Mini Story, Mystery, Photo Prompt, Scary Story, Writing Prompts

Uninvited Guest

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative
Challenge #079. I chose Pic #4.

© Crispina Kemp

Mrs. Hathaway noticed it first, at half past six, when she drew back her curtains.

The concrete block sat at the Old Rectory’s gate like a big grumpy toad …. immovable, moss-flecked around its base as though it had always belonged there. Yet last evening, it was not there.

Constable Reddy circled it twice, notebook untouched. No tire tracks on the driveway. No witnesses along the lane. Burgh Castle slept soundly through the night, as it always did.

Then young Freddy Plimpton stepped forward and pressed his ear against the stone.

“It’s gurgling,” he whispered.

Nobody laughed.

Reverend Farrell stood behind the pillars and watched closely as the sexton brought out crowbars. Three men heaved the lid …. a grinding shriek of concrete on concrete …. and peered inside.

Empty …. except for the smell. Damp earth …. and something sickly sweet. Freddy took a step back, then another. Then he turned and ran like he’d seen the devil himself. Nobody asked why; they all just ran.

NAR©2026

This is “That Smell” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #079

Everything seen here was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.



22 thoughts on “Uninvited Guest”

  2. Your story reminded me of when I was a kid and my sister, brother and I dug a hole in my grandmother’s back yard. It wasn’t very deep, but we hit some red stones and my sister said, “We have unearthed the devil”, and we all ran to get away as fast as we could.

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