by Alex

About the middle of July, during the eleventh through sixteenth years of my life, my parents would allow me to visit my grandfather on his estate in Italy. His estate was a French-style chateau, but it wasn’t the chateau that interested me. What interested me on his estate was the remaining structure of a medieval castle. Within the castle’s great room, at the northwest corner, was a stone stairway that led to what would appear to have been a cellar. At the bottom of the stairway was a sturdy and robust oak door.

I took me several summers to find it. There had been a barricade of useless items in front of the door. Old building stones, timbers, and varied items of debris were there for centuries serving as an obstacle to its discovery.

I was sixteen years old when I was finally able to wedge open the door just enough to peer through that darkened threshold. From the light of my flash light, I saw nothing. The light seemed to stop at the door, I should have too. But curiosity overcame my feel of instinct. I felt surprisingly calm for the amount of time that I spent digging this “archaeological” find out.

“Do hurry up” wailed my impatient sister behind me.

“Not yet, I want grandpa to come too” I replied

“Fine but hurry up and get him!” said my sister obnoxiously.

“No need, I’m already here” said grandpa

Excitedly, I grabbed a timber from the floor and began to wedge the door for a wider opening-an opening I could go through. After squeezing through the door opening, I was overwhelmed by…by…by…well it cannot be described, there was a feeling of danger, old and a feeling of safety and new all at the same time.

“Aghaaa!”My sister screamed

“What is it?!” I asked

“The door shut by itself” she said in a sacred voice.

Needing fresh air, I tried to open the door. I yanked and I jerked but it was no use, it would not budge. Desperately I looked for an opening. But just as I have feared there were none close to us. Then I grabbed my sister by the arms and told her to stay close. If we are going to get out of here we are going to get out of here together. The rest of the story is rather frightening; therefore reader is advised. I decided that while we’re here we might as well find some candles and supplies (we never got to the supply part). Candles because I wanted to conserve battery power on my flashlight. Fortunately, I found some candles nearby. I lit one with some flint that I found then amazingly the candle shown brighter than my flashlight ever did, but that was not important.

“Wow!” My sister and I said simultaneously

“Look at all this stuff,” I said

And indeed there was more stuff here than in my grandmas nine storage units. There were coins and chests and armour and… Wait! The armour had some sort of a stick sticking out from it. When I took a closer look…

“Aghh, a human skeleton is in that suit of armour!”

My little sister fainted! From there I had to carry her. The other funny thing was that the deeper I went the dizzier I got. Then one simple thought cleared my mind like a very strong perfume!

“If there is a skeleton here then that means that somebody died here, and that means that either they couldn’t find an opening or that there is some other danger frightening and killing in here.” I thought out loud

“A light!” I exclaimed

Not for one second did I stop to think what that light was, I just started running toward it. I reached the door that I started from.

“Did I scare you?” said grandpa laughing.

“Hey, was it you who closed the door?” I asked sternly.

“Yes” said grandpa in a laughing voice.

“We have to go kids,” shouted dad

The shout woke my sister who was more than happy to be awake. We hurried upstairs for today we were heading home.

I don’t know if that was a joke or not but what that skeleton was doing there I shall never know. But little did he know that grandpa was the skeleton, but fake grandpa killed him. Anyway he lived happily ever after… or did he?

This story was stated from the book: