From my writing friend, Loren Eaton:

Is any season lonelier than solstice?

The elements shove the sun over the horizon, force the flora into the earth, drive animals deep into their dens. And what of us? We contend with old paths turned treacherous by ice. Well-known tableaus have gone foreign, hills hoary with frost and trees stripped down to bare boughs. Spare a sigh over goldengrove unleaving, just one while rubbing aching knuckles and flexing numb toes, face ruddied to rawness by the cold. Then go home to shelter and faces known — if not always friendly.

We understand why.

The half-full bottle hidden beneath the sink. Bills shoved to one side of the desk. Those hard words muttered in still moments. Breathe in the tired smells of stale coffee, damp cigarettes, and aerosol air freshener. Then pause. The air holds a hint of wood smoke as fire flares up in the hearth. The house creaks, wind whipping around the eaves. Tinsel glitters in the dim light. The person sitting across from you smiles tentatively. Starts to speak. Hesitates. The silence, filled as it is with the ghosts of old arguments, is deep.

What will you say to break it?

Intrigued? Bop over to Loren’s blog, I Saw Lightning Fall, to find out how to be part of this annual 100-word story tradition:

http://isawlightningfall.blogspot.com/2014/12/shared-storytelling-advent-ghosts-2014.html

We have some fun each year. Personally, I go spooky but never gory. Reflecting on my previous offerings, I can see I use a lot of ambiguity to drive an unsettling mystery. Those are the tales I prefer. But the canvas is wide. I hope you will consider joining us this year!

Some of my previous 100 word stories for this event:

2011 The Escape

2012 For Later

2012 Unwanted

2013 Vacancy

2014 . . . Coming December 19!