On the walls were swords and spears, and ancient guns were fastened in cabinets. Everybody was fascinated and asked if they could take a closer took, everybody that is except Sophie.
Miranda, Sophie’s closest friend had always been there for her, and they did everything together, but today Miranda was getting increasingly annoyed with Sophie’s behavior so went off with some other friends. Normally Sophie would mind and get upset, but not today.
Whilst everybody was gazing at the guns and swords fastened up on the wall, Sophie were thinking of other things, what mattered to Sophie was the ghostly chill in the air. The chill of something terrible, which the house couldn’t get rid of.
This got too much for Sophie she had to get out; she spun round and crashed into Katie.
“Look out, you prat!” shouted Katie. The echo flew around the room then vanished. Without saying anything Sophie tried to walk out, but her class had started the tour. She took a deep breath, she’d have to grit her teeth and stick it out, besides it was only half an hour until they could go back to school.
Throughout the tour Sophie didn’t listen to anything the teacher said, she was to busy concentrating on what it was that was bothering her, she wondered if anyone else had the same feeling. Just when they were leaving to return to the mini bus, Sophie’s heart froze.
“WHO IS THAT!” cried Sophie, her heart missing a beat.
Along the corridor to the exit was a big portrait hanging on the wall, a cruel faced looking lady, with long black hair and small sharp eyes stared down at her.
“Well that is Lady Bella, the lady who lived here long ago and died, remember me telling you about her?” replied Mrs. Streams
Just as well they were leaving at that moment, otherwise Sophie wouldn’t have been able to cope, she began to sweat and panic she didn’t know what was happening to her and needed to get out.
When class 7H returned to school it was home time. Sophie normally walks home with Miranda but today Miranda left without her. It was 3pm and the sun was hot. The wind had stopped blowing from earlier. When Sophie got home the TV was already switched on for her and a plate of cookies waited on the kitchen table. Sophie felt so much better, being in the comfort of her own home. But she still had the horrible thoughts of what came across her earlier in the day. She wouldn’t let it rest. She rang Miranda, said sorry for being a bit off with her at school and persuaded her to go with her back to Windfall Towers. Considering the events that happened that day, Sophie was being incredibly brave to go back inside that place, especially with no adult supervision.
Sophie lied and told her mum that she was spending the night at Miranda’s, so they could both go to the tower in the evening. Miranda also lied and told her mum the opposite story, saying she was at Sophie’s. As they were good friends neither mum thought this was suspicious and agreed to let there daughters sleep at each others. But what they didn’t know was they weren’t going to be sleeping anywhere tonight.
The clock struck 5pm and Sophie and Miranda caught the bus to Charley way, opposite the site of Windfall towers. It was summer, so it was still very bright out; they had plenty of time to take a proper look around. Sophie told Miranda everything, the feelings she felt before and why she wanted to go in again. Miranda wasn’t sure.
“Are you positive you want to go in again?” said Miranda with a concerned look on her face.
“Yes, I have to otherwise ill never know what went on all those years ago.” She replied.
The door was still open from the class trip, so they both went inside. Second time round wasn’t so bad, as they recognized the cobwebs and dust flying around the hallway.
As Sophie didn’t listen on the tour she didn’t know where she was going and what room had in it, so she tried the door closest to her. Everything seemed ok, when suddenly the door slammed shut.
“Miranda watch what your doing will you!” said Sophie gazing at Miranda
“Huh? The door wasn’t even open! It was gently resting against the door frame. I didn’t do anything!” she replied with a stutter to her words.
Sophie ran to the door to open it. But it was stuck, reaching the handle she tried to turn it with shaking fingers. She twisted it, pulling hard. The door just wouldn’t move. Sophie couldn’t believe it. Franticly trying to pull it open she let out a huge sigh.
“Miranda what on earth are we going to do, I told you something was wrong with this house!” said Sophie trying to keep calm.
“Try the windows?” replied Miranda stuck for words.
The only windows where all boarded up. There was no way they would be able to escape.
The room they went into was big, but not empty. Sophie thought that if the house had been empty for so long, why would the room be filled with so much stuff. She tried to think. Did class 7H actually visit this room on the tour? Or was it Sophie’s first discovery.
