In November 2022 we were set the following scenario to base a story on.
Late at night and you hear footsteps in the cellar, but you are definitely home alone, or so you thought.
Sally Cairney wrote this:
My plan for the evening was to settle down with a new library book in front of our roaring fire with a glass of my favourite wine, while making sure the house was secure as my husband was away for the evening to attend a business meeting in town.
I was soon engrossed in my novel and after some time I became aware there was a storm approaching as a loud clap of thunder, like a bomb blast, crashed over the house and the rain rattled on the window like machine gun fire. I decided to check the locks were secure and to top up my wine and to add some more logs to the fire and then settled down again with my book.
A few hours later the wind was whistling around the house making the old windowpanes rattle and suddenly I heard an unusual noise from the cellar.
I tensed in anticipation as I thought I was alone. I listened carefully and identified the noise was footsteps coming up from the cellar. I looked for a torch and a walking stick to defend myself if needed. I moved to the kitchen door and on opening it the low winter light danced on the puddles of water from the rain fall.
I cautiously walked to the cellar door and found it open. As I shone the torch, I suddenly saw my husband crouched down in the cellar. After I recovered from the shock, he explained that his meeting had finished early and on arriving home he had dropped his keys and phone as he came out of the car, as he was startled by the loud thunder blast. On finding the house securely locked he tried banging on the door but with the noise of the thunder and rain I didn’t hear him and he then decided to try to force open the cellar door and enter the house that way.
After I got over the shock, we both sat by the fire laughing and enjoying the dancing flames as the storm passed over us as quickly as it had arrived.
Campsie Writers Group 