Creative writing project ‘Lockdown’ – by4th Form pupil, Louise Lawson-Foia
Much like the rest of the world, I too am stuck indoors. Fortunately for me, I have company. My grandma. I’m more into looking after her than conversing and socializing. She is reserved and still, like a timid child. Peacefully, she remains in her cushy and palatial rocking chair. Similar to her regal chair, she carries a majestic and noble air around her, even around her family she carries that valiant look. Recently, her eyes have seemed hollow and deep, like a bottomless pool. Her emotionless heart is undoubtedly plastered on her face. I can’t remember the last time I saw her pull a smile, or any type of emotion for that matter. Only fragments of my memory sometimes show me her gracious, sympathetic smile and a warm loving look in her big, heartwarming eyes. She was the purest of angels, the most compassionate of souls. Now her eyes are mirrors, simply reflections of the life around me.
While I have such riveting and lively company, I do get a little lonely sometimes and in those times of desperation I call my friends. Surprisingly those times have become more frequent as the lock down has continued. Everyday drags on longer and longer until they merge together, and time moves onwards but I can only stand still and watch. As I have continued to talk to my friends more often, they have become more curious as to why I have two plates at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and why I have prepared extra portions? They began to frequently question if I have company and who I am with. Hastily, they have become more meddlesome and scrutinizing, as if there is something worrying going on. I can’t understand why.
Late last night I heard a deafening banging on my front door. It struck like lightning, and I could hear the thunder and roar from behind the door. Suddenly, I arose from my bed and opened the door. A tall figure with a mask stood in front of me. Slowly, my eyes adjusted and I could recognize their face. Strange… I never expected my friend to show up. She stood two metres away from the door, asking if she could come in and check if everything was okay. I almost began to tear up as I realized someone wanted to look out for me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t her exact agenda.
As she walked through my narrow halls and turned to the living room, my lips curled into a devilish smile as I heard the horrifying gasp from my friend as she saw my grandma’s body in the rocking chair. Her skin turned pale and her face covered with shock like a mask. It almost matched my grandma’s rotting corpse. What a hideous shade! The gasps turned to screams of fear as she stared into the soulless eyes of the poor, old, dead woman. Such an ugly scene. It was a truly exhilarating to watch! Shame it had to end so swiftly, especially with another deafening thud.
People should really appreciate how hard it is to hide a body. Killing someone is easy but spending half an hour shoving my friend under the stairs was not. In the end, I just pulled out a new chair and made sure I’d prepared three plates and three portions. It seemed as if I have new company.