Spooky Story Excerpt

This is a spooky start to a short story I haven’t finished.

My old cat Cosette climbing a staircase in a haunted house

I dreamt I wandered around Castle Rackrent in the middle of the night. I stepped out of the guestroom I occupied and peered down the corridor, which was lit by brightly glowing sconces. The corridor seemed longer than in waking life, and I was curious to see what was at the far end. It seemed entirely dark far, far down. In the actual castle I would have been able to see a window at the end of the hallway.

As I crossed the threshold, a floorboard creaked inordinately loudly. I made another step, and the second floorboard creaked as loudly as the first. I slowly proceeded down the hallway, almost tip-toeing. I was moving so delicately, and yet each step I made produced a wooden groan.

I felt a peculiar fear that I would wake the family and all the houseguests. I also knew something else was inside the house and that my loud steps would inevitably wake the slumbering monster. I felt a vague awareness of this monster without identifying its species. I pictured something shaggy in darkness — perhaps it was a werewolf.

Strangely, my ninth step produced not a mere creak like the others. But this time, the creaking was followed by the sound of splintering wood, as the floorboard abruptly sank down. I hastily lifted my foot and observed molding falling from the ceiling and doors…