Respect
Spooky Micro Challenge No. 1
There was only one rule: don’t open the door!
Okay.
He decided to obey.
The master shut the main gate of the castle and left his servant beside the massive oak door leading to the basement. With the final bolt in place, he knew that the structure was secure with his duties.
He stared at the door.
It was his first week on the job, and he knew that the title of servant to the master was one that was honorable and cherished. To lose such a title would bring disgrace and shame on his family…and perhaps more beheadings. It was not worth it.
He attended to his duties.
The cobwebs were the worst. Every nook and cranny had one, often accompanied by spiders that were not happy to have their homes removed. Potions and spellbooks were tidied up and put away; bats were fed in the belfry; the moat restocked with fresh meat for the beasts that seemed more of a comfort now that he was within the walls.
And then it happened…
After the first week he heard a procession of shrieks and screams from the door, often echoing for hours without a pause (cotton balls often came in handy); the second week brought silence, but there were the occasional gouts of blood spilling out from underneath it (just some simple mopping there); finally, his name was invoked by unseen spirits who really wanted him to open it and enter their realm (another test he did not fail).
And then, the master returned.
“You never ventured inside?”
“No master.”
The master checked the door, slightly disappointed. His new servant had told the truth.
“But…were you not curious?”
“I was,” admitted the servant, “and I would have gone in, but…”
“But what?”
“I lost the key.”
-300 words
*
Thank you for reading!
If you liked this, you can add your Insights, Comment, leave a Heart, Tip, Pledge, or Subscribe. I will appreciate any support you have shown for my work.
You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.
Give it a look...
About the Creator
Kendall Defoe
Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...
And I did this:
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Keep reading
More stories from Kendall Defoe and writers in Horror and other communities.
The Guests
“Hey, should we tell some scary stories tonight?” I was looking out the window, not really paying attention to my brother or the rest of the family as the moon appeared. The snow was incredibly deep around our cabin, and there was not much else we could do. Quite a beautiful sight, really.
By Kendall Defoe 2 years ago in Horror
Comments (10)
I should have seen that coming---but I didn't. Well played.
That last line. I was waiting for a twist and that did not disappoint. Haha. Well done.
Haha this is awesome. Wasn’t expecting that ending at all
I have read as many of these submissions as possible, congrats on having a totally unique and unexpected ending. Great job.
Oh!!! Plot twist... he can't disobey the rules if he doesn't have the key!! Very clever Kendall!!
What a great and logical ending twist.
Hahahahahahhaha no wonder he didn't open it!
He lost the key! Perfection.
That was great. I love the ending.
A clever conclusion!