101 Paranormal Writing Prompts Volume 2- written by J. Dodson
Writing Prompt # 7- The Lighthouse
Chapter 2
Indy stares up at the lighthouse, sighing heavily as she closes the car door beside her. Her sparkling gray eyes scan the surrounding area, taking in her new home for who knows how long. Running past her, her little sister with curly red hair screams as loudly as she can as she rushes for the front door of the house. Chasing behind her is their dad, laughing and pretending to try to tickle her. Indy shakes her head, pulling her thick shoulder-length auburn hair out of her ponytail. She runs her fingers through her hair before she puts it back up into a ponytail.
“I think you and I need to check out the town and find ourselves a nice salon where we can get haircuts,” Indy’s mom says as she walks up beside her teen daughter. “My hair is getting out of control.” She chuckles as she pushes back her own thick auburn hair behind her shoulders, her hair longer than her daughter’s.
Indy nods, “Yes, please.”
They walk to the house together, stepping inside and listening to the sounds of running feet.
“Charles? Annibel?”
“Yes, Tanya?” a male voice calls from somewhere else in the house.
“Where are you two?” Indy’s mom, Tanya, yells out. “This house isn’t that big, but you have vanished.”
A young girl answers back, “We are in the kitchen.”
Tanya and Indy make their way to the kitchen to catch up with Annibel and Charles. As Indy walks past the doorway to a dark hallway that will take them to the bedrooms, something moves, catching her eye. She stops and peers into the hallway, her eyes straining to look into the darkness. She sees movement and even though her heart is racing, she bravely heads towards it, deciding to check it out. She reaches the entrance to the hallway and slides her hand against the wall as she searches for the light switch to turn on the hall light. Her hands hit the light switch, and she presses her hand on the small round button. A click echoed in the hallway as the lights flicker on, a dull yellow light emitting from old-fashioned candle-like wall lights. They make a sort of popping sound as they come on and chase away the darkness back into the corners.
Behind her, Indy hears footsteps walking towards her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She glances back over her shoulder but there is no one there. Indy jumps when she feels something furry and small rub up against her leg. She looks down to see a scrawny looking gray cat, little orangish-yellow eyes staring up at her. “Oh jeez kitty, you scared me.” She leans down and scratches behind the cat’s ear.
The cat meows up at her, almost seeming to be smiling at, asking to be petted more. She smiles and bends down, gently plucking the cat off the ground. She rests the cat on her shoulder and carries the wiggling cat into the kitchen where her parents and sister are waiting for her.
“Look what I found wandering around,” Indy says as she holds the cat out.
“Kitty!” Annibel squeals, snatching the cat from Indy’s hands.
“Annibel, be careful. We don’t know if that cat has fleas or ticks or rabies,” Tanya warns her youngest.
Charles gently takes the struggling cat out of Annibel’s arms, placing him back on the ground. “I wonder how she got in here. Maybe there is a broken window or a hole in a door or wall somewhere.” He brushes his hands together a bit as if brushing off the cat’s fur. “I will check around to see what is damaged and what needs to be fixed after we have unloaded the car. The moving truck should be here in a few hours with our other stuff.”
“Okay girls, to the car,” Tanya says, ushering Annibel and Indy out of the homey kitchen and back outside into the sun.
Annibel waves to the cat as her mother gently pushes her out of the kitchen, a pout on her face since she wants to stay and play with the cat, not do work. Charles looks down at the cat and bends down, scratching the cat behind the ear. He smiles at the cat and walks away, leaving the cat behind in the kitchen while he goes out to join his family.
Soon a moving truck rumbles up the road and three men hop out, looking the lighthouse over with quizzical eyes. They say hello to the family, shaking each of their hands, even Annibel’s hand, and with Tanya’s directions begin to carry in the heavier furniture into each room they belong in. After a while, Tanya loads the girls back into the car and they head off to town to stock up on food and drinks as well as other essentials that they will need. Charles stays behind to help the movers get everything in place, chatting away with them as they work.