By Sienna Hardy
PAGE 1
The wind swirled around the town and whipped Jade’s hair into her face. Her mother was going to be so mad. She nagged Jade day and night to brush her hair and Jade did, but the wind seemed to like it when it was wild and all over the place.
If Mother finds out what I’m up to and where I’m going, I’ll be grounded for a month!
Jade pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on the thump, thump, thump of her bag as she headed down the road to the old farmhouse at the end of her street. The suburb Jade lived in was very modern. Most people had electric cars, most people used solar panels instead of coal, and hardly anyone approved of the mass of farmland at the end of the road that happened to house a creepy old farmhouse.
As Jade approached the old house, one of her friends from school ran up to her. “Jade! Are you mad? You can’t go in there!”
Jade studied the house from top to bottom. The rusted tin roof, the rotting wooden floor and the ivy crawling its way up the side of the house were a bit unnerving, but Jade was determined to go in there.
“You don’t have to come, Crystal,” she replied coolly, and without another word, she wrenched the old wooden door open and entered the house.
The air inside swam with dust. The musty, rotting smell was even worse and Jade had to cover her nose. There was a long corridor off to her left and she decided to venture down it. The smell eased a little and Jade uncovered her nose to sniff the air. Was that a hint of rain she could smell on the breeze? Could that have been a flicker of lightning she saw out of the corner of her eye? She shrugged it off and continued down the hallway.
Suddenly, a silvery figure rose gracefully from the long carpet that draped the floor. Jade froze on the spot. The figure had a long silver dress that rippled around her ankles and Jade could just see the point of high heels poking out. Her hair fell in waves down her back and when she turned to study Jade, she had a surly look on her face.
“Who are you?” she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.
“I’m Jade,” Jade replied, standing up a little straighter. “Who are you?”
The ghost looked slightly offended that Jade didn’t know who she was. “I am Irvetta Priscilla and I need you to do something for me.”
She glided down to float right in front of Jade and pressed a key into the palm of her hand. “Take this key and go through that door down the end of the hall.” And with that, Irvetta abruptly disappeared.
Jade coughed in the flurry of dust that the ghost had sprayed up and shouted into the dust filled air. “And what am I supposed to do after I go through the door?!”
No response. Jade sighed and walked hesitantly towards the door. She glanced over her shoulder one more time before opening the door and stepping out into the world beyond.