I love a Christmas ghost story. Many
years ago, a colleague suggested that I write one.
Great idea, I thought, but
simply never found the time. Two decades later, however, I suddenly found I had
a week to myself. My daughter was busy with exams and my husband was conferencing
in Australia.
The perfect time – and it beat
the heck of out redecorating the bathroom.
So, what should I write about?
It struck me that I should come up with a tale that personally frightened the
socks off me. It has be said that I’m simply not that suggestible, so whatever actually
scared little sanguine old me would hopefully chill the bejeebers out of
everyone else. A good working hypothesis.
As I walked the dogs I came up
with an idea ... As a fan of botanical history
and all things Victorian, it seemed a good idea to head to the past. So, I
based the story is based on a delightful Victorian park in Southport, a small
seaside resort where I grew up. Hesketh Park is a vintage gem, full
of twisting paths, glasshouses, crumbling archways, laurels galore – and a
lake.
I called it A Walk in the Park, and set out to make it as chilling as possible.
CLICK HERE TO READ IT ONLINE ON MY BLOG.
I called it A Walk in the Park, and set out to make it as chilling as possible.
CLICK HERE TO READ IT ONLINE ON MY BLOG.
Further inspiration came from
the master of the horror anecdote, Guy de Maupassant. We studied his writing at
school when I was doing my A-levels, in another universe when I was 17 and had
no idea what the future held. My personal favourite was Une Vendetta. I can
still remember the last chilling line. Elle dormit bien, cette nuit-là.
I’ve just looked it up to check, I had it word perfect. ‘She slept well that
night.’ A widow on Corsica gets her revenge in the most gruesome way.
Marvellous stuff. Perfect horror in 1600 words.
So, the first version was
brutally short. But something niggled.
An author colleague once
admitted she couldn’t write short stories because they turned into novels.
Now I understand. After some thought, I decided I wanted to know more about the characters and expanded the tale into a supernatural romance. It has since become a virtual mini-screenplay that has taken up my every waking moment, and some beyond.
Now I understand. After some thought, I decided I wanted to know more about the characters and expanded the tale into a supernatural romance. It has since become a virtual mini-screenplay that has taken up my every waking moment, and some beyond.
It’s been quite an experience. But
this week, the wind has been howling around the eaves and the dogs have been
restless. Sudden bangs and rattles in the night have erupted just as I’m dozing
off, but when I stir, I can find no explanation. This, of course, has nothing
to do with the spooky story and the malevolent being that I created just to see
if I could frighten myself. Absolutely nothing.Free on Smashwords, and available to read online on my blog.
Ladies’ companion Lilian Ravenscroft decides
to live dangerously and take a different route
around the park.
Death will never be the same again.
to live dangerously and take a different route
around the park.
Death will never be the same again.
By Pamela Kelt
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