The House on the Horrid Hill

Chapter 5

"It's really dark down here. How are we meant to see anything?" complained Alfred.

Hammy reached into the little bag that was strapped tightly around his waist and foraged around inside.

Alfred waited patiently until Hammy finally found what he was looking for. "Here we go's" he exclaimed as he pulled out a tiny little torch.

Humph. Looks useless, I hope he doesn't expect that to light our way, my dad has one just like it and it wouldn't help you find your way home on the brightest summers day. The torch made a loud clicking sound as Hammy switched it on and to Alfred' surprise it turned out to be a pretty powerful tool. Wow, he thought to himself, quietly impressed.

That impressiveness quickly turned to disappointment when he realised they were inside what appeared to be a tunnel. A very long and very boring tunnel. This isn't as exciting as he had imagined – which had been treasure and dragaons and all sorts of other scary but thrilling stuff.

"S'pose you better follow me then spud. No points ye getting lost and causing me even more trouble," sighed Hammy.

"Why on earth do you keep calling me Spud, I told you already, my name is Alfred. Alfred Wright. Named aptly so because obviously I AM ALWAYS right says my father" he replied as they began trudging through the very long, very boring tunnel.

"Me thinks you look more like a spud so that's what I be calling ye. Don't like it, don't answer. Simples." Hammy replied grouchily.

"Whoa, who's got you in such a bad mood?"

"Ye have. Insisting that you come down here. Me smells trouble. Trouble for no one but me!"

"Don't be silly, I only want a quick look. Come on show me what's through that door there," said Alfred racing for the door that had finally came into sight at the end of the tunnel.

Hammy sighed again loudly before making his way to join him.

Alfred looked up to the top of the door in front of him. It was HUGE! Surely it must poke right through the bottom of their house?

It was made of the shiniest silverest silver he had ever seen – so shiny that he probably would have been able to see his reflection in it except the surface was encrusted with millions and millions of tiny little gemstones. There must be every colour of the rainbow there and probably even some colours that weren't in it. There were certainly colours there that Alfred had never seen before, that was sure.

It's definitely a very extraordinary door he thought. The twinkling doorknob caught his eye and just like the button under his bed that was itching to be pressed, this doorknob was itching to be turned.

"Go on then Spud. Ye might as well open it now we're here," sniggered Spud knowing full well Alfred wouldn't have the ability to open the locked door.

Alfred wiped his sweaty palm down his trousers and placed it lightly on the doorknob. Suddenly he felt a bit nervous. Monsters? No, surely Hammy wouldn't let him walk into a room full of monsters. Would he?

As he debated with himself he noticed that the cool crystal doorknob was beginning to radiate heat. First of it all it just got a little bit warm, but the longer he kept his hand there the hotter it got. Just when Alfred thought he better let go before his hand burned right off the end of his arm the door sprung open.

"Wowzers" said Hammy "That's not supposed to happen when a mortal touches it. Only Arx and Burrowers have the powers to activate the magic heat crystal."

Alfred was already halfway through the door and paying no attention to anything Hammy was saying. He had to see what was inside. It was an uncontrollable urge now, almost like he was being drawn deeper and deeper inside the hill by some invisible force.

He stepped through the door and stood speechless – not something that happens to Alfred very often as you might have guessed by now – and took in the sights around him. Although it seemed to be just another tunnel, like the door he had just come through, every inch of wall from the floor to the ceiling was covered in tiny sparkling multi-coloured gems. He walked forward a few steps running his fingers over the twinkling jewels. He was completely and utterly mesmerised.

For as long as Alfred could remember he had always had a fascination for anything shiny and sparkly. He owned numerous chests that he had filled full with shiny trinkets. Whenever his father cleared out his bedroom, rooting through all his bit and bobs he swore blind he found a shiny piece of treasure in every nook and cranny possible. He always said that Alfred must have been a magpie in a previous life.

Anyhow, now here he was, standing inside the centre of a giant hill. A giant hill filled with his favourite thing! Awesome he thought.

He started walking deeper into the tunnel and everywhere he looked he saw a different colour or a different shape. He eyes swept from one stone to the next as he tried to process the amazing sight before him. He was quite clearly in jewel heaven.

"Spud. Spud. Spud. Stop. You've gone far enough. Wowzers. Me's gonna be in mighty big trouble. Be hung drawn and quartered if I'm caught so I will. I will, I will I tell you," ranted Hammy so fast that it almost sounded like one long gigantic word.

Alfred wasn't listening. He kept walking, he couldn't stop now, he just couldn't. He didn't care how much trouble he got the pair of them into. He knew he was going to find the most wonderful things behind that next door. He was aware of Hammy's tongue still yapping ten to the dozen behind him as he continued forward determined nothing was going to stop him.

I have to get through that next door was the only thought in his head.