TRAPPED!

TRAPPED!

Every day I walk to school and pass the old, abandoned mansion. It’s cold, dark and derelict. Today
it was different I saw somebody push the door open. It slammed shut with an ominous bang. I
opened the gate and walked down the unkempt path. A black cat ran out in front of me. I must admit
that I jumped out of my skin, I walked over to it to pick it up but it ran away. As I reached the door the
hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle. This house was definitely creepy. As I turned the
handle I began to think about going back, but I couldn’t, I had to go in. The door swung open and an
eerie breeze ruffled my hair. As I stepped in, the door swung shut with a bang! I wheeled around
and tried the handle, it was stuck, I was locked in!

I looked around; it was very dim and dusty. I saw a staircase and stepped forward uneasily. As I did
so the floorboards creaked. I began my climb up the staircase. I looked around, the walls and ceiling
was cracked. When I reached the top and saw a skeleton, fear gripped me with its icy claws and I
began to panic. I screamed and shouted for help, but I soon stopped. A steady clunk, clunk, clunk
was coming nearer and nearer. I began to back away. I hit the wall, what could I do, I was only small!

In the muffled darkness I saw a shape, the shape of a man who was stooped slightly. There was a
light thud and a small shape bounded forward. It was the cat I had seen on the path! It purred and
rubbed its head against my legs. In the light of the small window I could see a little old man. He had
a dark wooden leg, wispy grey hair and dull grey eyes.
“Who are you,” I stammered.
“I’m Fred Cole,” he said in a hoarse whisper.
“Fred Cole, I thought you moved away years ago,” I whispered disbelievingly.
“ ‘at I did, over to the other side of town as a matter o’ fact, but when I ‘erd that they were gunna
knock the place down, I came back. It’s the only place that stops the demons escaping into the
world. Trouble is ‘at the door can only be opened from the outside, we’re locked in!
“There must be a way out,” I said desperately.
“There is one way out but I can’t take it. You have to go up to the attic and climb down the other side
using a ladder”
“Right I’ll go up to the attic and you go and wait by the door”
“Fine,” he said.
He clunked slowly off while I ran up two more flights of stairs. When I reached the attic I opened a
window and looked down, it was a dizzying drop. Then I saw the rickety wood and rope bridge.
“How can I climb down that”? I thought.

I pulled myself up and started the long climb down. When I reached the bottom I ran around to the
front and opened the door. Out limped Fred and his little black cat. We were out!
“They’re still going to demolish it,” he sighed.

“No they’re not, it’s the building next-door,” I cried, pointing.
From then on we were the best of friends.

The End

By
Ellen. C .Duncan