In the spirit of this spooktacular season, I’ve decided to do something daring today by sharing a short story I wrote recently- enjoy!
They were in my house. Setting the floorboards creaking, going where they pleased. I could hear them, carelessly clattering about down there, redirecting the furniture, chattering about this or that. The sound penetrated the cosseted safety of my abode; their presence plucked on my nerves and sent them a-tingling.
It wasn’t right. The place was historic- Georgian I recalled- possibly listed. They should have known better- still that didn’t seem to stop folk moving whatever wasn’t nailed down. That didn’t stop them desecrating the decades-old dust with their footprints.
I could hear them laughing now. Marvelling at some feature or another, their delight gliding round the ballroom like a child at play. Oh I was well and truly woken from my slumber. Nothing could keep me abed.
Had they no respect? I wondered, taking two steps at a time, thundering on the stairs loud enough to wake the dead. Soon I was upon them.
They didn’t see me at first- they never do. But they heard the door slam and startled like little birds. I almost wanted to reassure them- almost. Instead I looked them up and down- trying to calculate their worth from their peculiarly tight clothes and sharp angled haircuts- assessing their tells with my weary gaze. I crooked my neck, trying to get a better view, my eyes half failing me: a man and a woman. One of them holding a bright rectangle of light in their hand like a torch. That was a new one, I mused. Beyond that they were murky smudges.
“Who are you?”
The male was the one to speak. His voice was shaky, a rust to the command, clearly from disuse.
I sighed. I could have asked them the same question. Indeed there was a time when I might have. Was it a realtor or a blustery wind that had brought them to my door? Did they think they were going to stay? There was a time when I thought I cared for such details- but that time was gone.
“Who are you?” the brave soul repeated.
That was a good question. I pondered how I might answer. I wondered how I appeared to them, in the white nightgown I never changed out of- not since that night…
A rush of feelings came over me, as it always did when I thought about it. Red hot and white cold all at once. Like being dunked in ice cold water and held under three seconds too long, as your legs kicked and lungs burned for breath. Like seeing someone you trust, naked with someone else. Like getting a glimpse of the traitorous blade that would end your life just before it did and knowing, knowing you could have prevented all this.
I funnelled that rage into my scream:
“What-are-you-doing-in-my-house-!”
It wasn’t a question and they knew it. Trembling before me like leaves in autumn, clinging to the tree of life, right before winter ripped them off and cast them to decay. They knew there was no escaping the storm I summoned. They had unwittingly stepped into the tornado’s path and heavens knew there was no place to shelter. I shook the very foundations of the house. The bright object fell from the man’s grasp, and smashed to the ground. We all fell into darkness. All that could be heard was a scream muffled through sweaty hands.
I heard that all too human sound and would have stopped- had it not been so long since I had made that sound myself. But my hatred had a will of its own. It tore the remaining paintings from the wall, it shook the chandeliers one screw looser, it flung the broken mirrors in the air. Shattered glass collided with flesh and my thoughts turned to redecorating as a crimson stain splattered onto the wall.
Damnation, I cursed, my calm returning as I witnessed the carnage around me. I would have to wait for the bodies to turn a little before attempting to move them- hopefully no one would come looking for them a while yet… It would so destroy my rather tranquil mood if they brought people sniffing out their rotting corpses- theirs or the others. Let’s hope no one took a peek down the dumbwaiter.
But I supposed this would be a problem for another day. I span on my heels and went back to bed.
*****
Somewhere in the distance the clock chimed again. No, not a clock chiming- a bell. Someone was ringing the bell. I tensed, drawing my linen closer, not knowing their next move, too scared to trail my bare feet out the sheets- until I knew for sure. Until the dull thud of that tricky front door opening gave them away. They were in my house…
Okay so short stories are not my usual forte- but I hope that was at least a little entertaining!
It was not a little entertaining. It was a an incredible amount of entertaining. Really enjoyed reading this one! It was creepy, and honestly a little bit unsettling….and that is just the way I like my stories 😀 You have definitely have got some mad skills: really mean that. Great story, thanks for sharing this one 😀
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Aww thank you so much- that really means a lot! And I’m especially glad it unsettled you 😉 Seriously, thank you for that!!
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I’ve got to go with Michel on this. It was creepy and gave me the goosebumps! Well done! You most definitely hame more than a little talent there!😊
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Oh thank you so much!! That really means a lot!! 😊
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Very entertaining and wonderfully spooky too. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you so so much!!
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Great seasonal story!
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Thank you so much!!
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Really enjoyed it! Great descriptions! That takes some serious skill 🙂
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Thank you so much! That means a lot 🙂
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Where’s Dean and Sam when you really need them?
😉
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teehee I know right 😉
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Oooooh I love it!
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Thank you so much!! ❤
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I definitely enjoyed it! You have quite the penmanship. This is one house you do not want to trespass. 😀
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Oh thank you so much!! That really means a lot!! hahaha absolutely not! 😉
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Well done! I thought it was great. Thanks for being brave enough to share!
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Thank you so much!! That means a lot 🙂
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Ohhh, I loved this so, so much, so entertaining and definitely fitting for today’s mood 🙂 thank you for sharing! xx
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Thank you so so much!!! 😀 Really glad you liked it xx
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Enjoyed this very much! Thank you for sharing a piece of your work with us! I hope you’re daring again in the future 😁
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Aww thank you so much!! 😁😁
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This was more than just a little entertaining. I loved it! I can’t wait to read more from you.
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Aww thank you so much!!
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That was great! Hopefully you’ll post more in the future 🙂
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Oh thank you so much!!
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That. Was. Amazing! I am really a bit fussy when it comes to horror but you managed to proper capture me with this short! Love the atmosphere and the idea. Superbly written… You got some skills, yo! 😉 No really… defo interested in reading more of your works… just bang on!
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Aww thank you so so much!! That really means a lot!! I’m so glad and you are just the sweetest 😘💕
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Oooo I loved this!!
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Oh thank you so much!!
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What a wonderful short story! This is the sort of thing I can get behind for Halloween. I don’t proper frightening things, but this story gave me a solid heightened level of anxiety! Well done! Do you write short stories often? What inspired this one?
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Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you liked it!! hehe funny you should ask, I actually DNF’d this short story collection on haunted houses- and sometimes meh reads are just more inspiring, so I got the idea and ran with it 😉 . And no, I don’t normally write short stories, I tend to stick to longer works, so this was actually the first time I’d written a proper short story in years 😉
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Well, I love it! I’m glad that a DNF could inspire you to write something so fun. — Huh. That’s the first time I think I’ve used the word “fun” to describe something with a ghost in it. Cool!
I hope you share more of your works! I’d love to keep reading.
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hehhe thank you!!! 😀
Thank you so much!!!
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