#BlogBattle Week 33 “Lurk”
genre: suspense? mystery? drama?
Shadow Lurking
There it was again. That flash of something out of the corner of his eye. It never failed to happen and almost always when he thought he was alone.
He circled around in his chair, head swiveling back and forth, to search the nearness for any sign of what he’d have been willing to bet his life on had been there but wasn’t. A chill ran down his spine.
Alone. Not a living soul there in room with him. Only stagnant air surrounded and a bevy of half-formed shadows daring the sunlight to invade their hidden spaces. He wondered if whatever he thought he saw might lurk in those places.
“It was only a mouse. That’s all. A mouse that can fly at eye level.”
He shook his shoulders and willed the creepy-crawly tightening of his skin to relax, but couldn’t seem to shake the feeling he wasn’t alone. One more quick roll of his neck with eyes closed tight but ears attuned to every minuscule sound were the last bit of distraction he gave himself before his fingers were typing furiously at the keyboard once again.
Minutes passed into hours, and the shadows stretched across the room. He stopped to rub his neck but froze with his hand in midair. He strained his ears, his lips parted, and the hairs on his neck stood on end.
“Why did I want to write this stuff? It’s getting to me. That’s all. There’s nothing there.”
On the other side of the door he heard his wife’s voice, muffled by the hollow wood-paneling.
“I’m home, honey.”
“See, just the wife, home from work,” he said to himself. “Hey hon! Just working. Be out in a bit.”
His shoulders drooped, but he averted his eyes from the deep darkness of lurking shadows.
“Just going to finish up this last chapter.” He swiveled the chair back toward his desk, illuminated by the computer screen. “What in the–”
Knock, knock.
Silence answered.
“Sweetie, I brought Chinese home for dinner,” his wife said through the closed door.
She turned the knob and the door creaked open.
“I didn’t feel like cooking and–that’s odd.” She peered into the shadowed corners. “Honey?”
Creepy, Rachael! But I liked it and the image you chose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Candice. 🙂 That’s exactly what I was hoping for. I liked that image, too. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a great one! and it really added to the story, although I have an image of wood paneling stuck in my head lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha oops
LikeLiked by 1 person
Creepy! I like this! Bewaaare what lurks in the shadows, especially on Halloween week… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Especially then! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooooh, creepy… shadows are to be very aware of. You never know what might be lurking in them, ready to snatch away innocent writers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. Writers beware! Mwahahahaha
LikeLiked by 1 person
A writer lost to the dread shadow lurker. I raise my pen in his memory. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 thanks, Cathleen. Now, do be careful of the shadows. ☺
LikeLike
Very creep – well done IBFF!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I’m glad you were creeped. I am thoroughly creeped every time that happens. haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
super creepy I was reading this in the wee hours of the morning….
gripping stuff
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, hahaha Good. When it’s super quiet and nothing is stirring. What was that moved in the corner of your eye? 😉 Thanks, B. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
An errant eyelash I hope 😱
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol oops. That wasn’t worded well at all. 😛 haha we can certainly hope!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh, loved this one! So creepy. I’m gonna write in daylight from now on. LOL Jean’s Writing
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jean, thank you! 🙂 haha you never know what’s lurking in the shadows. Haha happy writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funtastic, creepy, chilling, edge-of-the-seat and starved for air. Love it. Just right for this time of year. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Tess. 🙂 I had fun writing a bit of suspense. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Outstanding! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person