Full of excitement, Nicole and Ellie arrived at the fairground. They walked through the towering gates, expecting laughter and chatter – but everything remained quiet. No music, no noise, nothing! The place was deserted. A strong gust of wind blew, making them shiver. As they walked on, it began to get darker. Gradually, the sky turned from a bright blue to black. One da one the lights of the fairground flickered on, illuminating the black sky. As they passed da The Haunted Mine, it seemed to be inviting them to have a go. A man clad completely in black was waiting beside the entrance.

“Can we have a go, please?” Ellie asked him, fishing around in her pocket for their tokens. His eyes fixed her with a cold stare. A thin, bony hand reached out and grabbed the two tokens from her hand.
“Front cart” barked the man.
Ellie looked unsure but Nicole pulled her over to the flaking, brown cart. They clambered in and pulled the safety bar down.
Without warning, their carrello rattled and rocked before speeding off through the tunnel. The two girls were having a good time until their carrello abruptly stopped. At first they thought it was part of the ride but later realized it wasn’t. Ellie started shrieking whilst Nicole tried to lift the bar. Despite her frenzied attempt, it stayed firmly in place. She kept trying but only succeeded in tipping their cart.

After struggling on the ground, the bar flew up. The girls scrambled to their feet, looking around.
“If we walk on, we’re bound to come to an exit” detto Nicole, trying to sound reassuring.
“Ok” replied Ellie, nodding.
What they didn’t realise was that they were actually walking downhill. Suddenly, a loud bang made them jump.
“I think we’re going the wrong way” Ellie began, looking at her feet.
The track had disappeared.
“Where’s the track gone?” Nicole asked her but Ellie didn’t have the faintest clue.

“I think we should walk back” Nicole decided at last.
Slowly, they began heading back the way they came, certain that they would see the track. It seemed never ending! At last they came to the path that they’d come down, but they got a shock. As they’d been walking, Ellie had tripped over what appeared to be a thin wire. And now a gate had appeared, blocking their way!
“Where did that come from?” Ellie asked, terrified.
“I don’t know, but we need to get out of here” replied Nicole.
“How though?” continued Ellie “There’s no other exit, well, I haven’t seen one, anyway.”
“There has to be!” Nicole replied, determinedly.

The girls walked back, thinking hard. Ellie glanced at her watch. It was half past nine. They’d been trapped for around half an ora and were meant to be home for quarter past ten.
“We need to get out of here and go home” Ellie told Nicole, who agreed.
Both of them racked their brains. Five minuti past; nothing, ten minutes; still nothing.
“I’m fed up!” Nicole burst out “I don’t know where we are o what we’re doing here. But I’m getting out of here!”
“How do te plan on doing that?” Ellie asked her.
Nicole just shrugged her shoulders and marched off, arms folded across her chest.
“Wait!” Ellie shouted after her, but Nicole ignored her.

All of a sudden, there was a scream. Nicole’s scream! Ellie knew that she had to save her friend but fear for her own safety stopped her. Summoning all of her courage, she hurried after Nicole, trying to calm herself. Ellie had the feeling that someone was watching her. This made her panic. When she turned a corner, a woman stood before her.

The woman had chalk-white skin, deep red lips painted even darker with lipstick and green eyes which appeared to be glowing. She was dressed all in black (like the man at the entrance) but she had fingernails as long as daggers which were painted the same crimson colour as her lips. The glowing green eyes fixed her with a piercing stare. That was when Ellie saw Nicole. She looked the same as normal except that she was completely motionless and her eyes were closed.

Ellie’s cuore thumped uncontrollably against her rib cage. Without thinking, she pushed past the woman and shook Nicole. Her eyes flickered slightly but she remained as still as a statue and as cold as stone.
“What have te done to her?” Ellie demanded furiously, forgetting about her own safety.
“Nothing” replied the woman, trying to sound innocent
Ellie didn’t believe her. She turned to face Nicole but caught a glimpse of the woman’s hand hovering above her in the dim light. Ellie ducked and pushed the woman hard. Since she wasn’t expecting it, the woman fell backwards and banged her head against the wall. Immediately, she was knocked unconscious.

Instantly, Nicole came out of her trance. She grabbed Ellie’s arm.
“Hurry up!” she detto “Or that woman will catch us.”
The girls ran as fast as they could until they were out in the open. The man had gone now, but the girls still felt uneasy. Looking around, Nicole and Ellie headed for the fairground gates. When they reached them they got a shock. They wouldn’t open but there were no chains o padlocks.
“How can we get home?” asked Ellie, pushing at the gates.
“I don’t know” replied Nicole “But I don’t think that man left, he was watching us, and somehow locked the gates before we got here.”

After what seemed like an eternity, the gate swung open, after a lot of pushing and ramming themselves at them - but the ghostly man and woman were heading their way. “Hurry up!” urged Nicole, running up the road.
Ellie followed her but suddenly tripped and twisted her ankle. The man and woman were gaining on them. As Ellie got to her feet, a bony hand grabbed her wrist. It was the woman! The man caught up with her and opened his cloak. He took it off and dropped over Ellie’s head, making Ellie feel dizzy and disoriented.
“Help” she shrieked from inside the mantello but the man and woman were dragging her back to The Haunted Mine.
Nicole ran away as fast as she could, feeling guilty that Ellie had saved her and she couldn’t return the favour. But how could she risk her own life?

The successivo morning, Nicole returned to the fairground with her and Ellie’s parents.
When they reached the fairground gates there were lots of chains and padlocks and a big sign saying CLOSED. They looked inside but there was nothing there, only a big, empty field.

In the years to follow, there was absolutely no trace of Ellie o the mysterious couple. The police had no leads in their cerca and eventually had to give up.

Even now that she was a grown woman with two children of her own and a loving husband, Nicole cannot forgive herself for not saving her best friend that night. In her waking hours and in her nightmares, she remembers Ellie screaming for help and her running for help. She was her friend’s last hope and she ran away like a coward. She will never forgive herself and she will never, ever forget. The memory haunts her and follows her like a shadow. She will never be free of the guilt. One way o another, she’s responsible for her friend’s death o at best disappearance.



So, what did te think? I wrote this when I was 11, two years ago, for a school Scrivere club. I though I'd post it and see how te all think it is. Please leave a small commento with constructive criticism.