Ch 1 In the Beginning
Fred, Bob and Ned. The three people in the village that very rarely fell out were chatting about all kinds of things, including their favourite hobby, writing. They loved being able to just talk about things that they wouldn't talk about to their other friends. Bob and Ned were happily talking about a play they had seen at the theatre a few days before. Fred was equally happy playing with a stick that she had found weeks ago.
Every now and then Bob and Ned asked Fred what she thought of the play but they usually got a very short and uninvolved answer so they left her out of it most of the time. They carried on talking about other things and some would have thought that Fred wasn't being included but in reality she didn't mind, she had set herself the task of working away at the surrounding wall and she was doing quite a good job.
The three teenagers lived and worked in a village in England, they didn't enjoy working there, or living there, they like their fun too much. Very often they would get away into the field and spend hours working out stories about the adventures they would have. This was their favourite thing to do. It got them out of work as well, which was a bonus.
Bob was the writer of the group; she put all their ideas into suitable words, aided by Fred who knew a surprising amount of English even though she had never been to school. Bob knew that Ned came up with the best ideas for the stories and usually Fred could fill in the gaps. Together, they came up with some pretty good things and they were very proud of their work. Often they had asked to have them turned into a play for the village to watch but most of their ideas were too far-fetched for most people.
This day, however, they had given up the writing for a while. They were content with just talking about other people's work.
After a while they knew that they would have to return to work in case someone realised they were missing. They knew they couldn't afford to be caught and lose their jobs. The girls didn't have any family in the area, they had run away together almost two years ago and now they only supported themselves.
They eventually wandered back to the village knowing that they would have to do some work if they wanted some money. They wished that they could just spend all day out in the fields talking and imagining their adventures. They were aware that without money they couldn't earn the very little money they needed to live.
When they reached the village they noticed that everyone was crowded around one man that they soon realised that it was the leader of the village. He was shouting at them and trying to make them understand something but some of the villagers seemed to be fighting back. This was very unusual as they usually followed him and listened to everything he said.
Bob, Ned and Fred wandered over to the crowd trying not to attract attention to themselves as there were many people in the village that knew that they should have been at work. They joined the crowd pleased that they hadn't been noticed.
"We have to act now. Do we want this creature terrorising our village and hurting our children? Of course not." The leader was campaigning.
There was a mumble of protest from the crowd. Bob, Ned and Fred still didn't know what was going on. The leaned over to someone who looked like he knew what was going on.
"What's happening?" Ned asked.
"The Creature was in the village. The leader wants to go up to the castle and find it and kill it."
"Was anyone hurt?" Asked Fred.
The man was already looking at the leader and shouting his own concerns.
"I don't know what the problem is, everyone knows it's just a harmless old man that lives in that Castle." Bob said rather loudly.
Everyone suddenly went silent and looked at her as if she was mad.
"That's not good." Ned said trying to be helpful.
"A harmless old man you say? The leader questioned. "Would a harmless old man really kill two of our friends? I don't think so. You are young and know not of what you speak. You should not condone the horrific behaviour of this creature. It will kill all of us if allowed to live." The leader was no longer just addressing Bob but the whole of his attentive audience.
"No. What if the girl is right?" Cried a voice from the audience.
The rest of the crowd nodded and spoke their agreement.
"Can we really risk killing an innocent old man lying in his bed?" The same voice came again. Bob thought she recognised it but she couldn't identify it through the crowd.
**
This discussion went on for many more hours until night came and everyone was too scared to stay out in the street for any longer. They all retreated to their houses. Many took garlic and put it around their doors hoping to keep out the evil that lurked outside and slaughtered their companions.
None knew what it was or what it was called. Although there had been many claims that people had seen it it had not yet been proved. Descriptions varied but one thing everyone agreed on was that it wasn't good. In fact, it was described as the Devil himself.
**
Bob, Ned and Fred sat in their house eating the food they had stolen that day. It was Ned that did this kind of thing as she seemed to have very few morals. Fred was the brains of the trio and Bob always thought of something good to do. She had once boasted that she could make it rain but she had almost been tried as a witch and she had never mentioned it again, except to Ned and Fred.
They sat at the table and spoke of the days events. None of them believed in the Creature that all the villagers spoke of. Bob never believed in anything unless she had seen it for herself and that didn't happen often. Fred always tried to come up with a rational explanation for what it was. Ned, however, thought that there might be some good in it.
"One day I'll go up to that castle and see what really lies inside." Ned said.
"You're crazy." Fred laughed.
Ned had a reputation for being a little dangerous. She loved adventure and this was unusual for someone in that time.
"They'd kill you for consorting with the Devil." Said Bob.
"Just because they caught you doesn't mean they'll catch you." Joked Ned. "Besides I'm a lot more careful than you."
"Well, when you get caught." Said Fred.
"Come on, you can't say that you don't want to know what's going on in that castle. It's a little mysterious don't you think?"
"No." Fred and Bob said in unison.
They all laughed and continued to talk as they often did at night.
**
Fred and Bob had already gone off to bed but Ned remained awake. She stood outside her door hoping to catch a glimpse of the Creature. She stared longingly at the castle and only just realised that the place was very creepy. She wondered if she really was brave enough to go up there. Could she stand coming face to face with the Devil?
She turned away from the door and went into the house.
**
Round the corner a dark shadow lurked. It had been watching the woman stood at the door and was now thinking up away to lure the innocent women away from their home and into his castle.
