The Mad House: ‘Fiction In A Flash Challenge’ Week #15 NEW Image Prompt. Join in the fun! #IARTG #ASMSG @pursoot #WritingCommunity
Hi everyone! It’s that time of the week again … Friday fun flash fiction! This week’s picture had my muse dancing 🙂 I hit Soooz’s 750 word limit this week and could easily have run away with this fantastic prompt …
The Mad House
Emily does not like this house. Doesn’t matter how cheap it is. Rick, however, adores it. ‘C’mon, Em. It’s got serious potential.’
‘For a broken back,’ she mutters with her back turned.
‘Mmm. What was that?’
She faces Rick and lies, ‘I said, it’ll be nice to bring it back … see this old place restored to it’s former glory.’
‘Yeah.’ Rick grins and gives her a quick hug.
Emily’s happy that she’s made him happy. These last few months have been tough. Still, this place gives her the creeps. It feels oppressive. The house oozes hate.
Subdued, Emily traipses after Rick toward the filthy, broken door that leads into the hallway. Absently, she trails her fingers along the wood.
‘Ouch!’ She sucks the bloody finger into her mouth. Wide-eyed, she stares from the door to her husband. ‘The damn thing just bit me.’
Rick shakes his head, and a sad smile tugs at his lips and eyes like they can’t decide whether to go up or down. ‘Oh, honey. Let’s not start all that again.’
Emily hangs her head, and her stomach rolls sickeningly. No, let’s not do ‘all that’ again. The asylum wasn’t a fun place, and she’ll do anything not to return. Even this old building is better than that house of horrors. But she never made it up. It wasn’t all ‘in her imagination’. Fed up, frightened of looking crazy, and wanting to make it up to her husband, Emily holds it all in.
When she fails to speak, Rick pulls her in for another hug. Like that’ll fix everything. She holds in a sigh, but her tension transmits to him through her muscles. With a frown, he pulls away and promises, ‘We’ll get there.’
Emily nods and forces a smile for her husband’s benefit.
He strides into the hallway. Emily takes a step after him and then stops dead. The broken glass rimming the two lower frames in the door look like fangs. And the top two resemble eyes—empty and black and menacing. She shakes her head and strides past determinedly. It’s just a door. Simply four damaged square panes.
Rick’s gone upstairs. She wishes he hadn’t. The thought of stepping foot on those old risers leaves her weak and trembling, and it seems hard to breathe.
A creak and draft from behind give her a split-second’s warning. The door to the lounge swings shut. Impossible. An old chair had propped it open. Emily’s heart hammers so hard she’s sure it’s about to break her ribs. Its frantic bid for escape echoes her own misgivings. Why can nobody understand that she sees things? No matter what the doctors tell her, it’s all real. It is.
She spins around with her arms raised in front of her face. Sure enough, the door’s closed tight. The chair is nowhere in sight. The discarded box-drawer that had lain against the hinged-edge now lies by her feet on the dusty floor. Emily skitters away. Misgivings forgotten for the moment, she dashes up the stairs. ‘Rick? … Rick? Where are you?’
Thick silence surrounds her, more like the sinister wrapping of a hungry spider than the protective cocoon of a butterfly. Emily shudders. She dashes from room to room but can’t find him anywhere. Panicked, she flies back down the stairs and runs throughout the ground floor. No Rick. Terrified, she even checks the basement. Nothing. Her breathing comes in gasps and heaves, and her vision blurs. She bursts out of the front door.
Rick stands outside, holding up the keys to the house and wearing a huge smile. His smile falters and then recovers. He jingles the keys. ‘Welcome home, honey!’
What? They were just viewing to see if they would buy it. Where’s the agent? How have they bought this place already? She blinks and copies Rick’s enthusiastic smile. ‘Um, remind me what day it is, sweetie.’
Rick chuckles. ‘It’s Monday, of course.’
They’d viewed the house on a Saturday. ‘Er, do you have the papers?’
‘Sure.’ Rick holds out the contract. Emily snatches it and looks at the date: three months have passed. The house has had her for twelve weeks. Rick frowns and studies Emily. ‘You okay, hon?’
