MYSTober 2024

31 vignettes based on single-word prompts. One story.

11. Home

The Figure crept from the woods towards the outskirts of the town, doing its best to remain hidden in the shadows of the trees. The moon was high in the sky, casting down its light where it could manage. It wasn't long before the Figure was out in the open, exposed.

It quietly shuffled forward on all fours, staying low and out of sight. It approached the wood walls of a house. A fire burning in an alcove within provided light, visible from outside through a glass window. As the Figure reached the wall, it placed its dirt-stained hands against the bottom of the glass and peered through.

The family within consisted of a man and a woman, and two children: a girl and a boy. The girl was taller and looked older. They both looked young. They were playing with something on the floor. The Figure couldn't make out what it was.

The adults were sitting on a wide chair to one side of the fire. The man had short brown hair. He might have looked familiar – the Figure couldn't tell. The woman had long red hair, and was resting her head on the man's shoulder. They looked peaceful.

The children shrieked. The Figure flinched. They were still playing. The Figure ran its fingers along the windowsill. It was smooth wood. The whole surface of the house was smooth. It had been taken care of.

The house, too, seemed familiar. Had the Figure once lived here? It couldn't recall. Perhaps it had been a dream from a previous life. Perhaps it was just a house. The Figure didn't know. The people inside looked happy. The Figure couldn't remember ever feeling that way. Had it been too long, or had it never been at all?

The girl was gone. The Figure hadn't seen where she went. The boy continued playing with the toy by himself in front of the fire. He appeared in silhouette, making his features indiscernible. He moved and giggled like a happy person. The woman leaned forward and pointed at him. He pointed back.

The girl's head popped up in front of the Figure, just on the other side of the glass. She didn't seem happy, or angry, but just present. The Figure jumped, startled, and fled back towards the woods. It hadn't wanted to be seen. It had wanted to look on in peace. That time was gone.

As it broke through the treeline, the smell of leaves and needles took over its senses. It flattened its body against a tree and peered around its trunk towards the house. The girl was no longer in the window. She was not outside. She must have returned to playing. The Figure backed away from the tree and scurried into the woods.

MYSTober 2024

Table of Contents

11. Home