11 views
Promise
#WritcoStoryPrompt36
Write a short story that uses atleast two of the given situations:
[3. A broken mirror.
4. An old desk with a locked drawer. ]
A creak of the front door marked the starting point. It echoed through the valley, intensified by the sound of heavy rain drops hitting against the ground, roof, and a metal barn a few feet away.
She took a deep breath, suddenly relieved at the sensation of being alone. If she ever felt the need to cry, she could bowl her eyes out without having to explain why. Having some privacy while revisiting her past was essentially important.
First of all, she didn't want to come back. Ever. But she had to do it because her uncle didn't have any other relatives, and actually, it all wasn't his fault. She owed him taking care of things. Apart from that, there was the nightmare she dreamed every time her mind decided to reminisce about her childhood. And that irrational fear of a certain somebody coming in on her whilst she's inside.
Another deep breath. If she had to enumerate all the reasons why she shouldn't come in, she would probably turn around and go straight to the hotel. But there still was that nudging at the back of her head, pushing her in, to try.
She knew all well what was at stake. So she opened the door wider and stepped inside.
The smell immediately brought her back. She didn't even finish taking a breath in when it hit her. She had to stop for a few seconds and compose herself before she went into the living room.
The curtains weren't drawn. The table was dressed with her uncle's favorite china. Its round edges ran under a red tablecloth just like stadium lines. Her old music box stood in the middle of silence, shut and shining under the pale light coming in through the windows. She sighed.
Most of the furniture was already gone - her uncle wanted to donate it knowing she didn't need it. Or want it, to be more specific. The only pieces left, apart from the table, were a velvet armchair, with a crochet blanket attached to it, a vintage floor lamp covered with a white sheet, and a wooden cabinet.
She moved past the living room, to the office. Spending too much time in there appeared an unnecessary torture, there wasn't any need for going upstairs.
She pushed the doorknob. The office was way brighter than how she remembered it. Probably because the absence of the curtains that had been removed already, along with a huge bookcase that used to stand in the very middle. She wanted to come in a bit deeper but a strange sound under her shoe racks stopped her. She looked down at an old mirror in a golden frame, shattered across the floor. She realized whoever took the bookcase, must have broken it, and then left it there.
The only thing left was her uncle's desk. She instinctively sat down on its surface and pushed the drawer to open it. But it didn't respond. She tried a few other drawers with no success.
"Great", she thought. "He played me. Why, though?".
Confused, she stood up and began walking around the desk in search of the promise her uncle made to her. It took her twenty minutes of more and more frantic looking to realize it wasn't there. And she had no idea where to find it.
Frustrated, she screamed into her hands, then fell onto the ground. Her eyes welled up with tears. Until she felt a small shape under her hand, close to the edge of the desk. And understood it was the key.
She grabbed it and jumped onto her feet in a matter of seconds. Then ran back to the living room and took the music box from the table. Twisted the key in the lock.
It bursted open, to reveal a dancer holding a note in her arms.
"Dear Meg, the address is 173 Marilyn Lane, 77034 Violet Valley, Oregon. This key opens the door. You'll find all your cheques on the mantle. There's also a car parked in the garage (keys on the rack). Should you need anything, call my lawyer. Welcome to your new life. Love, uncle Mark."
© All Rights Reserved
Write a short story that uses atleast two of the given situations:
[3. A broken mirror.
4. An old desk with a locked drawer. ]
A creak of the front door marked the starting point. It echoed through the valley, intensified by the sound of heavy rain drops hitting against the ground, roof, and a metal barn a few feet away.
She took a deep breath, suddenly relieved at the sensation of being alone. If she ever felt the need to cry, she could bowl her eyes out without having to explain why. Having some privacy while revisiting her past was essentially important.
First of all, she didn't want to come back. Ever. But she had to do it because her uncle didn't have any other relatives, and actually, it all wasn't his fault. She owed him taking care of things. Apart from that, there was the nightmare she dreamed every time her mind decided to reminisce about her childhood. And that irrational fear of a certain somebody coming in on her whilst she's inside.
Another deep breath. If she had to enumerate all the reasons why she shouldn't come in, she would probably turn around and go straight to the hotel. But there still was that nudging at the back of her head, pushing her in, to try.
She knew all well what was at stake. So she opened the door wider and stepped inside.
The smell immediately brought her back. She didn't even finish taking a breath in when it hit her. She had to stop for a few seconds and compose herself before she went into the living room.
The curtains weren't drawn. The table was dressed with her uncle's favorite china. Its round edges ran under a red tablecloth just like stadium lines. Her old music box stood in the middle of silence, shut and shining under the pale light coming in through the windows. She sighed.
Most of the furniture was already gone - her uncle wanted to donate it knowing she didn't need it. Or want it, to be more specific. The only pieces left, apart from the table, were a velvet armchair, with a crochet blanket attached to it, a vintage floor lamp covered with a white sheet, and a wooden cabinet.
She moved past the living room, to the office. Spending too much time in there appeared an unnecessary torture, there wasn't any need for going upstairs.
She pushed the doorknob. The office was way brighter than how she remembered it. Probably because the absence of the curtains that had been removed already, along with a huge bookcase that used to stand in the very middle. She wanted to come in a bit deeper but a strange sound under her shoe racks stopped her. She looked down at an old mirror in a golden frame, shattered across the floor. She realized whoever took the bookcase, must have broken it, and then left it there.
The only thing left was her uncle's desk. She instinctively sat down on its surface and pushed the drawer to open it. But it didn't respond. She tried a few other drawers with no success.
"Great", she thought. "He played me. Why, though?".
Confused, she stood up and began walking around the desk in search of the promise her uncle made to her. It took her twenty minutes of more and more frantic looking to realize it wasn't there. And she had no idea where to find it.
Frustrated, she screamed into her hands, then fell onto the ground. Her eyes welled up with tears. Until she felt a small shape under her hand, close to the edge of the desk. And understood it was the key.
She grabbed it and jumped onto her feet in a matter of seconds. Then ran back to the living room and took the music box from the table. Twisted the key in the lock.
It bursted open, to reveal a dancer holding a note in her arms.
"Dear Meg, the address is 173 Marilyn Lane, 77034 Violet Valley, Oregon. This key opens the door. You'll find all your cheques on the mantle. There's also a car parked in the garage (keys on the rack). Should you need anything, call my lawyer. Welcome to your new life. Love, uncle Mark."
© All Rights Reserved
