PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson
***
On every window pane in every room we found two horizontal strips of black tape, the lower one always slightly wider than the one above.
After two days of packing up my late Aunt’s house, I had to know. ‘Mum, what do they mean?’
My mother trailed a finger over one dark line, muttering, ‘Eyes.’ She stroked the line below. ‘Mouth.’
The house fell silent, as if listening.
‘Mum?’ I breathed.
She tugged her cardigan around her, suddenly chilled. ‘Perhaps your aunt thought if they were blind and mute, they couldn’t hurt her again. Seems she was wrong.’
***
Written for Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s Friday Fictioneers. Just sneaked in under the wire for last week’s prompt, but if you’d like to join in there’ll be another picture tomorrow. See here to join the fun.
Note
The title is a twist on both a thriller by Agatha Christie and a collection of Gothic tales by J Sheridan le Fanu.
Word Shamble 
A lovely chiller, Lynn
LikeLike
Thank you Neil
LikeLike
That’s as chilling as recent weather! 🙂
LikeLike
Appropriate for the season. So much harder to write a scary story set in the hottest summer, though I like the idea of the challenge 🙂 Thank you Crispina
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clever, I’m intrigued! And I’m always a sucker for an Agatha Christie reference. Makes me think it will be hard to sell that house, once the rumors get out…
LikeLike
But they’ll get a lot of viewings – the equivalent of rubberneckers at an accident! Been thinking of expanding this, wondering where to take it. Thank you for reading Joy
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh yes, this would definitely be an interesting one to expand upon!
LikeLike
If obly I can think of some way to do that … 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s intensely dark. Love it!
LikeLike
Thank you Bill. Drawn to the Dark always 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve written that beautifully, Lynn. The detail of the tapes’ dimensions in the first sentence is a potent attention-grabber, and the rest of the story fully lives up to the expectations you have aroused. Kudos!
BTW the origin of ‘through a glass darkly’ is St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, contrasting our knowledge of God’s kingdom and purposes here in this world with the way we shall know them after death. “Here we see only through a glass darkly, but there we shall see face to face”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment Penny – you are always so thorough in your reading, it’s a joy. I did see the Corinthians reference and should have mentioned it. It’s such an interesting phrase and thought, only seeing the truth hazily. Thank you
LikeLike
Excellent, as ever. Weirdly, my first impression (viewing it on my phone) was that the image was of a white grand piano reflected in a shiny floor, proving that one sees what one expects or merely wants to see. The eyes have it, however!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha! I love how you saw a piano – that’s where your mind wanders. While mine sees a taped up face! Which one of us needs to see a shrink, do you think? Thank you so much Chris 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, that gave me the creeps – in a good way. So very well done. My favorite part is Mother trailing her fingers over the tape. Such a gentle action against the tension. Kudos.
LikeLike
Thank you so much Lish. A deep back story here and I’m wondering whether to explore further. Thank you for the kind comment
LikeLike
Now I have the shivers… what a spooky tale, Lynn.
Loved it. And… will make the house a hard sell, methinks,
LikeLike
Ha! May well do! Thank you Dale, for the comment and the shivers! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLike
Ooooo…love the ominous tone!
LikeLike
Thank you Dawn 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Lynn,
Better late than never. 😉 This reads like the prologue of a longer sinister story. As always you have me in the moment. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Thank you so much Rochelle. You’re very kind 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, chilling indeed Lynn, excellent.
LikeLike
Thank you Iain
LikeLiked by 1 person
Intriguing story, Lynn. So in love with how you tell your tales, inspiring the reader to think and imagine. Thanks also for inspiring me to read the books you have mentioned in your note .
LikeLike
Thank you so much for your kind comment Moon! Happy reading 🙂
LikeLike
Great story. Leaves goosebumps.
LikeLike
Thank you Sascha 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You do these sinister little tales so well. The unspoken and the implied are so much more frightening that the spelt out in capital letters frightening.
LikeLike
Thank you Jane – so glad you think so. I do love a creepy tale 🙂
LikeLike
I can tell 🙂
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, that gives me goose bumps, wonderfully dark. Especially since Mum seems to know exactly what she’s talking about. Eee…
LikeLike
Thank you Gabi! Glad you enjoyed that darkness
LikeLiked by 1 person