Beyond the Basement

By Phillip 4BM

Ben was kind of a normal guy in his 20s, he loved to dress in hawaiian shirts, and had a hair cut with one curl that would always fall down onto his forehead. Ben was different when it came to his choice of music.He had an extreme obsession with Taylor Swift. He would sing along in the shower, hummed it on the bus and would talk about it all day at work. It kind of consumed him but maybe it was because he had just moved into a new town and hadn’t made any friends yet. He had been on too many dates and couldn’t make them stay.

One night when the moon was at its biggest in the dark night sky and shon really bright, Ben was having trouble staying asleep. He kept having the same horrible dream. As if it was on repeat. Each time he woke up devastated yelling out “ why did you marry him and not me? He’s my nerdy little brother, I’m the cool one!” He was upset because Taylor Swift kept marrying his brother in his dreams. With trouble staying asleep and the bright moon that night shining on his bed, he got up out of bed wearing his Taylor Swift pyjamas to close the curtains. That’s when he noticed another beam of light streaming in from under his bedroom door. He was sure he didn’t leave a light on but went to investigate.

Following the beam it took him to the basement door. The bright beam shone all around the edge of the door frame. This is where Ben got worried he hadn’t even been in the basement, in fact he hadn’t even been in the basement since he moved in to the new place. Thoughts were running into his mind. Was it a robber in the basement? Was it a ghost, was his new house haunted?

Ben shook his head as if to come to his senses, picked up his tennis racket preparing himself. He placed one hand on the door knob and took a deep breath.

Screeeeech! The old door moaned as it was slowly pushed open. A cold gust of wind flew through the gap and swept Ben’s curl off of his forehead. He paused and started to sweat. Ignoring his fears he moved on.

Step by step the light got brighter until he saw the light beaming through the missing bricks on the back wall. He shivered in a cold sweat and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Ben pushed his hand through the hole of the missing bricks. Ben felt his hand being pulled and quickly tore it back. His fingers felt so warm and tingly and the tips started to glow. I’ve got to shake it off he thought.

The glow moved to cover his whole body. Shaking his body and yelling to himself shake it off, shake it off! The glow spread faster than he could shake. Like a magnet Ben got pulled behind the wall.

Faced with his worst nightmare Ben was forced to participate in his brother's wedding as the ceremony appeared before his eyes. He knew his nightmare too well. His eyes widening as it all puzzled together. Taylor Swift was now married to his scrawny little brother. He fell to his knees worse than devastated.

That same warm, tingly feeling came back but this time on the back of his neck. Turning around as he sees a shimmer of hope. The glow from behind the bricks called out to him. The rest of the room vanished into a mist, all but Taylor Swift. She spun around, now with a very evil appearance and her eyes glowing with the same green light. Terrified, Ben ran from the love of his life as she grew even more monstrous and chased after him. He couldn’t believe it was her that was doing all this!

Running full speed Ben smacked through to the other side of the wall. Straight away heading up the stairs and quickly slamming the door shut and locking it shut behind him.

It was still night Ben bolted back to bed and hid under his doonas for the night. As he layed in bed unable to sleep he thought, I’ve been up too late, got nothing in my brain and convinced his self it was all just a nightmare. Saying in his mind, it’s gonna be alright. Hours passed. After a while a knocking came from the basement door. What has come back from beyond the basement? He thought to his self.

Clifton Hill Primary School

Issue 3 · 01 May 2020

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