The Vampire Knife by Jack Henseleit

Author:Jack Henseleit
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Published: 2017-06-27T04:00:00+00:00

10

THREE KEYS

It felt like they were being eaten. The tunnel was like a throat, dark and dripping with saliva, slowly leading them into the stomach of a great beast. The stone staircase was long, slippery and treacherous, and more than once the girls slipped and fell, dangling helplessly from the rope until they could regain their footing.

The sounds of the storm had finally been muffled by the layers of castle standing above them. The sudden silence was chilling. Anna flinched at every sound, scared by a drip of water or the echo of a footstep. She tried to focus on the plan. She would distract the vampire, and Isabella would get the soup to Max. Then they could all escape, and they would never have to return to the creepy old castle for as long as they lived. The last part of the plan made her feel very pleased indeed.

Isabella stopped abruptly. Anna skidded into her back, almost knocking her over.

‘Sorry,’ she whispered. ‘Why have we stopped?’

Isabella pointed to the ground. Anna saw that they had reached the foot of the staircase. Sitting on the last step was an empty brown paper bag.

Anna picked up the bag and tipped it onto her hand. Some small white crystals fell out from the deepest creases of the paper, sprinkling onto the centre of her palm. She tested them with her tongue.

‘It’s sugar,’ she said. ‘This must be where Max ran out of lollies.’

‘He must be close,’ said Isabella. ‘This tunnel can’t be that long.’

The girls stood nervously in the darkness. As short as they hoped the tunnel might be, it was still long enough that they couldn’t see the end.

They began to creep forward.

‘Do you think this was a cellar?’ asked Anna. ‘Or was it a dungeon?’

Isabella frowned. ‘Whatever it was before, it’s definitely a dungeon now.’

Anna squinted, trying to see further. Where would they find Max? Would he be chained to the wall? Or would he be trapped in a cage like Hansel in the witch’s house, waiting to be fattened up with gingerbread before the monster ate him?

Something flickered in the distance. Anna saw there was a bend in the tunnel ahead, with a faint orange light glowing out from around the corner. She gestured for Isabella to switch off the torch.

‘Do you think this is it?’ whispered Isabella.

‘Maybe,’ said Anna. ‘Be ready for anything.’

They sneaked towards the light, arriving safely at the bend. Anna put her hand on the wall and took a deep breath, flinching as the seeping water ran over her fingertips. She slowly leant sideways, tilting her neck until she could see around the corner.

The tunnel widened into a small room, after which a new passage led into further darkness. The room contained a small table with a built-in drawer, upon which stood a candlestick holding a burning candle – the source of the light. The flame was very still, burning calmly in its hidden home beneath the world. It looked like something was hanging above the candle, but from her current position Anna couldn’t see what it was.

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