Being Forbidden Should Not be Taken Lightly

“Please, please tell me Father what is in the locked wardrobe in the basement”. George once again begging at his father more out of curiosity than anything else. George’s father Thomas 6ft 3 in height, average build, black curly hair with a few grey strands has said to his persistent son a couple times before more in a nicer tone but this time he was more angry though more pleading, “For the umpteenth and for the very last time and this time I am pleading with you that the wardrobe in the basement is locked for not only to protect you but also to protect others from opening it. I do not want to lose you George can you please listen to me”. Thomas lowers to his hunkers along with placing his hands on Georges shoulders. George is taken back by the tears in his father’s eyes, “Why are you crying Dad? What is so bad about the wardrobe”? There is a long pause before Thomas wipes the tears from his eyes, composes himself and says to George, “I want you to repeat after me, I WILL NEVER OPEN THE WARDROBE IN THE BASEMENT. I WILL ABIDE MY FATHER SO TO PROTECT MYSELF”. By this time George takes a step back from his father out off fear off being hit but he repeats to his father in a timid shaky voice, “I will never open the wardrobe in the basement. I will abide my father so to protect myself”. Thomas takes a step towards his timid son placing his left hand on Georges right shoulder, “Now there’s a good boy, get on upstairs and get ready for bed I will be up in a few minutes to say goodnight”.

George and his father Thomas live in a two storey Victorian style house which had originally been built in the 1900s. A lot of the furniture from the previous owners had been kept as the majority off it was still in tip top condition. The house was down a farm like lane with tall trees that blacked out the majority off the sun so a lot off the time the house was very dark and when it became night you felt consumed by the darkness but thankfully within the house there is plenty off lighting. George came out of the living room and bounds up the dark green wooden staircase taking the steps two at a time. Once on the second floor George goes into his bedroom on the right switching on his bedroom light, if he was to go left and go down an L-shaped he would come to his father’s Thomas and his mother’s bedroom which George has never entered since his mother left him and his father it has been too heart aching. George’s bedroom is as blue as the ocean with blue wallpaper all round apart from the ceiling which is a beige colour. When you enter George’s bedroom on the left side is a dark green wooden 3 shelf bookcase consisting of many classic children’s books from ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum, ‘The Story of King Arthur and His Knights’ (1902) by Howard Pyle, ‘The Story of Doctor Dolittle’ (1920) by Hugh Lofting, ‘The Sword in the Stone’ (1938) by T.H. White where Merlyn tutors a young Arthur before he was King. Other books that were bought to George in 1950 was, ‘The Family Under the Bridge’ (1958) by Natalie Savage Carlson, ‘Half Magic’ (1954) by Eward Eager and ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ (1958) by Phillipa Pearce and this is Georges top book favourites as it is about a young boy called Tom who in the 1950s goes to live with his Aunt and Uncle in the countryside where a clock chimes thirteen times and Tom is transported to an old garden where he meets a young lonely girl called Hatty. Tom returns to the garden every night to have adventures with Hatty who mysteriously grows a little older with each visit and as the Summer comes to an end, Tom realises he wants to stay in the garden with Hatty forever. George loves this story as he wants to be the boy Tom who goes to the mysterious garden and meeting the even more mysterious girl called Hatty. For George it would be an escape from this house. Ever since his mother left him half off his heart had broken off and the house became more creepier and at 1am during the night George could hear banging sounds coming from beneath his bedroom down the stairs either from the kitchen or from the basement under the stairs. But when George went down to investigate but his father was always in the kitchen waiting with an excuse, “Was only me George fixing the leg of the table chair, sorry for wakening you is nothing to worry about son”. Each time it had occurred his father had tears in his eyes and there never was any tools sitting about for his father to have been fixing the leg of the kitchen chair, but George did not question his father he just said, “Okay Dad I was just frightened” and headed back to bed again.

