Alice heard Matron approaching the door again. It did not bother her this time, as she would simply walk past and then go up the stairs to her own quarters. Once she heard her door close she would be sure that it was almost time. Maybe she would just give it a little longer. Enough time for Matron to get into bed and fall asleep. Did she sleep? Maybe she sat there waiting for one of the girls to move. Maybe she sat at the top of the stairs looking down and just waiting?
Alice pushed that thought away and concentrated on her plan. She intended to wake Mary and then go down the stairs into the basement. She knew where there was a lamp and a flint kept in the kitchen, she would grab it on her way out. With that she would go to the basement where she had been told there was a tunnel that led out of the house and under the wall. If she could find it then they would escape and go somewhere nice. Maybe into the woods. They could live in a tree and hide from everyone who came near. It was a lovely dream and it filled her with hope. Just her and Mary safe and cocooned at the base of a tree. They would find mushrooms to eat and maybe catch rabbits and fish from the river. She had never caught a fish but how hard could it be?
Soon she would find out, for it was time.
“Mary, Mary wake up please,” Alice whispered into the little blonde girl’s ear as she pulled back her lank and dirty curls.
Mary’s eyes shot open, they were a pure blue and filled with fear. Alice placed a hand over her mouth before she could let out a squeal of terror.
“You are safe,” she whispered. “It’s just me, like I told you. We’re leaving.”
Mary rubbed her eyes and tried to keep them open. “I’m very tired and it will be time to get up soon.”
“It’s time now and then tomorrow you can sleep until dinner.”
Mary’s eyes opened even wider. The whites almost shone in the dark. “Really?”
“Yes, if... once we are out of here we can do what we want.” Alice pulled back the covers and handed her a dress. “Only, hurry, we don’t want to be caught. Not tonight!”
Soon they were sneaking from the room, their bare feet silent in the darkness. Alice knew her way to the kitchen. She had practiced counting out the steps for the last month. So she took Mary’s hand and began to walk. The fingers clasped in hers were hesitant. They began to shake as the door closed behind them and the darkness settled over them like a shroud.
“It’s ok,” she whispered, “trust me.”
Mary’s arm shook as she nodded and Alice smiled into the darkness and began to count her steps. It was important that she kept her stride at the same length or she would miss the door. Twenty, then thirty just four more steps and she reached out for the door. Her hand banged into the wood and the slight sound seemed so loud in the darkness. Alice froze and listened.
There was nothing there and yet she thought she heard whispers from far away. Was someone else awake? Or were they already coming for her?
Quickly she searched for the handle and found it. Turning it in the darkness she slipped into the kitchen and reached behind the door. There on the side should be a lamp and flint. At first she could not find them and started to panic. She had never been in the basement. It was off limits. No doubt because of the escape route. Without the lantern she would never find her way and she would disappear tonight!
Then her fingers hit something hard and there was the sound of scraping. She had the lantern and then the flint. Almost letting out a yelp of joy she grabbed them and turned away from the door.
“Hold tight to my dress,” she whispered to Mary. “I need my hands now. So hold tight and stay quiet.”
“I’m frightened,” Mary’s voice was but a whisper.
Alice leaned in close to her and moved her hair so she could reply right into her ear. “Don’t be, we will soon be free.”
Then she turned and felt Mary’s hand pulling on her dress. Together they snuck across the huge kitchen. The door to the basement was another twenty-two steps to their left. But she had to make sure she was central to the door before she started counting. Feeling the frame she got her position right and then with her eyes tightly closed she set off across the slate floor. At first she was rushing and knew the strides would be too long. Slow down, she told herself and adjusted her strides. She had counted this so many times she would not get it wrong.
Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, they were so close she paused and listened. Her breath was coming fast and shallow and she was feeling a little dizzy. They were so close and soon they would be gone from here. Soon they would be safe. Twenty-two. She reached for the door. The unlit lantern in one hand the flint in the other. The flint scratched against the handle and she knew they were there. With the flint in her tiny hand she could not turn the handle and so she pushed it into the pocket of her dress and turned the handle. As she did she thought she heard whispers come from behind the door but they were gone so soon, she thought maybe it was just a gust of air.
Quickly, she pulled Mary through the door and onto the steps. They were stone and narrow and it was so dark but she knew she must shut the door before she lit the lantern. So she eased inside and felt Mary gasp as her foot missed a step. Using her body she stopped her falling and eased in a little further. It was so difficult in the dark. Before she had practiced, walking along the corridor with her eyes closed but here she was truly blind. Still it was not the time to turn back. She eased in a little more and felt Mary follow her. Reaching back she pulled the door closed and felt it click into place. They were safe. They had made it.
Feeling suddenly euphoric she pulled the flint from her pocket and struck it near to the lantern. It was something she had done a thousand times and light filled the stairwell.
She gave Mary a smile and was pleased to get one in return. Though the girl's face was pale and drawn she looked better than earlier.
“We just have to go down the stairs and to the left. There we will find a passage out of here.”
