Chapter 1
She raced down the bright street, tears running like a river down her ghostly face. Her feet took her to the only place she felt safe. The ancient timber door stood stoutly in her way, warning her to leave. She ignored its warning like usual. Instead of turning away, she pushed at it with a determined will, until it finally gave in, letting her back into the darkness of its hidden past. A mystery to all but her.
Her light footsteps tiptoeing up the frail stairs caused a waterfall of dust to cascade down. She stopped briefly, almost as if to consider continuing up the staircase she hadn’t explored before. A cough escaped her lips as she shook her head slightly, telling the house she had already made her choice.
Apprehensively, she stepped into the black room ahead of her, curious to seek out what the house had to offer. She stopped in confusion when she saw a small red light blinking on the floor. A puzzled look carved in her face as she stepped forwards to investigate further. She picked up the source of the light, and turned it over in her hand. It was a camera.
She pushed the power button, hoping to find something interesting, but instead, she was met with disappointment when a red battery flashed on the screen before turning off again. The girl huffed, her shoulders slumping in exasperation. She left the camera on the floor and continued her search around the house, before heading home as the silent night fell over the rowdy town.
Instead of heading straight home like usual after school, the girl tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, and started the short trek to the small convenience store down the road. She quickened her pace when her small ears picked up the sound of the jeering comments of her bullies. Her pace increased until she was running, before rushing into the safety of the store.
It didn’t take her long to find what she was searching for. She paid for the batteries and left, taking off into a sprint towards the same house she had been in the previous night to avoid the cruel abuse thrown at her by her own year group.
She sank down onto the floor, leaning on the wall as she replaced the batteries in the camera before turning it on. The screen glowed brightly in the dark room, causing the girl to wince slightly as she squinted her eyes. She pressed play on the last video recorded, curious to see what the person had been recording. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the scene before her, but her curiosity held her captive, forcing her to watch in sheer terror.