George goes over to his single wooden bed which has a dark blue duvet space design with stars going from one side to the other. From underneath his pillows he removes his blue and white cotton pyjamas and changes into them. George goes to his chest of drawers beside his bedroom window and upon opening the top drawer he removes a pair off cosy fur bed socks and puts them on his cold feet. Switching on his bedside table lamp he goes over to the main bedroom light switch beside the door thus turning off the main light and closing his door leaving it ajar so to try and lessen any loud noises. Stopping by his bookcase he removes his favourite story the ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ book by Phillipa Pearce and takes it into his bed for night-time reading. With only reading the first paragraph George heard his father stomping up the wooden staircase and before his father enters his bedroom George quickly places his book underneath his pillow. George holds his starlight duvet tight to his neck thinking his father is going to be cross again but to his relief his father enters with a smile upon his face, “Ah very good George you are all ready and in bed waiting for me to tuck you in”. Thomas heads over to George’s bed sitting himself on the edge leaning over his son he kisses his forehead, “I’m so sorry for earlier George I didn’t mean to get angry, but you are all I have left, and I do not want to lose you as we did with your mother. I will do whatever it takes to protect us from anything bad that would do harm upon us. I love you George and I want you to take heed to when I say to never open the wardrobe in the basement, and I am not saying anymore about it as I know you will obey your father won’t you son”? George gives his father the biggest smile he can muster, “Yes father I love you too”. Thomas gives George’s blond curly hair a light rub and kisses his son again on the forehead, “Goodnight George, sweet dreams my boy”. With that Thomas stands up and heads out off George’s bedroom closing the door over leaving it ajar the same way George had left it.

George sneaked out ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ book from underneath his pillow, his father allowed him to keep his bedside lamp on at night to help for sleeping and from being so scared off the darkness. His bedroom alarm clock which was battery operated has a WW II Supermarine Spitfire plane on the face off the clock read fifteen minutes past ten, so he had another fifteen minutes to read some more before going to sleep for half ten. As the minutes ticked by George’s eyelids got heavier and heavier until they eventually closed over sending little George into a deep sleep and his favourite book slipping through his thin fingers onto the starlight duvet. Every night when George reads ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ he dreams off being in the mysterious old garden where he meets Tom and Hatty and goes on their many adventures but this night things just wasn’t what they had always been. Within the dream George was within the midnight garden but everything was quiet, there was no sign off Tom nor Hatty anywhere no matter where he looked even in the usual hiding places, he could not find hide nor hair off them and everything got very creepy and dark. Then all off a sudden there is a bright white light beaming through the garden bushes along with a familiar female voice coming through the blinding whiteness, “George, George come into the light so I can see you”. George unsure to what this strange light has came from but the soft friendly voice which he has heard before draws him to the light making his way through the thick leafed bushes. Pushing himself through he comes out into the middle off the garden to where the bright light is originating from. The closer he gets his eyes adjusts to the brightness and can make out the body off a woman same height as his father Thomas but with long blond hair down the sides off her shoulders. The woman is wearing a Summer floral dress, the same as the one Georges mother Martha was wearing the last day he saw her. Taking another couple off steps closer to get a better view his mouth dropped to the ground to what his bright blue eyes was trying to take in. There in front off him was his mother who as always is smiling away at him with her white dazzling teeth, “My beautiful boy how tall and strong you are getting, I have sorely missed you George”. George gives his beautiful mother Martha the biggest smile he has ever given since she left, “And I have missed you too mother I thought you didn’t want me, can I give you a hug”?

