Friday, October 23, 2009

A Halloween Ghost Story

Any creative writers out there? Here's a fun exercise I like to do to spark a little creativity: find a picture (any picture), and write a quick short story to go along with it. Don't overthink it, don't agonize over it, just do it! Here's a old picture of someone's living room, which I'm about to turn into a ghost story:

The Haunted Corner

Opal Myers sat in her favorite chair, right by the window, where she could watch the world go by without ever leaving the plush comfort of her home. While others stood in bread lines and whined about lack of work, Opal had merely to ring a small bell and food would be brought to her on a tray. Another ring, and the tray would be taken away, the crumbs no doubt eaten by a sneaky servant girl before they reached the kitchen.

Opal didn't care. Let them eat cake. Depression, indeed. The poor deserved their fate... they either hadn't the guts to work hard, or they hadn't the wits to marry money. She'd done both.

"Wow, honey... look at this place." A man's voice disturbed Opal's privacy, but she didn't look away from the window. The man would be gone soon enough. "Still looks like it did in 40's."

"The 30's, actually." A woman's voice answered him, a voice that Opal found vaguely familiar. Familiar enough to ignore. "We at Hampton House take great pride in keeping the house just the way it looked when the murder occurred. Opal Myers was killed right there, in that chair."

"Ew... how creepy." Another woman's voice, different from the first. "By her own son? That's what the brochure said."

"It was never proven who did it, but the son was the number one suspect. He disappeared right after the murder and was never seen again."

Opal settled herself more deeply into the chair and smiled a chilly smile. Her son would come home eventually, and when he did, she'd be waiting.

7 comments:

Jennifer Mathis said...

no the son didn't do it. he was killed that night too. k i'm back now i was being drug into the story which was a tease i might add

Terri Garey said...

Ah, I see... the son wasn't the murderer... SHE was the murderer, and killing her own son drove her insane, so THAT'S why she's bound to the house, doomed forever more to live out the moment when she waited for him to come home, knowing she'd poisoned the tea...

:-)

Jennifer Mathis said...

yeah she killed him and now shes waiting for him to come back for revenge. His body is in the woods that she can see out her window thats why she sits staring out lol

Jennifer Mathis said...

Yeah! I no. she killed him because he was in love with a woman and she didn't want to lose her only son( the only person in the world who loved her)

Dorthy said...

that is a great little story. Although, my first impression when reading the story was that the son killed his mother so he didn't have to work hard, or marry the money. He would inherit it. Maybe he ran off with the serving girl....

Jennifer Mathis said...

maybe the serving girl did it. She acted a little too innocent hummm....

Terri Garey said...

Ah, Dorthy - I must admit, that scenario is the one I was going for. The son couldn't stand his greedy, pinch-faced miser of a mother one moment more, then took off with all her hard-earned money (and maybe the servant girl!) :-)