Mini Story, Mystery, Photo Prompt, Phrase Prompt

Night Watch

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Inspired by an image I saw on Lois’
page, I’ve used three of TN Kerr’s
prompts to help tell my story.
Here’s where the prompts took me.

Photo courtesy of Lois

The headlights burned through her curtains like accusing eyes. Marcia had noticed the car an hour ago …. maybe longer …. idling across the street, engine humming its patient threat.

“Night will end,” she told herself, pacing her living room. “Morning always comes.”

But what if morning was too late?

Hiding behind the curtain, she peered through the blinds again. The silhouettes inside the car hadn’t moved. Were they watching her window? Did they know she was alone tonight? Were they planning a robbery? Oh God! What if this was a home invasion? Marcia’s hands trembled against the fabric.

“Look, over there, did you see that?” she whispered to no one, convinced she’d seen a door start to open. Her phone felt heavy in her pocket. Should she call the police? And say what …. that a car was legally parked on a public street?

She thought of yesterday, outside enjoying the sun without a care in the world before this paranoia consumed her. She’d been happy then, practically sittin’ on a rainbow, humming while she gardened. Now that woman seemed impossibly naive.

The car’s brake lights flared red.

Marcia’s breath caught. They were leaving. As the vehicle pulled away, she glimpsed the driver’s face in the streetlight – a teenage boy, head bobbing to music, completely oblivious to her terror.

She laughed, then cried, then double-locked her doors anyway.

NAR©2026
#OLWG

The prompts: 1. night will end; 2. look, over there, did you see that; 3. sittin’ on a rainbow.

This is “The Passenger” by Iggy Pop

one if by land, two if by sea
OLWG# 393- Red Seaweed

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

23 thoughts on “Night Watch”

Tell me what you're thinking. 🖊️