Thought I’d write a short story off the cuff for Halloween, posting it as I go. So there will probably be mistakes.
The House on Mendocino Street is based on a true story. Mine. I once lived in a haunted house with my daughters. So I figured since this was Halloween month, I’d write a two or three or more part story.
THE HOUSE ON MENDOCINO STREET
The house didn’t look like much, an ugly grey Florida concrete home with a dirt yard to match. The only greenery was a pineapple palm growing close to the front door. The tree in the front yard drooped dead branches onto the roof. It was definitely not a candidate for anyone’s dream house.
Maddy couldn’t believe that she let her finance’ talk her into meeting a realtor to check out the dump. He had told her it was in foreclosure. By the looks of the house, she could understand why. It looks like a dump. But the house seemed to call to her. It had a familiar feeling about it even while she waited for her fiancé and realtor to arrive.
“Mommy,” Niki said from the backseat. “Are we going to live here?”
Drumming her fingers along the steering wheel of her mini van, Maddy shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t know. Maybe.”
“When will Mr. Bob be here?”
“Soon.”
“Can I go look in the backyard?”
Maddie found no problem with her daughter’s curiosity. Most six year olds were. “Sure. Just make sure you stay in it. Don’t go wandering around elsewhere.”
“Okay.” Niki slid the the back passenger door open. “Mr. Bob won’t get mad at me, will he?”
“Don’t worry.” Maddie glanced over her shoulder and gave her daughter a small smile. She figured her finance’ needed to chill out when it came to her child. She hoped he would calm down about his parenting position after she married him. He took it too seriously. Too much on the strict side.
Niki hopped out of the van, ran to the front of it, stopped, turned, and waved at her mother.
Maddie waved back and watched her daughter skip around the corner on the south side of the house. After, she cast her gaze at her twenty dollar wristwatch she bought at Wal Mart a couple months ago.
Out of the corner of her eye a dark silhouette crossed in front of the garage door. She blinked her eyes twice thinking she had floaters crossing her vision for moment. Or am I seeing things. The shadow rounded the same corner her daughter did, but she dismissed it.
© Shelly Arkon 2013
Anyone else writing anything off the cuff for the world to see? I’ve been tinkering with the idea since I wrote an essay for another blog a while back. Anyone get story ideas from writing your blog?
Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Nice. It reminds me of a time when I was at my daughter's stables after dark. The next day I asked the manager who the old man I saw walking across the yard was. She and her sister gulped before explaining that it was the original owner who'd died about a decade before. He didn't bother anyone and the horses didn't seem to mind. Pity he didn't do some mucking out - at least he wouwnd't have got all that smelly stuff up his legs.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, I'll post another piece some time tomorrow evening.
DeleteAnyway, I need to go and take a pic of the place. It now sits boarded up. The people who bought the house from me went into foreclosure a year later. Its been vacant for nine years.
Hey, you've got a great start here. Always got the story going. Good job you! xxx
DeleteThanks, Lorelei.
DeleteIt is a good start for a longer Halloween story. I wonder what will happen next.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, I'll post again tomorrow. Thank you.
DeleteIt's a good start. Some glitches here and there, but like you say, you haven't edited it.
ReplyDeleteI already see one. I'll try to post another piece tomorrow. This is mostly for fun. Who knows by the time Halloween comes and goes, maybe I'll have the good start of a novella.
DeleteGood start!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Norma.
Delete