A Modern Horror Story
A Modern Horror Story …
The house was old and crumbling,
The rafters cracked and bowed.
The furniture would be antique
If it ever got to show.
Some said the house was haunted,
And you know how rumours spread.
The eerie house upon the hill
Filled with the ghosts of dead.
The old man hunkered on the floor,
Trapped in an upstairs room.
Not anybody’s prisoner,
But it pained him just to move.
The house was big but mostly dark.
The only light shone from this room
And through an upper window
To light the outside gloom.
A figure passing on the road
On this dark and stormy night
Stared up at the rundown house
And saw the window’s light.
He crept up to the carved wood door,
Rapped upon it with the knocker.
No answer was there from within…
.. what follows is a shocker!
The brass knob turned, it wasn’t locked,
The door, creaking, opened wide.
He whispered, “Anybody home?”
Then slowly stepped inside.
He shrugged his sodden jacket off
Then walked around the room,
As his eyes adjusted to the dark
And the atmosphere of doom.
The old man heard the creaking door,
He cried out, “Who goes there?”
But the only answer that he got –
Heavy footsteps on the stairs.
The bedroom door swung open,
The old man’s eyes grew wide.
In a wheezing voice, he croaked,
“What are you doing here?”
Then there was a wracking cough
And a fever-induced moan.
“It’s me, Papa,” soothed the younger man,
“You don’t have to die alone!”
The Horror of Our Times
Sometimes, real-life events can overshadow any attempt at fictional horror. That takes a lot because the mind is capable of conjuring up some pretty scary and freaky stuff. However, there has seldom been a time that so many countries and people have been as concerned and fearful of a situation as that we currently find ourselves in.
There have been some serious viruses and diseases that have attacked the world before e.g. The Spanish Flu, The Black Plague, Ebola, SARS etc. but, in my lifetime at least, there has been nothing to rival this current Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Countries closing their border, grounding flights and cruise ships, closing businesses, restricting gatherings to two people, and confining people to their homes just boggles the mind.
I just hope this real-life horror story has an ending where the “monster, demon, evil” is defeated.
John Hansen 2020
Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction, and thoroughly enjoying this, especially flash fiction.
I have been fortunate to have two poems made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.
My services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.
It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems.
I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.
- The First Word – A Flash Fiction Story - January 18, 2024
- Dawns Song ~ and Twilight Serenade - December 1, 2023
- Weave Me a Story - June 15, 2023
That was absolutely amazing. I loved it but I tell you until the end I( had all kind of images in my mined,
Thank you, Rasma. I am glad the ending was a surprise and that you enjoyed the story.
Incredible poetry John it had me hooked until the last word. Great work. Jamie
Thank you, Jamie. Your comments are always greatly appreciated.