12 Whitwell Manor,

Averec close,

Plymouth,

Cornwall

YA38 5PC

12th September 2003

Dear Mr Brown,

I read your advert in the paper with interest and would like to apply to go to Darkwood Manor, but there are a few things I would like to ask you first.

If you could get back to me with the answers of these questions as soon as possible I would be really grateful.

I hope my letter to apply comes in time to come to Darkwood Manor, If not please tell me so I don’t get ready and come and not be able to stay.

Please let me come to Darkwood Manor it would be a dream come true

Yours sincerely

C.A Shore

I was sat down watching telly when the post man knocked at the door and gave me a letter because I don’t have a post box. I sat down and opened it slowly because I didn’t want to rip it. The letter was from Mr Brown at Darkwood Manor saying I had been accepted to go there for the night. After 9 months of waiting I thought I hadn’t been accepted, but finally it had arrived. It said if I still wanted to go, go to the Swan Hotel, Darkington and told me what to take and when to go.

It was a dark and windy night, the rain came down in torrents and lightning forked through the sky. I was stood outside the Swan Hotel Darkington waiting to enter… after a few minuets of waiting a lady dressed in a maroon skirt came and opened the door for us all to go in.

I found a place in the hall and sat down. A lady walked towards me with a cup of coffee in her hand, she sat down next to me and began to introduce herself…after we had been introduced I knew everything about her, her shoe size and everything! Her name was Hetti Peacock and, she was 39 and from Scarborough. She was very nice and kind. Shortly after another lady walked over, her name was Rachael, she wasn't as nice as Hetti, but still quite nice.

"Hi can I get you a cup of coffee or anything," offered Hetti,

"Yes please," Rachael and me said in unison. Hetti walked off and got come coffee for us all. While Hetti was doing so Mr Brown entered, wearing white evening wear.......

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I am Mr Brown, Head of Darkwood Manor. Before we start are there any questions?" The questions went on and on and on and I can't even remember them all......

After all the questions, Mr Brown said,

"I am afraid to say that I have to take you to The Manor next week, goodbye!" No time for questions, and before you could say "sausages" he was gone. Everyone left the room in a mood with Mr Brown, me especially, because I came from Cornwall and had to use all that petrol/diesel for nothing and I had to use more going home and more coming back to the Swan! I said goodbye to Hetti and Rachael and set off home on my 400 mile journey home..........

Mr Brown was a medium size, plump like man with dark brown hair and gleaming white teeth. He was wearing glasses and smoking a cigar. He began to speak again.

..........

There we where stood outside the Manor's front door at 9.30pm in the evening, staring at the wooden dor in which was engraved DARKWOOD MANOR, and under that was a sign saying DESERTED, which didn't make anyone feel better! Mr Brown led us all up towards the wooden engraved door and opened it, well forced it really! It opened with a loud creeeek. We all entered the entrance hall.

The Manor was a dark and gloomy place with plastered walls and bits of plaster falling from the ceiling. The stone floor crumbling beneath our feet, and was thick with dust and plaster from above. I looked around: all I could see was thick dust! What a great night this will be I thought to myself...........

Mr Brown then told us to put down all our stuff in the ballroom, so we did.... After doing so Mr Brown took us for a tour but I'll only tell you about 1 room; The Music Room....................

The Music Room had one grand piano in it and even that had broken strings and keys.

After the Music Room Mr Brown led us back to the ballroom where we had put all our stuff. Mr Brown opened the door, it also opened with a creek.

The Ballroom was filled with cobwebs and spiders, and a burnt candle stand sat on the window ledge. Except for that the room was bare and dark. Suddenly there was a big "Achooo!" and the candle stand trembled. It was Hetty, she was allergic to the dust. She got her inhaler out and was all of a sudden better.

We all settled down. Mr Brown disappeared and all we heard was the bolt of the door locking, and Mr Brown locking the padlock that was placed on the bolt, and returning the key to his pocket. We all were terrified............Silence fell down upon us.

