Last Updated on November 3, 2026 by sanjjeett
What this composition helps you practise
This story shows how to create suspense from an ordinary setting. Strange sounds, darkness and isolation make the narrator fear a ghost, while each new incident increases tension until a rational explanation is revealed after daybreak.
Composition Prompt
Write a story beginning with “I do not believe in ghosts.”
Composition at a Glance
Story Outline
Model Story
I do not believe in ghosts, but the tinkering of the cup and saucer placed on my study table was indeed mysterious. I had retired early to bed after a tiring day at school. My parents had gone out of town and being all alone, I felt a bit uncomfortable. On hearing a loud bang, I woke with a start and grasped for my torchlight, which I had kept under my pillow. Hesitatingly I called out ‘Who is there?, and simultaneously flashed my torch in all directions. Wide awake and alert, I slowly crept towards the switchboard. Switching the light on, I went around the house, to find nothing amiss. I heaved a sigh of relief and sat on my bed, trying to fathom what could have caused the explosion. I noticed again the strange clinking of the cup in the saucer. I sat up tense and worried. The tentacles of fear gradually taking hold of me. I pinched myself to ascertain, if I was hallucinating. That was however not to be, for I was completely in my senses.
The tinkering stopped and I took a deep breath. The very thought of a ghost in my room made my heart palpitate fast, but my mind refused to accept the logic. I had read many scientific reports, which had dispelled the hypothesis of ghosts, but the films and serials portraying them as real and wicked, mystified them.
Sleep was by now miles away from me, so I decided to keep the lights on and be awake. A little later challenging my resolve to be brave, the curtain rod on the window came clanking down with the curtains. I sprang to my feet, rushing towards the window shouting, Who is there? Who is there? but to no avail. I was by now exasperated and hysteric with fear and apprehension. Glancing towards the wall clock, I saw the needle indicating 2 AM. There was still three more hours for daybreak. I prayed to get me out through the ordeal and save me from the clutches of the ghost, which I was sure was haunting the house.
The next three hours were very painful, as I sat on the bed dosing and occasionally waking up with a start. I was glad to see the first stream of light from the Sun at day break. I got up and stretched my limbs. Venturing into the adjacent room, I found splinters of glass strewn all over the floor, in one corner of the room. A closer look revealed the remnants of a bulb, that had fallen the previous night and had caused the explosion.
Switching on the TV for the morning news, I heard the newsreader say ‘Lucknow experienced a mild earthquake measuring four to five in the Richter scale, leaving a trail of destruction______’ The words of the announcer thereafter did not seem to register, for suddenly the truth of the mysterious events of the previous night dawned on me.
Understanding This Story
The opening creates immediate contradiction
The narrator begins by saying that ghosts are not believable, but immediately faces something mysterious. This contrast creates curiosity and establishes the central tension of the story.
Isolation makes the fear believable
The narrator is alone because the parents are away. That simple detail makes every unexplained sound feel more threatening and gives the suspense a natural setting.
The strange incidents escalate
The clinking cup, loud bang and falling curtain rod arrive one after another. Each event increases the narrator’s fear, so the tension rises instead of remaining at one level.
Time slows during the wait for morning
The reference to 2 AM and the three remaining hours before daybreak makes the waiting feel long and uncomfortable. Time markers can be very effective in suspense writing.
The ending reinterprets the whole night
The broken bulb and the morning earthquake report provide a natural explanation for the mysterious events. A good reveal should make earlier incidents suddenly understandable rather than introduce an unrelated ending.
Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
Try It Yourself
Practice Prompt
Write a story ending with the words: “Only then did I realise that there had never been anything supernatural about it.”
Write approximately 300–350 words.
Before You Submit
ICSE Composition Guidelines
For ICSE Examination Year 2027, the composition should be approximately 300–350 words. Question 1 carries 20 marks, and the specimen paper recommends spending no more than 30 minutes on it.
For a story-writing task with a prescribed opening line, begin with that line and make the rest of the plot grow naturally from it. The story should have a clear development, climax or turning point, and a satisfying ending.
Official ICSE 2027 English Syllabus
Official ICSE 2027 English Language Specimen and Draft Marking Scheme