Question
You are advised to write between 350 and 500 words on the following topic:
‘The Uninvited Guest’. Write a story of suspense in which this title is central to the plot.
Model Essay
The wind howled outside as the storm raged, making the old farmhouse creak and groan. Inside, a group of friends sat around a crackling fireplace, sharing stories and laughter. It was their annual retreat, a weekend to disconnect from the chaos of their busy lives and reconnect with each other. This year, they had chosen an isolated farmhouse in the countryside, far from the reach of their everyday concerns.
As the night deepened, the conversation turned to ghost stories. Mark, the storyteller of the group, leaned forward, his face lit by the flickering firelight. “They say this house is haunted,” he began, his voice low and dramatic. “Years ago, a man disappeared from this very room, never to be seen again.”
The group shivered collectively, though they all knew Mark was just trying to scare them. Suddenly, a loud knock echoed through the room, making everyone jump. They stared at each other, eyes wide with surprise and a hint of fear. Who could be knocking at this hour, in the middle of a storm?
“I’ll get it,” said Emily, the bravest of the bunch. She stood up and walked to the front door, the floorboards creaking under her weight. As she opened the door, a gust of wind blew in, extinguishing the candles and plunging the room into darkness.
Standing in the doorway was a man, drenched from head to toe. His clothes were old-fashioned, and his eyes had a haunted look. “I’m sorry to intrude,” he said in a voice barely louder than a whisper. “I seem to have lost my way. May I come in?”
Emily hesitated, but the storm was fierce, and the man looked harmless enough. “Of course,” she said, stepping aside to let him in. The man entered the room, bringing with him an air of unease that settled over the group like a heavy fog.
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“Thank you,” he said, his eyes scanning the room. “My name is Samuel. I used to live here, long ago.”
The friends exchanged nervous glances. Samuel’s presence was unsettling, and there was something about him that didn’t seem quite right. Mark, ever the skeptic, decided to probe further. “You said you lived here? When was that?”
Samuel’s eyes grew distant. “Many years ago. I left… under unusual circumstances.”
The room fell silent. The friends could feel the tension growing, an invisible thread pulling tighter with each passing moment. Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness once more. In the dim glow of the dying fire, they could see Samuel’s face, pale and eerie.
“I never wanted to leave,” Samuel said, his voice echoing in the silence. “But they made me. They thought I was mad, but I was only trying to protect them.”
“Protect them from what?” Emily asked, her voice trembling.
Samuel turned to her, his eyes hollow and filled with sorrow. “From the curse. It haunts this place, and now it will haunt you too.”
Before anyone could react, the wind howled louder, and the door slammed shut, sealing them inside. The friends huddled together, fear gripping their hearts. They realized too late that Samuel was not just an uninvited guest, but a harbinger of the very evil he had tried to warn them about.
The night stretched on, filled with whispers and shadows. The friends could feel the presence of something malevolent, watching them, waiting. As dawn approached, they knew they would never be the same again. The uninvited guest had brought with him a curse, one that would linger in their lives, haunting them forever.
Word Count: 594