Question

Write a composition (300-350 words) on the following:

Write an original short story beginning with the words: It was midnight and the doorbell rang...

Answer 1

The Midnight Visitor

It was midnight and the doorbell rang. The sound sliced through the heavy silence of the house, sharp and intrusive. I froze, my book sliding off my lap. In our quiet suburban neighborhood, visitors after eight were rare; at twelve, they were unheard of.

My parents were away for the weekend, leaving me in charge of a house that suddenly felt far too large. I approached the hallway, the floorboards groaning under my feet like a warning. Through the frosted glass of the front door, I could see a tall, jagged shadow. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic rhythm that matched my mounting dread.

“Who is it?” I called out, my voice cracking slightly.

No answer. Only the low whistle of the wind and the rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock. I reached for the handle, my fingers trembling, then hesitated. Taking a deep breath, I peered through the tiny peephole.

Standing there was a man in a drenched overcoat, his head bowed. When he looked up, the porch light caught his face. It was my Uncle Elias the man we hadn’t seen or heard from in seven years, the one my father spoke of only in hushed, somber tones.

I unbolted the door. He stepped into the warmth, smelling of ozone and old memories. He didn’t say “hello” or explain his disappearance. Instead, he reached into his pocket and handed me a small, rusted silver key.

“Keep it safe, Leo,” he whispered, his eyes darting to the dark street behind him. “They’ll be looking for the lock, not the key.”

Before I could find my voice, he turned and vanished back into the veil of rain. I stood at the open door, the cold air rushing in, clutching the metal scrap. The mystery of the last seven years had just walked onto my porch, and as I looked at the key, I realized that my quiet life had ended the moment that bell rang.