It was early January, I looked up at the night sky and felt cold sleet fall onto my face and wiped it off with my cold, wet hands. I was visiting my Grandmother in the country, she usually came to the city to visit my father and I but this winter she was too frail to visit us. She was reaching the end of her time, the thought of not seeing her again did not alarm me at all but I also feared losing her too. I stood in front of the tall iron gates and looked down at my hand; my father had written down my Grandmother's home address onto a piece of paper. I travelled alone and arrived at the deserted location at seven in the evening. As I attempted to push the large gates open, my stomach made a loud noise; I was eager to see Grandmother and eat the pies she always made for me.
I walked through Grandmother's large front garden; it was a rather long walk down the narrow winding path that led to the front door. On both sides of the path were several large gargoyles facing me; their eyes looked straight into mine and I shivered remembering that it was cold and I should hurry to the house. I walked up the wooden steps and looked up at what was supposed to be my home for the next week or so. I am seventeen years old but still quite petite so I had to stand on my toes to reach the large knocker; it was a lion's head. Nobody opened the door so I knocked on the window panes surrounding the house; it was a large house so I thought Grandmother may have not heard me especially as she was growing old and less able to hear. As I went to the front door again, it opened with only just a slight push which concerned me for a moment but I let out a sigh of relief knowing I would be able to sit next to the fire place and wrap myself in a blanket but I thought wrong.
"Hello, is anyone home?" No answer. I looked around the house attempting to find Grandmother wondering where she may be until I heard the noise of a raven from outside which is when I realised I did not close the front door. As I closed the door, I called "Grandmother, where are you?" I was starting to become agitated. I took off my wet, red coat and walked towards my Grandmother's bedroom. Her home was not warm or welcoming at all; I instantly put my coat back on again.
There were many rooms on the second floor, they were all bedrooms and I was unsure on which one my Grandmother slept in; I entered the room closest to the stairs. As I walked in, the first thing that caught my eye was a mirror with two large cracks running through the middle; I was extremely pale when I looked at myself and my numb fingertips could not feel my face. As I turned around, there was a large bed; I was tempted to sit on it so I did as I had been on my feet for hours. I decided to get inside the covers of the bed and lie down for a while. This was until I realised I did not have anything to do as I had left all of my reading books at home in the city but on the chest of drawers beside me lay an old Bible; I decided to read it. As I opened the Bible, a rusty key fell onto my lap with a tag labelled "BASEMENT." An adventure was ahead of me.
I ran down to the door leading to the basement and on it was painted "DO NOT ENTER" in red. I opened the door and took a lit candle to help guide me when walking down the narrow steps. It was like a maze, I did not know where I was going and the smell of the room was wretched but I continued to walk further into the cluttered room until something touched my shiny red shoes. I shone my candle on it and saw the head of an old woman; I instantly screamed. It was the head of my Grandmother. I soon realised I was standing in a pool of my Grandmother's red blood and ran up the stairs as quick as I could towards the basement door until something or someone grabbed my arm. I screamed again.
"Izzy, have you packed your bag to visit your Grandmother?" I woke up to the sound of my dear father. I was dreaming all along. "Isabelle, please so hurry and pack your bag. Your Grandmother is expecting to see the two of us by supper time.
