The Cottage

• Scarlett Ratuszny, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2023

It was a gloomy dark evening. I was feeling brave and decided to go and find something fun and scary to do. I thought it was the perfect day to do it, so I grabbed her flashlight and backpack and set off. Suddenly I stumbled across an old musty abandoned cottage and knew it was perfect to explore. I slowly but confidently crept into the cottage and had a coughing fit. The place was drowned in dust and mould. I walked around for a bit but then decided to leave. Then as I pulled the door handle…
I was grabbed from behind by an old hag! I dashed for the window, and luckily the hag hadn’t locked it yet so I ripped it open and hopped out. I ran for my life and when I looked back the old dusty hag had a disturbing fat grin on her ugly face. I had the most terrified look on mine.
A big gush of wind blew me off my feet and I stumbled onto the gravel floor. I was flabbergasted. I stood there frozen shaking like an earthquake. What was upon me was absolutely terrifying. It was a gross musty wrinkly old hag. The thing stared me dead in the eye. To be honest at that moment I thought that I was going to die. My lips were shaking in fear. I said ‘s-sorry I t-t thought nobody lived h-h-here.’ The old hag dragged me into the cottage. I screamed in pain and fear. She finally dropped me. I held my ear and I could feel blood dripping. She turned around into the mouldy dusty kitchen and put the kettle on and yelled at me to get in the last room down the hall. I begged, but nothing worked. Suddenly I heard the sound of a lock turning. I banged on the door but the old lady ignored me. I sat there for hours just waiting and waiting all day long. Finally I heard the large footsteps coming down the hall and the lock turning again…
I had to face the hag and knew it was time to go. I ran out the room and jumped fence by fence to make it to the freeway. I stopped the zooming cars and had to wait for any gap I could find to run through. Suddenly something grabbed my neck. My mouth was covered with a thick cloth and I slowly fell asleep. When I woke I was in the same room with chains on the window making sure I didn’t get away this time. I had no other ideas so I sat there slowly rotting away with no hope left in my tiny little soul. A little rat ran out and became my friend. I had my last breath with him.