The Dark Place (#FrightFest2016 Gold Winner)

The Dark Place - Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

1

Mrs. Hughes made her way through to the kitchen and put the kettle onto the gas hob. She couldn't remember much about yesterday, it was almost as if she had lived part of it in some kind of trance. The only thing that stood out from anything else was the dream she had had in which Jane was still alive.

The old woman felt the tear trickle down her cheek and quickly wiped it away with the sleeve of her cardigan. "And that will be quite enough of that," she told herself as she opened the cupboard and took out three cups and the large teapot. "A nice cuppa should sort you out old girl."

Mrs. Hughes saw something move in the garden from the corner of her eye. Tamicka walked with her head down at the far end of the garden. Under one arm she held Mr. Huggles and under the other a blue toy that she had never seen before. The old woman tapped on the glass, hoping to attract the girl's attention but she didn't turn around.

Poor little thing, I hope she's all right. Mrs. Hughes put the cup she had prepared for Tamicka back into the cupboard then spooned tealeaves into the pot.

2

Tamicka walked beside the high stone wall, which was overgrown with ivy. She had never felt as alone as she did at that moment. If only Penny was there with her. The little girl hugged the soft toys closer and allowed her tears to flow down her cheeks. She had known that the way her father had been with her yesterday was too good to be true but for that short moment she had allowed herself to believe that things could stay that way forever. Part of her wondered what would have happened if she had given in to the girl from the dark place last night. It would have been all too easy to just say yes, especially as she had given Tamicka her father back, but she had been too afraid and now things were worse than they had been before. Now her father hated her and even Mrs. Hughes had changed, she didn't know how exactly but there was something strange about the old woman.

A glint caught Tamicka's eye and she frowned in its direction, her depression replaced temporarily with curiosity. It seemed to be coming from inside the climbing plants which shrouded the old stone wall. She took a couple of steps closer, put Mr. Huggles under her right arm with the other toy dog and moved some of the tangled vines out of the way with her left hand.

There was an old wooden door in the wall that she hadn't noticed before and in its keyhole there was a little silver key which looked far too new to belong to the lock. The key was ice cold to the touch. Tamicka drew her hand back but her inquisitiveness got the better of her and she reached out to it again. This time she turned it and the lock slipped back easily allowing the door to open slightly. When she pushed it a little further she saw that she had just discovered a short cut to the woods.

Tamicka remembered the lake. All she wanted to do was lose herself in her own little secret hideaway. She walked through the gate, closed it behind her and started to walk through the dense woodland.

Author's Note

If you liked this chapter please give it a vote. It's easy to do, you only have to press on the star and that's all there is to it. Your vote will help push The Dark Place up the charts where it will make it easier for people to find and read. Thank you very much. :o)