For years I had been curious about the wooden door placed in the back garden. Mother and
Father thought I didn’t know about it as they had always forbidden me to go to the back of the garden. I was a curious child - I needed to know about something straight away. One night, when I was seven years old, my father and mother went out to visit some relatives they hadn’t seen for years. They had asked my Great Aunt Mello to watch over me for a few days. I took my chance to find out why I shouldn’t go into the back garden. Great Aunt Mello was old and grey, so while she was taking a nap, I tiptoed to the back door in the kitchen and ran out. I took several deep breaths as I crept into the end of the back garden and saw something hidden behind a wall of ivy vines. I pushed through the stinging leaves - oh, and the pain! My skin was extra sensitive during that time, and my parents never let me go near Ivy, but this was different. I wasn’t breaking the rules... I was investigating. At the end I felt something hard - it felt like wood. I looked at the door right in front of me. So this was what my parents had been hiding from me! I tried to open it but it was locked shut.
It had been 2 years since I had found out about the door and had been searching for the key ever since. But I always found nothing. My pet rabbit Hoppy had also been helping me search, but still no luck. I don’t like writing these words down about my failure in searching for the key, but it’s a story for YOU, so I have to.
“Willa”, Mother called from the kitchen.
I trudged to the kitchen to find both my parents sitting at the dinner table we have used since I was born. I knew something was wrong. Whenever they sat at the table, it meant that they had found something I did wrong, or just because they wanted to relax and drink some tea. But their faces weren’t relaxed at all. Had they found out about me knowing about the door? I waited for them to speak but they were still staring at me - I felt as if this were a competition. I kept on waiting until one of them blinked. Mother blinked but
continued staring - I didn’t know we could blink during this! I couldn’t take the silence anymore.
“Why am I here?” I said. I didn’t expect I would say that, but that certainly broke the silence. Mother and Father started nudging each other until Father sighed.
“We are thinking of sending you to live with Grandma Alice”. My eyes widened.
“Why?” I blurted. It wasn’t like I did anything wrong.
“Money is running short”, Mother explained while trying to calm me down. I was now sobbing
quietly. “Your father... was laid off; we have to sell the house.”
And my world cracked.
It wasn’t like I had any other choice. Mother and Father now have to live in a shaggy house that they bought two years ago in case of an emergency like earthquakes, tornadoes or something like this. But it wasn’t big enough to fit all of us, and Mother wanted to let me live in a better house. And because Grandma Alice was rich - filthy rich - she would be able to help pay my school fees for Cambridge. I really like Grandma Alice, not because she was rich, but because she’s so nice and tells amazing stories about her past. She was like a second Mother to me for she had also taken care of me since I was born as Father had to find a job, and Mother had to go to America for personal reasons she didn't want to tell me. WhenI turned 5 years old, I had to say goodbye to Grandma Alice. I was excited to see her again but I knew I would never be able to see what was behind the door.
My heart raced and my blood turned cold. I started racking my brains - which room hadn’t I
searched? I gasped suddenly and woke Hoppy from her nap. The back garden! Ever since the day I found the door, I had been so excited that I didn’t notice the area in the back garden. I had also been quite afraid to go back there, thinking somebody would catch me and that would be goodbye to the secret door. In the evening while Mother and Father were busy packing up boxes, I raced to the back door. I knew I didn’t have much time - my bedtime was at 8’ o'clock and it was now 7:30. As soon as I stepped into the back garden, I searched behind a wagon, plant pots, bushes, but nothing. I was ready to give up when… I saw something glimmering inside a garden gnome with a large hole in its belly. I slowly picked it up, and saw a combination at the back of the
gnome. I knew it had to be Father and Mother’s birthday, so I tried my prediction and heard a
click. It worked! As I saw the gnome’s belly opening, there lay a golden key. My hands shook like crazy as I began admiring the key. It looked like real gold - the engravings were beautiful. I shook my head. All I had to do now was to open that door. I heard a tiny
squeak, Hoppy came out, and I picked her up.
“Are you ready?” I asked. But her eyes looked doubtful - she shook her head many times telling me not to open it.
“I’m sorry Hoppy”, I said. I hadn’t been waiting and searching for so long just to be standing there holding a mysterious key. I pushed through the ivy vines with Hoppy following my back - I took a deep breath and opened the door.
I saw nothing at first but then a loud BOOM! Suddenly there was ringing in my ears, and the door had closed. I ran to it and tried to open it but it was locked. I shrieked and Hoppy jumped into my arms. A dark shadow was suddenly in front of me and tears came out from my eyes. I wanted to scream but as I tried, nothing came out. The shadow pointed down. I looked down, and my heart stopped. There was a pile of bones covered with blood. The shadow grinned and I saw its acicular teeth. It ran straight at me. Its arms were round my neck and I couldn’t breathe. Then, I closed my eyes.
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