On our way back from the mall I'm feeling a little adventurous.
"Hay Hannah, we should go exploring in the woods because it's totally safe and noting bad ever happens in the woods.'
"Ummm, okay, sure. What bad could happen?" she agrees. We turn off the path home, drop our skateboards in the grass, and make our way into the deep, dark woods. An owl hoots. A wolf howls. A bear roars.
"Seems safe to me," I assure Hannah. As we trek deeper and deeper into the woods, it gets darker and darker. Hannah stops besides me and points at something in the distance.
"Hey, uh, Lilly? Is that...a house?" I look ahead and see the black frame of what appears to be a small colonial style house.
"Yeah, I think so. Wait! We should totally go in it!" I exclaim
Hannah looks unsure. "But like, what if someone's home? We could get in a lot of trouble and my reputation could be tarnished," she explains while shaking her head.
"Look," I point at the house, "there're no lights on, so no one's probably home. Let's just go in," I tug at her arm. She gives in and we walk slowly towards the house. As we get closer, it appears the house is floating. But then I realize it's not floating. Instead, it's surrounded by a moat filled with water.
"Huh, who even has a moat around their house in these times. Hahaha, it's not like, the medieval ages," I joke around and Hannah giggles in agreement. Since it;s too big to just jump over, I grab a light log and prop it up over the gap. Hannah walks over first, balancing like a tightrope walker in a circus. I go second, running so that I don't fall into the water. I can't swim, but I make it over just fine.
The door is black like the house, with a lion head doorknocker and a matching door handle. Just to be safe, Hannah knocks at the door three times. We wait...no answer. I breathe a sigh of relief. Hannah tries to turn the door handle, but it doesn't budge.
" Well, so much for that," she mumbles. " What a waste pf our time. You always do this, running around with your crazy ideas. Some day you might just get us k- oh." As she was talking I took our my bobby pins and managed to pick the lock. I swing the door open and step into the hallway, taking it all in. The walls are black, the decorations black, everything is black.
"Wow, I love it here! I love the aesthetic, it's so welcoming!!" I exclaim. Hannah, a bit apprehensive, steps in behind me.
"Yeah, welcoming, if you say so," she agrees halfheartedly. I walk to the end of the long hallway, to a tall black door. I let Hannah in front of me, and she opens it. But, despite my assumptions, the room isn't a dark gothic bedroom. On one wall is shelves of garlic bread. On another is shelves of cozy night candles. On the third is pictures of One Direction. And the fourth is a large cork board filled with concert tickets, Polaroid pictures, autographs, and memorabilia.
"Wow, I... I wasn't expecting this." I step into the room when a loud thud comes from the front of the house.
"Um, Lilly, we should probably get out of here," Hannah panics and grabs my arm. I turn to look at the other end of the hallway and see a familiar shadowy figure. Bella.
"JIODSNCSJINHGUEHNRUOIHCSHUITGHVIEMJIOSJNRIOPGUSIOERMIEOPKDFEORHGUIHTCNBMIFJIIFJNISOCJPNDFIOHSGUOWNPIGJCIORTWJ," she yells at Hannah and I at the top of her lungs.
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU," we yell back in sync. She suddenly starts lunging forwards and before I know it she's grabbed my other arm and is dragging me down the hall.
"HANNAH HELP ME!" I squeal. Bella makes her way to the end of the hall still gripping my arm. She stumbles out of the house, both hands on my are now, and simply tosses me into the moat.
"LILLY NO!!!!!!" Hannah cries out.
"HANNAH HELP...ME, I can't.........swim," I whisper as my head sinks under the water.
YOU ARE READING
The Best of Both Worlds
Mystery / ThrillerBella is a mysterious girl who hasn't been seen in years. But when two teenage girls encounter her, she doesn't leave them alone. (Vol 1 of the Bella Chronicles)
