[Wordsmiff]

CHAPTER 67

“I found his Wikipedia entry on my phone,” Melanie said, as the teenagers sat on the bed. “It didn’t say much. It needs editing and a bit more detail added.”

“I suspect that no-one knows the truth about Edward Sutton,” Tim suggested.

“What do you know about him?” Mark asked Melanie.

“Not a lot,” Melanie said, “I don’t usually go on Wikipedia. I use my phone to log onto a site called Get Dare. They have some great stories on there. I particularly like the ones by Wordsmiff. I was reading one called Truth Or Dare In The Garden Of Eden but it stopped suddenly. There’s now one called Home (Almost) Alone and it’s really good...”

“Can we get back to the point?” Kirsty interjected. “Edward Sutton.”

“He was born on the first of January nineteen hundred. He had eight sisters but they all died quite young. The creepy thing is that one of his sisters was called Meredith...”

“Why is that creepy?” Liam said, “I think Meredith is a pretty name...”

“No, that’s not the creepy thing,” Melanie explained, “The creepy thing is that he calls that inflatable female doll Meredith too.”

“Go on,” Mark said, urging Melanie to say more.

“Not much more to say,” Melanie said, “He disappeared thirty years ago. I found a newspaper in the house with an article about it. He was never found.”

“You think he retreated down here for some reason?” Mark asked.

“I don’t think anything,” Melanie said, “I’m just stating the facts.”

“What could possibly have forced him to leave that nice comfortable house for this godforsaken labyrinth?” Tim asked rhetorically.

“Well, he’s certainly attempted to make it comfortable,” Becky said, not realising the question was rhetorical.

“Anything else we need to know about Edward Sutton?” Mark asked.

“Not that I can think of,” Melanie said.

“There must be a way out of here,” Mark suggested, looking around the room. “Other than that door.”

“I have an idea,” Kirsty said.

“What?”

“Follow me,” Kirsty said. “Through there.” She pointed at the wardrobe.

Mark sighed and followed Kirsty back through the wardrobe into the sacrificial chamber. The others followed on behind.

“What?” Mark sighed.

“Look at that,” Kirsty said, pointing at a strange gargoyle-like head mounted on the wall.

“So?” Mark said.

Kirsty took a deep breath and then said, “Have you ever seen those old creepy horror films where there’s a castle or a mansion or something and they have those things on the walls where they put those wooden fire thingys?”

“Torches?” Amy offered. “They dip the wooden torch in wax and cover it with some type of combustible material like...”

“Yeah,” Kirsty said, interrupting Amy, “Well the things on the walls where they put them are...”

“Sconce,” Mark said.

“Don’t call me a sconce,” Kirsty said, “I’m only trying to help.”

“No,” Mark said, “The thing on the wall where they put the torch is called a sconce.”

“Oh,” Kirsty said, “Well, that thing up there...” Kirsty pointed at the gargoyle head, “Looks very much like a sconce.”

“And?” Mark said, “Your point is?”

“Well, on the old creepy films,” Kirsty continued, “the... sconce... what a silly name for it... is on a sort of hinge and the creepy butler or the count Dracula character pulls it down and a door suddenly opens in the wall and leads to a secret passage...”

“I can’t believe we’ve all been listening to this,” Tim said.

“That’s movies,” Mark said to Kirsty. “It doesn’t happen in real life.”

“Oh,” Kirsty said, reaching up to the sconce. “So it’s a waste of time doing this then?” She pulled on the sconce and it lowered.

As the sconce lowered, there was a crunching sound and part of the wall slowly moved.

“Fuck me!” Tim exclaimed.

“I’ve told you before, Tim” Kirsty said, “I’m not interested.”

They all stared at the opening in the wall.

“Who wants to go first?” Kirsty asked with a smile.

Mark suggested that, before they even take a step through the door, they raid the bedroom and collect anything that might be useful. Rather than making a list, which would take too long, he allowed each person to decide what may be useful.

He also suggested that those boys and girls who had no clothes also raid the wardrobe to find suitable attire.

Liam and Luke had no trouble finding trousers and shirts to fit as the wardrobe was packed with men’s clothes.

Becky and Kirsty, however, were not so fortunate. In the end, they each chose oversize tweed jackets which were too big for them but, at the same time, covered most of their modesty when buttoned up.

As soon as the group of teenagers had collected various items from the bedroom they reconvened in the sacrificial chamber by the door in the wall.

“Well,” Mark said, “Let’s see where this leads.”

“Maybe someone should have a look first,” Kirsty suggested. “It might be another dead end.”

“I wish you wouldn’t use that phrase,” Becky said, “It sounds ominous.”

“I’ll take a look,” Mark said, “If it’s safe, I’ll be back.”

“And if it isn’t safe?” Tim asked.

Mark gave Tim a look and then stepped through the door.

“What now?” Rosie asked.

“Now,” Tim said, “We wait for him to come back and tell us it’s safe.”


To be continued...