Fred, Bob and Ned. The three people in the village that very rarely fell out were chatting about all kinds of things, including their favourite hobby, writing. They loved being able to just talk about things that they wouldn't talk about to their other friends. Bob and Ned were happily talking about a play they had seen at the theatre a few days before. Fred was equally happy playing with a stick that she had found weeks ago.
Every now and then Bob and Ned asked Fred what she thought of the play but they usually got a very short and uninvolved answer so they left her out of it most of the time. They carried on talking about other things and some would have thought that Fred wasn't being included but in reality she didn't mind, she had set herself the task of working away at the surrounding wall and she was doing quite a good job.
The three teenagers lived and worked in a village in England, they didn't enjoy working there, or living there, they like their fun too much. Very often they would get away into the field and spend hours working out stories about the adventures they would have. This was their favourite thing to do. It got them out of work as well, which was a bonus.
Bob was the writer of the group; she put all their ideas into suitable words, aided by Fred who knew a surprising amount of English even though she had never been to school. Bob knew that Ned came up with the best ideas for the stories and usually Fred could fill in the gaps. Together, they came up with some pretty good things and they were very proud of their work. Often they had asked to have them turned into a play for the village to watch but most of their ideas were too far-fetched for most people.
This day, however, they had given up the writing for a while. They were content with just talking about other people's work.
After a while they knew that they would have to return to work in case someone realised they were missing. They knew they couldn't afford to be caught and lose their jobs. The girls didn't have any family in the area, they had run away together almost two years ago and now they only supported themselves.
They eventually wandered back to the village knowing that they would have to do some work if they wanted some money. They wished that they could just spend all day out in the fields talking and imagining their adventures. They were aware that without money they couldn't earn the very little money they needed to live.
When they reached the village they noticed that everyone was crowded around one man that they soon realised that it was the leader of the village. He was shouting at them and trying to make them understand something but some of the villagers seemed to be fighting back. This was very unusual as they usually followed him and listened to everything he said.
Bob, Ned and Fred wandered over to the crowd trying not to attract attention to themselves as there were many people in the village that knew that they should have been at work. They joined the crowd pleased that they hadn't been noticed.
"We have to act now. Do we want this creature terrorising our village and hurting our children? Of course not." The leader was campaigning.
There was a mumble of protest from the crowd. Bob, Ned and Fred still didn't know what was going on. The leaned over to someone who looked like he knew what was going on.
"What's happening?" Ned asked.
"The Creature was in the village. The leader wants to go up to the castle and find it and kill it."
"Was anyone hurt?" Asked Fred.
The man was already looking at the leader and shouting his own concerns.
"I don't know what the problem is, everyone knows it's just a harmless old man that lives in that Castle." Bob said rather loudly.
Everyone suddenly went silent and looked at her as if she was mad.
"That's not good." Ned said trying to be helpful.
"A harmless old man you say? The leader questioned. "Would a harmless old man really kill two of our friends? I don't think so. You are young and know not of what you speak. You should not condone the horrific behaviour of this creature. It will kill all of us if allowed to live." The leader was no longer just addressing Bob but the whole of his attentive audience.
"No. What if the girl is right?" Cried a voice from the audience.
The rest of the crowd nodded and spoke their agreement.
"Can we really risk killing an innocent old man lying in his bed?" The same voice came again. Bob thought she recognised it but she couldn't identify it through the crowd.
**
This discussion went on for many more hours until night came and everyone was too scared to stay out in the street for any longer. They all retreated to their houses. Many took garlic and put it around their doors hoping to keep out the evil that lurked outside and slaughtered their companions.
None knew what it was or what it was called. Although there had been many claims that people had seen it it had not yet been proved. Descriptions varied but one thing everyone agreed on was that it wasn't good. In fact, it was described as the Devil himself.
**
Bob, Ned and Fred sat in their house eating the food they had stolen that day. It was Ned that did this kind of thing as she seemed to have very few morals. Fred was the brains of the trio and Bob always thought of something good to do. She had once boasted that she could make it rain but she had almost been tried as a witch and she had never mentioned it again, except to Ned and Fred.
They sat at the table and spoke of the days events. None of them believed in the Creature that all the villagers spoke of. Bob never believed in anything unless she had seen it for herself and that didn't happen often. Fred always tried to come up with a rational explanation for what it was. Ned, however, thought that there might be some good in it.
"One day I'll go up to that castle and see what really lies inside." Ned said.
"You're crazy." Fred laughed.
Ned had a reputation for being a little dangerous. She loved adventure and this was unusual for someone in that time.
"They'd kill you for consorting with the Devil." Said Bob.
"Just because they caught you doesn't mean they'll catch you." Joked Ned. "Besides I'm a lot more careful than you."
"Well, when you get caught." Said Fred.
"Come on, you can't say that you don't want to know what's going on in that castle. It's a little mysterious don't you think?"
"No." Fred and Bob said in unison.
They all laughed and continued to talk as they often did at night.
**
Fred and Bob had already gone off to bed but Ned remained awake. She stood outside her door hoping to catch a glimpse of the Creature. She stared longingly at the castle and only just realised that the place was very creepy. She wondered if she really was brave enough to go up there. Could she stand coming face to face with the Devil?
She turned away from the door and went into the house.
**
Round the corner a dark shadow lurked. It had been watching the woman stood at the door and was now thinking up away to lure the innocent women away from their home and into his castle.
