Day 130 Writing Short Stories

Dark

The house creaked and moaned as the storm raged on outside. The hallways were painted dark, and no light seeped through the windows. She listened to the moans and creaks, unsure what was making the sounds, the storm or something alive. It had been foolish to stay here alone in the house, especially when there was no electricity, water, or heating. She should have gone to the hotel, especially with a storm warning. Now she was stuck here with her bad choices, hoping that the electric company would reconnect the house to the grid first thing tomorrow morning.

All her belongings were stacked at the corner of the soon-to-be living room. The moving company had done a neat job. She had taken shelter on the couch, from the only furniture she had. Shit, she had been stupid. A cheap motel would have been better than this, but she had thought to save money by staying in her new home before anything was set.

There was a crash against the house, startling her badly. It’s a branch against the window, she said to herself. Still, she drew the blanket tighter over herself, wishing there was someone she could call. She was new to the town, and the cashier at the local grocery store was the only friendly face she had talked to today.

Creaks and moans got louder, and she drew the blanket over her head, cursing her own stupidity.

This was supposed to be a new start. And now they had followed her here. She felt the room get colder, and shivers ran through her body.

What I can see, what I can hear, is not there, she repeated to herself as a mantra to shield her from the thing that was leaning over her and breathing heavily.

“You are not here,” she said aloud. “Go away,” she added.

The floorboard next to the couch creaked from the pressure.

“If you are going to kill me, then just do it. I’m tired of your games,” she said.

“Help me,” came a faint whisper, and she knew she was alone in the room again.

She took off the covers and watched into the darkness. The storm had lessened, and there was almost silvery light coming from the living room window, casting shadows over the floor. She was alone.

Sea

This is a prompt about a person who moves back to their hometown near the sea, after living inland. The prompt states that no person who once lived near the sea can be happy living inland. I crew up next to the sea, feeling the salt and harsh sea air every day of my life. Now I have been living over half my life inland, and I still miss the sea. A study published not long ago found that people who live near the sea are healthier than those who don’t. Gods, I miss the ocean. I’m not sure if I’ll move back to live near the sea, but I do dream about it every day. My husband takes me to the seaside every spring when the ice is melted and you can hear the seagulls scream, and oh boy, do I feel more at home there than anywhere else. There is something magical when it comes to the sea.

A Strange, Gem-Colored Stone

Before starting to write these prompts, I felt like I had the stamina to write them all, but I cannot seem to shift from the first story to the other prompts. I’m stuck at that dark place.

This was supposed to be a girl finding a strange, gem-colored stone at the seaside and taking it home. My mind instantly thinks of the stone as a seed to grow a mermaid. That sounds odd, as if mermaids were half-lings, but somehow it fits here. But there won’t be a story about mermaid seeds, not now.

The Prompts are from the book A Year of Creative Writing Prompts.

I feel like today is a day that doesn’t exist. Like everything is standing still, waiting for tomorrow to happen, even when there’s nothing special happening tomorrow. Maybe there is, and I just don’t know it yet.

Thank you for reading! Have a spooky day ❤