The Woman In Black

Hanged

I woke with a horrible start.

My head hung partially off the mattress, and a draft from somewhere in my unpleasant room, was freezing my limp bones.

After a good 10 minutes, I decided to accept that morning was upon me, and swiftly threw off my duvet, which was decorated with tea stains and other brown patches I didn't want to think about.

I changed into my clothes and began to wrap up warm, as the day was a chilly one, and my plans were to interrogate as many of the people who lived here, as thoroughly as I could.

*

Eventually, I was ready for the cold day ahead.

I walked briskly down the slanted staircase, and addressed the sinister man sitting at the desk, that I had seen yesterday, that I would be heading out to the town.

'I will be gone shortly, and will return mid-afternoon, understood?'

I said intolerantly.

He gave a wave of his hand to gesture his understanding, and with that, I walked out of the dusky inn, and out into the cold morning of Heath village.

*

The wind slapped my face as I opened the heavy door, and the harsh weather crept into my buttoned up over coat. I tugged at it tighter and put my head down, so as to keep the wind out of my face.

I wasn't very sure where to start, but I thought it would be more prudent to go to the work office; the highest members of authority, instead of just going from door to door asking if they had seen anything unusual. They would probably think I had gone mad.

I spotted the building, about a quarter of a mile from where I was shivering, and began to trudge towards it.

On my way, I passed a small wooded area, with a large amount of fat, golden brown trees, tall and slightly sinister.

I heard a noise from inside the forest.

Like a child's laughter.

In curiosity, I peered behind a tree, and slightly in the distance, I eyed two little girls, probably about the age of 8 and in frilly, frocks, swinging on a thick rope, and giggling mischievously.

I smiled warmly.

Finally I had discovered SOMETHING in this abnormal village that was something I had seen before.

I quietly left the spot from where I was observing, so as not to disturb them, and went on my way.

*

'You have to give me more information than this!' I pleaded.

'I'm am very sorry Mrs. Johnson, but that's all the information I can give you! I spoke to him before he went into the house, but I never saw him after that!

The boss of the company banged his fist on the desk, in impatience.

Apparently, he had only seen my husband arrive, but not return, and although I knew he was with no doubt he was telling the truth, I was still incredibly frustrated and angry.

'Look I know you mean well, but you're not...'

Suddenly, a porky man burst into the room, waddling as he went and, and had an exhausted expression on his crimson face.

As he began to calm down, his face turned from a neon red, to a ghostly white. I could tell something was urgently wrong.

'Sir, sir...Sir' he said in helpless panic.

'Please calm yourself down Perkins and just tell me what you have to say! And hurry it up, I'm in the middle of...'

But he was cut off.

'Sir it's about Isabelle!'

There was a deathly silence.

'Who's Isabelle?' I enquired, not entirely certain what was currently happening.

'Isabelle...please Lord, tell she didn't get out....' croaked the man I had been discussing with.

Knowing the answer already, he leapt up from his armchair, and fled out the creaky door.

I ran out after him, followed by the man addressed 'Perkins', and realised he was directed towards...the wooded area I had passed on the way.

'Oh please dear God let it not be...' I hissed to myself as I sprinted closer and closer past the overgrown grass.

My mouth had become unbearably dry, and I had started to sweat profusely.

I slowed down as I began to reach a crowd of people that had began to gather around the area. I could hear some gasps of shock and horror, and I could also make out a woman sobbing and whimpering.

I pushed past the small crowd, to get a glance of what everyone was staring at.

I froze. My entire body went stiff and rigid.

The little girls I had witnessed earlier, that were playing on the rope, were both hanged on the thick rope tied roughly to the tree.

Their necks were at a worryingly crooked angle, around the floor beneath their suspended feet, was stained with deep, red blood. Their faces, with eyes still open and wide with horror, were etched with the fright they had the misfortune to have been cursed upon with.

I was staring directly at hell.