Congratulations to Eamonn Fay, winner of last month’s Contrast contest. Below is his submission, in which he responded to the prompt to write something spooky in honor of the arrival of fall and of Halloween.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT LOCKED TRUNK YOU FOUND IN THE ATTIC?
SURE YOU DO. YOU PROBABLY HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT IT IN A LONG WHILE, NOT SINCE YOU MOVED IN. YOU SEEMED CURIOUS AT FIRST; YOU SPENT A WHILE TRYING TO PRY IT OPEN AND EVEN LONGER FUCKING WITH THE LOCK. I GUESS YOU LOST INTEREST, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT’S STILL UP THERE COLLECTING DUST. YOU DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER GETTING RID OF IT. CAN’T IMAGINE WHY. MAYBE YOU JUST DIDN’T CARE ENOUGH, OR MAYBE CURIOSITY GOT THE BETTER OF YOU AND YOU DECIDED TO HOLD ONTO IT. MAYBE YOU THOUGHT THAT ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU’D FIND A WAY INSIDE. MAYBE WITH ENOUGH FORCE IT WOULD FINALLY OPEN, OR MAYBE YOU WOULD FIND A KEY LYING AROUND SOMEWHERE. IT SEEMS THAT YOU PUT THIS IDEA ON THE BACKBURNER, THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T BEEN UP THERE IN QUITE SOME TIME. YOU DON’T SEEM TO MIND SO MUCH HAVING A LITTLE MYSTERY IN YOUR ATTIC.
BUT MAYBE YOU SHOULD.
DID YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HOUSE BEFORE YOU MOVED IN? I’D VENTURE TO GUESS THAT YOU DIDN’T, AND I’D BET MONEY THAT YOU STILL DON’T. HATE TO BE THE BASTARDS WHO SOLD IT. THEY PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO PRETTYING THE PLACE UP. THEY GOT THE STAINS OUT OF THE WALLS REAL GOOD, TOOK CARE OF ALL THE ROTTING FURNITURE AND MOTH-EATEN CLOTHES THAT WERE LEFT LYING ABOUT. HELL, THEY EVEN GOT A COUPLE OF POOR SUCKERS TO CLEAN UP THAT MESS IN THE BASEMENT. MUST HAVE PAID THEM WELL, TOO – YOU CAN HARDLY EVEN TELL ANYTHING EVEN HAPPENED DOWN THERE. THEY WANTED TO MAKE THIS PLACE SELLABLE, AND DAMN IT IF THEY DIDN’T. BUT THERE’S ONE SMALL PROBLEM –
THEY MISSED A SPOT.
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND TO KEEP IGNORING THE BUMPS AND SCRATCHES? I KNOW I CAN HEAR THEM. I HEARD YOU TALKING TO THE MISSUS ABOUT RATS. I THINK YOU KNOW BETTER, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT’S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE THEN AND NOBODY’S COME UP HERE TO LAY ANY TRAPS. WHAT’S IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET SOME ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? DOES SOMETHING ELSE NEED TO START HAPPENING UP HERE? SOMETHING THAT ISN’T SO EASY TO EXPLAIN AWAY? CERTAINLY HOPE IT DOESN’T COME TO THAT, BUT IT MIGHT. BECAUSE I’VE BEEN WAITING UP HERE A LONG, LONG TIME. AND I’LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW –
I’M STARTING TO GET IMPATIENT.
The Free Press is partnering with Contrast to bring creative writing contests to both of our readerships. Be on the lookout for next month’s prompt soon!
