Hello. Good to see you. I’ve been waiting awhile.
No problem. Come in. Have a look around. I hope you’ll like what you see.
It’s been some time since anyone’s walked these hallways. Nothing to be sad about though. Just felt a little lonely.
Ah! You like the basement. A little damp. But nothing that some modern treatment won’t fix. Yes, it could make a nice playroom or even a home gym.
The lighting. I pride myself on that. Clean and natural. You won’t find large windows like these. Look out and be one with nature. Cover them with curtains and a warm, cozy atmosphere in here.
Three bedrooms, two baths. Plenty of space. I’m sure you’re planning on starting a family soon. Sorry, don’t mind my words. I’m not at all intrusive.
Paint the walls whatever color you like. They’ve been cream for ages. I think fresh hues will amuse me. They’ll do a world of good to your eyes, the windows to your souls.
There are a few nicks and tears, nothing a good handyman couldn’t repair. The family that lived here before you were an adorable bunch of six. Four growing children are a handful. I loved their sneaky tricks.
Laughter and shouts echoed all day. The lawn in the back was a wonderland. Pirates, demons, and princesses, every day showed a new adventure. There was no dearth of imagination. But children grow and move on.
And ageing parents don’t need so much space. They left with their memories, but I still live with their everlasting impressions, etched upon my sturdy character. Who can forget warmth and familiarity?
So please as you pass through the dining and enter the kitchen, a small request from me. Make a house a home again. Open my doors and windows to love. Air out the staleness, dust off the indifference, shine the floors with wholesome goodness.
I’ll keep you safe and believe me, I need you more than you need me.
Lulu and Laxmi have it bad at school. Their only fault, the color of their skin. But their hearts shout out in unison – Save It White Supremacist!
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wonderful and energising; a little gem of flash fiction, of Personification 🙂
Thank you so much, John. It felt so right writing it. 🙂
I love this story from an innovative and human aspects.
Thanks Cassa. Every object, though inanimate, has a feeling and vibe attached to it. Houses are so powerful in this sense. 🙂
I so agreed!
I was wondering if there was going to be an unexpected twist at the end. But not every story needs an end- twist I remind myself…..
But twists are so pleasing. Like a good burp after a hearty meal or several mugs of beer. 🙂
I do agree. You don’t really want to be left at the end saying ‘is that all?’…..
Exactly.
Do you know Bogden Dragos? He writes dark humour about the seamy side of life but always with an unexpected twist at end. I enjoy his work.
He’s very good.
When I said his work showed up the seamy side of life his reply was it’s rewarding in fiction……which explains my interest in crime fiction…..I know it exists in real life, don’t want to come up against it, but is rewarding reading about it in fiction
Oh, I love this!
Thank you, Katie. It’s what we all crave.
So true!
Ah, the lament of an empty house.
Psychometry appears in my horror writing from time to time, as I find the theory that inanimate objects absorb and maintain the echoes of events of those who come in constant contact with them. And if a necklace, hairbrush or hand mirror have the ability store such informational vibrations, then surely a house can as well.
Interesting to see a house haunted with good memories for once. Well done, Miss Gill.
It’s really fascinating. And the vibes do linger with objects. Or it could be that our minds can’t accept that we are the only feeling idiots. But houses have an aura to them and they reflect energies that have been expelled in them. I guess I wanted a house to be a good soul for a change and not a raging demon waiting to eat up the next residents.
So I have a heart too. And half a brain. 🙂
Thank you so much! And cheers to homes.
Oh, I love this story, especially the ending, Terveen. I love the concept of the house needing the new tenants more than the tenants need the house. Reminds me of the value we place on the relationship we have with our inner-self, instead of simply valuing the body. Wonderful story! 😊
Thank you so much, Jeff! I like how you relate this to an individual and the relation with the inner-self. That is what really matters. The shell will simply be discarded and returned to dust. Your words harbor great wisdom. 🙂
Awesome read. You were able to personify an inanimate object very well. My twisted mind was hoping that the story will turn dark before it ended. 🙂
You have been mesmerized by the darkness. Beware! Thank you so much! 🙂
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It amazes me how you’re able to come up with so many different story ideas everyday. Do you write a new one everyday or do you have a few piled up? I liked this story because it was different to your usual style – simple and abstract. The audience literally becomes part of the story because the speaker in the story addresses us directly and welcomes us in. Instead of the story coming to life through your usual stylistic devices, it is instead bought to life by the audience literally being invited to be a part of the story. It’s an interesting different take on audience engagement with a piece of fiction.
I tend to write one every day, Nothing like a daily brain exercise to keep those creative muscles strong and healthy. And when I can slip in more than one then I allow my brain the liberty to do so.
I agree with you that the reader becomes a part of the story. And home is something we all understand and identify with. Seriously, lucky are those who have one. And thanks again, so so much, for your valuable time and precious comments.
They mean a lot!
‘Open my doors and windows to love’ = gorgeous ^_^
Thank you so much, Emma. Loving homes are precious. 🙂