Searching

A young girl is lost and is searching for parents. Will she find them?

The graveyard was quiet - too quiet. I couldn’t see my parents anywhere, I started to panic “Mom, Dad where are you?” I yelled. No answer.

 

I continued to search for them but they weren’t anywhere. Not even behind the gravestones that lined the path on either side. Something touched my shoulder, I jumped and screamed. I turned around, there was nothing, except a tree. Phew! It may been a branch. I took a couple of breaths and began to calm down.

 

Everything had been fine earlier that morning, until we decided to go to the Haunted Mansion. It was after lunch and the sun shone high above us. My dad, who wasn’t used to the heat became rather irritable and Mom was frantically looking for the sun cream. They started to argue and while they argued, I decided to  leave my parents to battle it out. Now I wish I hadn’t.

 

A mist started to fall around me and I couldn’t see anything, even when I wiped my glasses, they soon became clogged up again. I stood very still. “Mom!” I screamed. No answer, just an eerie silence.

Then, a sound of bagpipes blasted through the mist. I couldn’t make out where it came from. I shivered and cried “Mommy, Daddy!”

 

As rapidly it came, the mist vanished and the bagpipes stopped playing. My glasses were clear again. Tears started to fall but I  dried them away. I looked ahead of me and to my amazement, I saw a huge house standing on top of a hill.

 

The house had four, tall, white pillars at the entrance. Ivy covered a balcony, and on one side of the house, there was a half-dome greenhouse. Crows circled above it. I made my way slowly towards it.

 

The sky grew suddenly dark. Thunder crashed, a flash of lightning struck again - again and again. Rain lashed against me as I raced up the steps. I held onto a black iron railing, jumping over cracks and uneven steps. Halfway up the steps, something tickled my arm. I looked down and screamed. A spider! Not one, but hundreds of the horrid things all crawling up the railing, I flicked them away.

 

I reached the front door and pounded, screaming for somebody to let me in. Eventually, the door opened with  a loud creak. I quickly entered the house and shook myself dry.

 

A skeleton appeared in front of me. I jumped backwards with fright. He wore a funeral suit and his eyes glowed a ghostly green.

 

“Welcome,” he said and smiled. I backed away from him, for his teeth were jagged and yellow. “Step inside if you will.”

 

He showed me into a small room. The room had hardly any lights and no windows, except, for two gargoyles statues holding candlesticks. They were crouched at either side of a portrait. The portrait was of an old lady sitting on a tombstone, holding a single red rose. She reminded me very much of my gran, with grey hair and small round glasses. Suddenly, she climbed off the tombstone and began to sway, as if she was trying to get out of the painting. The next thing I knew, the old lady did fly out. She screeched and howled as she circled the room, I covered my ears.

 

The lady flew back into the painting and as she did so, the room plunged into darkness and began to move downwards. It flung me to the wall.

“Let me out!” I yelled as the room fell faster and faster.

 

A cold, bony hand touched my arm. I turned, and all I could see, were two green glowing eyes from the skeleton. I released his hand.

 

“There is no way out. Only down!” he said.

 

What seemed like forever, the room stopped with a thud. I fell to the floor. Thump! A door opened in front me, I picked myself up and hurried through it, glad to be out of there.

 

I entered into a long wide corridor. A red carpet lined the floor, and on the walls, a row of portraits were hung in golden frames. I walked cautiously along, expecting to see one of the portraits fly out. Luckily none did.

 

At the end of the corridor, I saw a small group of people waiting to get into black cabs. My parents could be on them. Could they be waiting for me at the other end?

 

I brightened up a little as I joined the queue. There were only five people in front of me but not one of them were my parents. I knew I wasn’t allowed to speak to strangers but I needed help.

A bulging lump of wide flab stood in front of me. I prodded in between the wobbly jelly like substance. He turned round. “Yes!” he snarled.

 

Phooey! The foul stench of cheese and onions wafted from his odorous mouth. I could also, see some tiny flakes of crisps, nested in his brown, bushy beard. Trying hard not to stare, I asked timidly “Is this the way out?”

 

He laughed “There is only one way out,” The man said as he pointed to the black cabs.

 

The man was next. I watched him get onto a cab. The cab went speeding off. It was my turn. Nervously, I seated myself onto the black leather seat. A metal bar came down and locked me in. I could see a dark tunnel up ahead and I didn’t like the look of it. “I want off!” I yelled as I tried to unlock the bar.

 

Another skeleton appeared, he wore the same funeral suit as the the first skeleton but this time his eyes were red. I tried to explain to him I was lost but he didn’t listen. He just smiled and said “Too late now!”

 

The cab sped off down into the tunnel. “Mommy,Daddy!”

 

I saw a light and could hear music playing. The cab slowed down and turned a corner. I saw a magnificent ballroom with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. An orchestra could be seen playing on a wooden platform. There were couples dancing and twirling across a wooden floor. The ladies wore beautiful laced dresses. The cab stopped, now I had my chance.

 

I tried again to unlock the metal bar. It wouldn’t budge. I slumped back into the seat. There was nothing I could do, except, watch the dancers. As I watched, I noticed something strange about them. The light from the chandeliers shone right through their bodies. Before I could opened my mouth to scream, the cab sped off again. Twisting and turning along the track. Monsters, headless ghosts and vampire bats, screeched and howled in the dim lit house. I decided not to look anymore and only focus on my parents, remembering all the happy times I had with them.

 

When I thought the ride would never end, I heard a voice “Sophie,Sophie!”

It sounded like my mum’s, but did not want to open my eyes, In case it was another skeleton. “Sophie,Sophie!” the voice said again. “It’s alright. It’s over.”

 

I slowly opened my eyes and there, looking down upon me were my parents. I hugged them both.

 

“Thank goodness you are alright. We were worried sick,” said Mum as she lifted me out of the cab.

“Never wander off like that,” said Dad.

“Sorry Dad, sorry Mum.”  I replied.

“At least you’re safe and that’s the main thing.” said Dad.

 

We all walked towards the exit.Just then, another skeleton appeared. I hid behind Dad.

 

“It’s alright,” Dad said as he hugged me. “It’s just a man in a costume, look,”

 

The skeleton took off his mask. “You are a very brave young lady,” he said.

 

I could see now that the skeleton wasn’t real. He was just a normal person. I felt really ashamed of myself for being scared.

 

“I’m glad that your daughter is found safe and well.”

“Thank you for your help,” replied Dad.

“No problem. It’s a good thing that we spotted her on the photo shoot outside. In the meantime young lady, no more wandering off. You had your parents really worried.”

“I won’t,” I said.

 

As we left The Haunted Mansion, the shone high in the sky. I smiled.

 © Zoe Pashley 2017

      

Author's Note

This is my first ever completed story that I wrote. Which I never thought I could do. Thanks to my local writing club. Would like some feedback on grammar please. Hope you enjoy. Thank you. :)