4/5
I was sent this story by a publisher for review, which has not impacted my review in any way. The opinions are mine and mine alone.
Clara Wren does really well in writing this story. The Cul-de-Sac has a great opening line that makes you curious about what is going to happen, drawing the reader in. Using a good grasp of descriptive writing, she expertly paints a picture in your mind of what she is speaking about. This serves to make you want to find out more. This trail and the people of the cul-de-sac make for an interesting and unique focal point or theme of the story. Fresh themes are a gem to find.
Introducing these few characters in such a short amount of time, can be challenging, and I feel that she was creative in finding the best way possible. It was executed well. My main complaint about the short story, is that it was missing that hook. There were things to draw the reader, in but that extra something to make me say wow, wasn't there.
Overall, it was a great short story. I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a quick read, or who wants a good example of descriptive writing.