Darkmoor by Victoria Barry Page A

nagging older brother (or mother come to think of it!)
    “If it’s cold, why don’t we just stay in?” Claude stated.
    “Because, Olli wants to play out and I can’t leave you here alone,” I replied calmly.
    “We always do what Olli wants, it’s not fair,” Claude complained, but nevertheless continued fastening up his duffle coat.
    I didn’t reply, I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. Helping Olli fasten his buttons, I then grabbed my coat and the three of us trudged off into the cold winter air.
    Frost nipped at our fingers and toes, it was freezing. The snow filled clouds hovered overhead, I was certain it would snow any minute.
    Claude stood at the road side, his arms firmly crossed. This time I couldn’t really blame him for sulking, as the cold air had already started to numb my body.
    Olli didn’t seem to feel the frosty nip though, he ran up and down the street with his football.
    “Olli!” I shouted. “Don’t go near that old building!”
    “Ok Reuben!” Olli’s voice echoed down the road.
    I rubbed my hands together trying to warm them up. Claude was almost blue, his teeth chattering together like a woodpecker against wood.
    “Reuben, please I’m freezing, can we go back in now?” Claude pleaded.
    I didn’t argue.
    “Olli, come on!” I called taking a few steps towards home.
    “Olli, come on, it’s freezing!” I shouted louder. Still there was no answer.
    Both Claude and I shouted, but nothing, not even the sound of his football bouncing. Just silence.
    Frantically gazing onwards, we both ran up the street desperately searching as we made our way towards the run down vicarage.
    That place sent a shiver down my spine. It stood alone at the end of our street, a rumbling wreck which could tumble down at any minute. Mama had severely warned us to stay away.
    Edging closer towards it again I shouted, “Oliver!”
    Tiptoeing up to the boundary of the Old Vicarage, my heart thumped against my chest.
    Peering over the wall, our eyes quickly darted back and forth through the broken windows.
    Sitting still upon the doorstep, minding his own business, was a crow. Although more importantly, we had found Olli and relief came over me. I smiled and called towards him, “Come on you cheeky thing.”
    Without warning, Olli set off running up the garden path towards the crow. Before I knew it, Olli had disappeared once more.
    This time he had run into the old building, that old vicarage, followed bizarrely by the crow.
    “Quick!” I commanded, “run! We have to get in there and get Olli!” thankfully Claude didn’t need telling twice.
    Together we raced around the broken wall, across the cracked driveway and headed straight through the open doorway.
    “Olli, where are you?” I whispered, not wanting to waken the nasty ghosts Mama had warned us about.
    “Olli, Olli,” Claude whispered.
    “Boo!” Olli jumped out scaring us both, causing us to jump back and accidently forcing the front door to slam shut.
    I tried to open it, without success. I yanked harder, but couldn’t force it open. It was as though, somehow, it had locked itself.
    “That’s weird,” I said quietly to myself, not wanting to frighten Claude or Olli.
    “We will have to find another way out,” I said passively.
    Holding my brother’s hands, we slowly crept down the hallway of the derelict building. The floor boards creaked as we continued our way through the eerie soulless place. A cold chill shot down my spine and I became more and more uneasy about being there.
    Olli glanced up at me, his eyes flooding with tears, his bottom lip trembling and an overall sense of fear written all over his face.
    “I’m sorry Reuben, I just wanted to stroke the crow,” Olli began explaining with tears tickling down his face. I couldn’t get mad, he didn’t understand.
    “Listen Olli, I will get us out of here, don’t worry.” I didn’t even believe what I was saying, but Olli wiped his eyes and nodded