Through the Rusty Door

Roisin's Story

Stealthily we tip-toed down the narrow winding staircase. The haunting silence of the castle sent shivers down my spine. Just as we were about to return Caroline called out, “Look! A rusty door.”
“Oh, no you don’t, we’re not going any farther.”
“Aw c’mon don’t be a wimp.”
“No way, we’ve never been down there before and the fact that lightning struck this place not 2 weeks ago doesn’t make it any safer!”
“C’mon it’ll just be like the Goonies, off on an adventure and you‘d never know we might run into some treasure!”
“Don’t be daft you know that the only thing in this place is dust and mothballs”. Caroline is more adventurous than me in case you didn’t pick up on that. My name’s Sarah and my friends and I came here when Sarah was told to ‘clear off’. You see Sarah’s 7 year old brother died off cystic fibroses a week ago and her parents are finding it hard to cope. While Caroline and I were arguing I glanced over and saw Sarah sitting on an old toy box. I paused mid sentence, walked over to her and sat down.
“He’s in a better place and it‘s better he‘s not in pain”, I reassured her.
“I know, I still miss him though”, she sighed. I thought I saw a tear run down her face but in the poorly lit hallway I couldn’t tell. This is the last place Robert and we had gone together, before he got sick and already the place looked more glum.
“C’mon let’s go there”, said Sarah in a small voice.
“Are you sure?” Caroline questioned.
“Yes, I want to say goodbye”, choked Sarah. So we all walked up the corridor and
through the rusty door. ‘Roberts’s room’ was a small room which Robert loved to
visit when ever we came here. The room had a gas lantern in it and ever since he
encountered it he was fascinated by it. The room also had old war medals and
decorative guns. We all stood looking at the room. Sarah broke down in tears when
Caroline brought the lantern to life. I hated seeing Sarah crying because it was so out
of her character, but I was there to comfort her.
“Oh… What’s this?” said Caroline.
“It says: Dear Sarah, Marie and Caroline,

I know everyone is probably sad now but I don’t want them to be! I heard Mammy and Dr. Lenehan talking about me so I listened and he said I only had 4 months to live at first I was scared but now I’m excited about seeing granda’ again! Anyway Sarah, I love you and like I said don’t be upset, tell mammy and daddy the same thing.
Robert”.
We all stood there in shock. Suddenly Sarah walked out, up the corridor, up the narrow winding stairs and out the front door. Caroline and I followed her out with the letter in hand. “I think its time to lay this place to rest”, said Sarah with a hoarse voice. She took the letter from Caroline and place it under the mat. Goodbye Robert.
The End by Róisín M

Peter's Story

      Stealthily we tip toed down the narrow winding staircase. The haunting silence of the castle sent shivers down my spine. Just as we were about to return, Caroline called out “Look! A rusty door”.
        She was right it was. It was rusty, and it was a door. It looked like the big doors on prison cells. It had no windows or hatches - except the few places where the rust had rusted fully through. It was originally black but years of rust made it have that coppery, goldy looking colour. It had lots of bolts around its perimeter-keeping the old rust pile together. There seemed to be no handle or lock. But there were bricks around the frame of the door. At one side there where two missing. In its place was a hole, we looked in.
        Inside we could see a latch. Dermot opened it.
        Even though the latch was open, we found it hard to pull open the door. When we finally got it open we all got a fright from the startled bats.
        The only light we had was the light from our phones. We seemed as if we were walking on leaves because there was a crunching at our feet. What was it? Was it leaves?  Jamie pointed his phone at his feet, “yes its only leaves” he said. We kept walking through the crunching, cold, small, narrow corridor. Eventually we came to a door, but there was something strange about this door. There was light shinning out around the door. It didn’t seem to be real light, like sun light. It was like electric lights; what’s more the door was a plastic push-bar door. After a few minutes of thinking about how this door got here…I pushed it open.
        Inside we were astonished to find a huge warehouse. The shelves which must have been ten shelves-were as tall as the ceiling. They were filled with food, all types of food, and we now noticed that the “leaves” Jamie described, weren’t leaves at all, they were crisps!
        The warehouse, which was ginormous, was not quiet, instead it was booming, with the radio turned up full blast. “Where is Dermot” questioned Nora. “There he is” laughs Jamie “stuffing his face with chocolate” “I think I’ll join him” shouts Caroline.
        I quickly knew where we were. I had heard in the news last week that I held the handle of the basement door, nervously I turned it.  My hand holding the baseball bat felt sticky and sweaty. The wobbly stairs creaked and my feet felt like slipping from under me. Hanging out of the stairs on a rusty nail was a small torch. I switched it on. At the end of the stairs-which was about 20 steps long was a door.

by Peter

Eimear's Story

Stealthily, we tiptoed down the narrow winding staircase. The haunting silence of the castle sent shivers down my spine. Just as we were about to return Caroline called out,
“Look! A rusty door!”
“Forget about it!” I snapped back at her.
This place was creeping me out. It was as if every bad feeling, every worry in the world originally came from here. I wanted out, and wanted out now. But, as if Caroline had read my thoughts (and sometimes I think she can), she told me,
“Come on, we’ll just be checking if it’s unlocked.” When people say Caroline is the braver one I get mad at them but internally I know it’s true. I chicken out whenever things get slightly scary. Unfortunately for me, Caroline is also the stronger spirit and I usually do what she says, like it or not.
“Okay, but then we’re out of here!”
Caroline walked over to the door. She took the handle and pulled it down slowly. The door creaked open with a sound not unlike what I imagine a banshee would sound like. We looked through. It was dark, the kind of creepy dark that makes every fibre of your body want to run away as fast as you can. I turned, about to get out of here when I noticed a mischievous smile on Caroline’s face. I knew that grin. It was the kind she had when she was about to do something troublesome. She giggled and pushed me through the door into the dark.
I felt like I was falling. But if I’m falling, surely I would have hit the ground by now? I thought to myself. I closed my eyes, not that it made any difference in the pitch black.
I landed with a thud but on my feet. But looking around made me forget any aches and pains I most likely would have soon. I was back in the castle basement but the old paintings and disused signs were gone. But when I remembered Caroline I forgot my confusion too. She must have run off back up the stairs, probably giggling about the latest prank she had pulled on me. Raging, I raced up too, leaving my one exit behind me. But of course, I didn’t know that yet.
The stairs led up to the castle courtyard. It might just have been my imagination but did it seem cloudier than it did when we went in? I couldn’t see Caroline anywhere. It started spitting so I decided to call mum to pick us up. Only as I was about to dial her number did I realise that Caroline had our back-up for going to the castle (i.e. ‘history project’.) I tried to call Caroline but there was no signal. Only when I looked up did I notice that the people around the castle (who were dressed funny) were staring at me and my mobile as if they’d never seen a phone before. I started laughing.  That was, until the guards came.
They dragged me through an entrance I’d never been through before. This time I was truly frightened. After leading me through a series of corridors they threw me into a small little room and locked the door. I cried out for Mum but deep in my heart I knew Mum wouldn’t come. It was just me. Alone.
“What are you in here for?” asked a croaky voice.
I turned around, startled, but all I saw was a ragged old man, sitting in a corner.
“I don’t know”, I replied, my voice sounding stronger than I expected.
“Well”, said the man, pointing to my phone, “using that gizmo there would get you accused of witchcraft, 1673 law”.
I remember my history. I know what they did to people accused of witchcraft in times such as 1673.
I shudder.....
 Eimear

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