The building was in the heart of the woods and had long been abandoned, the windows and doors boarded up. Olivia and Margaret had been walking one of the trails on Thursday morning and debating their plans for the rest of the day, aware they would be going home the following morning. There was a farewell Christmas disco planned for that night and Olivia had been persuading Margaret to borrow one of the two outfits she had brought with her.
As they headed towards the border of the property, deeper in the woods than they had been before, Margaret caught hold of her arm. ‘Look.’
Olivia’s eyes followed to where she was pointing, spotting the building in the clearing surrounded by a broken picket fence, a tall chimney jutting out of the roof, and her heartbeat quickened.
Did someone live there?
Curiosity took them closer and she spotted the wood panels covering the windows, the missing tiles on the roof and the weeds growing up around the board covering the front door.
‘An abandoned cottage. I wonder if we can get inside.’ Margaret seemed thrilled, not scared. She had told Olivia of her dream to become a horror writer and while she was meek around her peers, little seemed to phase her when it came to the macabre.
Olivia was more wary, but allowed Margaret to lead her forward. She had seen a couple of scary movies that had scenarios with creepy cottages in the woods and wasn’t sure she wanted to go inside, but this was the most excited she had seen Margaret and she didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm.
As they approached the cottage, Margaret hoping for a way in, Olivia keeping her fingers crossed that the boards were all nailed down tightly, a bang came from within.
Olivia’s heart jumped into her mouth and she let out a squeal, anchored only by Margaret’s firm hand on her arm. If it hadn’t been there, she would have started running back through the woods.
Still, Margaret exchanged a cautious look with her and hesitated.
Did someone live here? Olivia couldn’t see how, with the place being all boarded up, unless it was a homeless person. Or maybe it was Margaret’s brother, Malcolm.
Although he never spoke and wasn’t at all close to Margaret, he was always lurking on the periphery, watching, and, she was certain at times, following them. Honestly, he gave Olivia the creeps.
A second louder noise was followed by footsteps crunching on broken wood, then the unmistakable peal of boyish laughter. The girls exchanged another look as they heard shuffling round the back, more footsteps, then voices.
Olivia unfortunately recognised them. She scowled as Gary Lamb and Howard Peck stepped into sight. Gary sneered when he saw them, while Howard didn’t look impressed.
‘What the fuck are you two doing here?’
‘I could ask you the same thing,’ Olivia retorted.
Howard Peck was Fern’s on–off boyfriend. He and Olivia had never seen eye-to-eye, even before she had fallen out with Fern. Olivia found him shallow and two-faced, while Howard thought she was snooty.
‘Staying away from losers like you, Blake.’
Gary sniggered at that.
‘Come on, let’s get out of here, pal. Have fun with your new friend.’
Howard pushed past them, Gary pausing to spit at Margaret as he passed.
She flinched, took a step back, though held his gaze as the glob of saliva fell at her feet.
‘Later, losers.’
Olivia watched them go, relieved when they disappeared out of sight. She glanced at Margaret. ‘Are you okay?’
The girl nodded. ‘They’re idiots.’
No kidding, Olivia thought. ‘I guess we should head back too. It will be lunch soon.’
Margaret wasn’t listening to her, stepping over weeds as she followed the path towards the back of the cottage, from where Howard and Gary had emerged.
‘Where are you going? Margaret?’
‘They were inside the house. They must have found a way in.’
Oh great. ‘I don’t think we should go in there.’
‘It’ll be fine. I just want to have a quick look.’
Olivia wanted to propose that she waited outside and kept a lookout, just in case Howard and Gary returned, but that would be wrong. She couldn’t let Margaret go into the cottage alone. Not that Margaret seemed bothered. It was amazing how her confidence had grown out here alone in the woods. Reluctantly she followed, heart sinking when she spotted the open window, which Margaret had already scrambled through. A broken board of wood lay on the ground and Olivia guessed this was how the boys had gained access. They must have broken in. No wonder they made a quick exit.
‘Olivia, are you coming inside? It’s well creepy in here.’
Brilliant. I can’t wait.
She clambered through the window, glad she was warmly dressed, though she wasn’t sure if the shivers she had were from the cold. The inside of the cottage was dark thanks to the boarded-up windows, the only light coming from where she had just climbed in, and cracks in the other boards, where thin lines of sunlight spilt through. The air was damp, musty and stank of dirt, and it was evident no one had lived here in a long time. Wallpaper was peeling off the walls. The furniture was sparse and mostly broken. On the far side of the room was a sofa with fabric ripped off the seat cushion so the springs poked through.
‘Margaret, where are you?’
She heard the crunch of footsteps over broken glass and her friend appeared in a doorway. ‘Come and look. This kitchen is ancient, but there are still cups and plates in the cupboards.’
Hesitantly, Olivia followed her into the room. The place was in such a state of decay, it was probably full of rats and spiders. ‘You really like all this stuff, huh?’
