Hannah Patterson
Stories (10/0)
- Top Story - October 2021
The PondTop Story - October 2021
It was early in the morning. The sun hadn’t risen yet and the sky was a deep medium blue. The moon was still out, bathing the town in a soft ambient light. A blanket of fog was on the ground, giving everything an ominous air. Last night’s rain dripped rhythmically from the eaves of the house. Lila made her way softly down the front steps, the only sound coming from the gentle swishing of her nightgown. Drip, drip, swish. Drip, drip, swish. She put her foot down slowly to avoid a squelching sound as her feet made contact with the mud. The moisture seeped through her socks, making her feet clammy. The thick fog made her hair frizz and her nightgown cling to her legs. She shivered from the cold. Squelch, squelch, squelch, went her feet. Swish, swish, swish, came her nightgown. She made her way to the cobblestone road. Where will I go today? she asked herself automatically. She paused, waiting for the mechanical answer of, back inside, but it didn’t come. Instead, she heard, to the pond. Without hesitation, she turned to the left and walked silently to the pond. Her footfalls came in soft thuds, rather than squelches. She walked about a mile out. Thud, thud, swish. Thud, thud, swish.
By Hannah Patterson2 years ago in Horror
Things Go Pear Shaped
Olivia arrived at a local park. She had been there often to paint. The last time she had been there she had noticed a beautiful pear tree and decided it would make a wonderful addition to her new series. As she approached it, she gasped. A man was hanging from one of the branches. She ran towards the tree and her heart stopped as she realized who it was: her uncle. She screamed and ran back to her car. She sped to Rachel’s office, hoping she would be there and not at the police station or a crime scene. Sure enough, she saw Rachel’s car parked in front of the building. She ran inside, not caring that her car was parked in front of a fire hydrant. She tried to go straight into the inner office, but Victoria protested, saying, “Miss! You can’t go in there! She’s with a client right now!”
By Hannah Patterson3 years ago in Fiction
Iced!
This was the first time Rachel had experienced a real blizzard. For the first time in decades, her town was experiencing an unnatural cold spell. The local news was calling it the snowstorm of the century. The power had gone out all over the city. Rachel and Olivia were huddled together in a blanket. They were trying to warm cups of tea with lighters, to no avail. They were wearing coats and many layers of warm clothing. They were too cold to do anything, not that there was much to do but play cards by candlelight.
By Hannah Patterson3 years ago in Fiction
The Locket
Cassie crept out of her hiding place, scanning the ground for movement. Sand vipers were common on disposal day, and their venom was so toxic it would kill you instantly. She stepped lightly around the dust bed where the Union dumped the personal belongings of its victims. Sometimes you could find valuable things to trade for dinerii. Sometimes you would get enough dinerii for a meal, sometimes it wouldn’t even be enough for table scraps. It all depended on how much the Trade Lord, Arman, thought it was worth. As the Union had dumped its “trash” into the Lower Level, Cassie had caught a glimpse of something shiny. Shiny was good. If it was shiny it would probably be valuable.
By Hannah Patterson3 years ago in Fiction
The Mysterious Green Light
Rachel was suddenly awoken by a sliver of green light coming through the curtains. She checked her phone. It was 4:07. She got out of bed and drew the curtains. A bright green light flooded the room. She shaded her eyes and squinted out into the city below. The street under her window was also drenched in green light. There were cars on the road, but none were moving. She couldn’t see any drivers. They must have abandoned their cars, she thought. She looked around for the source. It seemed to be coming from above her. She scanned the building across from her’s. Nothing. It must have been from her building. She walked out of her room to the little balcony. The night was slightly chilly. She pressed her back to the railing as far as she could without feeling like she was going to fall over. She looked up and saw the source of the light coming from a room three floors directly above her own. She hurried back inside, put on slippers and a dressing gown, wrapping it tightly around her.
By Hannah Patterson3 years ago in Fiction
Death by Bull?
Rachel sat, waiting by the phone. Victoria was on vacation visiting her husband’s family in Spain. Part of her was thankful that there hadn’t been any calls, as she had become dependent on her assistant, but the other part of her was bored. When she had decided to become a private eye, she had thought she would be buried in work, constantly having to solve murders and robberies, and look for missing people and objects. Some weeks, she was busy, but for the most part, it was fairly quiet. As a result, she found a lot of time to read. She was buried in a book when the phone rang, startling her.
By Hannah Patterson3 years ago in Fiction
The Box
As Rachel stepped out of her apartment, she nearly tripped on a small brown box in front of her door. “What is this?” she asked herself, picking it up. She was surprised by the weight of it. She turned it over looking for an address. The box was entirely blank.
By Hannah Patterson3 years ago in Fiction
Come Alone
The note had said to come alone. Captain Andrews was suspicious, but Rachel had persuaded him to let her go alone. She slowly pulled up to the abandoned barn. She had thought it looked creepy when she looked up the address, but in person it sent a shiver down her spine. It was still a bit light out, but within half an hour, the sun would set completely. She hoped she wouldn’t have to be there after dark. She wouldn’t have come, but the note had promised information about the killer. She carefully took the gun out of her glove compartment and stepped out of the car. She left it running; In case I need to make a fast exit, she thought. As she approached the barn, she felt a chill. She glanced all around her, paying special attention to the shadows. She gripped the gun tighter.
By Hannah Patterson3 years ago in Fiction