Go Away!

Prompt: Tonight, death has to be invited in.

Katie was just drifting off to sleep when there was a sharp knock on her bedroom door.

“Go back to bed Tommy!” she shouted at her younger brother through the door. “I’m too tired to read you any more stories tonight.”

Katie burrowed back into her duvet and closed her eyes, hoping that she would be able to drift back off to sleep, when there was a harder and louder knock on the door.

“I’m serious Tommy! Go and find mum if you need something.”

Suddenly Katie felt the hairs stand up all over her body and her stomach clenched in fear when a deep, gravelly voice from beyond the door said, “It’s not Tommy. He and your parents are not available anymore I’m afraid. How about you come and open the door for me? Tonight, Death has to be invited in.”

lullaby

Prompt: lullaby

The lullaby soothed her as the pain once again swept through her body. Her daughter’s voice sounded beautiful. She was singing to her softly, drowning out the unpleasant sounds of the busy hospital ward.

She reached for her daughter’s hand as the pain hit her again, and as she felt the warmth and squeeze in return, instead of fighting, she gave in and let go, gently floating away.

Mary carried on holding her mum’s hand, singing her lullaby, long after her mum had gone

The Graveyard

Prompt: a tombstone, a first kiss, a butterfly collection.

Hayley walked through the gates of the graveyard and the fluttering’s of nervous excitement she had been feeling all day, turned to apprehension.

Why on earth did Martin want to meet here for a first date? Very strange. It’s not quite where she had imagined she would be for her first date, and hopefully her first kiss, but nevermind.

She had met Martin while she was on a school trip to the museum. Their eyes had connected through the glass display of a butterfly collection and she had been mesmerised ever since.

Deep within the graveyard, Martin paced in front of his family tombstone. He had already prepped the ground in anticipation of Hayley’s arrival.

“Don’t worry dad,” he whispered to a corpse, “fresh blood will soon be here. You will be awake again before the sun goes down.”

The Locked Door

Prompt: The Locked Door (why is it locked and what is behind it?)

I ran past the basement door as quickly as I could, as I always do. It has been locked for as long as I can remember, my parents were very clear when they told me that it was never to be opened and that if I disobeyed there would be trouble like I had never known before.

That warning didn’t stop me one day during my rebellious teenage years. I remember trying the handle, it was really stiff and noisy. I’d given it a pull, but I didn’t get any further as my dad caught me. Oh my! Did I get a beating that day! I have never touched the door since.

Ridiculous really, I’m not a child anymore but I’m still scared of that door. I wonder what secrets are behind it that would turn a usually kind dad into a raging hurtful maniac. But I will never know. Packing up the house after my parents had been killed in a car crash last week had been traumatic enough. Whatever secrets they were keeping from me can stay that….secret. The next owners can deal with it.  I leave the house without touching the door.

Down in the basement a chained up, starving girl gives up hope of living. He hadn’t been down to feed her in days and her water supply had now run out. Forgotten and alone she curls into a ball and waits for death to arrive.

The Poisoned Pencil

Prompt: The Poisoned Pencil

Matthew slammed himself against Elizabeth’s bedroom door, the frame rattled a little but didn’t give way, so he took a few paces back and launched himself at the door with all his weight behind him.

This time the door gave way and Matthew found himself propelled into her room at speed. It was as he had feared, Elizabeth was slumped at her desk, the poisoned pencil in her hand. When he had noticed it missing from his study desk he had hoped it wasn’t Elizabeth who had borrowed it. He now cursed himself for being so careless.

The pencil had been laid out ready for his brother, Ben, to use. He was always taking things that didn’t belong to him. The speed at which he was spending their inheritance meant that Matthew had felt he had no choice but to act.

Now, instead of Ben laying dead, it was beloved niece.

Drawn to the room by the commotion, Ben entered the room and let out a wail as he saw his daughter. He ran to her and gently removed the pencil from her hand. Even in his state of grief, Matthew couldn’t help but smile. Problem solved!

The Lying Millionaire

Prompt: He was a millionaire, but he was also a liar.

Peter walked out of the house and had to stop himself from whooping with joy. Another old couple had given him a large summed cheque for a charity that only existed on paper. And this gullible pair had handed it over to him on the first visit, it usually took three or four. Suckers!

‘Now I just need to decide how to spend this one,’ he thought, as he headed to his car. ‘Joyce needs another horse as she said her one is getting too small, but Jonny needs a new car, his one is nearly six months old. Hummmm, decisions.’

Peter was so lost in his daydreaming of spending someone else’s money that he didn’t see the car coming fast down the street as he stepped out.  The last thing he sees is the old couple’s cheque flapping in the wind, which then finally fluttered down to land on his blood-soaked distorted body.

COMPETITION WIN!

So I am finally a published author! My short story 'I Can't Look' that I entered into the City of Stories competition was the winning entry for the borough of Barking and Dagenham. I still can't believe it 😊😊😊. Spread The Word (who organised the competition) has put together an anthology of the boroughs winning entries and I feature on page 66. It is an amazing feeling seeing your own work in print......the first of many I hope.