The Wardrobe (my 2013 Advent Ghosts story contribution)

A short introduction to this post: my friend Loren Eaton runs an annual micro-flash challenge called Advent Ghosts on his blog, where he invites writers to post a spooky story of exactly 100 words. Fun, right?

Here's my (sort of) kid-friendly play on the theme--a bit of a creepy nod to a children's classic. Hope you enjoy!


The Wardrobe

The previous homeowners had left the wardrobe behind. Mom wasn’t happy.

“That monstrosity takes up half Emma’s room!”

But Emma loved the wardrobe. The floral carvings in the wood. The metal key in the lock even worked. Emma opened the door. Crawled inside.

Smiled as she closed the wardrobe.

Giggled when she saw the secret door in the back.

Held her breath when she turned the knob. Behind the door was no magical world. Only blackness darker than nightmares. Then a big hand pulled her wrist.

Hard.

Until Emma was the darkness. And the secret door blew shut. 

****

You can find more Advent Ghosts story links at Loren's blog.