Margaret turned to her and even though her face was immersed in shadows, Olivia could see her eyes shining. ‘It’s brilliant. There is so much history here. I wonder about the people who lived here and what they were like, what happened to them. Don’t you?’
Not really. ‘We should head back. It’s nearly lunchtime.’
‘There’s an upstairs. I want to see it.’
Olivia didn’t. ‘I’m hungry and we don’t want to miss out on food.’
‘It will only take five minutes.’
‘We could always come back tomorrow morning, I mean, if there’s time before the coaches leave.’
The compromise seemed to work.
‘You promise?’
‘Sure, if there’s time.’ Olivia hoped there wouldn’t be, but didn’t say that to Margaret. ‘Come on, let’s head back.’
It was after lunch that Rachel Williams had approached them. Olivia had spotted the girl sitting alone, had heard Fern make a bitchy comment behind her back. Had Rachel fallen out with Fern, Janice and Kelly?
Fern really was making enemies fast.
Olivia was with Margaret in her dorm, as Margaret rifled through her case looking for something suitable to wear to the disco.
‘I told you, why don’t you try on one of the outfits I brought. I have two with me and we’re about the same size. You can pick which one you want. I like them both, so I don’t mind.’
‘You don’t have to lend me stuff, Livvy. I’m sure I have something I can wear.’
‘Okay, well the offer’s there.’
‘I know, thank you. I don’t really want to go to the stupid disco anyway. I hate things like that.’
If Olivia was honest, she wasn’t looking forward to it either. The idea of spending their last evening in the company of Fern and her cronies didn’t exactly appeal. But what other choice did they have? They could hardly hide out in the dorms. That would make them look like cowards and Fern would love that.
Both girls looked up as the door opened and Rachel entered the room.
She glanced hesitantly at them before making her way over to her own bunk, lying down on the bed and facing the wall.
Olivia and Margaret continued their conversation in hushed tones, though Margaret glanced over a couple of times. Eventually, closing her case, and admitting Olivia was right, she had nothing to wear for the disco, they got up to go back to Olivia’s dorm to look at her outfits.
Margaret glanced at Rachel again and hesitated. ‘Are you okay?’
When Rachel didn’t reply, she tried again. ‘We saw you sitting on your own at lunch.’
More silence, then Rachel rolled over to face them. She sat up, glaring at Olivia. ‘Your friend, Fern, is a bitch.’
You’ve only just figured that out? ‘Yes, she is, though she is no longer my friend. What has she done now?’
‘She’s turned Kelly against me.’
‘I’m sorry.’ That was from Margaret, who really was too nice for her own good. Rachel had picked on her, but now she had been ostracised, here was Margaret offering her sympathy.
Really? Olivia wasn’t sure that she bought it.
Rachel must have been tuning in on Olivia’s thoughts because her face suddenly crumpled and she looked like she might cry. ‘I’m sorry too,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve been mean to you for no reason. You don’t have to be nice to me. Fern is a nasty bully. I wish I hadn’t listened to her about anything.’
Was this for real? Olivia couldn’t decide. Yes, Rachel had been sitting alone at lunch, but the whole situation seemed awfully convenient. She couldn’t help wondering if Fern was up to something.
‘It’s okay.’
Margaret was too quick to forgive. Rachel had been a bitch. Olivia would have held out, at least for a little while.
‘You can hang out with us this afternoon if you want.’
As Rachel’s eyes brightened, Margaret looked to Olivia for confirmation. ‘That’s okay, isn’t it, Livvy?’
Great, now she had been put on the spot. ‘I guess so, though we’re not really doing anything exciting.’
‘Are you sure?’ Rachel sounded hopeful. ‘I don’t want to push in.’
Jesus. Did Rachel not have any other friends she could go pester?
Margaret smiled happily. ‘We’re sure.’
Olivia suspected that having two friends might be a first for her. She just hoped Rachel wasn’t playing games. She didn’t want Margaret to regret her decision.
The afternoon passed more pleasantly than Olivia had expected. There were no encounters with Fern, who had disappeared off somewhere with Janice and Kelly. Rachel joined in with Olivia and Margaret and appeared to genuinely have fun, as the three of them spent the afternoon in the bowling alley.
Olivia admitted she had misjudged the girl. She seemed sorry for how she had treated Margaret, eager to make it up to her and put things right.
After bowling the pair of them had helped Margaret put an outfit together for the disco, using spare items from their own cases, and Rachel, who turned out to be something of a style queen, straightened the kinks out of Margaret’s blonde hair and did her make-up. Dressed in Olivia’s low rise flared jeans and one of Rachel’s cropped tops, the transformation was staggering. Margaret was a knock-out.
All it had needed was a makeover and a little bit of friendship to give her confidence.
Heads had turned when they entered the dinner hall that night. Fern was already there, sat between Janice and Kelly, her face a picture when she spotted Margaret.