She nods and smiles. She knows what she has to do. ‘I’m looking forward to gutting this place.’
‘It doesn’t need that much work. And they just released you. Remember, baby steps.’
His words make no sense. All she sees is utter devastation. Illusion? Delusion? Or premonition?
© Harmony Kent 2020
I’d love to know what you think of this little tale … so please don’t be shy and leave me a reply.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Image prompt from Peter H from Pixabay
The rules:
Please put your entry (or a link to it) in a comment HERE or email it to Sooz at her email address. by DEADLINE: 4pm EDT on Thursday, September 3rd. Subject: Fiction in a Flash Challenge. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to THIS page would be much appreciated.
UPDATE: The response to the prompts has been just wonderful. As a result, Soooz be sharing all entries received, and her own contribution on her blog AS SHE RECEIVES THEM. Rather than posting all of them only over a few days.
Again, you can find the prompt post HERE.
Find Sooz at …
Spine tingling, Harmony. Toni x
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Toni 🙂
Just came from Soooz’s place. This story is creepy! But of course, I want to know more. Not sure I trust Rick. 🙂
I’m not sure about that guy, either, lols. So glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks, Joan 🙂
That last paragraph: His words make no sense. All she sees is utter devastation. Illusion? Delusion? Or premonition?
Spooooky!
Great story, Harmony. That poor woman.
I’m so cruel to my characters! Tee he hee. So thrilled you enjoyed the story. Thanks, Jacquie 😊
Oh, my goodness! That gave me chills. I feel a serious haunting coming, and that hubby of hers… Nope, no good feelings about him. Great story, Harmony! 🙂
Tee he hee! So thrilled you enjoyed the story. Thanks, Yvi 😊
I enjoyed this story, Harmony. I especially liked the Suspense part of it. Good job.
Thanks, Joy! So glad you enjoyed it 😊
Great story, Harmony. I found myself actually biting my nails. Lol. I love the added twist at the end. So sinister. And Rick is a little creepy too! Loved it.
I’m not too sure about Rick myself. Tee he hee! So pleased you enjoyed the story, and sorry about your nails! Thanks, Diana 😊
Cool story Harmony, I’d love to read more of this, has a good “off” vibe like the beginning of a horror movie 😁
Yay! Looks like this may well become a book at some point. Thanks, Jess 😊
I felt for her loss of time, it was chilling. This had great images so I felt like I was there with them. I loved the comparison of the spider web and butterfly cocoon. I could see this a longer story.
That makes me so happy! Thanks, Denise 😊
Absolutely brillant, Harmony! I loved the creepiness factor. I could definitely see you running with this one and making it into a longer piece. I loved it!
That’s fantastic. Thanks, Mae 😊
You clearly had so much fun writing this one, Harmony! I agree with everyone else, this has novel written all over it! Thanks so much for the contribution. I have just featured it on the challenge site. ❤
Yay! Doing my happy dance. Thanks so much, Soooz 😊
Wow. What a great story, Harmony. This has to be a book. There is so much material here.
Yay! Thank you so much for saying so, John 😊
Majorly creepy, Harmony! I shivered all the way through it. Well done!! (Now you need to write a book around it. 😀 )
Everyone is saying I have to make this a book, so I’m definitely going to look at that. So thrilled you enjoyed it. Thanks, Marcia 😊
What a powerful story, Harmony! You’ve created the beginning of a tale that needs sharing. A novel perhaps? Bravo! 🙂
It’s definitely one for my novel ideas folder. Thanks, Gwen 😊
Great tension. I’d gut the stupid house whether it was in decent shape or not. It bit her!
Couldn’t agree more! Thanks, Judi 😊
Oh, my goodness! This would make a fantastic novel!
I thought that while I was writing it! Thanks, Staci 😊
This is what happens when they take away all your vices in the hospital. Give her a stiff drink, maybe a crucifix and some wooden stakes, and she’ll be fine
Lols 😂! Thanks, Craig 😊