Hi! So I hope you like this chapter, we're getting closer to the action I promise xD I hope the pace hasn't been too slow or anything. Please let me know what you think - I always love to hear opinions and criticisms :) Anything to improve!

Chapter 9

The castle door loomed before them as Digory and Polly ventured closer to the imposing fortress and the two youths stood, looking up. Even with their heads craned right back they could not see the top of the castle – it seemed to reach into the sky...like it was trying to spear the sun with one of its crumbling turrets.

"Let's go in," said Digory with a light in his eyes that seemed to get brighter the more he looked at the castle.

Polly was less sure.

"...okay," she said hesitantly, looking between Digory and the castle with growing unease, "If you're sure about this."

"Of course – I won't let anything happen to you," he assured her with a confident grin, taking her hand, "come on."

All further arguments on Polly's part were swallowed by the lovely feeling of having him so close to her, the comfort of his hand enveloping her own. She blushed and followed.

In years to come she would roll her eyes at herself – what a fool to blush and follow! What a bleating lamb of a girl she had been.

Back in the present, however, her mind was too addled to think any such thing. She was only young, after all.

With awe-struck eyes the two began to push the door that hung slightly ajar, it was heavy but the combined strength of the children (mostly Digory) overcame it and soon they were inside the ruined castle.

Finally.

With a loud BANG the door swung shut behind them and both of our fearless adventurers jumped with fright at the sound. Their breathing sounded loud and ragged in the silence as they took in their surroundings.

"Oh my..." Polly gasped as shivers ran the length of her spine. Pillars (some crumbled, some intact) were everywhere, looming large and impassive over the two of them and casting frightening shadows over the stone floor. As well as the pillars, yet more statues stood entry in lines along the hallway. Rubble lay dormant everywhere and not a sound could be heard but their own breathing.

"Are you frightened?" Digory asked, clearing his throat when his words echoed around them.

"No," Polly lied in a whisper, unwilling to add her own echoes to his, "are you?"

"No," he replied, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

"Good."

"Yes."

Polly tentatively stepped forward to examine a fallen column that was blocking their way.

"We'll have to climb over this if we want to go any further," she said, just stopping herself from adding so why don't we just turn back?

Digory didn't look so eager anymore; like Polly he was getting the feeling that they weren't supposed to be there – like nobody had set foot inside the castle for years and years and years.

And if that was the case, he thought uncomfortably, then there had to be a reason.

But all he said was, "okay," and proceeded to shrug off his jacket, dropping it on the floor and walking up to the column with the air of someone going into a fight.

After taking a deep breath he clambered up the pile of rubble that lay at the foot of the column and swung himself up on to the pillar.

"Here, you climb up and I'll help you," he told Polly, reaching his hand out for her.

"O – okay," Polly agreed, doubt overwhelming her face like a cloud. Nevertheless she still managed to navigate half the rubble before her foot slipped and she began to tumble backwards with a scream. Quickly, Digory grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, his head ringing with the echoes and the realization that once they had passed from the hall and into the castle itself there was no going back.

Don't ask him how he knew that. He just did. And it scared him.

But Digory wasn't one to let such things stop him and besides, mixed with the fear there was a gnawing excitement that lingered. He had always wanted to have adventures.

Polly was wide-eyed and trembling, shocked from her near-fall.

"I think we should go back," she whispered, even her hushed voice sent echoes buzzing.

"Are you mad?" Digory said loudly, yanking her up.

"Are you?" Polly hissed, pulling her wrist out of his grasp, "because you've been acting like it ever since we set foot in this stupid world."

"Oh stop being so self-righteous," he snapped and she narrowed her eyes at him, beginning to swing herself back over the column and towards the door.

"Guess you're just a scared little girl after all," Digory said, just as she was about to drop onto the marble floor. At his words, as he'd known she would, she turned round to glare at him and stopped her descent.

"I'm sensible, not scared," she retorted and he gave a contemptuous laugh, crossing his arms.

"You're frightened and you know you are," he said but Polly was having none of it.

"I am not – and never have been and never will be – a coward," she said icily, standing up on the column and looking down at him proudly.

"No," said Digory as he got to his feet as well, "just a girl."

And with that he jumped down from the column and began to walk away, leaving Polly to fume.

But she didn't stand there for long, her pride didn't allow it and soon she found herself stepping onto the cold marble floor and walking deeper into the ruined castle.

Digory heard her footsteps and grinned but didn't look back, instead he took in the aged splendor of his surroundings. Somehow the destruction didn't take away from the beauty of the castle...in a way it made it more exhilarating. It was an enticing mixture of ugliness and beauty.

Digory couldn't tear his eyes away.

And what of Polly? She saw only the ugliness; the harsh edges and murky rubble, the looming columns and gaping holes in the walls. Digory had been right of course, she was scared, but she'd never let him know that.

They passed many rooms, each of them destroyed, and Digory spared each no more than a passing glance while Polly would gladly have lingered. He had an inexplicable feeling that they were headed for somewhere else...something made him keep walking...

But of course he wouldn't realize that till later.

When it was too late.

At one point poor Polly had had enough and she stopped, peering into one of the rooms with a mixture of interest and fear.

"Come on, Digory – let's stop a while! You're the fool who wanted to explore and you're not seeing anything but the hallways," she said, taking a few tentative steps into the room.

She didn't see him approach her but she certainly felt him as his hand encircled her wrist and he pulled her away from the room, continuing to walk without an explanation.

"Ow! Let go – you're hurting me," she snapped, stumbling along to keep up with his considerably larger strides. "Digory!"

"We have to keep going, we're not there yet," was all he would say.

A frown flashed across Polly's face as she looked up at him.

"Listen to yourself, you sound possessed!" she snapped. "If you're trying to frighten me it won't work."

Truthfully she was already frightened; this new Digory was scaring her more than the new world ever had.

"Nearly there," he muttered, still pulling her along.

At that moment he didn't know what was driving him, he just knew he had to get to wherever he was going – it was of the utmost importance.

After all, you don't question witchcraft.

Eventually, after what seemed like forever to Polly and a second to Digory, they reached the very last room in the castle and Digory came to a sudden stop. Caught unawares by this Polly bumped into him but he didn't react, just stared ahead of him with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Dusting herself off, Polly jerked her wrist out of his grasp and looked into the room in front of her.

And what a room it was!

It was perfectly intact. Somehow, the castle seemed to have crumbled around it, leaving it standing proud and perfect as an eerie tribute to what was. The floor seemed to stretch for miles and the pillars flanking the walls were entwined with stone flowers and leaves that wove together and met to form an elaborate mesh. Polly was so busy admiring this that she didn't immediately see what had so caught and captured Digory's attention but soon her eyes too were dragged to them and she gasped.

They looked, at first glance, like real people, sat on thrones and watching the children with impassive looks on their beautiful faces. It was only at second and third glance that it became clear that these were statues – beautiful, lifelike, intricate statues but statues none the less.

They were draped in magnificent gowns and robes and each of them was breathtaking to behold.

"They must have been Kings and Queens," Digory said and Polly nodded slightly in agreement for they could have been nothing else.

Neither of them realized they were moving closer to them until they were an inch away from the statues and Digory reached out a trembling hand.

"Don't," Polly said sharply and now it was his turn to grab his wrist.

At her touch Digory blinked and stepped back.

"What?" he mumbled, as if he was in a dream.

"I just think we should keep our distance, there's magic at work," Polly said seriously and then both children whirled around at a loud crash from the other side of the room.

If Polly had know just how right she would turn out to be, I am certain that they would have run and run and not looked back.

But she knew no such thing and, after all, you don't question witchcraft.