Tuesday Tales: From a Picture

Welcome to this week’s edition of Tuesday Tales. As is our custom, once a month our scenes are based on a photograph. This month, our choices revolved around windows. We were able to select the window that best suited our stories. For me, this came down to two, both similar in style, but in the end, this is the one I chose.  It’s the closest to what I have in mind for the novel, Hello Again, which is the w.i.p. I’m using for this blog activity.So, without any further ado, here is my 300 word scene built around this image. Enjoy.

“Why can’t we stay upstairs?” Charley asked. “The double doors are locked on the inside and those casement windows are secured on both sides. Even if they open the outside shutters, they’ll never manage to get inside. Those inside shutters are two inches thick and bolted into the sills.”

“But they aren’t airtight, child, and when they can’t get in, they’ll get mad.”

“Who, Shirley? Who’ll get angry?”

“The bikers who were here before.”

Visions of movie biker gangs filled Charley’s mind.

“Are you sure?”

“The spirits never lie. They must not find you.”

Charley shivered and looked down into the black pit. Shirley’s safety precautions might keep out this frightening company, but how was Bill expected to get inside with everything bolted shut the way it was?

“What about Bill? How will he get to us?”

“We’ll let him in when the danger is passed. Here. Use this.” Shirley handed her a small flashlight. “There’s a larger one down there. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe.”

Something in the way Shirley spoke set off warning bells.

“I’ll be safe, but what about you?”

“The spirits never reveal my fate, wi’cin. Quickly, they’re almost here.”

The faint sound of motorcycle engines wafted in on the wind.

Charley turned on the flashlight and climbed down the ladder. She’d just set foot on the hard-packed earth when the roar of the bike engines got much louder and then stopped.

“Hey, you old witch, open up. Me and the boys are hungry.”

Shirley descended the ladder, pulling the carpet-covered trap door shut, plunging the room in darkness except for the small LED glow from the flashlight Charley held.

As if she could see in the dark, Shirley shuffled around and soon the room was bathed in the glow of a battery operated lantern.

Well, that’s it for this week.  Now, please drop by and visit all the Tuesday Tales.