Terror on the Marshes

That night, there was a very strong wind. It whistled and howled around the house. The windows shook. I slept, woke and slept again.

Then suddenly I was wide awake. I thought I heard a cry. The wind blew more loudly. Then I heard the cry again. It was the cry of a child. A cry for help. The cry of a child dying in the marshes. For how many years had the child cried out?

Rest in peace, I prayed. But that child could not.

I could not sleep. I got up. I opened the bedroom door. Spider followed me into the passage.

Suddenly two things happened. Someone or something went past me. The wind howled, louder than ever. And all the lights went our.

I stood there in the darkness. I could not move. Who had gone by? Who was in the house with me? I had seen and heard nothing. But I was sure of one thing. Someone had gone along the passage to the child's bedroom. Someone dead for many years - a ghost.

I had to have a light. I walked back carefully into my bedroom.

I went slowly to the table near my bed. I found the torch and picked it up. But it slipped from my fingers. It fell and broke on the floor.

Spider came close and touched my hand. As I held the little dog, the wind howled again. And once more, louder than the wind, I heard the child's cry.

I could not sleep. I must have a light, I thought. 1 cannot stay here in the dark. Then I remembered. I had seen a candle in the child's bedroom.

For a long time, I did not move. There was something evil in the child's bedroom. But I had to go back to get that candle.

I went down the passage slowly. I opened the door of the child's bedroom. Everything was quiet I found the candle and picked it up.

Now 1 was in the bedroom, I was not afraid. But I felt sad. I had a feeling of something lost Someone who had died. I had never had that feeling before. Why did I have it now?

After a few minutes, I walked slowly out of the room. I closed the door. At once, the sadness left me.

In my bedroom, I found some matches. I lit the candle. I opened my book and began to read. Some time later, I fell asleep. When I woke up again, the sky was light It was morning.

Spider was standing at the door. She wagged her tail and looked at me. The dog wanted to go out.

I got up and dressed quickly. Spider ran to the front door.

I opened the door. Spider ran out happily. The air was very cold. Then I heard a whistle. A high, clear sound.

Spider heard it too. Before I could stop her, she was running. She was running away from the house onto the marshes. I called and called, but she did not hear me. I watched the little dog running on and on. But who had whistled? The marshes were completely empty.

Then I saw the dog slow down and stop. I knew at once what had happened. The poor animal was caught in the mud. The mud was pulling the dog down. Pulling her down deeper and deeper.

I could not let the little dog die. Without thinking, I ran out across the marshes towards her.

The cold wind blew in my face. I could not see clearly. My feet stuck in the mud. I pulled myself free. The tide was coming in quickly.

I called out to the dog. Most of her body was now under mud and water. I could not get any nearer to her.

I could do nothing. We will both die here, in this terrible place, I thought. No, it could not happen!

Very carefully, I lay down. I stretched forward, little by little. The dog sank deeper into the mud.

Just in time, I got hold of the leather collar round the dog's neck. I pulled and pulled.

At last, the dog was free from the mud! We lay there side by side, wet and muddy. We were safe, thank God. The dog was alive and so was I.

How long we lay there, I do not know. At last, I got up. I began to walk slowly back to the house.

As I got nearer to the house, I looked up. I saw the window of the child's bedroom. Someone was standing there, looking out. It was the woman in black.

She stared at me. The hate in her eyes was terrible.

I began to shake. Somehow, I reached the front door of the house.

Then, to my horror, I heard the sound I feared most the sound of a pony and trap.

11. I Leave Eel Marsh House

The next thing I knew, I was lying on a couch in the sitting-room. Mr Daily was leaning over me. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't I did not know what had happened to me. `The trap - the pony and trap,' I said.

`Oh, that was me,' Samuel Daily said with a smile. 'I've come here in a pony and trap. It's safer than a car on that's causeway. What's the matter? What did you think?'

'I've ... I've heard another . . .' I said. `Keckwick, perhaps.'

`No, not Keckwick,' I said. `But why did you come?'

`I was worried about you,' said Daily. `It's a good thing I came. People have drowned in those marshes, you know.' `Yes. I was nearly pulled under. And the dog . Then I remembered.

`Spider!' I cried. `Where's Spider? Did she... '

`She's safe,' Daily said. `She's here.'

At the sound of her name, the little dog jumped up and wagged her tail.

`Now I'm taking you home with me,' said Daily. `You can't stay here.'

For a few moments, I said nothing. I remembered what had happened to me. I knew that the woman in black was a ghost. But why was she here? I knew there was evil here. And sadness too. Why? I wanted to know. And I had to finish my work too.

`Thank You, Mr Daily,' 1 said after a few moments. `I want to leave Eel Marsh House. But what about my work? I must look at all Mrs Drablow's papers. I don't think there's anything important. But they must be looked at'

`I found some letters last night,' I went on. `They looked interesting. I'll bring them with me.'

Very slowly, I got up. I picked up the packet of letters from the desk. Then I went upstairs to get my things. My fear had gone. I was leaving Eel Marsh House. If I came back, I would not come alone.

I packed my bag and left the room. I decided to have one last look at the child's bedroom.

The door was open. But I was sure I had closed it.

I could hear Mr Daily downstairs. I was safe. I walked slowly towards the open door.

Then I stopped. Did I want to go in? She had been here. I had seen her.

I pushed open the door.

I could not believe my eyes. Everything in the room was broken and torn. The cupboards were all open. Toys, clothes and books lay on the floor. They had been thrown there by some terrible power. Everything was destroyed.

Everything except the rocking-chair. It had been pushed into the centre of the room. The chair was not moving now. Who or what had done this terrible thing?

Feeling ill and shaking, I got into the trap beside Mr Daily. He knew that something had happened. But he did not ask any questions.

He put Spider on my knees. I held the dog tightly. Then we drove off away from the house, across the Nine Lives Causeway.

Everything was grey and quiet. There was no colour, no sound. I looked back at Eel Marsh House. No one was watching us. The house stood there, grey and terrible.

As we crossed the estuary, I turned my eyes away. I did not want to see that terrible place again.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 907