“I had the perfect life exactly one whole month ago, friends, family, my cute little labrador Bonnie and my little brothers (one is ten and the other is 5.) We lived in the Big Apple NYC in Greenvile flats, and by we I mean my not-split up parents and my other cute and thankfully not split-up brothers!
It all started when my parents split up, I always felt like it was going to happen with all their arguments and disagreements.
Charlie, Harry and I (Zoe) were caught up in the middle of the split. 💔
From NY to California every week us kids just wanted our big old happy family back again.
The faithful day came where the judge announced whether Charlie, Harry and I would be staying with dad in NY or mum in California.
Dad: The kids should stay with me! Who in their right mind would send them off to a dreadful boarding school in California when they should stay in their same home, stay with the life they know in NY with me!
Mum: Oh Dave! (my dad) you prove such a good point, but, I am sending my kids to a wonderful school they even are going to be living in a near 1 million dollar house which was what I could afford! You wouldn’t know that because I have been saving money for the past fifteen years for my children to have a good life in a lovely house near the sea.They will have a amazing new life! I don’t think that you can afford a new bike never mind a new life with that buisness if yours!
Since dad was suspected of stealing money out of my family’s holiday savings me, Charlie and Harry were forced into a new life minus dad and in California with Mum.
We are going to go to our ‘elite’ ‘expensive’ ‘three story’ house I was watching out the train window and I saw the deep sea for the first time. As clear as day were all the tropical fish surfing through the broken waves like it was nothing.
When we reached the train station we got a taxi to Yeru hill and saw our new house with our own two eyes.
Flowers and ivy ran up the walls topiary birds and a lily padded fish filled fountain lay at the bottom of our huge lands.
As we entered the mansion (of our dreams) all our dreams…..BREAK.
Sarah(my mum) : Oh dear!
Charlie and Harry; What the!?
Me (Zoe) : What? Is this the right house!?
Cobwebs and broken (probably fake) antiques were found from top to bottom of the house. (I now refuse to call it a mansion because of the inside appearance.)
Sarah: Maybe if we start to dust and sweep the house will look better.. Chop chop kids!! Come on guys brooms and dusters at the ready!
Charlie: Awh mum! Do we really need to clean? Can we not just get a cleaner?
Sarah: Oh come on! It’ll be fun! Plus we might let the people who help have a takeaway!
Quickly Charlie, Harry and I grabbed the cleaning equipment and started scrub scrub srubbing, dust dust dusting, and sweep sweep sweeping.
It was a long 6 hours before we finally got cleared up. We got a takeaway pizza…mmmmm…
A few days passed and we got a letter from dad…
Dear Sarah, Zoe, Charlie, Harry and Bonnie.
I am so sorry that I have to write this message. I never thought I’d be in this position…As part of my sentence I have to fight for the English in the army. I’ve always been telling you about the horrors of WW2 and WW1 now I’ll be the one living it. I guess I deserve it but I cant help thinking that this will be the last time you’ll hear from me..
From your everloving dad and your one time dearest Dave.
I heard mum crying as she read this letter aloud to Harry (as he can’t read)
The next day… I found a very nice painting and I stuck it to my new bedroom wall. I heard a faint ‘miamhue’ ok mabye that wasn’t exactly the noise but it was close. Anyway I heard a noise..or a mumble? A few days past and I began to hear noises… Sarah heard noises.. Harry heard noises.. Charlie heard them too.. Suddenly we heard the postman coming he called out.
“Sarah Hide,497 CKJ 6913, Yeru Hill, California, U.S.A.”
Sarah: Letter from Dave?
Postman: Letter from Dave Whelchester RAB.
Me: Really? Is it him!? Come in Mr…
Postman: Cornwall.
Mr. Cornwall walked in to our home dropped the parcel and carried on his way.
“Bye ladies! Bye boys!”
Charlie and Harry simultaneously looked up from their tablets and mumbled a “Bye” as they continued in the task of trying to get three in a row in candy crush saga.
Me and mum opened the letter…
To Ms. Sarah Hide,
I’m sorry to say that your former husband has died from influenza on board S.S Captain we will all remember him as a loving father and a family man and of course a kind hearted solider.
From Captain CD. Rathgwell
The next few days were very hard for us, but we began to begin we were being watched..
We were! Me and mum and Harry and even Charlie saw creepy eyes loomed out of every single crack and corner. Shadows sceaming through the windows and cold spine shivering wind flew threw the chimneys on really cool days.
The next day I heard footsteps looming on the patio. Crawling and moaning, a figure opened my door at exactly midnight on the 4th of October 2005.
That was the last anyone heard of Zoe Hide…….