Miranda agreed with her on this one. They didn’t visit that room because it had a sign saying no entry, but it must have been knocked off when all the children were running past.
There was a big desk in the middle of the room. One side was clear, the other had paper work and notes. Sophie didn’t know if she should go over there, she was already scared enough.
She took a breath closed her eyes and took a step forward. She stepped into a puddle. She looked up to see a small hole filled with sunlight, but dripping with water. It wasn’t raining outside though. Mirada told Sophie not to worry it was probably just damp from the night before. She carried on until she got to the desk. She couldn’t believe what she saw.
Photos were flayed out on the desk. But they weren’t any old photos. They were photos of Lady Bella, and a man dressed in black. Sophie couldn’t control her feelings and let out a scream.
“What is it Sophie are you ok” shivered Miranda coming closer.
“No Miranda im not, look at this, oh my god what do we do” she stuttered back.
In the photos Lady Bella was lying face down on the floor with a rope around her neck, the man in black standing near. That wasn’t all. There were at least a dozen photos all with Lady Bella in. she was certainly dead alright. But it wasn’t suicide. It was murder.
“We have to get out of here quick, before someone comes in, look see this room is tidy, not as many cobwebs is there that means someone must come in here often.” Said Sophie trying to piece information together.
“Yes that’s all very well, but how do we get out!” shouted Miranda getting more and more worried.
Sophie stepped away from the photos, they were making her sick. She tried to find other pieces of paper with any clues on. There was none. Blank sheets of paper were clustered on the floor, and a typewriter near by.
“You think if I write an email my mum will get it?” said Sophie to Miranda.
“Are you serious? Don’t you realize a typewriter can’t do that!” replied Miranda trying not to laugh but at the same time trying not to cry.
Miranda tried the door again; even though it was still stuck it was looser than it was before. They tugged and pulled, twisted and turned the handle until there hands hurt. When all of a sudden a loud noise was heard. Footsteps became louder and louder and sounded as if they were walking towards the room Sophie was in.
With a gush of wind the door flew open and a man dress in black walked in.
With her eyes closed and hands clasped together Sophie begged that he left them alone and it was a mistake them being there. Without thinking she grabbed Miranda and tried to run. The man stopped them and stared them both in the eyes. He looked dangerous and Sophie began to cry.
“You’re a murderer why did you do it!” cried Sophie struggling to get free.
“Say anything else and two girls will by added to the list” he replied in a deep husky voice.
Five minutes of trying to break free and crying, Sophie’s heart lightened. She could hear her and Miranda’s mum shouting out for them.
“Sophie…Miranda where are you!” shrieked her mum sounding worried.
Miranda’s mum had rang Sophie’s house to see if Miranda had remembered to take her inhaler just before her dinner. But as both girls lied, neither of them were at Sophie’s house, so both mums panicked and rang around places. Being a friend of Mrs. Streams Sophie’s mum called her to see if they had gone to school that day.
“Yes indeed they were in school, but now I think of it, Sophie did seem a little distracted on the visit to Windfall towers, didn’t seem with it at all” Mrs. Streams said to Sophie’s mum on the phone.
Without a second thought she went to Miranda’s house picked up her mum and they went straight to Windfall towers. Running through the open doors they could see the man standing in the doorway, there daughters held tight in his arms.
“Let them go, please! Leave them alone” cried Sophie’s mum not knowing what to do. Miranda’s mum on the other hand used to do karate as a teenager, but still had the moves to prove it. So without fearing her own safety she charged up to the man and gave him what he deserved. Sophie and Miranda ran free but her mum was still fighting him. He was strong with a lot of muscle; it was easy to see she was having difficulty. Sophie’s mum rang the police and they were soon there. As each window had been boarded up there was nowhere the man in black cold hide, so he was caught.
Miranda’s mum was taken to hospital but was fine. She just suffered from shock after the ordeal. Sophie was grounded for two weeks and was told she will never be trusted again and that her mum was very hurt by the way she lied. Those words were a bigger punishment than any Sophie thought, and was very sorry. She just had to find out what was lurking behind those dark doors at Windfall towers, and what made her stomach turn upside down on the visit.
The man was in fact called Thomas Harvey, a 45 year old builder; he was arrested on suspicion of murder then found guilty two weeks later. He is now serving life in prison