Chapter Eight
Tempest Endeavors
Downstairs, Megan and Alex barely heard Jennifer scream before the crash of thunder drowned out her cry. Alex and Megan looked at each other with nervous, frightened expressions on their faces as the bolt of lightening streaked across the sky.
The lightening cast an eerie pale-yellow light across the sitting room and across the faces of the frightened Megan and Alex.
"I hope Jennifer's all right." Megan whispered, not stopping to wonder why her voice was so soft.
Alex opened his mouth to reply but his words were lost in another clap of thunder. Another bolt of lightening streaked across the sky; there was a loud crashing sound followed by a popping sound, which echoed, to a hissing sound. Within seconds after the lightening, the lights in the sitting room died, plunging everything into darkness.
The lightening had knocked the power out in the O'Connell manor, leaving everyone inside in total darkness. Megan and Alex let out short screams of surprise and momentary terror, as everything became a web of shadows.
Up in the attic, the flashing lightening had given Jennifer a prefect view of her surroundings. However, once she saw what was around her, she was beginning to wish the lightening had never flashed at all. Cobwebs covered everything in sight -a few had even begun to stick to Jennifer's shoes-, rats scurried across the ground, kicking up dust; spiders the size of brushes crawled around on the walls, spinning more cobwebs; junk and boxes of all kinds were piled against the walls and scattered all over the floor, provided prefect hiding places for the creatures that dwelling the attic. Despite the nearly constant lightening, shadows and such still gave the attic a supernatural-like feel to it, even without the spiders and rats.
Jennifer was beginning to wish she had a candle to provide light when the lightening failed to flash; she'd rather be in the light with all the spiders and rats then in the dark with them.
The noises that Jennifer had come to investigate were continuing from somewhere in the attic; the claws against the floor and the thumping noises that the "creature" made were louder and creepier then they had been downstairs.
Jennifer gasped as a large rat ran across her foot, its tiny claws making hollow scratching sounds against her shoes. The rat ran behind Jennifer, the sounds its claws made against the floor were not the same as the clawing sounds Jennifer had heard. A rat was not making the noises; it was something bigger.
Plunged into darkness, Megan and Alex weren't sure what to do. Lightening continued to flash in the sky, casting the pale-yellow light across the room, creating eerie shadows with the most common things.
"Alex, what are we going to do?" Megan asked, looking at her friend.
The things that had started the fight between the two old friends had disappeared; Alex and Megan had forgotten their "dislike" for each other. They were the best of friends again, even if they didn't realize it at the moment.
Alex couldn't answer Megan's question, for he had no answer. Thunder boomed, louder and somewhat closer then it was before. The windows rattled and the couch vibrated with the sound.
Horus let out a shrill screech that caused both Megan and Alex to jump; the falcon took flight and disappeared from the room. Alex jumped up and ran after the falcon; Megan followed her friend, despite her not wanting to leave the "safety" of the room.
Horus flew into the parlor, Alex and Megan right behind them. Alex barely glanced at the attic stairs that touched the carpeted ground.
In the attic, Jennifer had no idea that Megan and Alex were running right under her. Her mind was solely on finding out what was making the noises; Jennifer was following the noises, which were getting louder as she was closer.
Whatever was making the noises was hiding (or was) behind a stack of boxes and other odd stuff. Jennifer summed up her courage (of which she had a lot) and prepared to "surprise" whatever was behind the boxes.
However, whatever was behind the boxes surprised Jennifer. There was a shrill and bone-chilling yowl and the creature leapt upon one of the boxes. It was bathed in shadow; when the lightening flashed, Jennifer couldn't see the creature but she could see the glare of its claws and bared teeth. The claws were sharp and long and the teeth were razor sharp (looking) as well.
The creature yowled and leapt off the box; it landed with a large thud -the rapping sound that Jennifer had heard- and ran behind Jennifer and disappeared.
Jennifer turned around and saw the creature's eyes leering at her from the darkness. There was a yowl and a hiss and the creature disappeared again; Jennifer could hear the creature's claws scrapping against the wood, it was coming toward her.
There was another yowl and a flash of lightening as the creature leapt at Jennifer; Jennifer screamed and ducked, hitting the ground and landing on a large rat. The rat squealed as Jennifer's knee crushed its spine, killing the rat; the creature landed on the boxes and disappeared again.
Upon hearing the rat "crack", Jennifer screamed again and leapt to her feet, only to crash headlong into a pile of junk. Jennifer was knocked to the ground again, becoming covered in dust.
From inside the parlor, Alex and Megan could hear Jennifer scream. They looked at each other with pale faces as they heard Jennifer scream again.
"We have to 'save' her." Alex said and rushed out of the parlor.
"Wait Alex!" Megan cried and followed her friend. Alex and Megan ran to the stairs and peered into the attic; Jennifer was silent, they could hear nothing in the attic but the sound of rain beating against the window. As they began to climb the stairs, both Alex and Megan silently wished that Jennifer was all right.