Martha says to her son, “Giving me one now wouldn’t feel real, but we can give each other a real hug very soon if you can do something for your dear mother who loves you to the moon and beyond”. George nods his head so innocently at his mother, Martha continues speaking, “Son I am stuck within the locked wardrobe in the basement, them nights at one in the morning the banging noises has been me trying to get out. Your father locked me in there when he was very angry at me, you know how angry he can be I have heard him with you there earlier. Your father keeps the wardrobe key hidden in his glasses case on his bedside table and the basement key is sitting on top off the fridge. Your father won’t hear you going into our bedroom as long as you do it quietly George. When you wake from this dream it will be two in the morning so Thomas will be out for the count so do it quietly but fast I have faith in you George. Do this and I can give you the biggest hug ever”. And with that George wakens up smiling full of happiness to seeing his mother once again and if he does what she wants him to do he will see her forever and ever. As quietly as he can he gets out off his cosy bed taking light but quick steps to his bedroom door and with ease opens it up. Coming out to the hallway he forgot how dark it is but looking to his left he can see the faint light coming from his father’s bedside lamp that he has forgotten to turn off before going to sleep. Making his way quietly down the corridor towards his father’s bedroom the sounds of heavy snoring echoes out into the darkness he sees that his door is ajar enough for him to squeeze through without having to open it a few inches more. Squeezing himself through the bedroom door he sees his father laying on a double bed within the middle facing the window on the right side off the bedroom.  With the bedside table on the left side off the bed stops Thomas from seeing his innocent son George removing the wardrobe key which had a little bit of weight to it into his pyjama trouser pocket. Not giving his father the chance to wake up and catch him standing at the bed George eases his way through the gap of the door out to the hallway making his way round to the top off the stairs. With no slippers on and with his fur bed socks and with not being heavy he barely makes any creaking sounds as he goes down the stairs a step at a time. Upon reaching the bottom George goes round the banister and heads down the darkened hallway towards the kitchen. Entering the kitchen George closes over the door to block out the light which he switches on at the wall. The kitchen is done in old Victorian style with the floral wallpaper, a small table for two resting in the middle, a long 2 pane glass window facing out to the back garden and of course Georges second challenge the fridge standing to the right side off the kitchen. George lifts one off the table chairs with all the strength he can muster and carries it over to the white fridge that has a grey handle on it sets the chair tightly to it and carefully climbs on top. The key is sitting nicely along the front edge off the fridge but at first reaching up with his right hand he just brushes the key with his neatly trimmed nails. With one last hurrah he goes up onto his tip toes and this time he grabs hold off the basement key.

Easing himself back down again George ignores putting the chair back and heads out of the kitchen to the hallway to the basement door that is below the stairs. With the basement key in his right-hand George inserts the key into the lock and slowly turns it anti-clockwise and with a small click the lock opens. Reaching his small hand round into the darkness his fingers grasp the basement light cord and pulls it lightly down. Two small light bulbs lit up within the basement with one just hanging from the stairs lighting up the basement steps and the other is down at the very bottom just above a large Victorian mahogany two door wardrobe. The basement is freezing with coldness but that doesn’t worry young George as he makes his way down the basement steps at first with happiness but as arrives at the bottom the coldness starts to creep through his little body. Starting to get scared he is about to head back up the basement steps a couple off light knocking comes from within the wardrobe and the sound of his mother’s voice filters out through the wardrobe key lock, “It’s okay George don’t be scared mummy is here, all you have to do is insert the key and open the door and then I can give you the biggest hug”.

To hearing his mother’s voice once again George innocently answers, “Okay mummy I will open the wardrobe door so we can hug each other”. Now standing at the wardrobe door George takes the key from his pyjama trouser pocket and with a shaky right hand he inserts the key into the squiggly lock and turns it clockwise and this time a louder click is heard but what George doesn’t know is that his father Thomas has heard the wardrobe lock being opened and bounds from his bed like a lightening bolt. George takes a couple off steps backwards to the bottom basement step and waits excitedly for his mother to come out to him. The right mahogany door opens out slowly an inch at a time but instead of seeing his mother’s fingers on the wardrobe door what he sees is not what was in his happy dream. Long black fingers with bits off dead flaky skin pushes open the wardrobe door until it can go back no further. For the first time in George’s life he cannot speak, the absolute fear making little George urinate down his pyjama trouser legs he is frozen to the concrete floor. At first it was the black fingers and now the devil like creature begins to materialise from within the wardrobe with cloven hooves, pointy shaped horns and long pointed tail wrapping round the muscled legs.

With only minutes from being taken George fails to hear his father Thomas bounding down the basement steps grabbing his pyjama top neck collar and yanking him backwards to the steps. With George hitting the bottom steps he watches his father throw what looks like water at the beast while shouting, “LOCK THE WARDROBE DOOR GEORGE, DO NOT LET ME OR ANYONE ELSE OUT. I LOVE YOU SON”. And with that the brave Thomas lunges at the beast creature driving it back into the wardrobe with the water being a distraction giving Thomas the upper hand. The beasts pointed tail wraps round Thomas’s neck dragging him in within and the last thing Georges sees is the wardrobe door slamming shut and with that George leaps from the bottom step and with all his might turns the key to the left locking the wardrobe once more.