The Tombs of the Unknown

Chapter 8

Even though we had been in the house before, we had no idea how to get out. There were so many doors and hallways, it was like a maze.

"Do you think those ghosts would come after us?" Miranda asked while we took a moment to rest.

"I don't know. I hope not. I don't think I can take much more running." Haley said.

"Why did you guys lie to me?" I asked.

"What?" Haley and Miranda asked.

"Why did everyone tell me Mom was dead when she wasn't?"

"She did die, Roxanne, who else do you know walking around ghost-like?" Haley asked me.

"She is real, I could feel her heart beating."

"It could be a trick. Helga's a witch remember? She could've conjured up these spirits and have one look like Mom to confuse us." Miranda said.

"I know what I felt."

"Yeah, well I know that I saw her pale, shriveled body in the casket. Is that what you want to hear, Roxanne? You want to hear my darkest memories about Mommy?"

"No." I whispered with my head down.

"No, let's talk about it..."

"That's enough, Haley." Miranda said.

"No, I'm sick of her blaming us for having more time with Mom than she did. She needs to know it wasn't always happy."

"I said NO!!!!!!!" I shouted while throwing a rock at Haley.

We all stood there in shock. Even though Miranda and I horsed around and fought all the time, I never did that with Haley, but I just wanted her to stop talking. I couldn't bring myself to apologize, she really hurt my feelings, so I busted into tears and ran away.

"Roxanne, I'm sorry!!!!!!" Haley shouted after me.

"Oh way to go, Haley." Miranda said while clapping her hands, "You know, I've always wished that I was pretty and smart as you. Everything you are, I wanted to be, this is one time I'm glad that I'm nothing like you." She said as she turned and ran to find me.

I really had no idea where I was going. I just wanted to get away from Haley. How could everyone keep me away from Mom? But what if they're right? What if that ghost-like figure really isn't Mom? What if Helga did create her to trick us? Up ahead I saw an orange glow, maybe this is the way out. But why is the glow moving? As the glow got closer, I could see it was inside a lantern, being carried by a skeleton.

I ran as fast as I could. I regretted accusing Haley and Miranda of lying to me. What if I don't get a chance to apologize? Just then, I saw Miranda walking towards me.

"Miranda, run, go the other way." I shouted.

Instead of running away, she stayed in the same spot until I got closer. She threw a long stick at the skeleton, then she grabbed my hand and we continued to run. I had never been so happy to see Miranda. I don't know how long we ran until we saw Haley.

"Run Haley!!!!!" We shouted.

I thought she would come to our rescue, like Miranda had done for me earlier, but she didn't; she ran away from us. I was hurt, but since Miranda and I didn't really know where to go; we ran after Haley.

After awhile, we saw a door open to what looked like the staircase we walked on the first time we came. When we reached the door, we were automatically grabbed. I was getting ready to fight back but saw that it was Haley that grabbed us. When the skeleton came to the door, Haley tripped it.

When it fell to the floor, some of its bones broke apart. We stomped on the rest of him, kicked the ashes back where we just ran from and closed the door. The floor of the foyer that caved in earlier was back together again, so we ran to the front door, not expecting to see our dad on the other side.