The Old House

• Abigail Ma, Grade 4, Pymble Public School
• Short Story
• 2010

Finalist in the 'Word Express 2010' competition

Elaine is 12. She’s always been fascinated by the strange, dilapidated house behind the university. There are rumors that odd, creaking noises start every time university closes. One evening Elaine takes her dog, Rex to explore the old house. Elaine pushes back the overgrown weeds that surround the house. The door is open just a crack. Cautiously she pushes it further. The rusty door creaks, making an eerie noise. Rex whimpers, but Elaine cannot resist the temptation of going in.
Elaine stares at the wierd room. Through the door she spots some paintings with piercing eyes, hanging unevenly on the cracked wall. She looks up and sees a broken chandelier dangling dangerously. Suddenly, a loud creaking noise makes her jump. She scans the room and notices a large rocking chair that is still rocking. Elaine gasps. It was just as if someone had just been sitting there. Then Elaine saw something frightening. There was a sign that read: I’d turn back if I were you. Elaine stared, frozen with fear. Then she hears a slam. She looks back. The door is closed.
Elaine lunges at the door. Boom! The door is locked. She gives up, and sits down, scared and confused. She is tired, frightened and wished she’d never come and where is Rex? She longs to be in her cozy, warm bed, reading books and eating chocolate. She gazes around the room and sees a crumbling staircase. Weary and hungry, she climbs the stairs. At the top is a door. She opens it.

Elaine sees a bed. She is so tired that she doesn’t know what to do. So she drops onto the bed and falls into a deep sleep.
Elaine wakes and rubs her head. She wonders where she is. Then she remembers she’s in the house. She walks downstairs. The door is still locked. The paintings still stare, and Elaine feels gloomier than the house looks. She wonders whether there’s still food in this rundown house. Elaine walks over to the cupboard. What she sees makes her shriek in terror. It is a spider! Elaine has arachnophobia. Suddenly a loud bark makes her leap. Rex! She thinks, I left him outside! But then Elaine hears something wonderful: People! They call her name, and she shouts back to let them know she’s there.
A few bangs later the door collapses onto the floor. Elaine screams, but it’s a happy, relieved sort of scream. She topples onto her father and faints.
Elaine wakes up and rubs her head for the second time that day. She looks up and sees her mother crying. Her mother tells her that the house is too dangerous and is going to be knocked down. Elaine sits up immediately. She asks her mum if she could go and see something, and before her mum could protest she was sprinting to the house. It had already been demolished but the strangest thing was when the wind blew Elaine heard the same creaking noise as before.