Dad, Me & The Mansion

• Ashley Brandon Cook, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2007

Dad and I were driving by the Brisbane River when we noticed that a large mansion had been completed. Me being me, I wanted to see inside this house. So we decided to pretend we knew the occupants of the house. Friends from the past.
We pulled up the driveway, readied our housewarming presents and rang the doorbell. No answer. We rang the bell again …. still no answer. I tried opening the door and was rewarded with a large marble foyer. Lights dimmed to candlelight softness.
Dad had no intention of going in the house. BUT I did. I walked into the foyer and called out. From further in the house I heard someone call, “Help!”
Now my dad heard this too and called back, “Can you tell us where you are?”
The voice replied
“No”
“What can you see?”
“Well the lights are dimmed but I’m in some kind of hall. It’s a big meeting hall. Oh wait, there’s a window here! Ok I can see the Brisbane River!”
“Well, considering the house is on the edge of the river, oh hey I see it too!!”
“I’m just trying to help!”
“Well maybe when your common sense kicks in that will work, but for now, I’m thinking for you”
“Should I brighten the lights?”
“Yes do that!”
“Ok. I see a switch. I think that might be it”.
I heard distant footsteps, a screeching sound and then the lights totally went out. I shook my head and thought; this person is really having trouble with their thinking.
The voice came through again,
“Oops!. Wait I’ll try to turn them back on”
There was pause, a click and then the window covers came down. Now the house was pitch black. The person in the distance began screaming. He was afraid of the dark and a bunch of other gibberish …. What a lost cause!
Dad seemed to think otherwise. He said we should find this person as a kind of service to the community. I thought Dad was completely nuts.
We ventured deeper into the house and the screams stopped.
The person called out,
“I’m on the roof”
“Good”, replied Dad,
“Stay there. We’ll come and get you”.
We travelled through the massive house until we finally came to a set of stairs. These were big stairs. I looked up them and counted at least a thousand stairs. Was this even possible?!
Dad turned to me and said, “This is gonna be hell on my knees”.
We climbed, for what seemed hours until we finally got to a large landing. This must have been where the person was calling out from. I spotted a hatch in the roof. We climbed to meet the daylight. We saw the mystery person. He looked glad to see us.
Dad shook his hand and said, “Now one final question. How do we get back?”
Memories (& chills) of a “Twilight Zone” episode flashed through my brain … YIKES!