Short Story

The Empty House

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Fandango’s Story Starter #225.
Here’s my story, using Fandango’s teaser.

Image by Me & Copilot

The old house, with its wildly overgrown garden, was silent, secretive. Ben pushed through the tangled roses, their thorns catching at his jacket as he approached the door he hadn’t opened in twenty years.

Inside, everything was covered in dust and remained exactly as it was the Christmas his grandfather died. The tree still stood in the corner, needles long fallen, branches bare as dry old bones. But there, hanging from the highest branch, was the ornament he’d been given all those years ago: a carved wooden box with miniature tools poking out the half-open lid, the one Grandfather said contained a wish.

Ben’s hands shook as he reached up. The box was cold, so cold it burned. He whispered his wish …. the same one he’d made as a child, the one about bringing people back …. and the box began to glow softly. Behind him, footsteps creaked on the stairs.

“You came back,” a familiar voice said.

Ben turned. His grandfather stood in the front hall, but something was wrong. His smile was too wide, his eyes too dark.

“I’ve been waiting,” Grandfather said, reaching out with long fleshless fingers. “Now you can stay with me. Forever.”

The door slammed shut. Outside, the garden grew thicker.


NAR©2025
#FSS

This is “Empty House” by Jelly Roll

Fandango’s Story Starter #225

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

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