Spooktober 2024 - writing Prompt #2

I'm doing / sharing a Halloween / Spooktober / horror / paranormal / creepy

FIRST LINE or PROMPT every week in October leading up to Halloween.

Feel free to give them a try and share the results if you're feeling it.

Below in Bold is time spent and the prompt.

Below that is what was written in that time using the prompt.

Week 2.

TIME: 23 mins

PROMPT: 'The other kids in the Village were terrified of the ghost in the old house, but Gertrude knew better…’

Roy was her best friend. Gertrude supposed that wasn’t saying much. To be fair Roy was pretty much her only friend.

She went by the house to visit as often as she could. Her mother was so often busy working, it was pretty often.

On those days she knew her Mom was not going to be home after school, she would go home, drop off her school bag, grab some food: a sandwich or leftovers and make the short walk to the skeletal, grey monstrosity. She was always careful to ensure that no one saw her going in. There was a side entrance she used.

Gertrude had heard her mother and other adults more than once speak of the sad state of the once showpiece home. It was always some version of two views; “that place should be torn down” or “it’s too bad no one sees the potential in that place and fixes it up.”

Tonight she was late. She had had some homework to do and while she had brought homework to do in the past while visiting Roy, the light in the old place was non-existent and it made it hard sometimes.

She came in through the side door, the wood scraping loudly as it always did on the uneven floor. There was a shelf just inside the door. She reached down in the dimness and felt around. Her fingers found the little ceramic bell she’d placed there several months ago. It was her way of announcing that she was here. She rang it and put it back. She brushed cobwebs from her fingers onto the thigh of her jeans glancing around. She felt the cold tingle as he passed through her, like chilly static electricity. It was his hallmark. He always passed through her when she arrived. Like a greeting hug.