Well I rather enjoyed last week's mini-series, so I thought I'd do another one.  I've always enjoyed that feeling of suspense and the sense of anticipation that goes alongside it.  I hope you enjoy that feeling too.

This will just be a two part short story and all being well, the second part should be up tomorrow, so it's not too long to wait.

If you missed the previous free short story mini-series, it was called Safety, and here's a link to part 1:  Safety – Part 1 

Anyway, on with the show.  As always, I hope you get a kick out of it:

Here's the first part of your free short story :

A Face at the Window – Part 1

This should be the best part of the school day for Rachel.  Everyone else has gone home.  She has the place to herself.  She has time to think.  But as she walks through the empty echoing corridors, she can't relax, can't enjoy the moment.

Why?  Has she heard something out of the ordinary?  Has she seen something?

Yes.  That's it.  Something glimpsed from the corner of her eye has caught her attention.  She stands alone in the echoing corridor and turns slowly, scanning every closed door, every window.  There.  At the window – the one that looks out onto the sports field.  Something flickering across the glass.  A face.

Rachel stalks toward the window, her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed tight.  It'll be kids.  Stupid little kids messing about, trespassing on school property when they've no business to be there.  How dare they?  This is her time, her personal space.

She's at the window now, ready to pummel on the glass, ready to give them a scare.  But…  No.  There's no one there.  She leans against the cold glass and looks to the left, the right.  No one.

“I must've imagined it,” she mutters.  She steps back and stares at the window, seeing only her own face, mirrored by the glass.  Perhaps that had been the cause; a trick of the light that had made her reflection flit across the pane as she'd walked by.  She wrinkles her nose.  Ridiculous.  Stupid.  Jumping at shadows.

Rachel runs a hand through her hair and sighs.  “Coffee,” she says.  She checks her watch.  She's got plenty of time, and there's a kettle in the staff room.

She nods to herself and sets off along the corridor.  Yes.  A nice cup of hot coffee will revive here.  And then she must get on.  After all, she has a lot to do this evening.  She picks up her pace, her footsteps ringing out against the polished wood flooring.

Rachel smiles as she barges through the door into the staff room.  And freezes, her right hand still on the door handle.

This time, there's no mistake.  The face beyond the window is pale and clear.  And it certainly does not belong to a mischievous young child.

** end of part 1 **

Don't Miss Part 2 – Come back tomorrow or follow this blog to have it emailed to you via this dinky form:

Edits: Here's Part 2

Also:

I'll also be posting up the audio version and maybe a youtube video soon as well, so you don't want to miss those.

A Face at the Window will be part of my new collection of dark short stories, which will be coming out soon.  If you'd like to be one of the first to read it, you can get a free Advanced Reader Copy with just a click or two:

Thanks in advance for sharing and/or, commenting.  I always appreciate the support of readers – it's what keeps me writing.