100 Word Chiller: Password Protected

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‘You’re cyber-safe,’ said Damien, the tech man. ‘Everything is password protected.'

The next day, I tried to message Sylvia. My password didn’t work. I tried to text, but my phone was locked and that password failed too.

I began to sweat. Was I getting them wrong? I must call my son! But all my numbers were in my contacts, not in my head.

And then my car key didn’t work. Nor did the pass code to my front door. I sat on the step and wept as darkness fell.

I was too stupid to live.

Damien stood over me, smiling.

The Childminder

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‘I don’t want to go,’ I say on the way to the childminder’s.

‘Don’t be silly, you love Delia!’

It’s a long, dark road through the woods to the house. ‘It’s so beautiful,’ Mum says. ‘Quirky, like a gingerbread house!’

Della opens the door holding the fat baby. A hot cake smell creeps out. The pudgy boy, Ben, peers from behind her. 

‘Oh you’re baking. In that lovely, enormous range!’ Mum says. ‘He loves cake. I think he’s putting on weight.’

I cry. I scream – but she leaves me anyway.

Delia smiles at me. A worm crawls from her eye.

School Run

She was there when I got back from the school run, sitting in my kitchen as if nothing had happened. Even through the shock, the disbelief, it was good to see her.

‘Em?’ I said.

‘Of course.’

‘But how did you get here, how..?’

‘I don’t know what you mean. I always come.’ She looked away as though my face worried her. ‘I need to ask you.  I don’t get it.  I mean, where is Ella?’

‘She’s – with your Mum.’

‘But why?’

‘Em,’ I said, gulping. ‘You died. We buried you.’  I blinked away tears, and her chair was empty. 

100 Word Chillers: Distraction

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A cat in a shoe. Like. My neighbour’s oldest son, home again. Like. Creepy lad, actually. Always gawping at Lily. Don’t like, I think. Someone’s lunch. Like.

‘No! Stop it, Jonah!’  Lily’s screams distract me. Her brother is tickling her and they’re laughing.

 ‘I’m off, Mum!’ he calls. The back door bangs but doesn’t click. Must get that fixed. A fat woman has lost four stone. ‘You won’t believe her ex’s reaction!’

Lily is screaming again. How am I meant to read?

‘No!’ A bloodcurdling shriek. Wait, didn’t Jonah go out?

Her scream stops short. Nobody is laughing.

Don’t like.