Mary nodded and Alice led her down the stairs. They seemed to go on forever and she estimated that they were at least three levels below the house. Occasionally she thought she heard voices but decided it must just be the echoes from their footsteps. She tried to ignore the fact that they slap, slap, slapped on the steps as they climbed down and down. Matron was in bed, she had to be if they were to escape.
“How much further,” Mary asked.
“Just a little.”
Soon the sound of their feet was replaced by the rushing of running water. There must be a river beneath them and then they were at the bottom. There was a wide passageway and she could see water running through it directly across from them. She turned to her left and could have sworn she saw a flash of light. Maybe it was a reflection off the water. It didn’t matter she was not turning back when they were so close.
Up ahead she saw a door and knew that must lead to the passage. Quickly she hurried towards it ignoring the cold and the ache in her legs. They passed an alcove filled with shelves lined with ancient books. With hardly a glance she rushed on, Mary still clinging to her dress. They both were afraid but it would all be worth it once they were free.
They reached the door and she turned around to smile at Mary. “We are nearly there. Soon you can sleep.” As she said the words she knew she should have brought their blankets. Thin as they were, they were better than nothing. Why was she such a fool? Maybe she could get Mary to safety and come back.
Pushing the thought aside she reached out to grab the handle, before she could turn it she felt it move in her fingers and the door pulled away from her.
She stumbled into a large room. It was lit by flickering torches and rough hands pushed her into the center. Mary let go of her dress and she turned to search for her but fear dropped her to her knees.
They were surrounded by over a dozen men in long black cloaks and hoods. She had run straight into the very thing she was trying to avoid. As she turned to try and escape she noticed something behind the men. There were bones. Small bones about the size of her a
rm and legs and further around was something she couldn’t believe. Was it real? Behind the men, in the darkest reaches of the room only just touched by the flickering light was a pile of skulls.
The men stepped back as if herding her towards that grisly pile.
Next to the skulls was a stone bench surrounding by flickering torches. What was it for?
Alice was grabbed from behind. One man clutching onto each of her arms and hauling her from her feet.
“Run, Mary, run,” she screamed as they carried her to the altar and lay her down on top of it. She tried to look for Mary as they held her down by her arms and legs, but it was not possible. No matter how she kicked and struggled she could not pull free. Their hands were so big around her skinny flesh.
Where was Mary, if at least she was safe then it didn’t matter. As she tried to look for her friend, all she could see were two hooded creatures looking down on her. There was just a black emptiness inside the dark hoods.
For a moment she could not breathe and then they both raised their hands up to the hoods. The light flickered and all the lanterns seemed to dim at once. Alice knew that it was over for her and yet she was intrigued. She wanted... needed to see into their eyes to let them know that she was not afraid. That she had accepted this and that she would hate them for all eternity. As she had the thought she wondered where it came from. Was it even her own.
It didn’t matter, slowly they pushed back the hoods.
Two pale faces were revealed. One a man of probably sixty the other was Matron. There was nothing remarkable about them until she looked up to their eyes... there was nothing there, just empty black hollows that seemed to suck her in and pull her down into a horror so great she heard herself wail.
In his left hand the man pulled a knife from beneath his cloak. It glinted in the darkness and suddenly she understood where all the girls had gone. They were here forever and soon she would join them. As the knife raised up above her she began to scream.
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More Books from Caroline Clark
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The Spirit Guide Series:
The Haunting of Seafield House - Gail wants to create some memories – if she survives the night in Seafield House it is something she will never forget.
The Haunting on the Hillside - Called From Beyond – The Spirit Guide - A Woman in White Ghost Story. A non-believer, a terrible accident, a stupid mistake. Is Mark going mad or was his girlfriend Called from Beyond?
The Haunting of Oldfield Drive - DarkMan Alone in the dark, Margie must face unimaginable terror. Is this thing that haunts her nights a ghost or is it something worse?
The Ghosts of RedRise House Series:
The Sacrifice Dark things happened in RedRise House. Acts so bad they left a stain on the soul of the building. Now something is lurking there... waiting... dare you enter this most haunted house?
The Battle Within - The Ghosts of RedRise House have escaped. Something evil is stalking the city and only Rosie stands between it and a chain of misery and death.
Suffer the Children – Two young ghost hunters find themselves in a house that will not let them leave.
Standalone Books
The Haunting of Brynlee House Based on a real haunted house - Brynlee House has a past, a secret, it is one that would be best left buried.
The Haunting of Shadow Hill House A move for a better future becomes a race against the past. Something dark lurks in Shadow Hill House and it is waiting.
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Caroline Clark is a British author who has always loved the macabre, the spooky, and anything that goes bump in the night.
She was brought up on stories from James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Stephen King and more recently Darcy Coates, and Ron Ripley. Even at school she was always living in her stories and was often asked to read them out in front of the class, though her teachers did not always appreciate her more sinister tales.
Now she spends her time researching haunted houses or imagining what must go on inside them. These tales then get written up and become her books.
Caroline is married and lives in Yorkshire with her husband and their three boxer dogs. Of course one of them is called Spooky.
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Daddy Won't Kill You- The Haunting in the Woods Page 20
