Ghost Story
It was the end of the nineteenth century in a little town in Scotland and a very cold day in autumn. Sir Henry Smith was the owner of an old castle in Scotland and sometimes he went to Perth to go shopping. He mostly bought food or clothes in the town and then he went back to his castle. But this day he had to fetch his ten years old daughter Sharon. She lived with her mother in a small house in Perth and wanted to spend her holidays at the castle. With the carriage they had to go for over an hour.
When they arrived at the castle Sharon jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the big gate. It was her first trip to her father’s castle so she was very excited. She stood in front of the gate and looked up the high wall of the castle. „I didn’t know that it is such a big building“, she said. „Do you live alone here?“
„No“, her father laughed, „I’ve got many servants.“ Then he smiled. „And many, many ghosts.“
Sharon looked at him with great eyes. „There are ghosts here?“
„Of course. A castle without ghosts isn’t a real castle.“
„But I don’t believe in ghosts“, she said.
„You will see. And now come in.“
Sir Henry Smith opened the door and they went in. The hall was very big. On the floor there was a big carpet and in this room there were four doors. When Sir Henry closed the one door a servant came in. He showed Sharon to her bedroom and then he went back to the kitchen.
In the afternoon Sharon ran through the castle and wanted to see every room. It was very difficult because there were many rooms. After a while she didn’t know where she was. It was a real labyrinth. Finally she found a way out of the castle and came to the garden. There were two gardeners who where working. Sharon looked around and saw a little door. She opened it but she couldn’t see anything because it was too dark inside. But she was too curious and went in. First there was a long tunnel and then she arrived in a room with one little window so she could see a bit. It was a very dirty room. In one corner she saw a big portrait of a man. It seems to be very old. Sharon took it in her hands and then she heard a loud voice laughing. Sharon turned round to look who was laughing but she didn’t see anyone. She was fearful and wanted to run away but she felt that someone was behind her. „You cannot go!“ the voice said. It was a dark voice. „You are my prisoner!“
„Who…who are you?“ Sharon asked fearfully.
„I am a ghost and you are in my castle!“
„But I don’t believe in ghost stories.“
The voice laughed again. „You better start believing in ghost stories! You’re in one!“ Suddenly a real ghost stood in front of her. Sharon recognised him. It was the man on the portrait. But on the picture he wasn’t so shabby. He was very tall, nearly two metres and very fat.
Sharon began to scream. „Nobody will hear you!“ the ghost said. „You can be as loud as you want.“
„Let me go!“ she shouted.
„You can’t go. You’re in the forbidden room. Everybody who’s here has to die!“ The ghost laughed. „Tomorrow you are dead!“ And then the ghost was gone – as suddenly as he had come. Sharon stood at the same place for a while and then she wanted to leave quickly. Then she wanted to run but there was no door. She looked round but there really wasn’t any door in this room, only the small window, too small to go out there. The ghost had said the truth. She wouldn’t leave this room alive. She was a prisoner. Sharon started to scream again but no one heard her. She screamed louder and louder and then she awoke.
She was lying in the room the servant had showed her to. Then she remembered. She had fallen asleep after the servant had gone. It all was just a dream.
By C. Jung, Klasse 10.1; 2004