Old Man Bones

• Jacinta O'mealley, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2008

My eyes shot open. I rolled over to see the time, 12:00am, midnight. I got out of my bed; the air was cold and musky. I grabbed my blanket as I strode out of my room, down the stairs and out the front door.
I decided to go for a walk, maybe it would make me feel tired, or just wake me up, more. I strolled down our long, narrow and dark street, watching all of the houses as I walked by. I came to an abrupt stop as my gaze moved towards a vine enclosed mansion with two flickering fire lanterns blowing in the breeze.
I looked behind me, someone was watching and following me, I was sure. I turned back to the mansion and began to walk down the path towards it; I was conscious about the feeling in the back of my mind, though I put it behind me and continued down the path.
I opened the oversized wooden door, there was a loud creak as opened it, inside the mansion it was dull, gloomy and I could only see about two or three feet in front of me. I took two paces into the mansion, which was just before I heard a loud SLAM!! I spun around as quickly as a bullet, just in time to see the oversized wooden door slam shut.
Trapped, I was trapped inside a creepy, vine enclosed mansion. I comforted myself by saying that there was surely to be another exit or way to escape.
I wondered around for a while looking for something I could escape through or break. After what seemed to be hours I found a tiny room, only about the size of our pantry. I stepped inside only to find a tall, lanky old man sitting on a chair in the corner of the tiny room. I stopped dead in my tracks and began to walk backwards when suddenly my foot touched down on a creaky floorboard, the old man’s head shot up and all I could see was a toothy snarl of sharp, yellow teeth. I pivoted on my foot and scampered as fast as I could.
“Grrrrrrrrrrrr!” I could hear anger through his groaning. He was surely mad.
“Come back here!” I scampered until I couldn’t hear the groaning or yelling any more, I slowed to a steady jog. Now walking, so that I could catch my breath, I stopped at a door that looked like I could escape through it.
Cautiously I stopped in the middle of the room. There was small table, contained on it was a mountain of food, delicious mouth-watering food. I ran to the table and stuck my finger into a bowl of warm melted chocolate, the doors on either side of me slammed shut and the room fell into darkness.
A hideous laughter came from behind me; I ducked under the table just in time to see two large feet at the edge of the table. Within seconds they had disappeared and a door was open, I considered whether to go for it or not. In the end I ran for my life, but I was lured into a trap, the door slammed shut in my face.
“Help!” I screamed. I was now stuck and very frightened.
“Please, somebody!” My voice was straining now. THUMP!!! I was hit on the head from behind; I fell to my knees and everything went black. Forever.
Jacinta O'Mealley