‘There might be someone that can help, but I really don’t know if it’s such a good idea. She’s not the type of creature you just pop round for tea with.’
Gwen looked up.
‘Please Sable I need to find them,’ she stared pleadingly.
‘Well…ok but we are going to have to wait until it gets dark, if someone spots us attempting to visit Auntie they will try to stop us’
‘Auntie?’ Gwen smiled, that doesn’t sound so scary’
Sable sighed.
‘We are going to get into so much trouble for this.’
When they got back to the Great Library Sable quietly filled in the others on the plan. Albia looked a bit paler than usual when Sable mentioned Auntie. She thought it was a terrible idea but agreed to come anyway.
They found Strom lazily flicking through some books he’d just found on Wulvan philosophy. He seemed to be on the verge of saying no to joining in with ‘some silly little trip’. That was, until Sable mentioned he’d heard a rumour that Auntie ate the weak.
Strom was impressed by this and agreed to come. Gwen was not as impressed and was starting to wish she hadn’t pushed the idea.
It seemed to take forever to get dark. Gwen tried to distract herself by wandering the dusty rows of books. She was so agitated even the most interesting looking ones couldn’t hold her interest for long. She would have to read 'Twenty new ways to ride a Goblin' another day.
She settled for pacing by the fire and listening to Albia and Strom debating. They were arguing over the finer points of cannibalism and about how likely it was that ‘Auntie’ really partook in it.
It didn’t make Gwen feel much better, but she did learn that a 150 pound man would feed about 75 medium sized creatures, so there was that.
Finally, when night came Sable led them out of the Great Library and through the dark and winding side streets. By the time they had reached the outskirts Gwen was desperately lost and glad she hadn’t had to come on her own.
The further out they got, the more overgrown the streets became. Brambles and thorns caught at Gwen’s jeans as they eventually pushed through in to a clearing.
The trees and plants weren’t crowding in here. In fact the ancient gnarled trees seemed to be leaning outwards and stretching away from the shadowed building lurking in the centre of the clearing.
‘There it is.’
Sable gestured towards the middle of the clearing.
Gwen peered in to the gloom. The house was circled by a tall fence and seemed to be curiously perched on some long poles.
No. Wait. Was that…
‘Uh, I think that house has chicken legs. It's standing on chicken legs’
Sable nodded, looking grim.
‘Yeah, trust me, that’s the least creepy bit.’
Gwen steeled herself and walked towards the gap in the circle of fencing surrounding the house. As her foot crossed the entrance the loud sound of a gong rang out into the still night. At the same time fires burst out in a circle along the top of the fence.
In the glow of the new red light Gwen could now see that the fence was actually topped with old cracked skulls of all shapes and sizes and the fence itself made out of bleached bones. The fires were bursting from inside the skulls mouths.
Gwen gulped and turned to look at her companions. She didn't find it reassuring that even Strom looked nervous.
‘Look let’s try to be logical here. She’s on our side, right? They would have banished her if she wasn’t, they certainly wouldn’t have let her live here if she was…you know eating people and stuff. Those bones are probably fake, like a throwback to the olden days or something,’ Albia chattered, actually managing to sound braver than she looked.
Strom was staring unblinkingly at a skull that looked suspiciously wolfish,’ I read that she has a big cooking pot she puts lost pups in.’ it was impossible to tell now if he was scared or excited.
Gwen felt like turning and running back to the relative safety of the library would be a very good idea. But this ‘Auntie’ could help her find her parents. Mum or Dad wouldn’t turn back now, neither would she.
‘Well, I’m going in. Stay here if you want to,’ she started to walk resolutely towards the shack.
Strom shrugged and clapped Sable on the back, ‘ Well I don’t know about you little weedling, but I am not being out braved by a human runt,’ he bared his teeth in a grin and loped after Gwen.
I meant to say if you read it aloud you might see where the punctuation should be. One of the lovely people on here gave me that tip (I'm just returning to writing too) and it really helps
Hi Adam, I just read your question, well done on posting your first piece of writing. I liked reading this, the great library invoked a bit of Harry potter for me. I wanted to read more and I would like to meet the infamous 'auntie'.
I overuse commas - it's my favourite form of punctuation! But some of your earlier sentences may benefit from a comma her or there, particularly before you mention someone's name.
Not knowing auntie yet I'm not sure of the relevance of chicken legs? I'd have the house standing on something much more majestic! Although I have seen some majestic chickens. But as I said without knowing anymore I can't comment further on that.
Hope this is helpful :)