lanes that were shielded each side by low, black slate walls. It was so dark outside, that all I could see was the pale shadow of my face reflecting back at me off the glass. We drove further and deeper across the moors. Every now and then, the barren landscape would be illuminated by the light of the moon as it appeared from behind passing clouds. It was bleak, rugged, and desolate. As I sensed the rest of civilisation disappearing behind me, that invisible fist drew tighter around my guts.
The vehicle climbed again, then the ground beneath us levelled out. In the distance, I could see the shape of a building set against the night sky. The sound of gravel crunching and breaking beneath the wheels of the car seemed almost deafening as the chauffeur headed towards this building – or castle?
The vehicle slowed, and I pressed the button set into the car door to lower the window. It made a buzzing noise, but the window refused to open. Cupping my hands together and pressing them against the glass, I peered out into the darkness, keen to find out why we had stopped. It looked as if we had come to a bridge that had only been half-finished. Then in the distance, I could hear a grinding and clanking sound, like heavy metal chains being dragged across concrete. Then I saw it, the drawbridge that Lady Hunt had told me about, coming out of the sky like a vast black wing. With an earth-trembling shudder, it fell into place in front of the car, and we slowly crept over it. No sooner had we reached the other side than the sound of those clunking chains came again. I looked back to see the drawbridge rising back into the sky, sealing access to the outside world. Ahead, there was a huge iron gate, and set into the ancient stone wall was what looked like a small gate house. Stepping from the shadows was what looked like some weird creature. But as it came towards the gate, I could see that it was, in fact, a man. In one of his hands he held an old fashioned-looking lamp. In the glow of the light, I could see that his back looked misshapen and twisted as he lurched from the gate house. Even though he was stooped forward, he was tall. He wore a long dark coat, which hung about his knees. The gates wailed as if in pain as he pushed them open. Sitting forward in my seat, I tried to get a better look at him. The chauffeur steered the car forward through the gates and as he did, I peered through the window at the gatekeeper. He wore a large-brimmed hat, which looked tattered and old. The brim was pulled low over his brow. Bending forward, I tried to get a look at the face beneath it and what I saw made me gasp and jump back in my seat. His face was partially covered in a grubby-looking bandage. Tufts of beard protruded from between the gaps, and only one eye and his mouth were left uncovered. His one eye swivelled in its socket as he looked at me. But it was his mouth. The top lip was twisted upwards and as he stared at me, I couldn’t tell if he were smiling at me or snarling.
Looking away, the gates screamed as the deformed-looking gatekeeper closed them behind us. The chauffeur drove forward, and on each side of the car I could just make out the sheer vastness of the estate that the manor was set in. We followed the winding gravel path for what seemed like forever until we reached the entrance to the building.
Coming to a slow stop, the chauffeur killed the engine. I looked ahead, and although he wore those dark glasses, I knew that the chauffeur was watching me in the rear view mirror.
“What?” I said, staring back.
He said nothing.
Then I was aware of a light coming towards the car. I looked sideways to see someone approaching my door. Placing my iPod back into my pocket, I groped for my bag as the car door was swung open.
“Good evening, Ms. Hudson,” said a soft voice.
I looked up into the face of an elderly woman. In the glow of the lamp, her face looked warm, friendly, and kind.
“Can I help you with your bags?” she
The vehicle climbed again, then the ground beneath us levelled out. In the distance, I could see the shape of a building set against the night sky. The sound of gravel crunching and breaking beneath the wheels of the car seemed almost deafening as the chauffeur headed towards this building – or castle?
The vehicle slowed, and I pressed the button set into the car door to lower the window. It made a buzzing noise, but the window refused to open. Cupping my hands together and pressing them against the glass, I peered out into the darkness, keen to find out why we had stopped. It looked as if we had come to a bridge that had only been half-finished. Then in the distance, I could hear a grinding and clanking sound, like heavy metal chains being dragged across concrete. Then I saw it, the drawbridge that Lady Hunt had told me about, coming out of the sky like a vast black wing. With an earth-trembling shudder, it fell into place in front of the car, and we slowly crept over it. No sooner had we reached the other side than the sound of those clunking chains came again. I looked back to see the drawbridge rising back into the sky, sealing access to the outside world. Ahead, there was a huge iron gate, and set into the ancient stone wall was what looked like a small gate house. Stepping from the shadows was what looked like some weird creature. But as it came towards the gate, I could see that it was, in fact, a man. In one of his hands he held an old fashioned-looking lamp. In the glow of the light, I could see that his back looked misshapen and twisted as he lurched from the gate house. Even though he was stooped forward, he was tall. He wore a long dark coat, which hung about his knees. The gates wailed as if in pain as he pushed them open. Sitting forward in my seat, I tried to get a better look at him. The chauffeur steered the car forward through the gates and as he did, I peered through the window at the gatekeeper. He wore a large-brimmed hat, which looked tattered and old. The brim was pulled low over his brow. Bending forward, I tried to get a look at the face beneath it and what I saw made me gasp and jump back in my seat. His face was partially covered in a grubby-looking bandage. Tufts of beard protruded from between the gaps, and only one eye and his mouth were left uncovered. His one eye swivelled in its socket as he looked at me. But it was his mouth. The top lip was twisted upwards and as he stared at me, I couldn’t tell if he were smiling at me or snarling.
Looking away, the gates screamed as the deformed-looking gatekeeper closed them behind us. The chauffeur drove forward, and on each side of the car I could just make out the sheer vastness of the estate that the manor was set in. We followed the winding gravel path for what seemed like forever until we reached the entrance to the building.
Coming to a slow stop, the chauffeur killed the engine. I looked ahead, and although he wore those dark glasses, I knew that the chauffeur was watching me in the rear view mirror.
“What?” I said, staring back.
He said nothing.
Then I was aware of a light coming towards the car. I looked sideways to see someone approaching my door. Placing my iPod back into my pocket, I groped for my bag as the car door was swung open.
“Good evening, Ms. Hudson,” said a soft voice.
I looked up into the face of an elderly woman. In the glow of the lamp, her face looked warm, friendly, and kind.
“Can I help you with your bags?” she
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