Olivia saw her whispering behind her hand to Kelly, but chose to ignore her as she joined the dinner queue behind Margaret and Rachel. The three of them took their trays to a table in the corner of the room, where some of the other girls from Olivia’s school were sitting, and all were quick to compliment Margaret on her new look.
From the corner of her eye, Olivia was aware Fern was watching them and she didn’t look happy. She allowed herself a smug smile. Was her former friend finally getting her comeuppance?
It was Margaret’s idea to go back to the cottage. She had been talking with Rachel and telling her about the place they had discovered. Rachel saying how creepy it sounded and that she would love to see it before they went home.
Margaret had told her about Olivia’s suggestion they went back in the morning and Rachel had joked about how creepy it would be to go there at night.
Well of course, Margaret had taken her seriously, loving the idea. ‘Why don’t we go now?’ she suggested as they left the noise of the disco behind, heading down the hallway to the loos.
‘Don’t be silly. We can’t.’
‘Of course we can, Olivia. It’s a clear night and it’s dry. It’s perfect. This disco is pretty boring anyway. It will be fun and super creepy.’
Rachel exchanged a look with Olivia that suggested she hadn’t been expecting this response.
‘You really want to go now?’ she questioned hesitantly.
‘Why not?’
‘Well, we’re not really dressed for a midnight stroll in the woods,’ Olivia pointed out.
‘So we can change.’
‘And it’s pitch black outside. We won’t find our way there in the dark.’
‘I saw torches in the stockroom,’ Rachel piped up. ‘I’m sure they work.’
‘Come on, please,’ Margaret begged. ‘It’s our last night and it will be so much fun.’
Olivia was still dubious. ‘I don’t think the teachers will let us go.’
‘We don’t have to tell them. No one will know we’ve gone and it’s still early. We can be back before the disco finishes. What do you say, Olivia?’
What could she say? Okay, she could let Margaret and Rachel go together, but that would leave her stuck at the disco by herself. And the idea of a night-time adventure was quite fun. She had been hesitant earlier when it was just her and Margaret, but with three of them it felt like safety in numbers. She nodded. ‘Okay. Let’s do it.’
It was bitterly cold outside and Olivia was glad she had changed into a jumper and thick socks. Her winter coat was zipped up, her scarf and gloves offering little resistance to the elements.
Margaret had borrowed three torches from the stockroom and she led the way into the woods, confidently striding ahead, while excitedly telling Rachel all about the earlier adventure.
Olivia stuck close to Rachel, not liking the sounds of snapping twigs she kept hearing in the distance. It crossed her mind that maybe Margaret’s creepy brother had followed them. He seemed to keep tabs on Margaret and if she had disappeared from the disco, he would be wanting to know where she had gone. The idea of him being out in the woods with them was a little unnerving.
Of course it could just be an animal; maybe a badger or a rabbit. It was so quiet and dark, every noise was magnified.
‘It’s just ahead up here,’ Margaret called back to them. She was in her element. No sign of the shy, nervous girl Olivia had met that first day.
Rachel seemed a little anxious, growing quieter as they went deeper into the woods. As her torch picked up the outline of the cottage, she grabbed Olivia’s arm. ‘We don’t have to do this. Maybe we should turn back.’
That sounded like a pretty good idea to Olivia. ‘I would like that, but I don’t think Margaret will.’
‘Hey, you two. Are you coming?’ Margaret had stopped walking and was shining her torch back on them. ‘We’re almost there.’
‘I just said to Olivia. Perhaps we should come back in the morning. It’s really quite creepy out here.’
‘Seriously?’ The disappointment in Margaret’s voice was clear. ‘We’re almost there. Come on. It will be fine.’
Rachel exchanged a resigned look with Olivia. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘It’s okay. I knew you were joking when you said about coming out here. I didn’t realise she would take you seriously.’
‘Come on!’ That was Margaret again and she sounded impatient. She had already disappeared round the back of the house when they arrived and Olivia led the way for Rachel, finding the window with the missing board. ‘Here goes nothing.’
She climbed in the window, shone her torch around for Margaret, saw the faint flickering light from the room up ahead and started to walk towards it. ‘Margaret?’ she hissed. ‘Where are you?’
‘I’m right here.’
Margaret’s voice came from the right, making her jump as she stepped out of the kitchen.
Olivia shone the beam on her face, trepidation knotting in her stomach. ‘If you’re here, what’s that light coming from ahead?’
‘Where?’
Margaret shone her torch ahead, spotting the flicker of light that Olivia had seen.
‘We should go,’ Olivia hissed. ‘Someone’s here.’
Ignoring her, Margaret edged forward.
‘Margaret! Come on, let’s go.’
She stepped through the doorway. ‘Shit, Olivia. Look.’
Olivia didn’t want to. She stood between the doorway and the window, not sure whether to grab Margaret or whether to bolt. Suddenly it crossed her mind that Rachel wasn’t there.
Where the hell had she gone?
Turning back towards the window, she smashed into something hard, and everything went black.
