The young officer began to panic. He was frozen to the spot. He could feel his heart thumping against his chest trying to escape. There was an eerie silence which was eventually broken by the squeaking of hundreds of bats flickering through the night.
In the distance, two gleaming eyes stared at the petrified officer. A dog-like figure crept out of the bushes and headed towards him.
He stumbled back before breaking into a run towards the old cottage. He barged through the door and slammed it shut, grabbing a chair to barricade the door behind him. The animal outside collided into the door with a thud and was assumed to be dead.
Still feeling the clock ticking inside of him, the young officer stepped cautiously around as he studied the room. The old cottage looked as damaged inside as it did out. The wooden floorboards were crooked and stuck up in all places. The furniture was cluttered and unkempt as it consumed the room it had been wedged into. Everything was displaced and out of order with cupboards and shelves stacked with more than they could hold creating a river of pots, pans, books and empty frames. Floating within this river was a small, steel box.
Time flew by as the young officer continued to investigate the house to see what else he could find in the mysterious cottage. As he began to examine the river of objects, a knocking could be heard from the entrance of the cottage.
He stepped hesitantly towards the door, debating whether to open it, wary that he did not know who or what would be stood behind it. He slowly turned the door handle. He peered through the small opening only to see a beautiful woman stood in the shadows.
Her presence was unsettling, yet the young officer became captivated by her beauty. She smiled at him, yet her face showed no emotion. The beautiful woman reached out, seizing his hand with her cold touch and led him away from the cottage and the unopened box.
She glared at her victim as they walked, her tail wagging behind her.
YOU ARE READING
The Young Officer
Short StoryA twisted fairy tale. A short story that I had to write for my English Language A Level coursework which I was quite proud of and thought I would publish it. The first part is the original draft, and after a year's worth of re-drafts, I have finally...
