It’s the time of year where the weather turns cooler, the leaves crisper, and my writing turns…creepier!?! I love the Fall Writing Frenzy contest because it’s the one time I dip into a different side of my writing. The challenge is to select a picture from the list and write something inspired by it while staying at 200 words or under. This is the picture I chose, and at exactly 200 words, I hope you enjoy my it.
HIDE AND SEEK
By Kelly Swemba
I was just a girl, nearly 8, when we moved. Mamma was drawn to the fresh start of nobody knowing us. “It’ll be like when we played dress up in the attic. We can be anybody here.”
There, the clothes were like me, laden with a dusty smell of lives past. Here, all I smelled was drenched leaves and chimney smoke. Mamma liked this place. “We can hide among these hills. We’ll be safe this time.”
The thing about hiding though, there’s always a seeker. And for us, ours was very skilled.
Darkness cloaked our town and blanketed me in false security. That was a mistake. I see that now.
As we slept, a presence crept. It stalked our streets with the focus and hunt of the beast he is.
I awoke, soaked in sweat, eyes wide with fear.
“He’s here.”
Mama grabbed the bag already packed. Kissed my forehead, fingers locked with mine. Ready for the race.
Dawn rose and spread warmth above. We felt only dampness below. Whispers whirled through town. One spoke about a menacing shadow. Some recalled the moon’s eerie glow. But most described a chill that left them forever cold.
Just like mama and me.
kellyswemba.com 
Kelly! Wow! I feel like the bottom just dropped out of the floor – that ending is CHILLING!
The voice in this story is so spot-on, your images are rich and the tension in this story is electric. Wow!!
Love this so much!
Thank you Beth!!! I’m so glad you liked AND am grateful for your help!
Your MC’s voice is absolutely captivating! I would love to read more! I hope this builds out into a longer story!
Wow! Thank you for reading my story and for your kind words!!
I was so drawn in from your opening lines. I want to know what happens! Captivating and disturbing at the same time.
Captivating and disturbing is the best compliment! Thank you for taking the time to read my story, Dena!
That’s super creepy. Great work!
Thank you, Teresa!!
This is so haunting and engaging, Kelly! I really enjoyed it. That last line is definitely (as another commenter said) chilling. Great job!
Eeek! Sarah! Thank you for this compliment!!! š
Well done, Kelly! I was pulled right in. So much story here in only 200 words.
Thank you, Ashley! It was a fun story to write!
Cliffhanger! I want to know what happens
I’m so glad you read my story!! š¤©
Oooo, that gave me chills. You did a beautiful job with description and mood.
Thank you, Katie!
Wow, Kelly! Gave me chills. Thank goodness I turned on all the lights lol… Such amazing imagery! Great job, Kelly! I wonder what happens next. ā¤
Lol! Thanks Kim-Hoa!!!
So eerie and beautiful! I wanted to keep going š Great work.
Thank you, Matt!
I LOVE the creep factor on this! When I first saw this image, I totally thought it was a great one for something creepy or haunted, and you knocked that out of the park. Maybe you’ll take the creep into some of your middle grade writing…??? š š Great job!!!
Thank you!!!! This is the only time of year when my eerie writing comes out. I’m so glad you liked it!
Loved this, Kelly the voice is fantastic and the tension that builds through out is amazing.
This story is eerily beautiful.
Thank you, Stacey!!! Thank you for reading it and letting me know. Eerily beautiful is a great compliment and I’m so happy you took the time to tell me!
My favorite part is “The thing about hiding though, thereās always a seeker. And for us, ours was very skilled.” So good. So creepy. Is it human, ghost, ghoul, or…? WHAT?? –Melisa Wrex @mowrex (Twitter)
Ah!!! I’m so excited you like it!
Goosebumps!!! I want to read more!
Brrrr-feeling the chills. Great voice and tension build up! Well done.
Thank you!
The voice, setting, and pace pulled me in right from the beginning and that ending…I want to know more! Well done! šš
Thank you, Armineh!
This was beautiful! I chose this image for my entry too but this just blew my socks off! Well done š
Downright chilling and beautiful. Thanks for sharing, Kelly.
Thank you, Amy!
Another excellent story, Kelly! Very creepy in a this-feels-like-it-could-be-in-a-Stephen-King-novel kind of way.
Wow, Amy thank you!! ā¤ļø
You used every one of those 200 words for wonderful world-building!
š„°Thank you, Maureen! I’m so grateful you took the time to read my story!