Murder in the Haunted Castle
Missed the story so far? Catch up here: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-one Chapter Twenty-two Chapter Twenty-three Chapter Twenty-four Chapter Twenty-five Chapter Twenty-six Chapter Twenty-seven Chapter Twenty-eight Chapter Twenty-nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-one Chapter Thirty-two Chapter Thirty-three
“Mum!” Maddie screamed.
James ran over to the window that Maddie was looking through. It was one of the narrow ones, originally a slit in the thick castle wall for archers to fire arrows through. But it was wide enough that James could see Kim outside, being dragged through the snow by the tall butler.
James dashed across the hall, almost knocking Walter over as he ran, and grabbed the black, cast iron handle on the door and pulled.
It was locked shut.
“The key!” he shouted, spinning around. “Where’s the key?”
Maddie looked around, tearfully. “I don’t know!”
Walter stood by his suitcase and said nothing.
The portraits hanging from the walls seemed to mock James as he ran wildly around the hall, searching the furniture that had been placed at the edges. He turned at the sound of a clatter, and saw that Maddie, in her panic, had blundered into an empty suit of armour and knocked it over. The empty shell of the knight lay scattered in pieces across the floor.
“There!” Maddie suddenly shouted, stepping over the pieces of armour and running over to the door.
The large key was hanging beside the door. James snatched it from the wall and shoved it into the lock and twisted it. The tumblers fell into place and James pulled the heavy oak door open.
The wind blew snow and freezing air into the castle. James didn’t pause, but plunged outside and straight into a snowbank. He fought his way through the thick snow around the front of the castle, the wind almost blinding him as it blew sharp snowflakes into his eyes.
As he rounded the corner of the castle, James saw the butler climbing over a wooden fence almost completely buried in the snow, and dragging Kim with him. James suddenly realised what the butler was doing.
He was going to throw Kim off the edge of the cliff!
James redoubled his efforts to fight his way through the snow. Kim was struggling, beating her fists against the butler’s chest and arms. There was no way she could fight her way free, but at least she was slowing him down.
James reached the fence and clambered over it.
“Get off her!” he shouted, and slammed into the butler.
They smashed into the powdery snow, and the butler let go of Kim. James swung his fist at the butler’s face, but missed. James had never had a fight in his life.
The tall, powerful butler, still in his uniform, head-butted James in the face. For a moment, the white snow turned grey and then stars exploded across his vision. A searing spike of pain shot through his skull and for a moment it seemed as though he would black out, but then his vision returned.
Just in time to see the fist hurtling towards him.
James’ world exploded in pain, and everything turned black.
See you on Monday for Chapter Thirty-five.
Cheers,
Ken
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