Lydia Lukidis' 2024 Fall Writing Frenzy

In This fun fall competition, writer's are prompted to choose between several images and write a 200 word fall-themed story. The full competition and rules can be found HERE.

I was so excited to participate in this year's Fall Writing Frenzy and I started off strong. However life got busy, as it so often does, and I ran out of time to revise my story to the correct word count. So I chalked it up to a great exercise and took my story to my wonderful critique group who helped me hone it in even more. In the end, I am very pleased with how it turned out and maybe it will make a good submission for a future competition. Please enjoy my Fall Writing Frenzy entry THE LONELY HOUSE.

image selected from Fall Writing Frenzy's list of competition images.

The Lonely House

A lonely house sat aging where once, a full house stood.

Its many lively memories still trapped within its wood.

And though there were no tenants to fill the hallowed halls,

something surely lingered there that stirred inside its walls.

For it was said on moonless nights, if you should pass its gate,

the house may choose to keep you and you would join its fate.

But few had dared to wonder, just why this would be so.

Until a nosey neighbor decided he must know.

The neighbor knew the legend and waited for the night

When dimly glowing streetlamps would be the only light.

He pushed upon the large front door.  It opened with a groaaaaannnnnn

and from the darkness something hissed, “Don’t leaaaave me all alonnnnnne!”

The neighbor shined his flashlight but didn’t see a soul.

So on he crept into the house, the air as dark as coal.

He made his way from room to room until he heard a sound.

And when he turned his head to look, pale ghosts were all around.

A little ghost stood out in front. She sniffled as she said,

“I do not like the darkness! It’s scary when you’re dead!”

The neighbor’s mouth hung open. He could not blink his eyes.

And what the little ghost said next, took him by surprise.

“I’ve taken all these others, because they brought their light.

I thought that, if I kept them, they’d keep the darkness bright.”

The neighbor slowly realized, she meant to keep him too…

and then a thought popped in his head. “I know just what to do!”

“Please! If you will let me go, I’ll leave my flashlight here

and what I shall bring back with me will rid you of your fear!”

The little ghost was curious and so she let him go.

And he returned just like he said, with several bags in tow.

He set to work with strings of light that stretched though every room.

The ghost said, “There’s no power here…You know that, I assume.”

The neighbor smiled and said, “I do!” And hung another strand.

“I promise in a moment, you will understand.”

Then once the lights had all been hung, he flipped a little switch,

and light began to flicker through a solar-powered twitch!

The little ghost was overjoyed! “The room’s as bright as day!”

The neighbor said, “That charger there, will keep the dark away!”

He placed it by a windowsill. Then watched the ghosts all fade.

The little ghost had set them free for she was not afraid.

And so the neighbor left the house. But left it blazing bright.

And that is why you see it now on every moonless night.

Amanda Blaylock

Word Count- 452

October 3rd, 2024