for big kids like you.”

The kids nodded, understanding. “It’s tougher than we thought,” said Shannon.

As they went to bed, Shannon and Mark exchanged glances, their earlier confidence shaken. They couldn’t believe they had missed such small details. As they lay in bed, they talked about how Aunt Clara had known exactly what to look for.

“Maybe she really is a spy,” Shannon whispered to Mark reaffirming her beliefs.

“Yeah,” Mark replied, nodding slowly. “I thought it was going to be easy. We really need to try harder.”

On the final day at Aunt Clara’s, all five kids—Mark, Shannon, Sharla, Helen, and Mike—wondered if they could actually leave the bathroom without any clues. That night, Mark and Shannon decided to join forces with Sharla, Helen, and Mike. With all five pairs of eyes, they were sure they could succeed, even though they thought this every night since the spy challenges started.

At bedtime, they all stood at attention like soldiers by the bathroom hallway. Aunt Clara walked in, taking her time. After a few minutes of investigating, she turned to them with a smile. They all knew they had succeeded! The bathroom was spotless, and they beamed with pride.

“Congratulations!” said Aunt Clara, “You did it.” She also informed them that this was just the beginning. “Spy School has many levels,” she said. “But you’ve taken the first step.” She handed them each a card that read, Level One Spy. “Keep this card hidden and only show it to other spies.” She smiled.

By the time Mom and Dad arrived, the kids no longer dreaded their stay with Aunt Clara. They had become a tight-knit team of junior spies, ready for any challenge.

Seeing Mom and Dad arriving the kids burst out the front door, full of excitement and stories about their time at Aunt Clara’s.

As bedtime approached, their parents noticed a peculiar change. The kids were ready for bed much quicker than usual.

Mom and Dad went upstairs to tuck the kids into bed. As they passed the bathroom, they noticed the bathroom door was almost closed. Mom, dreading the usual mess, was surprised. “How can the kids be ready for bed?” She looked at Dad. “They couldn’t have washed up and brushed their teeth already! The bathroom is spotless! It’s as if no one’s been in here.”

The kids overheard her talking with Dad and exchanged knowing glances, giggling. “We’re spies now!” they whispered to each other.

Mom and Dad, standing at the bedroom door, chuckled. “Spies, huh? I wonder what that means?” they whispered to each other.

Mom and Dad were skeptical but impressed. They checked the bathroom again to make sure they weren’t dreaming and found everything in perfect order—towels hung neatly, no toothpaste mess, toilet seat down, clothes in the hamper. It was almost too good to be true.

Mom and Dad shared a look of astonishment mixed with pride. Their kids had returned not only with fun stories but valuable life skills they hadn’t expected.

Over the next few days, the kids took their new roles seriously. They each had a special spy journal where they wrote down every little detail about their spy missions. Whether it was the kitchen, the living room, or even the mudroom, they made sure to leave each room looking like they’d never been there—just like real secret spies!

They even asked Mom and Dad to help by pretending to be detectives, looking for any clues they might have left behind. Mom and Dad joined in the fun, trying to find any hint of the kids’ presence but were always amazed at how spotless everything was.

By the end of the week, the kids felt proud of their secret spy skills. They even shared their newfound talents with their friends, inviting them to join the fun. Before long, Aunt Clara’s Secret Spy School became a legendary game among all the neighborhood kids. Cleaning up had never been so exciting.