The Warden

Home alone

~ Alice ~

"Damn this infuriating writers block!" Smashing my hands on the pc desk I push away. How am I supposed to write a sequel to my number one horror story if I can scarcely scrape together four pages of utter gibberish?

Ah to hell with it! The agent can wait a while longer, although hopes of turning words into gold are all but leaving my mind. It has taken many years for the world to recognise my talent for scaring people with my creative writings. Even Becky, Jamie and David have noticed I am struggling with the heap of pressure the publisher and agency are placing on my shoulders. Metaphorically speaking of course.

For a little over a month now Becky, Jamie and David have been trying to scare the living daylights out of me, how Becky and Jamie convinced David to get involved I will never know. Sure enough they have succeeded many times in giving me multiple heart attacks and a few times I let loose a blood curdling screech of terror, deafening them. They are nothing other than jump scares really. Try as they might to help me I am starting to become immune to fear, or so it feels.

Swiveling around in my chair I can hear the ticking of the clock on the wall, glancing around in the darkened room the pc screen is the only light source. It has gotten so dark already; still the clock states it is only seven. Surely that isn't the time? Barely wrote a chapter in five hours!

Early nights are upon us in sunny England and due to the house being in the middle of the woods it gets darker more quickly than it does in the city. I figured that living out in the wilderness will spark some ideas or scare me but in truth it is charming and peaceful. It does not make me hunger for city life any time soon; the noise drove our family crazy. David insisted that we build a huge wall around the house and grounds before he would move in, he is a big wuss.

Rising slowly out of my leather chair that feels like it has been stuck to me for days I decide it would be best to replenish my writing supplies, more coffee by the bucket load.

As I stretch and yawn, my eyes try to adjust to the darkness of the living room. The pc only casts a feint light across the room, it is enough to see the many windows and bits and pieces in the living room. Wandering across the room following the dim blue glow of the pc screen I approach my back wall lined with long double windows, it has gotten even darker outside. Blacker than crows wings. Best I close the curtains and turn the lights on, no use leaving them open.

Closing one of the curtains it drops down to the floor swiftly, on to the next one I realise my phone is on charge, plugged into a socket under the windowsill. The phone resting on the sill. It had totally slipped my mind. Turning it on I find a pleasant greeting awaiting me, a picture of my smiling daughter and son.

Becky takes after me although everyone says she has my mother's green eyes since mine are pale blue. Just like me she has long blonde hair and a square jaw; sadly that is a family trait. Becky is a younger version of me, what I wouldn't give to be nineteen again. Both David and I are proud of her for enrolling at college and taking up drama, her ambition is to be an actor in horror films; horror runs deep in our family.

Jamie is stood next to Becky with his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Just like Becky everyone says Jamie is a double of David apart from his tiny nose. He always has this playful smile that will light up anyone's day, especially mine. Quite the mischievous little buggerlugs though, it was a nightmare raising him. With short dark hair, brown eyes and a short stubble beard coming through he is also quite the handsome little devil. We were over the moon when he got into Cambridge then he told me he was going to become an MP. No idea why he wanted to become a useless contradicting bull crapping machine but still I'm happy for him.