The Curse of Dreadgrave Manor

CHAPTER NINE - NO ESCAPE

"Whatever's happening here isn't funny." Kris scowled at Max.

"Don't look at me; I'm not playing a prank! Besides, scaring people for a dare is more your thing." He protested.

"I'm done exploring this place. We're leaving now, no matter what."

She was annoyed at his accusation and stormed over to the front door and tried it once more, but it remained stuck fast.

"That settles that." She grumbled. "We'll just have to try the door I wanted to go through."

"Kris... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Well, you di-"

Suddenly, the portrait crashed down on the floor, causing dust clouds to swirl around the air. They both jumped back and screamed.

"Kris..." Max gasped.

"I don't have time to listen to-"

"No." He interrupted; the panic rising in his voice. "Something is trying to get out from underneath the frame!"

Terrified, they sprinted to the rear of the hall and seized onto the door handle. The door swung open. Relieved, they pushed their way through and slammed it shut hard behind them. They stood still and gasped for air as fresh fear ran ice-cold through their veins.

"There has to be a reasonable explanation for what just happened back there." Max spluttered.

"There isn't one this time!" Kris snapped. "Weird carvings don't appear out of nowhere, screaming figures don't just disappear, and paintings don't usually try to kill people! Maybe the legend of Dreadgrave Manor is more than just a legend. What if it's real?"

"It can't be," Max replied dismissively. "It's supposed to just be a scary story that every kid in Fading Hope tells to freak their friends out. Isn't it?"

Once they had regained their breath, they were finally able to investigate their new surroundings. They were in what remained of a once impressive kitchen. Moonlight filtered through the wide window into the room, illuminating the scratched marble countertops. In the centre, there was an island with a metal grate suspended high above. An assortment of rusted pots and pans dangled freely from it. To their right was a large oak table pushed against the wall and four chairs in various states of disrepair strewn around it.

"There's the back door!" Kris exclaimed pointing to the far corner of the room. She tossed the book on the table and tried the door.

"It's locked." She declared unsurprised. "I don't know why I bothered even getting my hopes up."

"If we really want to get out now, maybe we should just break the window." Max surmised. "Then we could just jump down into the bushes."

"That sounds like the best plan we have." Kris smiled and then picked up one of the chairs. As she picked it up, it collapsed into pieces and clattered to the floor, leaving her holding onto only one of the legs. "Huh? Well, it will still do the job." She pulled the makeshift club over her shoulder. "Two tickets out of here, coming right up!"

She swung it sharply into the window, but the glass defiantly resisted the oncoming assault, taunting them with its unbroken gleam.

"That's impossible!" Kris cried in disbelief. "I hit that window as hard as I could!"

Angry, she struck the window again, but the glass remained intact.

"The house has to be cursed!" Max panicked, his words rambling carelessly. "Maybe this is all part of the house's plan and we're going to be the next kids to go missing here." "What?" Kris spun round confused and looked him in the eyes. "What do you mean next kids?"

His hands trembling, Max pulled a pair of metal dog tags out of his trouser pocket.

"This was what I found hiding in the fireplace." He whispered, his voice grew more shaky and unsettling. "I don't think Lewis is the first kid to go missing here Kris."

"What are you talking about? Who else has gone missing here?" "Here, take a closer look." Max tossed her the dog tags, and they jangled as they flew through the air. She seized them midflight and angled the metal plates so the moonlight highlighted the engraving. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped in horror. "It can't be!"

Max nodded solemnly, as their worst realisations were confirmed. "It is. Those dog tags used to belong to Oliver."