Tearing down the House

The abandoned building rose out of the snowy scrub, a fungus spreading spores of fear and sorrow. Uninhabited for over fifty years, suicide and murder tainted its walls and floors with faded splashes of red that refused to disappear. It was no mystery who had murdered the family; he had been executed long ago. Everyone knew the story of his teenage lover, who killed herself after their baby was still born in the house where its father had committed heinous crimes. The question that haunted the inhabitants of the small community was how the hell that house re-built itself again and again, each time they demolished it.

Kim M. Russell, 2017

My response to Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Saturday flash splash 07.01.17

Loraine is filling in with flash fictions splash and has offered a few different flash fiction prompts. I selected Prompt Three: Based on this photograph, write a piece of flash 75 to 200 words long that must include 5 of the following words: abandon; murder; axe; mystery; disappear; lonely; haunted; suicide; desperate; depression; young love; child birth; still born; infant mortality; grief; remorse; spirit; love; hate; abundance.

 

20 thoughts on “Tearing down the House”

    1. I just love haunted buildings. Thank you for your kind thoughts for tomorrow, Lorraine. I need to see her as it could be the last time but I’m dreading seeing her so helpless. It’s a three and a half hour drive away so it’s a relief that I’m not doing the driving.

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      1. I am certain it will be a fabulous story too. Your story here reminded me of the Capote movie and the murderous rage that took place in that particular home. Was that the inspiration for this telling?

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      2. Sorry it’s taken a while to get back to you, Dorna, but my mum died on Monday and I’ve been hiding away. I haven’t seen the Capote movie but will have to look it up now that you’ve mentioned it. The inspiration came purely from the photograph.

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