When I was ten I liked warming my hands by the fireplace and reading creepy tales until everyone else had gone to bed.
Then I’d switch the lights off and run up the stairs.
I’d climb them fast (two and three at a time), imagining cold, clammy hands groping at my back.
Now I’m a hundred and six—or would have been if I hadn’t died twenty-three years ago.
I still like to read by the fireplace. It does nothing to keep my hands warm, but it does wonders for my heart—especially when the new kid flicks the lights off and dashes for the stairs.
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©2010 Eugene Gramelis
Eugene Gramelis is a widely-published, award-winning author of suspense and dark fiction. When not writing, he practises law as a barrister in Sydney, Australia, where he resides with his beautiful wife and three gorgeous children. He invites you to walk with him at http://gramelis.blogspot.com
Tags: Eugene Gramelis
June 4th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Very nice. Really enjoyed this one. Good twist at the end.
June 5th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Thank you very much Neil. I really like your work, too. Regards, the Author.
June 5th, 2010 at 4:51 am
Loved this piece of flash. Spooky and well written. Well done.
June 8th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
I liked this one a lot. I’m a grown man but occasionally still find myself taking the stairs with a slightly quickened step right after killing the lights.
June 11th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Thanks David. Douglas, I know exactly what you mean. It’s that primal fear that inspired the story in the first place. Cheers, the Author.