IGCSE First Language English (Descriptive & Narrative)

(8) The locked door

Write a story in which a locked door plays an important part.

The ethereal moon hung against the inky, velvety sky and the magnificent, shimmering stars winked at each other. The trees swayed placidly in the zephyr and the crickets composed their harmonious melodies, drifting the animals to sleep. The owls hooted and were the guardians of the night as they perched at the highest point of trees with their wide, charcoal eyes.

As Hazel was about to close her bedroom window and prepare to get her beauty sleep, she noticed a piece of paper that was pasted on her window. Without her glasses on, she narrowed her eyes to get a closer look. Little did she know, she would be in grave danger. In ferocious, red ink, the note had written one word: Run! Hazel's achromatic eyes widened in shock - why did she have to run?

All of a sudden...her room was filled with solid blackness - the lights had gone out! Trying to remain calm, Hazel hastily made her way around the room to find a torchlight. Recklessly, she knocked down a lot of her possessions onto the floor, but she knew that she had to save herself - fast.

"You're not going anywhere..." murmured a deep, somber voice.

Trembling, Hazel turned around and saw a hooded figure that had hot, murderous eyes, which burned with fury. With no time to waste, Hazel yelled in desperation as she ran out of her room to find a way to escape from the figure's hostility. The hooded figure kicked Hazel in the stomach, which made her whimper in momentary pain, but as she looked to her left: it was the guest bedroom. In a fleeting second and with all her strength, Hazel crawled and...slam! Click! She was safe...for the moment.

"You're not getting a way with this!" shouted the figure furiously.

With all its strength, the figure tried to push and shove the locked door; he was determined and desperate to get in. Nervously, Hazel's heartbeat accelerated and she was stunned in utmost terror and confusion. As she took out her phone, she clutched her stomach in pain on another hand and called 911 with her quivering fingers that shook uncontrollably.

Boom! Bang! The locked door tried its best to withstand and resist the figure's roughness. Crossing her fingers in tightness, Hazel whispered a silent prayer to herself as she knelt down. Sweat trickled down her spine and her nerves stretched taut as she heard the door starting to crack and crumble, why was nobody here yet? 

Hopelessly, Hazel closed her eyes and tried to convince herself that it was just a dream as the banging and booming echoed in her ears - it was all she could hear. Thankfully, they were slowly drowned out by the loud, blaring sound of sirens and at the corner of her eyes, she saw red and blue lights illuminating the curtains of the guest bedroom.

"Argh! I'll get you next time!" screamed the figure.

Hazel gave an exasperated sigh of relief. If she hadn't locked the door in time, she could not imagine the chances of her coming out alive.