11/10/16 Secondary - Tamsyn Murray http://www.tamsynmurray.co.uk

[WP Central]

It started with a feeling. An itching between my shoulder blades as though someone was watching me. Someone nearby. Someone bad.

Anyone else might have shrugged it off, told themselves not to be so paranoid, but I was not 'anyone else'. I was me and I had learned long ago not to ignore this feeling. I kept walking, eyes flicking right and left, muscles tense, adrenaline fizzing. If - when - they came, I'd be ready.

It was dusk; the most dangerous time of the day, when the sun was fading and darkness was waking up. Most people think of midnight as the witching hour - they are wrong. Twilight is the worst, when the veil between day and night is thinnest. And today - Midwinter day - it was the thinnest of all.

[Jenny Noble]

I couldn't take my mind off the feeling inside me. It was too strong to ignore. It felt like I was in a horror movie. At any moment things could take a wrong turn. The voices in my head were telling me "Go home, leave!" But something told me not to. The trees are swaying but there is no wind around for miles. The moon is unusually bright. I could hear barking, but there are no dogs on my street. I couldn't take it any more, I had to look behind me. Nothing there. I saw a shadow creeping into a house nearby, but I couldn't make out a figure. I thought I saw the figure breaking a window but as I got a better view I couldn't see any damage to the house. I assumed I was about twenty metres from the house, knowing that at any moment I might need to run. I thought I heard yelling and screaming but when I thought about it, the noises disappeared. I started to walk towards the house as the shadow went through the door. I didn't want to miss out on anything so I walked quicker and quicker and quicker and before I knew it, I was at the front door. I cautiously open the door.

By Zyla, Grace and Adalia
St Mary's College

[Hollie Rush]

A loud creak split the silence and I felt the presence of something sweep past me, inside. Slowly I entered the house-my knees shaking. Just then the door slammed shut behind me leaving a cold shiver to run down my spine. I carefully walked down the twisting hallway and the floorboards creaked with every step. At the end of the hallway stood a huge arched door with a heavy brass handle. I gave the door a shove but it would not budge. I ran at it and with all my strength threw it open to reveal a kitchen knife flying towards my face. It glanced past me shearing off some of my hair before imbedding itself in the wall one millimetre from my face. Whoever had thrown it was a good shot but more importantly they were still there.

Suddenly footsteps echoed from the back of the room. I saw the shadow of a hunched man running towards me before I turned and bolted down the corridor. I tripped on a loose floorboard and fell on my face. I heard a loud crack and blood started flowing down my nose as I leaped up and carried on. I flew at the front door but the door stayed firmly shut. I frantically tugged and pulled but I realised soon that if was locked from both sides. I turned around to see the man flying towards me, feet first. I shut my eyes and threw my hands in front of my face and braced myself for the worst. Nothing came. When I opened my eyes the man had gone and there was no one there. I retried the door before rocketing up the stairs.  There at the top of the stairs was a lone door that looked as if it belonged to a little girl.  Faint whispering emanated from it. I tiptoed up to the door and put my ear to it. An ear splitting screech made me leap backwards in surprise and I fell backwards and toppled down the stairs. I fell to the bottom going head over heels. I landed  and blacked out. I woke up in a strange empty room. I could not move because my wrists and ankles were chained to the table. The room was white but somehow spattered with blood…   

By Bethany Hall and Finley Cook

Ashlyns school

[J Dennis]

A stench filled my nostrils, a sickening smell. I looked around hoping and praying there would be an easy way out of what looked like a torture chamber.

How many people had died here? Am I going to die? Has anyone ever escaped this place? Many questions filled my brain but I focused on only one. How can I escape?

I tried struggling but it was no use, whoever had put me here was smart and had done this before. I saw many instruments on the wall covered in blood. When was their last victim here?

Just as I was about to give up hope the door creaked slowly open. A bright light shone from outside the room. It was so dark that I couldn't see who entered. My eyes adjusted to the light. I could just make out the silhouette of a little girl. Why would a little girl want to hurt me? I could take her if I wanted to.

She came closer and turned on a light so bright I thought I was blinded. She screamed an ear-piercing scream, a scream so deafening it will haunt me for life. The girl handed me a shattered piece of a mirror.

