The music box

Chapter 1 : the attic

Emily stood staring up at her grandmother's old Victorian house which was perched perfectly in the quaint city of westminster , London , the one she had inherited after her passing, her mind overwhelmed with childhood memories she had suddenly realised it had been years since she had stepped foot inside, and she decided it was finally time to sort through her grandmother's belongings, starting with the attic. " Here we go!" Emily said quietly to herself . Armed with determination and a sense of nostalgia, she climbed the creaking stairs to the forgotten attic, opening the rusted wooden door to reveal years of dust emerging from the dark chamber above. Emily continued on with will power , even though the white smut had entered her wide green eyes. As she entered the run down water damaged attic she saw that it was overflowing with family heirlooms and artefacts .

Emily had always loved exploring her grandmother's attic. It was a trove of memories and hidden treasures, each item holding a story waiting to be discovered. But today, as she rummaged through dusty boxes and old trunks, she stumbled upon something truly extraordinary - a beautiful music box.

The music box was ornately decorated with intricate carvings and shimmering jewels.
As Emily turned the key, a haunting melody filled the air, transporting her to a different time and place. Suddenly, the room around her began to fade away, replaced by a lush forest filled with vibrant colours and strange creatures.
Confused but intrigued, Emily followed the music box's enchanting tune deeper into the light. As she walked, she felt a sense of wonder and excitement building within her. It was as if she had stepped into a fairy tale, where anything was possible.
After what felt like hours of wandering, Emily stumbled upon a clearing where a majestic castle stood tall against the setting sun. The music box's melody grew louder, beckoning her to enter. With a deep breath, Emily pushed open the castle's heavy doors and stepped inside .

The interior of the castle was just as breathtaking as its exterior. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the marble floors. Paintings of kings and queens adorned the walls, their eyes following Emily as she made her way through the grand halls.
As she explored further, Emily discovered that the castle was home to a magical kingdom where time stood still. The people she met were kind and welcoming, eager to share their stories and wisdom with her. They told her of ancient legends and forgotten treasures hidden outside the castle's walls In the forbidden forest.

Emily was intrigued by the idea of the lost treasures so she decided she would go searching as she left the castle she was now back where she began in the dark forest surrounded by beautiful butterflies and frogs dressed in suits driving ladybugs , as she walked through she seemed to of stumbled upon a mysterious tomb which was submerged by the overgrown vegetation , curious to explore Emily entered , unknowing of what is to come ... ,as she began her journey through the tomb she soon discovered that this was no ordinary tomb it was a maze with twists and turns and scary sounds little did she know she would soon find herself lost and forgotten just like the treasures she was longing to find .

As she proceeded into maze , the entrance had been sealed up , Emily was trapped , she began to panic but she persevered and continued on throughout the maze , on her way through , she met a small strange man , he had big ears , his skin was a swampy green colour and he wore old dirty clothes . Emily slowly tapped his left shoulder and said "hello there I'm .. I'm Emily she whispered , could you help me ? " the small strange man turned to her and said , "get out , get out now , you will die if you stay here any longer .... Leave now " ! , in fear Emily ran as fast as she could , becoming dizzy and weaker she fell to the ground emily had eventually woken to of found herself at the start of the tomb , she was confused " that's strange " she muttered to herself!. But she brushed herself off and on she went deeper and deeper into to the forest.

As she walked down a crooked path she found herself facing a giant spider who cast its web around the pathway , but this was no ordinary spider, this particular spider could talk , in fact it could sing. The spider hummed a melody of peacefulness that echoed throughout the entire forest , as Emily got closer, the spider asked her a question " and where are you going little miss " the spider said in a low toned voice , Emily replied " I don't know I'm lost I'm looking for the forgotten treasure " the spider replied "aaaa I see continue on then , you better get going before it gets dark you won't want to be out here when it does. "The spider then created a hole in her web and Emily persevered on through . "It's starting to get late," Emily whispered to herself " I need to find shelter." She kept on walking and eventually came across a little small hut made entirely out of stone , as she got closer a smell of delicious food wafting from the house hit her cold bitter nose , because she was hungry and tired Emily proceeded to knock on the strange little door . A lady who was dressed funny opened the door
And asked "are you lost dear " Emily replied and said " yes I'm hungry and tired I don't suppose you could help me " the strange woman responded and said "come on in dear no need to be scared rather be in here than out there at this time ." As Emily entered the little hut she threw herself in front of the roaring fire , as the heat hit her cold pale skin the women asked "would you like some soup I just put on a pot " Emily replied " I don't know can I trust you " the woman responding said " can you trust anyone " .

Emily took the boiling hot soup filled with vegetables and gobbled it down , her stomach grumbling with excitement, Emily said " this is amazing thank you " , the woman then replied " no worries you can sleep in front of the fire tonight ." Emily couldn't thank the woman enough . As the women merged to a separate room Emily went on snooping , only to find that this strange woman knew her grandmother.....