"Two wrongs may not make a right but a thousand wrongs make a writer.”

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Advent Ghosts - The Widow's Solstice






She fumbled with the bottle in the dark and swallowed the pills with a gulp from the tap. The shadows of solstice were just that. And shadows couldn’t hurt, couldn’t walk, stab, or slither. Spineless and inert, couldn’t smash a spider. 

The house creaked, but what old house doesn’t? Beams adjusting to the weight of a thousand feet. But shadows don’t weigh a blink, can’t strike a match, can't block the moon. She grabbed her husband's coat and ran for the back door as moonlight glinted off the blade entering the front, glinted off the keys left hanging on a hook.


This short "ghost story" is for Advent Ghosts hosted by Loren Eaten at I Saw Lightning Fall.  You will find more 100-word (no more, no less) stories there.

Happy Winter Solstice!!

10 comments:

Loren Eaton said...

Very creepy mood piece! Nicely done, Yvonne!

Elizabeth Gaucher said...

Something about "can't block the moon" really sticks and spooks. Great job, I love the mystery!

Anthony Duce said...

Enjoyed..

L said...

Atmospheric

Yvonne Osborne said...

L,
Thank you!!

Tony,
Glad you liked it.Thank you.

Elizabeth,
Thanks! I added in the moon element last, so I'm glad it works.

Loren,
Thank you and thanks for the nudge to write shorts.

TKM said...

Creepily good. Well done, Yvonne.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Hello TKM,
Thank you! And thanks for reading.

Rhonda Parrish said...

I love the creep factor of this one :)

Merry Giftmas!

Liza said...

I'm not sure I'll be comfortable listening to my house pop and squeak at night any more.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Rhonda, Thanks so much!!!

Liza,
It always gives me pause. Thanks for commenting!