Tempest Endeavors
Downstairs, Megan and Alex barely heard Jennifer scream before the crash of thunder drowned out her cry. Alex and Megan looked at each other with nervous, frightened expressions on their faces as the bolt of lightening streaked across the sky.
The lightening cast an eerie pale-yellow light across the sitting room and across the faces of the frightened Megan and Alex.
"I hope Jennifer's all right." Megan whispered, not stopping to wonder why her voice was so soft.
Alex opened his mouth to reply but his words were lost in another clap of thunder. Another bolt of lightening streaked across the sky; there was a loud crashing sound followed by a popping sound, which echoed, to a hissing sound. Within seconds after the lightening, the lights in the sitting room died, plunging everything into darkness.
The lightening had knocked the power out in the O'Connell manor, leaving everyone inside in total darkness. Megan and Alex let out short screams of surprise and momentary terror, as everything became a web of shadows.
Up in the attic, the flashing lightening had given Jennifer a prefect view of her surroundings. However, once she saw what was around her, she was beginning to wish the lightening had never flashed at all. Cobwebs covered everything in sight -a few had even begun to stick to Jennifer's shoes-, rats scurried across the ground, kicking up dust; spiders the size of brushes crawled around on the walls, spinning more cobwebs; junk and boxes of all kinds were piled against the walls and scattered all over the floor, provided prefect hiding places for the creatures that dwelling the attic. Despite the nearly constant lightening, shadows and such still gave the attic a supernatural-like feel to it, even without the spiders and rats.
Jennifer was beginning to wish she had a candle to provide light when the lightening failed to flash; she'd rather be in the light with all the spiders and rats then in the dark with them.
The noises that Jennifer had come to investigate were continuing from somewhere in the attic; the claws against the floor and the thumping noises that the "creature" made were louder and creepier then they had been downstairs.
Jennifer gasped as a large rat ran across her foot, its tiny claws making hollow scratching sounds against her shoes. The rat ran behind Jennifer, the sounds its claws made against the floor were not the same as the clawing sounds Jennifer had heard. A rat was not making the noises; it was something bigger.
Plunged into darkness, Megan and Alex weren't sure what to do. Lightening continued to flash in the sky, casting the pale-yellow light across the room, creating eerie shadows with the most common things.
"Alex, what are we going to do?" Megan asked, looking at her friend.
The things that had started the fight between the two old friends had disappeared; Alex and Megan had forgotten their "dislike" for each other. They were the best of friends again, even if they didn't realize it at the moment.
Alex couldn't answer Megan's question, for he had no answer. Thunder boomed, louder and somewhat closer then it was before. The windows rattled and the couch vibrated with the sound.
Horus let out a shrill screech that caused both Megan and Alex to jump; the falcon took flight and disappeared from the room. Alex jumped up and ran after the falcon; Megan followed her friend, despite her not wanting to leave the "safety" of the room.
Horus flew into the parlor, Alex and Megan right behind them. Alex barely glanced at the attic stairs that touched the carpeted ground.
In the attic, Jennifer had no idea that Megan and Alex were running right under her. Her mind was solely on finding out what was making the noises; Jennifer was following the noises, which were getting louder as she was closer.
Whatever was making the noises was hiding (or was) behind a stack of boxes and other odd stuff. Jennifer summed up her courage (of which she had a lot) and prepared to "surprise" whatever was behind the boxes.
However, whatever was behind the boxes surprised Jennifer. There was a shrill and bone-chilling yowl and the creature leapt upon one of the boxes. It was bathed in shadow; when the lightening flashed, Jennifer couldn't see the creature but she could see the glare of its claws and bared teeth. The claws were sharp and long and the teeth were razor sharp (looking) as well.
The creature yowled and leapt off the box; it landed with a large thud -the rapping sound that Jennifer had heard- and ran behind Jennifer and disappeared.
Jennifer turned around and saw the creature's eyes leering at her from the darkness. There was a yowl and a hiss and the creature disappeared again; Jennifer could hear the creature's claws scrapping against the wood, it was coming toward her.
There was another yowl and a flash of lightening as the creature leapt at Jennifer; Jennifer screamed and ducked, hitting the ground and landing on a large rat. The rat squealed as Jennifer's knee crushed its spine, killing the rat; the creature landed on the boxes and disappeared again.
Upon hearing the rat "crack", Jennifer screamed again and leapt to her feet, only to crash headlong into a pile of junk. Jennifer was knocked to the ground again, becoming covered in dust.
From inside the parlor, Alex and Megan could hear Jennifer scream. They looked at each other with pale faces as they heard Jennifer scream again.
"We have to 'save' her." Alex said and rushed out of the parlor.
"Wait Alex!" Megan cried and followed her friend. Alex and Megan ran to the stairs and peered into the attic; Jennifer was silent, they could hear nothing in the attic but the sound of rain beating against the window. As they began to climb the stairs, both Alex and Megan silently wished that Jennifer was all right.