Photo credit: Joy Pixley
An old man peers down a stairwell. His tiny flashlight meets the modem convenience of motion detector controlled lighting. His aged eyes claw at shadows to make out figures. Nothing comes into focus.
From stories up his castle has keep him safe. From the outside, it’s well worn weathered face shows little of value here. The floors creak and moan. Walls pop and the day time heat leaves through the roof. Much like the old man, it lies in perpetual half awake mode.
A small boy scurried across the floor. A bouncing ball leads him.
“Mommy ate the ghosts here?” A fragile voice of innocence carries.
“No, darling! Ghosts are just for scary stories.” Mommy replies from an unseen place.
Ward looks down. “Sonny, look up and you’ll see one!”
The old man smiles. Another family to occupy his time at last.
Written as part of a challenge called Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers; details are available at https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2016/09/19/fffaw-challenge-week-of-september-20-2016/
Coloring Outside the Lines 
I never thought the old man was a ghost – nicely played
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Thank you darling. That’s the best comment I could get!😀
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🙂
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Great Perspective in this piece. Love it 🙂 Nice play on the prompt!
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Thank you very much. It’s was an excellent prompt. So many possibilities. 😀
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It really was…though my first thought took me to Harry Potter, which nearly made me cringe LOL 🙂
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I like the ghost angle and the fact that he still sees the house the way he lived in it rather than the modern fixtures that have been added. very nice.
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That’s the fun part of writing. I would believe his world never changed from his view. Explain a computer to someone who never drove a car. It would be witchcraft. I have taken the ghost route before and comfort in expressing him probably helped. 😀
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Your story worked for me, an interesting take on the photo.
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Thank you very much! 😊….👻
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This old man. Seems a bit malevolent, even ghostly himself? It’s his home, but maybe it’s his home even after life? I’m scared he us going to hurt the boy and his Mom! Great write!
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No not this time. He’s passive old ghost. Probably more fussy and cranky than dangerous. Thank you darling
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Spooky and atmospheric. Well done.
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Thank you for the kind words. I really wanted to sink that haunted feeling at the end. I’m glad it worked 😀
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Definitely nailed it, well done. 🙂
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Nice to use the ghost effect.
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There’s a risk/reward thing when going different directions with something. The image just seemed perfect for a ghost.
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Love that Ward is a ghost! Loved this story!
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I thought it would be more fun to tell the story from the opposite viewpoint. The light almost liked candle like in color
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I really like how you used the ghost’s point of view!
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I have played with ghosts before. I think if you leave a loneliness to them, they come to life. 🙂
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