Darkwood Manor by Poppy

Beachwood,
32, The Elms,
Robins Hood’s Bay,
PX37 9WT

12th September 2003

Dear Mr. Brown,

I have read through your article from the Scarborough Evening News and would like to take a chance to stay at Darkwood Manor Hall.

My name is Elizabeth Ward and I am a fully trained artist. After I have spent the night in your exceedingly beautiful Hall I will spend the money on more art materials.

Please could you write back ad tell me more information; my address is on the top right hand corner supplied with my postcode.

I will be very grateful if you choose me.

Yours sincerely,

Elizabeth Ward

Chapter 1 - Dilemma at The Swan

On the 7th of July I woke up and ran to the letter box as I was expecting a letter from my aunt. When I got there I was surprised to see a peculiar letter. On the front of it I was just able to read it as the font was so tiny. I opened it and realised that it was a reply from the letter I wrote 9 months ago. I couldn't believe it after all those months I had been picked to stay on Friday the 13th at Darkwood Manor.

As I was just starting the car I checked that I had everything then I set off on the journey to Darkington.

When I got out of my car, I began to walk along to The Swan and met my soon-to-be room mate, Molly Browne. When we got into The Swan we sat down and started talking to Abigail Smith. We all talked for about 5 minutes by which time around 30 people had turned up and then the room got very noisy. We all started talking about Darkwood Manor, it lasted for about 10 minutes then a man came in wearing an evening suit and started talking.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen I am Mr. Brown and welcome to the Swan Hotel. I see you have brought your letters, good, good," he murmured to himself. Then he began to ask people their names. Afterwards everybody asked Mr. Brown questions but I noticed that his answers were short and quick.

Finally, when we were all ready Mr. Brown suddenly said, "There has been a delay, and please could you come back next week!" With that he walked out leaving thirty-four people very angry.

Chapter 2-The Manor

The 20th of July crept by slowly but it seemed like forever. I was staying at The Swan as everywhere else was expensive. At 8'o'clock I ran down from my room and sat next to Abigail Smith and Molly Browne.

As I sat down Mr. Brown rushed in carrying what looked like a small figurine. "Hello everyone, I am very sorry about last week, I hope you can forgive me." Everybody mumbled to that but Mr. Brown ignored it. "Come on ladies and gentlemen, we have to be in The Manor in half an hour!" and with that he, in his bow tie and white suit, sauntered out.

We all followed him across the wet, drizzly road and into the grounds of The Manor. As we clambered up the missing few steps, Mr. Brown pushed open the big, grand door. We stepped inside and looked around anxiously; it was quite shabby with peeling wallpaper and dirty ceilings, and an awful smell of boiled cabbages. We peeked into the ballroom, then we walked in with no fear.

The ballroom wasn't much better with walls covered in dirty fingerprints and peeling paintings of members from the family tree. The floorboards were coming undone and the smell was horrendous; it was some kind of dead animal. There was no light coming through the shutters as the clouds were covering the moon.

Mr. Brown showed us the ground floor but he insisted we must not go onto the first floor. When we entered the music room I asked whether the piano worked. Mr. Browns answer was brisk: " No and it never has worked!" he snarled.

When we got into the ballroom we all sat down and settled in then had a chat ( Molly talked about how creepy The Manor was ) while Mr. Brown locked us in. It was then we heard the scream........

Chapter 3 - The Panic

I was frightened, I couldn't help it; my torch flickered in the dim light of the ballroom. I glanced around and saw a ladder that disappeared into the gloom of the ceiling, it looked secure and very tempting, so I started to climb, thinking to myself , "This will be alright ... this will be .............. AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My mind went blank, as, all of a sudden, I fell with a thud. I looked around but I wasn't in the ballroom anymore - I was in the music room. Suddenly I knew something was wrong; the piano wasn't there. Instead there was a circle of green paint. I tapped it, it was hollow. I kicked it in, then looked inside.

There were some thin, wooden steps. I climbed them and found myself in the attic. I bumped into something and screamed, "Shussshhh, its only me," cried an unfamiliar voice.

"Hi, I'm Christina Cowen and this is my friend, Dennis Cox, how do you do?" I shook her outstretched hand. I shone the light in her face. She was a pretty girl, with long brown hair and dark brown eyes to match.

"Hi, I’m Elizabeth Ward, I saw your group sitting around the campfire, handing out black coffee and marshmallows. Where are your group then?" I asked as I shone the torch around the room.

"They dumped Dennis and I, so we thought ‘We aren’t going to sit around here!’ and so we found a rope, climbed it and ended up here!"

