For his Writer’s Workshop this week, John Holton gives us six writing prompts and we are tasked with choosing one of the prompts (or as many as we want) and writing a post that addresses that prompt (or those prompts). I am responding to two of the prompts this week:
- Write a post inspired by the word resident.
- Write a post in exactly 11 (eleven) sentences.
The heavy iron gates of Blackwood Manor groaned, welcoming the newest resident with a chilling, metallic shriek.
Arthur Conway stepped into the foyer, where the scent of damp earth and ancient lavender hung thick in the stagnant air.
He had inherited the estate from an uncle he never knew, a man whose death was whispered about in hushed tones.
As he climbed the winding staircase, he noticed a singular, muddy footprint leading directly into a wall of solid oak.
No one else was supposed to be in the house, yet the floorboards above his head creaked with rhythmic intent.
Arthur froze, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird seeking an exit.
A low, guttural hum began to resonate through the vents, vibrating the very marrow of his bones.
He reached for the brass handle of the master bedroom, finding the metal unexpectedly warm to the touch.
Inside, the vanity mirror was clouded with fresh steam, though the pipes had been dry for decades.
Written in the condensation was a single, terrifying greeting: “Welcome home, neighbor.”
Arthur realized then that being the legal owner did not make him the only resident of these halls.
“Doctor, we’ve lost him,” the resident said.
Facts, Fictions & Fantasies 