Nicole Morris entered her two bedroom apartment exhausted from a long day at the office. Eager to take off her clothes, hop in the shower and watch movies with her husband Roger, she entered the den in hopes to see him there. As she walked past their master bedroom she heard a rythmic thumping from within the bedroom.

Ungrateful.

That is what they are.

I gave them the lush green grass that they so easily tear away,

I gave them the cool, clear water that they soil without a thought,

I gave them life.

And now, they choose to take that life in their hands and crush it.

They release gases into the air that I gave them,

They don’t care,

But I do.

So I give them back the smoke that they give me,

But I give it back thicker, darker.

So I give them back the stifling heat that they give me,

But I give it back blazing, I give them fire.

What I give is a warning,

A chance to redeem my once beautiful land,

But they look upon the smoke and the crumbling ashes,

They turn around,

And walk away.

Has one ever thought about our dreams,

And what we call reality?

Could it be that life's a dream,

And dreams are our reality?

And when's life course on earth is run,

Will we return to some god above?

Does heaven exist in the stars of our sun,

Or will earth enclose us 'til time is done?

Fear.

A girl who is afraid of failure, rejection, and standing alone. She can’t take the judging looks of people who don’t accept her.

Conviction.

She holds her beliefs close to her heart and never contradicts them. They mae her the person she is today.

Sincerity.

Although lies are sometimes necessary, she tells you what she means. And what she holds inside her heart, she lets shine out to the world.

Ferocity.

When threatened, she will fight until the end, even if it means losing a part of her. She doesn’t always know when to stop, or who her enemies are.

Loneliness.

Although she stands with the crowd, there is no mask that can hide the indescribable feeling of solitude she feels inside her heart day after day.

The lights flicker.

Empty footsteps on the hardwood floor.

Knocking at the creaking door.

Pitch black darkness.

Bloodcurdling screams.

Who was that?

Oh no!

Me.

#hauntedhouse #25wordstory #Prose #challenge #shortstory