My face had a deep cut on the right side of my face. I had thought he missed me... I must have been in so much shock I didn't even feel it. She started to release my ankles and wrists from the table. Puzzled I darted across the room and to the door I couldn't stay to thank her or give her a box of celebrations.

"If you leave now you'll never escape, I know this house like the back of my hand I could help you... if you want" She whispered.

"Why? How do I know you aren't the person who put me here" I said.

"Do I really look like I could drag you here?" She had a point but I still didn't trust her.

"Get me out of here then,"

All of a sudden, she started leaving. Shaken, confused, terrified I followed her out of what I thought would be the place I died. If I had any chance of surviving this hell hole it by was following this little girl.

By Scarlett Robinson

West Kirby School

[Nikki Olhausen]

Cautiously, we crept out of the room, me wondering – who was this little girl? How did she find me? Why is she here? Then a strange thought crossed my mind – what if she is the person who's out to get me? It would explain how she found me with ease – no – she's too small. She's just a girl...

Suddenly a chandelier that I hadn't noticed before, fell from the ceiling, violently crashing onto the rotting floorboards. The glittering glass skimmed along the floor like skittles, it's sound resonating around this prison. The girl however, walked on as if nothing had happened. Could I trust her? This enigmatic figure was messing with my head, her ghostly aura radiating around her.

Still attempting to decipher this complex being, I followed her. We hit a bend and turned left revealing a door at the end of the corridor. The door glowed around its rim, emitting little light. We walked towards it but as we got nearer, the light began to dim. Abruptly, the door creaked open, revealing darkness inside. Curiously, I edged towards the door, the girl by my side, reaching towards the door – the floor gave in. We fell. Coughing, I waited for the dust to clear. Where was the girl? I couldn't see her anywhere. I looked around to gain my bearings. The room was empty apart from the darkness that lay at the end of the corridor. Out of the shadows, emerged a figure....

By Jay Roopra and Paul D'Souza

The Beacon School

[Nicola Gowing]

"So kind of you to drop in, sweet heart," He gestured towards the little girl. "I see you've met my daughter Stacie. You know, she wasn't meant to bring you just yet," The little girl winced. "Oh well, let's put all our differences aside for the moment. I'm sure we can do the operation down here. Now then.."

"What?!" I interrupted loudly. "What do you mean?" The figure's hand came towards me. It was as cold as ice. I winced. Now he was closer I realized the white cloth on his face was actually a doctors mask. His blue overalls were smeared with blood, a creepy touch to his already petrifying aroma.

While the man in the mask raced upstairs, the little girl - Stacie - walked cautiously towards me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know my daddy was home," she blubbered. "He's usually out and I have the house to myself, he will be so mad,"

"Why?" I asked. I was puzzled. She looked about five years old, I couldn't believe she would do anything wrong.

Just then, the figure reappeared at the top of the hole.

Lily

Great Yarmouth high School 

[Sara sheldon]

“H-hello?” I stuttered as my voice echoed across the room.

 

Droplets of sweat inched down my face as fear crippled inside the pit of my stomach. My limbs felt as if they were replaced with overstretched elastic bands. Head pounding, the tension in the air began to thicken with every breath I took. Minutes felt like hours, as my eyes darted across the room in desperate search for Stacie.

 

Suddenly, an ear-splitting scream, all too familiar, filled my ears. Was it a warning? What was she trying to say? Was I in danger?

 

The familiar feeling of someone shadowing over me, overwhelmed my senses all too much. Footsteps began to thump, the floorboards creaking underneath them. A bright light  shot out of surprise, blinding my vision. Nobody prepared me for what was about to happen, when I felt ghostly cold fingers brush across my phantom hand. I heard a loud, excruciating shriek ; followed by helpless whimpers that penetrated through my veins.

 

“STOP!”

 

Stacie threw herself in front of me, attempting to protect me. However, she was flung across the room as the hunchback figure shoved her out of his way. A sharp glint pierced through the cloak of darkness, wielding towards me. He thrusted, with all his might--

 

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

 

The curtains of my eyes unfolded, just in time.

By Victoria, Siya and Symren

Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia