The Echoes of Hollow Creek Entry in: Write a Short Mystery Story with a Plot Twist
Sheriff Margaret Owens paced in front of the small, dilapidated house at the edge of Hollow Creek, a quiet town nestled in the Appalachian mountains. The house, once a charming cottage, now stood neglected—its windows boarded up, the garden overgrown. The neighbors spoke in hushed tones about the woman who used to live there: Sarah Finch, a local recluse who disappeared almost two years ago without a trace.
Tonight, Margaret was back to investigate the latest strange development: a series of eerie noises had been reported coming from the house, sounds like someone walking around inside. But no one had lived there since Sarah vanished, and the place had been locked up tight. Margaret had heard the rumors—the whispers that Sarah had been involved in something dark, something supernatural. But Margaret didn’t believe in ghosts or curses. She was a woman of reason.
She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. The old wood creaked in response, as if the house itself were watching her. Margaret tried the doorknob. Surprisingly, it turned. With a soft creak, the door opened.
The air inside was thick with dust and the musty smell of decay. A light flickered dimly from an old lamp in the corner, casting long shadows across the room. Margaret stepped cautiously inside, her boots echoing against the creaky floorboards.