"This place is so cr……….." I carried on "What is that?!" I gasped as I stared at what looked like the piano, but now it was different, it was battered. I went over to it, and studied it. Then I found a latch.

"Hey did you hear that scream before?" I quizzed them as I tried to pull the latch.

"Yeah" Then, out of nowhere a clock chimed midnight "I thought nothing worked in this house"……………

Chapter 4 - Dynamite

Christina shone the torch around the ceiling and corners. "Hey!" Dennis said as he glinted in the bright light of the torch,

"There’s a big, old grandfather clock with a large pendulum in the corner!" I glanced over to see a massive clock "But it isn’t working!"

"AAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It was Christina’s voice. She had fallen down a deep pit! Dennis leapt after her. I don’t like being on my own in the dark so I jumped in after him.

"OOOOFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!" I slammed my back onto Dennis’s head.

"OW!" Dennis howled in despair.

"Where’s Christina?" I asked.

"I don’t know, but I certainly know what that is!" He said as he scrambled backwards on his hands and knees, I looked up to find myself face to face with a computer. On it was the letters 20…19… 18…etc.

"Stop it!" I cried to Dennis. As quick as a wink he clambered up and made the count down come to a halt.

"What time shall I make it go off…………."

"Oh No not dynamite!" Dennis cried.

"Quickly, set it for two hours-that will give us enough time to get everyone out!" I screamed. Then we looked around, it was a computer room. The computers were gleaming in the dim light that was there. All except one, there it was, standing in the corner, cobwebs hanging from the mouse and keyboard.

We ran down a small alleyway and found ourselves in the Master Bedroom 1. Dennis jumped on the bed. As soon as he did ……………. It broke. "OOWW!!!!!!" Dennis cried. "I think my ankle’s broken," He howled as he knocked something off the side cabinet.

"Hey!" I exclaimed "That was the thing Mr. Brown was holding in The Swan!" I said.

"Come on, we need to get everybody out of here," Dennis said in a high pitched voice. I helped him get on his foot, I put his arm around my neck. We walked out but I picked up the gold statue before hand.

We found three people wandering about and told them to follow us, only thirty-one people to go! We also found a group wandering around on the first floor.

Then we carefully went down the shabby stairs and onto the landing. We found one person in the kitchen, another five in the parlour and a group of seven in the conservatory! But we still hadn’t found Christina!

Eventually we found her in a passage way, below kitchen two. "Where have you been?" She hissed as she appeared from underneath a cardboard box. We all chattered as we walked arm in arm, with all the people behind us were whispering away like crazy. All we needed to do was get out of this place, with the money or without it.

Chapter 5 - The Secret.

We all carried on walking down the tunnel for about half an hour then came to a halt; It was a big, oak door. We opened it and found ourselves in the ballroom. It was deserted, the ballroom door was wide open and a cold chill was coming from it.

"Come on ladies and gentlemen, let’s get out of here!" I cried.

We got out of the ballroom and into the corridor, but found it wasn’t the door that was making the breeze, it was the highest window!

"We need to get out of here!" I cried.

Just then Mr. Brown opened the door;

"Er, hello everyone I see you have found your way out of the ballroom, any questions?" There was a loud uproar of angry people.

"We found dynamite" a girl behind me cried.

"We found a dead body!" someone shouted.

"Excuse me, "Mr. Brown butted in. "But put your hand up if you are working for me,"

I and a few other people raised there hand, everyone stared and muttered. I couldn’t believe it, all those people had fallen for the fake dead bodies and dynamite!

Molly Browne thought it was an awful thing to do but Abigail Smith laughed all the way through and said she would keep in touch! However everyone demanded their money threatened to sue us! So everyone got their £600. Then Mr. Brown laughed and said, "The whole point in this was to see what your thoughts were about the fake rumours, Darkwood Manor itself, and not forgetting all the fake bodies and guns also the dynamite and not going onto the second floor! Oh I forgot to mention, congratulations, you have been chosen for the BBC ONE / Sky Digital Horror Channel! The reason the window was open was because everyone wanted to see you, and so they got a ladder and put microphones and cameras in The Manor before you came! That’s why I had to get you over here by nine o clock the viewers didn’t want to here anything or see anything! Now did they?" he questioned slyly.

Running at him, thirty-four people clenched their fists and tried to pounce on him but he quickly dodged out of the way, and all of the people flew out of the door and landed on the step outside, all except 1, Abigail Smith, she asked "When’s breakfast?"