The Forbidden Attic, chapter 1
I sat in the back seat of Mr. Smith's rusty old '57 Chevy and watched as we passed by the rolling hills and eucalyptus trees. The heavy rain drowned out the sound of the rolling tyres. The windy road led to a town that I had never seen before. "Where are we?" I asked, looking towards the front seat.
"Pleasant Hill." I could only hear Mr. Smith's raspy voice. I had never really seen his face before. He was a mysterious fellow, always wearing a trench coat and fedora with a red feather. His hat always covered his face, which didn't really matter, since it was always surrounded by a cloud of cigar smoke.
I remember when I first met Mr. Smith. I had just arrived home from school only to find Mr. Smith in my living room. I asked him who he was and what he was doing in my house, intimidated by this strange man with a cloud of smoke on his shoulders. He introduced himself as Mr. Smith, and still to this day, I'm not sure if that really is his real name or not. He told me that my parents were killed in a car accident and I was to be taken to my new guardian. He told me I had an hour to gather my things. At that point, I couldn't cry. I was in too much shock. I couldn't accept the fact that I was all alone. I am an only child, so I had no shoulders to lean on in times of hardship. I didn't take any items that were too sentimental, because it would just be too hard. I didn't want any memories. I wanted to leave them at this house and move on. The one thing I had to take was a picture of my parents at their wedding, which I had kept under my pillow since I was eight years old. It reminded me that no matter how bad things get in life, there is a greater force that can overcome it. And that is what got me through this time of hardship. After I had packed everything I needed, I was whisked away in Mr. Smith's '57 Chevy.
When we got to the street my new guardian lived on, my mouth fell agape. Each half-mile driveway led to a Victorian style mansion with green, perfectly-cut grass, and a Hummer and/or Porsche, in perfect condition, in front of each 4 car garage. Children were running and playing outside and parents were trimming hedges or doing some other kind of housework. It seemed like the perfect neighborhood to live in. Suddenly I understood the name of this small town. "So, how is this person related to me?"
"She is your third cousin, twice removed." Mr. Smith answered plainly. I raised my eyebrows and returned my gaze to the neighborhood scenery. I looked out the front window to see a house in the distance, far away from the rest. It was hidden beneath the shadows of the weeping willows that surrounded it on all sides. It was surrounded by a gate that gave you an evil smile. A chill ran down my spine as I looked towards the eerie house. It was just as big as the others, but wasn't as pleasant. It was surrounded by statues of creepy figures, such as lions, dragons, and other beasts.
"Are you sure this is the house?" I asked as I stepped out of the car, onto the gravel pathway. I grabbed my suitcase and faced the front door of the house.
"Yep. This is the only 1234 Pleasant Drive."
"Funny... since it's so unpleasant." I said, walking up the steps. Mr. Smith rang the doorbell and my arms and legs began to rattle. In a few seconds, a woman answered. She was tall and skinny. She wore, what looked like, very expensive clothes. Her big hair was pulled back in a bun. She smiled warmly and I began to wonder why she lived in this house.
"Welcome! You must be Cassie. My name is Betty Wilson." she said, looking at me. "Please come in." We walked inside and I looked around the gigantic mansion. It looked completely different from the outside. It was clean and just as beautiful as the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. "It's great to have you, since I don't have any children of my own." She and Mr. Smith went over the paperwork and after he left, she showed me to my room. It was three times as big as my old room. "Now, will this be alright?" she asked from the doorway. I looked at her and nodded. "Now, I'm pretty lenient about things but there is one rule you must follow. You must NEVER go into the attic." I could tell she was being very serious. "Do you understand?"
I nodded and her gaze softened. She smiled and left me alone to settle in. I wondered why the attic was forbidden. Was she hiding something? Something dangerous? I wasn't sure but I was going to find out...
"Pleasant Hill." I could only hear Mr. Smith's raspy voice. I had never really seen his face before. He was a mysterious fellow, always wearing a trench coat and fedora with a red feather. His hat always covered his face, which didn't really matter, since it was always surrounded by a cloud of cigar smoke.
I remember when I first met Mr. Smith. I had just arrived home from school only to find Mr. Smith in my living room. I asked him who he was and what he was doing in my house, intimidated by this strange man with a cloud of smoke on his shoulders. He introduced himself as Mr. Smith, and still to this day, I'm not sure if that really is his real name or not. He told me that my parents were killed in a car accident and I was to be taken to my new guardian. He told me I had an hour to gather my things. At that point, I couldn't cry. I was in too much shock. I couldn't accept the fact that I was all alone. I am an only child, so I had no shoulders to lean on in times of hardship. I didn't take any items that were too sentimental, because it would just be too hard. I didn't want any memories. I wanted to leave them at this house and move on. The one thing I had to take was a picture of my parents at their wedding, which I had kept under my pillow since I was eight years old. It reminded me that no matter how bad things get in life, there is a greater force that can overcome it. And that is what got me through this time of hardship. After I had packed everything I needed, I was whisked away in Mr. Smith's '57 Chevy.
When we got to the street my new guardian lived on, my mouth fell agape. Each half-mile driveway led to a Victorian style mansion with green, perfectly-cut grass, and a Hummer and/or Porsche, in perfect condition, in front of each 4 car garage. Children were running and playing outside and parents were trimming hedges or doing some other kind of housework. It seemed like the perfect neighborhood to live in. Suddenly I understood the name of this small town. "So, how is this person related to me?"
"She is your third cousin, twice removed." Mr. Smith answered plainly. I raised my eyebrows and returned my gaze to the neighborhood scenery. I looked out the front window to see a house in the distance, far away from the rest. It was hidden beneath the shadows of the weeping willows that surrounded it on all sides. It was surrounded by a gate that gave you an evil smile. A chill ran down my spine as I looked towards the eerie house. It was just as big as the others, but wasn't as pleasant. It was surrounded by statues of creepy figures, such as lions, dragons, and other beasts.
"Are you sure this is the house?" I asked as I stepped out of the car, onto the gravel pathway. I grabbed my suitcase and faced the front door of the house.
"Yep. This is the only 1234 Pleasant Drive."
"Funny... since it's so unpleasant." I said, walking up the steps. Mr. Smith rang the doorbell and my arms and legs began to rattle. In a few seconds, a woman answered. She was tall and skinny. She wore, what looked like, very expensive clothes. Her big hair was pulled back in a bun. She smiled warmly and I began to wonder why she lived in this house.
"Welcome! You must be Cassie. My name is Betty Wilson." she said, looking at me. "Please come in." We walked inside and I looked around the gigantic mansion. It looked completely different from the outside. It was clean and just as beautiful as the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. "It's great to have you, since I don't have any children of my own." She and Mr. Smith went over the paperwork and after he left, she showed me to my room. It was three times as big as my old room. "Now, will this be alright?" she asked from the doorway. I looked at her and nodded. "Now, I'm pretty lenient about things but there is one rule you must follow. You must NEVER go into the attic." I could tell she was being very serious. "Do you understand?"
I nodded and her gaze softened. She smiled and left me alone to settle in. I wondered why the attic was forbidden. Was she hiding something? Something dangerous? I wasn't sure but I was going to find out...
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