Phantom of the Cromarty Hall

[Wolfie]

It was a cold, dark night when she first decided to help out with the making of props for the St Magaret's Hope Pantomime. It didn't sound like much. And after an hour of painting cardboard cheeses it certainly didn't feel like much either. The Cromarty Hall was more than a little drafty. And not to mention boring, so when no-one was looking she slipped away and into the back rooms of the theatre. All the lights were off, and for some reason, as she entered the main corridor, she could no longer hear the voices of her fellow cheese-makers. Lost in her thoughts she turned a corner and ran slap-bang into a ladder that seemed to lead into the roof. But the Cromarty Hall had only one storey....

[Saphnie]

She looked up into the darkness beyond the ladder. Typical, she thought. A ladder leading to black. She put a hand on one of the rungs. The wood was smooth and oily. she looked around to see if anyone was watching her and placed a foot on the bottom rung. Slowly, hesitating at every step, she climbed up the ladder.

When she reached the top she peered around. It was a bit lighter from this height and she could vaguely see the shapes of old props, abandoned sets and dusty mirrors. What looked like a set of living room furniture was covered in draping cloths. In the very corner stood, propped up against a wardrobe half open, were two giant legs made from mesh wire.

[Wolfie]

It was getting more than a little eerie now. She glanced down to her watch, only to find that it had stopped. Perhaps the others were beginning to wonder where she'd gone? Yes, yes they must be! Besides, she probably wasn't even allowed in here. She turned, ready to go, when a movement caught her eye from behind the draped furniture. She could swear she had just seen the cloth flutter.

She looked back down at the ladder below her. Maybe they wouldn't mind her being a little late back...

[Saphnie]

The sound of breathing. She whirled around. Some cobwebs fluttered down from the ceiling, caught in the breeze she had made. Dust danced in the shaft of moonlight coming from a slim window further along the wall. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing in her ears.

The breathing stopped as suddenly as it had begun. She silently brought her hand up to her chest, hyperventilating. It's nothing! she scolded herself. Mice probably live here. I wouldn't be surprised, this place is a dump.

Was that something touching her shoulder? She caught herself before she screamed. No, it was just a cobweb caught in her hair. She brushed it off irritably. This place was covered! Right. She was going.

The hole in the floor with the ladder. Where was it?! She frowned and squinted, trying to see through the gloom. It was getting darker. The clouds must be covering the moon outside. She waved her hands around, trying to feel something that was close to the ladder. Her hand swept against something soft and ... slightly squishy.

[Wolfie]

She froze. Heart frozen with terror she turned to see what it was. Hanging from a roof-support was a dark shape. Swallowing her fear she forced herself to look at it properly. A body - a corpse - a severed limb! - a ... a black velvet cape?

[Saphnie]

She laughed in relief. The sound echoed in the small room. A cape! Just a harmless piece of cloth. She walked towards it and held her hand out again to touch it. The soft velvet had small bits of gold in it. She leaned closer in order to see it properly when someone grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. She screamed.

"Christina!" James, the man in charge of the cheese-making, growled. "What are you doing up here? The backstage is strictly off limits!"
She breathed out. "I ... I ..."
"Come with me! Your mum's here to pick you up - she's been worried sick. You've been gone half an hour, at least!"
"Half an hour?" she frowned. She looked at her watch. It had started ticking again and, indeed, it was now seven o'clock. "But .."

[Wolfie]

She just shook her head. She could swear she'd only been gone five minutes, but James would never believe her. Her protests were useless. As Christina found herself being led back across the dark attic, she looked back over her shoulder. For a moment she thought she saw the cape flutter again, and a whisper-soft voice murmur behind it. But all too soon she was dragged back into harsh light of reality.

On the way back home in the car, despite her mother's incessant nagging on how not to wander off again, there could be dangers anywhere, how the floor could have collapsed under her weight etc. Christina could not get the attic out of her head. Had someone really been there? The murmur could have been anything after all. Cloth brushing against the wall, a pigeon fluttering on the roof. Anything.

But why would a pigeon say 'Don't go.'?
...

[Saphnie]

All through school the next day, that whisper echoed in her head. don't go ... don't go ... don't go ... don't go ... She found it hard to concentrate and ended up with quite a lot of homework as a result.
That night would be another prop-making session, but she wouldn't get a chance to sneak away. James was sure to be keeping an eye on her, just in case she did try to go back to the attic. She was terrified of finding something up there, but an invisible force tugged at her sleeve and egged her on. She just had to go back.
She would make a distraction. Get paint on her shirt or something. James would come over and tell her to go wash off - and while she was gone, she could sneak up to the attic and try to see if anyone really was up there.
She knew there wasn't. But she had to see.
don't go ... don't go ...

[Spite]

The paint was in large buckets and containers on the far end of the table beside her. The huge red splat they would make was already forming a picture in her mind. Nobody was looking... right?
She pulled the table clothe hard and snt all three paint tubs flying over her clothes.

[Saphnie]

James came rushig over right on cue. "Oh my god ... what did you do to yourself?! We're meant to be painting, not jumping about in the stuff!" He grumbled and shoved her roughly to the hallway. "Get to the bathrooms and clean yourself up. You're a mess, girl."
She nodded and ran off. As soon as his footsteps had disappeared back into the main hall, she changed direction and headed down the hall she had gone the day before.
It was lighter - or was that a sense of familiarity(sp) ? Her heart pounded in her chest. What would she find. this wasn't such a great idea. She should go -
And then she found the ladder.

[Spite]

She looked up high, recognising things she had seen before. Then she saw the black velvet cape again and she shuddered. She slowly walked towards the ladder. Just before she laid her hand against it she heard something beside her...

[Saphnie]

She whirled around. Something slipped into the shadows and she cried out. Her heart was pounding viciously. "GET AWAY, GET AWAY!!" her mind screamed, and her muscles strained to move her legs, but she was frozen. Everything slowed down, the world was sharper somehow... and yet... blurred.

[Jasmine]

Everything went black, and all she knew before she hit the floor was a distant awareness that somewhere... someone was playing an organ. The sound echoed in her head, pouding. It was painful.
Her eyes slowly opened. Light was vainly shining in through the dusty windows. She had been here all night.
Someone was bent over her. "James?" she croaked. The person flinched and melted into the shadows.

[Wolfie]

Christina sat up, her head pounding. She looked around her, she was still in the attic! She must have fainted or something. Light shone weakly through a small window. Morning already? No,

There was something creepy about this attic, something unnatural. ''Maybe James is right.'' she muttered.