The Secret Hidden Within

The clock struck twelve. A figure swept up the stairs, keeping to the shadows on the wall, twisting into position. There. The target. A young girl about the age of 11 scampered up into a chair, and into an alcove. She reached up and after running her hands over every nook and cranny there was, hopped out of the alcove. Suddenly, the alcove slid away, rumbling and groaning, now hidden from sight. The girl, Maria, looked from side to side furtively and hurried into a dark passageway inside the walls. Great. This job was going to be SO much easier. They crept inside quietly, to finally complete the job. Kill Maria Fareleigh.

Maria turned. She was sure she’d seen something back at the start of the secret passageway. She felt a sinking suspicion in the pit of her stomach. And she was right. The intruder darted forwards and plunged the knife into her chest with a sickening squelch. Her agonized screams melting into nothing. They left the passageway, leaving the body of what had been Maria Fareleigh behind.

Year after year her body lay there, unchanged by the passing of time, perfectly preserved. The rats and insects did not gnaw at her body like they would normally. However, a question remained unsolved.

Why was Maria murdered?

Evie did not like this new place at all. Not one bit. Not only did it stink, but a girl had also gone missing 20 years ago. She texted her friend this, then left her room to go exploring. She found a nice little niche, (or was it an alcove?) and promptly sat in it, thinking that it was a nice spot to sit in. She supposed it was an okay place to live in, or it would be if not for the story of Maria Fareleigh, the girl who vanished.

Speaking of Maria, Evie now paid attention to the niche (alcove?) and leaped, almost falling, out of her seat.“Hang on,” she thought, “wouldn’t it be so cool to find anything even remotely interesting in this place?” And she was right. After running her fingers over every crack and bump, a whole section of the wall slid away, groaning as if in pain.

Looking tentatively over her shoulder, Evie walked in. But she stopped. “Am I going to get out of here?” she wondered aloud. Still, she walked in, less tentative now, and more defiant, as if daring the fates to make her life worse. Then, she melted into the gloom, her footsteps receding away . . .

Evie sniffed. It smelled terrible in her. Seriously, had no-one thought of an air freshener in the 1930s?! As she continued on, her only source of illumination, a candle hastily shoved in a pack of supplies flickered. Overhead, a stalactite dripped ominously, over and over, slowly driving her insane. The flame in her lamp flickered, sending shivers down her spine at the sudden obfuscation. Outside, she could hear the night winds howling.

Her mum and dad must be so worried about her! Wearily, she rubbed her eyes and felt more tired than ever. Evie sat down and dug out a cozy fleece blanket and a warm winter jacket, and lay her head down on her pack.“NO!” she silently screamed at herself. But was too late. The last thing Evie saw was a face, looming over her before she…

fell…

asleep…

Evie groaned. She stretched her arm out, expecting it to hit the hard metal railings on her bed. Then the events of last night fully sank into her mind. While she had been contemplating about the rashness of her decisions, something zigzagged precariously in, carrying a sack. The something in question was a goblin, and they had kidnapped Evie! She wriggled helplessly as the goblin drew closer and closer, clutching a knife. “Where are you?” it crooned as Evie hyperventilated. Drawing great, shuddering gasps of breath in, Evie whimpered. The goblin then screeched, “I’m not going to hurt you,” But they were lying. Evie could see the face, their eyes full of cruelty and malice.

“No!” Evie shrieked as the goblin swiped at her hair. Her eyes filled up with tears as the goblin grabbed a chunk of hair and hauled her up via it. She weighed her options. Kicking and clawing would be useless as the goblin was far stronger. So, mustering all of her courage, Evie asked, “What are you going to do to me?” Silence. “The goblin must be away!” she exclaimed happily.

Sadly, she was mistaken. She looked around the corner, only to find the goblin sitting in a ramshackle chair, snoring loudly. She leaped forwards, only to find that she had stepped in something. The something closed upwards, taking Evie with it. A large bell rang, and the goblin abruptly stopped snoring. It rose up and snarled, “Dinner time”.

Evie floundered around a bit, before stumbling clumsily to her feet and bolting around the corner. She ran in such terror, she didn’t realize the goblin was long gone. Suddenly the air seemed to solidify at the stench, which had increased by a hundred-fold. Her eyes watered, partly at the smell, and partly because there was a body lying in front of her. As she ran around it, she noticed the face. She recognized it. It was the body of Maria Fareleigh.

She doubled back and wrapped a cloth around her nose and mouth, tying it at the back. Turning the body over so it lay face up, Evie’s stomach lurched. There was a ghastly stab mark over Maria’s chest, bloodstains blossoming over her dress. And on her face? A look of abject terror, her milky white eyes seemingly pleading, to no avail. Judging by the general non-decomposing of Maria’s body, the icy coldness of these forsaken corridors preserved it.

Evie fled from poor Maria, dead and forgotten. Every time she closed her eyes, a vision of Maria would appear as if the image was engraved on the back of her eyelids. Evie was so deep in thought, that she passed a door, shining radiantly, and smashed herself against a wall. “It’s a dead-end!” she exclaimed angrily. Then it dawned on her; she was standing right next to a door, not to mention that it was glowing brightly, and she hadn’t realized it! She turned the handle and stepped out into the world.