The Strangers

Posted byBrandon EllrichPosted inPoems, Writing PromptsTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
"The Strangers" - image shows a person with long brown hair falling over a white mask that is covering their face.
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

This poem is in response to The Skeptic’s Kaddish W3 Prompt #25: Wea’ve Written Weekly and is inspired by the movie The Strangers starring Liv Tyler. It is probably one of the scariest movies I have ever seen, and this ekphrastic poem is in tribute to this terrifying movie. It is said to have been based on true events, which makes it even more horrific.

The Strangers

We vacationed in a quiet place,
Away from the city, more open space.

An evening after a wedding reception,
The night’s peaceful scene was but a deception.

Sounds of late-night knocking gave us a scare;
We opened the door, but no one was there.

“Kids playing pranks”--and we tried to ignore,
But there were, this time, loud bangs on the door.

We opened again to nobody in sight;
This ongoing nuisance turned into a fright.

We looked out the window and out on the lawn,
Three strangers were standing with white masks on.

We locked the doors, dared not let them in;
They spoke not a word, no intention.

But the strangers broke in; they didn’t care,
As they beat us and then they tied us to chairs.

Through my sobs, I asked one of them, “Why?”
“Because you were home,” was the girl’s reply.

After causing such terror and so much dread,
They stabbed us and then they left us for dead.

“Don’t speak to those you don’t know” you’ve been taught,
And you should be wary if they speak or not.

We never knew we were ever in danger,
Until the appearance of three masked strangers.

Copyright © 2022 Brandon Ellrich

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this poem (or if it freaked you out!), please click the like button and leave a comment. Follow me if you would like to receive updates whenever new posts are published.

If you liked this one, you may also like Halloween, Through the Mist and Fog, Sounds, or the short stories Dia de los Muertos or Scarecrow. Check out my book Tell Me No Secret as well!

Published by Brandon Ellrich

I live in Central Missouri and enjoy reading, writing, playing tennis, watching movies, and exploring creative outlets. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and I love to take my readers inside the minds of my characters.

20 thoughts on “The Strangers”

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