“Who told you it’s empty? I saw light there last week,” chided little Mary.
“Everyone knows that house has been vacant for years, Mary.” Joe couldn’t believe the stories his sister came up with these days. For a five-year-old, she was quite creative.
“Stop lying, Mary,” scolded Joe.
Just then, the empty pot on the front porch tumbled down the steps, catching the kids’ attention.
“See? There is someone in there now,” Mary said confidently, her eyes twinkling with pride.
“Run, Mary! It must be a ghost!” her brother shouted, grabbing her hand and dragging her away from the house.
Martha couldn’t control herself. Her laughter echoed across the field, carried gently by the breeze. She loved listening to the children—their chatter reminded her of the days when this house wasn’t so silent, when her own laughter had filled these same walls.
But time had passed, and the world had moved on, leaving her behind with only memories for company.
The pot lay still on the steps as the house fell quiet once more, shadows stretching long across the porch.
And somewhere inside, Martha smiled faintly, waiting—for the next voice, the next laugh, the next reminder that she hadn’t been completely forgotten. Until then, the house would show small signs of life now and then—just enough to catch the eye of a curious passerby.
This piece is written in response to the two hundredth and seventy-first edition of Fiction Monday inspired by the word prompt – VACANT hosted by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell.
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Void Thoughts 
I’m going to try this one more time… 😉
I have never understood why ghosts were all supposed to be malevolent and scary. It makes no sense to me. If it were a religious thing, wouldn’t the malevolent and scary be burning in hell? And all the saintly ones would be in heaven. Unless maybe they were determined to hang on and watch over loved ones. I don’t know. But I enjoyed your story.
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Loved the story. Short but complete. You managed to breathe life into the characters even in such few words. Wow!
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I think this would turn into a wonderful series where Martha meets different kids now and then. Wonderful storytelling.
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Oh wow! Your story really drew me in, Vini. The neglect of the house and the loneliness of Martha was very poignant.
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It started off as a different story but ended here, and I’m happy with how it turned out. Thank you so much, Corinne. 💛
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I just love the beginning of the story, ‘Who told you it’s empty, I saw light…’. And I too, like Martha, enjoy little children’s chatter the most! Loved the story, Vinitha!
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I’m so happy you liked the story, Madhavi. I don’t consider myself a good storyteller, so your appreciation means a lot to me. Thank you. 🙂
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