Chapter Thirty-one

1.2K 66 2
                                    

The young woman rushed towards Nancy, causing the teen to slam the hatch shut just before the figure reached her. To Nancy's surprise, however, there was no impact to be heard. "No one should have been able to stop in time to keep from hitting the wall. I have no idea what just happened." Nancy commented peeking out of the hatch once more. The room was now empty but somehow still managed to send a chill down the girl's spine.

"Nancy, what happened? You are shaking like a leaf." Ned asked after he grabbed her hand offering comfort. "This all has to be some kind of trick. It just has to be..." she mumbled while sliding down to the floor.

"Tell me what is wrong? I'm here to help you, Nancy. What did you see?" he asked. When Nancy didn't respond, Ned went to open the peephole, however, Nancy stopped him by grabbing his arm.

She leaned forward and whispered, "Trust me, just let this topic go. Something was very off in there and its best left alone."

"What are you talking about? I'm sure you just need some fresh air. Let's keep moving and see what is ahead." Ned said as he tried to help Nancy get up. It upset him to see her acting this way.

The young couple walked along the passage looking for an exit until they hit a dead end. "What in the world? Who in their right mind builds a passage with no way out? Darn it!" Ned exclaimed as he kicked the wall.

"I believe you are right, who would build a hidden passageway with no exit? We might need to think out of the box to figure this out." Nancy said while holding her chin, deep in thought. She studied the empty room more closely. "Wait, Ned! See that handle on the ceiling? It must lead up to the attic!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"It's too high up. You are going to have to sit on my shoulders to reach it. Don't worry my sweet, I will never let you go." Ned said with a wink and a grin causing Nancy to giggle. Then the Ned bent down to allow Nancy to get onto his broad shoulders.

Nancy reached for the handle but her long slender fingers barely touched its rusted surface. "Ned, please stand on your tip toes, I need another few inches to reach it!"

Ned grunted, but he did as Nancy asked. With the help of the extra few inches of height, she grabbed the handle firmly and pulled hard. There was a loud booming sound before a folded wooden ladder came down from the ceiling.

Nancy grabbed the ladder saying, "We must be very careful these stairs look half rotted." As they came out from the darkness they found themselves in an old musty attic. On the other side of the room stood a large weathered door. The teens rushed toward it eager to gain their freedom. Once there they found out that the door was unlocked and the knob turned easily but the door was warped and would not open.

Ned puffed out his chest, an action that reminded Nancy of a gorilla. "I have got this, just step back, my lady," he said before body slamming the door. The old door came crashing down easily sending splinters and pieces all over the floor. Thus the couple was granted passage back into the livable areas of the home.

"Wow, that was amazing! Now let's get down to the kitchen and get some food in us before we faint." Nancy said as she took Ned's arm and led the way. On the way down they ran into Bess and George who had been looking all over for them.

As they sat down for lunch, they recounted what had happened. The mere thought of another intruder inside the house, locking her friends up, made Bess shudder in fear. As Nancy ate a dainty finger sandwich, she once more gazed at the puzzle box. She hoped that the password to the puzzle was some sort of date. That way all Nancy had to do was try the ones from the old letters she had discovered before. From her pocket, she pulled out a small notebook and started trying the dates that were written down inside.

After a few trys, Nancy grew irritated, so she handed the box over to Bess, to let her try a few combinations. As luck would have it the very first date Bess tried opened the box. "Thank God that was it!" Bess said excitedly when the year of Heather's planned wedding ended up being the key to opening the box. Inside she found an antique ornate diary. It had a mix of roses and swirls designs all over it. As Nancy flipped through it, she discovered all the words were not faded and perfectly readable. 


Nancy Drew and The Mystery Of The Ghost MaidenWhere stories live. Discover now