Reena is the host for Reena’s Exploration Challenge #155.
Reena says– Horror is a genre we haven’t touched in the Exploration Challenge prompts as yet.. I make an effort to conquer my own inhibitions and discomfort with horror. Explore your psyche to see if you love something so short, or take a longer route to build up anticipation and fear.

Maria was annoyed as she entered her house, hands full of grocery bags and medical supplies. She had knocked and rang the doorbell repeatedly, waiting for her fiancé Erik to open the door. He must have fallen asleep on the first floor guest bedroom, she groused mentally.
Relieved of her burden, she went in search of her six year old. The house seemed a little quiet.
No TV, no whispering. Nothing. Was Rachel taking a nap as well?
Maria frowned. Her daughter was always ready with an excuse or tantrum to skip nap time, so….
Rachel was indeed awake, sitting on the rug in the living room as she painted something with deep concentration. Maria took a step or two, before she stopped, eyes wide. Along with her crayons and coloured pencils stewn about, there were splashed of blood, a small puddle here and there.
But her daughter was unbothered, serenely painting a picture. “Daddy’s home,” the child greeted her mother, giving a small smile. Maria stood still, trying to understand. Her eyes fell on the flowers on the mantle, the vase had been empty when she’d left this morning and Erik wasn’t the type to buy flowers. Especially not three lilies, two chrysanthemums and a single pink rose at the centre.
“Daddy’s home, mommy” Rachel repeated, before adding, “He looked sad, like in pain.”
Not uncle Erik. Daddy.
Maria ran to their bedroom. Erik lay in bed, eyes open but not breathing. Not a single drop of blood anywhere.
The room smelled like leather and cinnamon, a smell she could never forget but thought would never smell again.
His scent.
The scent of a man who had died five years ago.
© 2020, Cozy Quiet Corner.
Chilling one Priya.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Radhika 😁 So happy to hear this!
LikeLike
Eerie!!! 😳😳😳
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, HS 😁🌸
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve touched the scary note well 👍
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks a lot! 😊💚
This means so much to me, coz I don’t read, watch or write horror usually 🙈
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even I stay away from horror genre…still I loved your tale😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
😄 thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
😳😨
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for reading! 🤗🌸
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anytime😊💐
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my! Daddy is home! Eerie!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks a lot! 😀 Not a fan of the horror genre, so it’s difficult to write it. 🙈
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yet, you nailed it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks 😊
LikeLike
Beautiful and eerie tale
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, Jude 💜
LikeLike
My pleasure 🌼
LikeLiked by 1 person
This kept me glued to the end. The woven bits about the child knowing instinctively that ‘Daddy’s home’, and the splashes of blood in another place are interesting.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! 😍
I scare easily, so I had a hard time writing something that wouldn’t seem silly instead of frightening. And I wanted to reveal it slowly, letting the readers interpret the events.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Reena Saxena and commented:
Daddy’s Home …. by cozyquietcorner
LikeLiked by 1 person
Woahhhhhh!!!!!! You ROCK!!!!
AMAZINGGGGGG… Our Love for horror is still intact 🤣🙊😱
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much my dear 😍💖
By love, I hope you mean our absolute fear at anything to do with horror genre 😜
LikeLike
Wow!! Chilly, nice take, Priya. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, Aishwarya 🤗🌸
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome, Priya. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh! Fantastic Priya!👌🏼👌🏼
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a lot, dear 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sent a chill down my spine. It almost felt like a murder mystery until the very last line. Now that was dark.
Love the modern take on horror, where the scare is concealed in the lines and not the ghost. Wow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! 😍 I’m so happy that you liked this!
I scare easily and i’m not a fan of horror, so it was a little difficult to come up with something like this.
Thanks again! 🤗
LikeLike