© lauren moscato
“Did you hear that?” Ellen poked Darrell in the ribs.
“What?”
“There it is again. Hear it?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. It’s an old house. It just creaks a bit.” He’d used this place before to bring the girls he picked up. Abandoned in the seventies it still had all services connected and the bed always made. It was an ideal place for a one night stand, a last night stand.
The house creaked and groaned. Growing pains. The house smiled; pleased. Already a level higher they’d not leave as easily for now, the step down to the pavement was long.
In response to Rochelle’s prompt where she invites us to use the photo prompt to write a 100 word story and link then read and comment on other entries.
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Yikes!
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A bit of a shock to start on ground level and wake to being first level. 🙂
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Haha, yes I would imagine it would be.
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I’m not sure if you meant it this way or not but as I was reading the ending part, I could picture the house “growing” with contentment to try and keep the girl from ever leaving. LOL! I know I am a little crazy sometimes, but hey, it was fun watching the house “grow.” I really enjoyed your story Irene.
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Yes that was exactly what I was meaning. Glad you enjoyed it, Thanks Joy
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Oh good!! It worked!
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A very unique take on the prompt…Nice!
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Thanks Ansuamani. Glad you enjoyed it.
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Great fun ! 😀
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Good! 🙂
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Oh dear! I’m nor sure about that last night stand. It is indeed a long way down to the pavement. Your story definitely applies to the photo! Well done.
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Thanks Norah. Someone has suggested Tromp L’oeil. I like that idea of an illusion.
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I hate to admit it, but I’m unfamiliar with that one!
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It is garden art (started I think in France in one of Napoleon’s times) where a scene is painted on a wall giving an illusion of a vista beyond the wall. It is of course an illusion.
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Thank you. That sounds amazing. I love all the murals that are painted along our freeways, but they don’t quite do the same thing. It reminds me a little of Mary Poppins stepping into the painting on the sidewalk.
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I loved Mary Poppins as a kid. Then I loved the film and even now as an adult she still holds a special place for me.
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it was a great story. I didn’t see the story of the film that came out last year, but I must. It is lovely to have a “local” writer do so well. Mind you, we have many wonderful writers here! 🙂
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We do have oodles of great writers but few are known outside Australia. Same as our artists. I really enjoyed the story of the film and was disappointed on researching a little further that they didn’t stick to the facts of the actual situation. 🙂
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They rarely do! The same complaint was made of the movie “Grace”. The storytellers took liberties with the real “story” to make it more interesting on screen. Makes me wonder why they don’t just tell it as fiction, rather than try to pass it off as biography then!
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Yes I agree. The fictionalised version was happier than the truth so audiences went home buoyed up.
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Are visitors issued with parachutes?
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When expecting guests they lower a trampoline for both up and down trips. LOL
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I’m not liking the idea of that bed, always made. At all. I think they are due for a surprise.
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Possibly a nasty surprise at that. Personally I’d love a bed that was always made. 🙂
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See? Annie said that house was growing! Wonder if it’ll grow to be a skyscraper?
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Onwards and upwards. You never know. 🙂
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My first thought was the stairs were being taken away; then I realized the house was growing! Nice!
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Thanks Dale. Houses don’t normally grow so your first thought was understandable. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I enjoyed this. The house growing is very imaginative!
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Thanks Francesca. glad you enjoyed it.
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What an interesting twist. Nice!
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Thanks Roger.
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a little creepy, but it worked. well done. 🙂
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Thanks. Glad it worked. 🙂
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Oh! A growing house. I like that very much.
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So glad you enjoyed it.
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Dear Irene,
Oh, if these walls could talk, what a tale they’d tell. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle, I think it would be interesting if walls in many houses could talk.
Cheers Irene
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‘Growing pains’ – wonderful! Though one would hope Darrell knew by now to bring a ladder!
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Glad you enjoyed it Liz. I think Darrell likes the idea of a trampoline.
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What a great tale – growing pains, indeed. It will be rather a shock when they step outside next morning! Well done, Irene.
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Thank you Millie. I fear the reality of morning may bring them down to earth with a thump.
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Yikes! You just tapped into one of my childhood fears!!
I will never look at a building with a high doorway quite the same way!
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Gosh I hope you don’t have nightmares Joanne. Do you mean to say though, that these buildings with high doorways are common? I’ve never seen one (apart from this photo) in my life. Now I think it is me that will have nightmares. 🙂
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LOL! Actually I’ve seen a lot of them … old buildings where an external staircase has been removed and not (I’m assuming, yet) been replaced.
Or a newer building that hasn’t been finished – likely funds being diverted for interior work and it’s a long time before a balcony is built.
I had childhood nightmares of inanimate objects ‘coming alive’ in a very malevolent way … maybe too many Dr Who episodes 😉
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Yes Dr Who has a lot to answer for.
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LOL! Oh yes.
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You got me at “last night stand.” I would say it’s one hungry house.
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Certainly a house that likes to control…
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What a crafty house! 😯
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It knew how to get what it wanted. 🙂
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A wonderful idea. No house wants to be used for just one night stands like that. It wants a family of its own. Love the ‘growing pains’.
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Thanks Margaret. No a house needs to be lived in. It was making sure.
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Last stand? Now that’s a spooky tale Irene, I’m imagining that house smiling right now, and creaking and groaning with it. But I love it 🙂
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Nothing like a controlling house. Glad you enjoyed it Sherri.
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Haha! I did Irene, very much 🙂
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Creepy! The house is in on the game!
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Absolutely.
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Gah! 😀
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🙂
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