Country Christmas Writing Challenge: Shadows On The Wall

Here is A Country Christmas Writing Challenge called Shadows on The Wall to play with your mind…if you are willing! Are you too scared or will you take the challenge?

If you love this Writing Challenge take a look at the 30 Day Writing Challenge

Probably Charley

Monday ‘s work load looks as intimidating as it did this morning but it’s time to call it a day, or night. You are not sure since the sun has barely made an appearance through the dark heavy clouds.It feels like bedtime and you catch yourself checking your watch several times during the afternoon.

Placing your keys on the hook in the hall there is a noise from one of the upstairs rooms. “Probably Charley.” You whisper. Charley is your loyal dog named after stories your mom and aunts told of your great great grandma whose memory still lingers in this old farm house. To play along, you named your dog after your ancestor. When you hear sounds and see shadows pass you try to blame them on the furry mess you affectionately call Charley.

Cracked ceramic turkeys and a few new plastic Thanksgiving decorations are carefully packed away in plastic totes placed under the stairs. They’ll be carried to the attic when you want to pull the Christmas totes. You love the attic in the old family home with its well worn wood floors holding old boxes tables and chests. Large windows are on all three walls and can be propped open to let in fresh country air.

A Shadow On The Wall

You pause momentarily glancing to the swinging door that leads to a large kitchen. The door is moving! At the same time, a soft light from a car making the turn on the large bend of the road by your barn, casts a shadow on the wall. Goosebumps run up your legs and you let out a small scream when your pup greets you with a cold nose. Was that a silhouette of a woman in a long dress slowly creeping past?

Nonsense. All the shadows on the walls and spooky stories you and your cousin heard growing up of a dead ancestor living in the house is nonsense. Lugging the totes to the attic, you begin opening Christmas totes filled to the top with strings of lights, plastic blue and white round ball ornaments, Santa in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer.

Then you stop. Next to the last tote is a wooden box marked ‘Charley’s Last Christmas’ that you have never paid attention. Just then your phone vibrates in your jean pocket. Your cousin’s voice is on the other end. Static fills the phone as you catch a word here and there. Something about, “I’m on my way over. Charley…a box and what are we going to do?”

Lifting the top of the box you scream!

Let Your Spooky Side Show

After the cousin arrives and they lift the lid of the box what do they find? Let your spooky side show as you weave Charley’s memories into perhaps a tangle of mystery and grief or pleasant memories and a sudden death!

Here is a list of words to help you tell this Country Christmas Memory In an Old Fashioned Spooky Tale! Use them all or just a few. Add to the list.

What happens to Charley on her last Christmas memory?

My poem book The Death Owl is available here https://amzn.to/3B6Hbqv for more writing inspiration! For this post, my inspiration for this Country Christmas Writing Challenge:Shadows On The Wall was the creepy poem I wrote called- Not To Play With Your Mind