The creaky floorboards spoke eerily for each and every step that I took. The thunder roared loudly, like a wounded animal. The sound of water drip, drip, dripping slowly Increased. Once I got to the top my heart thumped harder and faster as I saw a dark figure in the distance, disturbingly silhouetted in the dark. In the shock I slipped and fell backwards, tumbling down, like rocks on a cliff face. When I got to the bottom, I felt a ghastly throbbing pain in my back, which hurt like hell. I slowly got up and my mind was focused on the thing I had seen upstairs. I then felt a cold breeze that made my bones shiver and hair stand up on end.
A giant rat scampered across the floor; it’s beady eyes glowed red in the flicker of the lantern light. It hissed at me. I dropped my lantern. Suddenly, I was plunged into utter darkness. I took several deep breaths to calm my trembling body and finished my trek up the stairs. Vivid flashes of lightning illuminated the attic. A vase lay in pieces in front of the broken window. Well, at least I knew what had caused the crash, I mused to myself. I found an old threadbare cloak hanging near the window. I now realised that is wasn’t a person who I had seen but simply an old cloak.
I suddenly tripped over a large box as I walked. The trunk wasn't locked, but age had rusted it shut. I gripped the top and pulled with all of my strength. The trunk protested, but finally gave in. Another rat jumped up at me. I clenched the rat’s tail and threw it away from me. I felt something solid inside the trunk. Whatever I had found, didn’t feel like antiques or clothes. I picked it up and I realised it was a dairy. I then wiped the top of it, which revealed the engraved name, ‘James’. As I opened it I realized that the pages were aged and downy. The writing was hand written with jointed-up letters. At the top of the first page it said 1888. I was shocked, and intrigued in the same moment.
I read the first page; it told of a happy young schoolboy who had lived here. He had adored his attic and had spent many happy hours playing in it with friends. The day had been a fairly normal one. After school he had come up into the attic with friends ready to play a first-class game of hide and seek. By the time he had reached the attic it was already dark, being winter, and while he was hiding one his friends had switched off the light to make the game more exciting. None of them had objected, they thought it would be much more fun in the dark, clambering around through rooms and over boxes of old clothes. None of them had objected, that was until they saw them. As James had chased him into the entrance room there had been a strange glowing in the corner. Being the inquisitive young lads, they had crept closer to see what on earth could be glowing in such a dark attic. It wasn’t until they were close that the one blur had become two circles, staring at them.
I suddenly dropped the book, on hearing the faint sound of footsteps outside. I ran to the closest window, and saw a shadowy figure cautiously crept in the large, silent garden, scanning the vast old-fashioned house for an easy entrance. A thick, black pipe climbed the moonlit, magnolia wall. Light escaped into the garden through the first floor windows and was transformed into a scattering of pale patches on the lawn by a tall mass of shrubbery. Next to the pipe was a smashed window. The dark figure darted towards the pipe, trying to keep as low as possible, and stood straight back against the wall. Out of the blue I heard another sound that sounded like a voice, but this wasn’t the sound of the dark figured person because this sound came from inside the house. I felt my heart race and my hands got sweatier as I heard the sound for the second time that called “James”. I ran toward the staircase seeing that the sound was gradually getting louder. I thought to myself “I gotta get out of here!!!”
Once I got outside onto the lawn, I turned around to face the forbidding house. The thunder roared, and a fraction of a second later I heard a loud scream, which sent shock waves down my spine as the lightning illuminated the house. I knew I had to go back into the house to find out what had happened. I ran towards the house once again. The door slammed behind me as I ran frantically into the house. I stood in the hallway for what seemed an eternity. I called louder and louder hoping that he was still there, but with every call my heart sank lower and I knew that I had to go up into the attic. I stared at the stairs with my heart in my throat, I plucked up all the courage that I could muster and began the long climb as fast as I could.
I walked as the thunder roared and the flickering of a strong beam of light caught my eye. The light came from the attic, which was illuminated from under the door. I walked slowly, not knowing what was lurking behind that door, I felt my heart expanding and my pupils contracting as I approached the door. My hands were shaking as I reached for the door handle, and as I turned it I felt a warm sensation in the palms of my hand. I pushed open the door. A flash of lightning briefly seared the sky. The harsh light highlighted a wide mouth with vermilion lips, glowing canines, a nose, red curly hair and stern eyebrows. He was hung. I saw a small puddle of blood, which seeped through the floorboards. The man's eyes were open and staring at me. I slowly moved back towards the door.
There was a sudden explosion when lightning hit the roof above me. I was blown out of the window and into the front garden. Until I heard the piercing wail of a siren, which cut through the crackle of the house as it started to burn. I just lay there as the siren got closer and louder and at that second; a flash of the bright vivid images went through my mind of what I had seen. As I opened my eyes I saw people running towards me for aid. The next thing I knew I found myself in the hospital surrounded by nurses trying to help me to heal.
