The House on the Horrid Hill

Chapter 7

Back in the tunnels, Alfred took a deep breath and turned the handle on the next door. If it was just like the last one so he assumed he would open it with ease. He was right - the lock clicked and it swung open before his eyes. What is with all these tunnels and doors he thought to himself?

This time it didn't lead to another tunnel, instead he was inside a big empty room. It was indeed, a jewelled spectacle just like the tunnel except it was gigantic and round and it was much bigger than any room Alfred had ever seen. But it was completely empty. What was the point in such a grand room if there was nothing in it he thought – how very boring. He walked into the centre and studied his surroundings some more.

He could see that there were various doors placed around the edges of the room – doors that he had every intention of opening just shortly. Every single one looked EXCATLY the same as the door he had just come from and if he wasn't careful he would forget which one led back to his bedroom.

"Spud you have to go back. Back. Back I say."

Gosh. Hammy! Alfred had forgotten about him for a second.

"Hammy this is the most exciting thing that has happened to me since I got here. If you think I'm leaving now you must be mad so give up with the begging. Please. I'm trying to pick my next door," he said trying to shush Hammy up.

Hammy stood where he was and watched Alfred for a few minutes. His little face was pleading with Hammy to let him stay, imploring with him to share the secrets that had been kept in Crudmoor Creek for generations. The truth was, Hammy really didn't know where to start.

If he was caught down here with Alfred he knew there would be big trouble for both of them and he also knew that the Great Hall would be filling up with lots of others any minute now as the floor below them opened up to expose the biggest secret of all.

He didn't have enough time to explain everything in the detail that it deserved and something told him this little boy deserved to know every single last wonderful detail there was to know. Plus he had never had a mortal friend before, so, he impulsively decided to strike another deal with the curious little lad.

"Spud, you have to understand that me has already broken so many rules just by being here and you could make sucha lot trouble for me, but me willing to make a deal with you. I will give you a tour of the hill and I will tell you all about what goes on down here. You have to go right now, but you have my word that tomorrow I will reveal all."

"How do I know that you will keep your word?" Alfred asked suspiciously.

"Because me always does! Burrowers always keep their word once it's spoken. Me have made you a promise which me fully intend to keep. Deal?" he asked, holding out his hand in the hope that a compromise would be reached.

Alfred hesitated for a few seconds before grabbing at his hand and shaking it heartily.

"Until tomorrow," Alfred beamed before they parted ways. Hammy suddenly felt very nervous as he watched Alfred depart. Had he just made the biggest mistake of his life?

And as Alfred climbed back up through the hatch all he could think was that maybe it wasn't such a stupid house on a horrid hill after all.