The Winding Stairwell

Tap-tap... tap-tap… Her footsteps on the wood sounded quietly. Tap-tap… Tap-tap… Each step she took gave a small creak as she silently paced up and down the passageway, gradually increasing in speed. Her quickening footsteps matched her rapidly beating heart. Suddenly, she heard a slow creak behind her as the door swung open. She screamed a blood curdling scream, but no one was there to hear it…

Layla stared gloomily out of the dorm window. She couldn’t find any of her friends anywhere, and they weren’t answering her texts. It was yet another rainy day, another boring day. The sky was filled with clouds, blocking you out the sun, and there was an 89% likelihood of thunder, so there was a storm to be awaited. She got out one of her notebooks from behind her cabinet and began writing her observations in it.

1. Last night I saw Professor Leino out of his office today. It was the first time.
2. He was pacing around near the place where us students are not allowed, where the castle stone is pretty unstable. (I quickly checked the stability of the stone, and it measured quite low on the radar)

Layla soon realised she was late for her ancient history class with Professor Leino, time had been ticking so fast. Layla picked up her gigantic pile of books and stumbled up the staircase to the corridor, and walked over to the classroom, only to discover that he wasn’t there yet. No one was there in fact, it seemed she was the only one who would attend today’s history class. But where was Professor Leino? Layla checked outside the corridor and saw Professor Leino running towards her holding a sheet of paper. He was panting heavily. 

“Layla, I’m so sorry, but ancient history is cancelled for today. Did you get my email?”

“Oh, no! I’m sorry!” She replied, and rushed off. 

Once she got out of sight, she slowed down, and replayed what just happened in her mind. 

As usual, the day passed slowly for Layla but this time she had something to think about. Through each lesson she pondered why Professor Leino was panting so heavily when he arrived at his classroom. After school, Layla hurriedly packed up my bag and sprinted back to the dorm, however as she was crossing into the boarding area, the heaviness of her bag began to take a toll on her back, so she just dropped it, and all her books fell out. As she watched her books drop to the floor, each giving a thud as it reached the ground, she noticed a staircase which she had never discovered before. Intrigued, Layla crept down the staircase only to come across a door. Curiosity got the better of her and just as she reached forward to push down on the handle of the door, she heard footsteps- a teacher was coming.

Immediately, she grabbed hold of a book and dashed back up the staircase just as the principal, Dr. Goor walked by. Stopping, he glared at her running up the staircase carrying a book and Layla hoped that he would assume she had just dropped a book down the staircase and had been retrieving it. It was Layla’s first week at this new boarding school, she didn’t want to get in trouble with a teacher, let alone the principal! Waiting for Dr. Goor to continue his journey so she could continue exploring, Layla saw the look in his eyes indicating for her to go back to the boarding house. Disappointed, Layla stuffed her books back in her back and heaved it onto her back before trudging along towards the boarding building. 

As she ran into her dorm, questions zoomed around in Layla’s mind at miles per hour. She began her investigation of where Professor Leino had been in the morning and what could have been on that sheet of paper he was so tightly grasping.

She was confused with thoughts of Professor Leino in the morning and the staircase. She wanted to go to that door and find out what was behind it, she wanted to go to Professor Leino and ask him what he had been doing. All afternoon, she planned for the night. She planned for a little investigation which would allow her to uncover many secrets…

That night, Layla did not change into her pyjamas nor did she did not get into bed like the other boarders. Instead she snuck out of her dorm with a torch. Though pitch-black, Layla felt her way through the corridor until she reached the end of the boarder’s building. When she knew she had reached the end, she hoped she would not get caught and took out her torch. Instantly, the bright light from the torch shone in front of Layla, lighting up her path as if guiding her. Finding her way to the staircase, she crept down it towards the door she had planned to go through all afternoon. As soon as she reached the bottom of the staircase where the door awaited her and seemed to be begging her to enter, Layla pulled down on the handle to open the door. 

She tried many times but to no avail. After her frantic attempts to open the door and to also make sure she didn’t make too much noise, she peered around at the staircase when she discovered what looked like a little keypad next to the door. Excited, Layla knew she had discovered how to get into whatever was behind the door. She kept on tapping the pad, but it wouldn’t open. 

Frustrated, she grabbed hold of the pad, she closed her eyes and tried to pull it out so she could open the door. Just then, she heard a click and opened her eyes, apprehensive to what she would discover, whether it was a teacher who had discovered her or if the door had opened. Joy filled her as the door was now ajar. 

Cautiously, Layla slowly opened the door wider as it creaked noisily. Entering, she made sure there was another keypad next to the door before slowly closing the door. She turned around to face another long flight of stairs which she began to descend. At the bottom, she came across a towering and ancient looking doorway which looked like an entry to a castle. Cautiously, she pushed the door and it opened with a great deal of force. She slid herself through the gap, and closed the door as quietly as she could, and slowly made her way into the room, her shoes clacking loudly on the wood. She spun on the spot, swallowing the view from where she was.

What Layla saw was everything you could describe about a castle. There was a long passageway, with a red carpet and along the walls were statues of knights in armour as well as paintings. Now Layla’s heart was racing. What was this place? And why was there a pad to enter? Why did she not know about this before? Thoughts raced through her mind; her heart beat rapidly. As she explored further, she began to notice what looked like footsteps. After walking for endless time, she came across a mysterious room. It had on it a sign reading, “BEWARE! Do not Enter!” However this sign did not scare Layla, instead it drew Layla towards the handle which she pressed down on and pushed ajar. She peeked around the corner of the door, only to come across a pair of dark brown eyes shining in the dark. 

Screaming with all her might, Layla turned and ran.