Everyone waited until they where 100% sure Mr Brown had gone.

"Let's check the main door," somebody shouted from the other side of our group.

"Yeah, let's" everyone else replied.

We all walked slowly towards the door encase anyone heard us. We soon reached the door where there was nothing but a locked door and a few cobwebs. We walked slowly back towards our beds.

Molly, in the meantime, had spotted a painting on the wall and was amazed by it. Hetty, who was also in our group, stumbled over a key and made a bug thump on the paved floor. We all fell silent again as Hetty wiped the dust away.

As Hetty was wiping the keep the painting that Molly was admiring slid open to reveal a door with a keyhole in it. Hetty tried the key - it worked! The door opened and we all climbed in through.

"How exciting" we all said.

As we made our way down the dark and deserted passage we all whispered to each other with excitement. Hetty found a dusty plaque with the words "Boy died here 1958 running across this passage." The words engraved in black sent a shiver down our spines...................

As we stood staring at the plaque we all felt as if we should go back, except Hetty who thought the picture would have slid back and locked us in! So, taking Hetty’s advice, we all carried on along this dark and gloomy passage. As we walked along we heard the echoing of our feet thumping on the dark wooden floor.

The passage had one stone wall, and on the other side a board wall like old fashioned prison walls.

We came to a door that looked as if it led up towards a flight of stairs. We opened the door, it gave a squeak, and there we were stood in front of a wooden flight of stairs leading up towards another door, which looked as if it hadn't been opened for years. It had lots of rusty hinges and a metal frame around the edge.

At this moment we noticed the wooden supports on the wall, but still carried on.

"OOOOOOOH" exclaimed Lisa, who was being very brave. She had spotted a little walkway that no one except Hetty could fit through, but we were too anxious to see where we were going to be bothered about it.

"Caaaaw, this must be a pretty old house to have little walkways like that in it," Hetty said, sounding surprised. As we opened the door we found ourselves stood in an open room. There was nothing much to see, so we carried on through the what seemed to be cellar.

Eventually we came to a staircase that went round and round like a lighthouse-one that when you got to the top you were completely puffed out! A door came into sight as we walked along the wooden passage. "Wow, how interesting." Andrea managed to splurt out in between great big breaths..........

As we went through the door we saw a table, a chair and a dagger with fresh blood on. There was only one thing that could mean! There was a dead man somewhere around!

Lisa scanned the room with her dark blue eyes looking for a body. There it was under the table!

"Oh no!" screamed Molly. We didn't know if he had any identification. He had a passport in his pocket. His name was Wilfred Almond...........

Hetty started backing off away from the body. "Ahhhhh" she exclaimed falling through a hole in the floor.

I didn't know that, of course, and followed her down, to a dark room which looked a bit like a parlour.

"Hello," whispered Hetty, "is anyone there?" Her voice sounded as if it was echoing for miles around. Hetty told me her feet were aching, as she had landed so hard on her feet at the end of the tunnel, and she was wearing high heels which didn't help, so she took them off and I put them in my bag. I scanned the room to find a door. It was staring right at me just about the cleanest door yet Hetty and I both stumbled through the doorway.

We carried along a passage for a few metres and then saw light ahead...... We were now in the hallway.

"Oh no!" said Hetty, "we can't get into the Ballroom"

"Hello ladies, what are you doing? It's 5.55am came a voice.

"Hh oh, it's only you! Please let us into the Ballroom," we both said together.

"I'm coming to let you out anyway," said Mr Brown.

We walked into the dusty room and got all our stuff together. A spider scuttled across the floor as Hetty let down her lilo. A voice came from across the room;

"I found a dead body!"

"I found dynamite!"

"I found jewellry and computers!"

"I found a hole in the floor," Hetti came out with. We all let out a shreak of laughter as Hetti pulled a face.

We all led out of the room moaning, for Mr Brown had just announced that we were on hidden video and all it was, was a silly T.V show called MURDER AT THE MANOR.