New Lodge Arts Summer Festival, Duncairn Arts Centre
August 12th 2015
One day Neemh and Oliver were out in the fields of their farm helping Neemh’s dad. They were planting vegetable seeds. Then Oliver turned around. He could hear an eerie moan coming from the castle in the middle of the forest.
That night Oliver and Neemh went to bed. Oliver was still thinking about the eerie noise, but Neemh had forgotten all about it. When they woke up in the morning they found themselves on the cold stone floor of the castle courtyard.
Neemh nudged Oliver. ‘What?!’ Oliver hissed sharply at her. He was trying to think of what to do.
When he turned around, Neemh’s face was as white as marble and she was looking up at the tallest tower. There was a cloudy white mist drifting round and round the tower.
Neemh heard a thump. She turned around to see the unconscious Oliver lying on the floor. She heard a whine and saw Thor, their cocker spaniel, licking Oliver on the ear.
Oliver stirred and sat up. ‘What happened and why is Thor here?’
‘I don’t know,’ replied Neemh. ‘But the white cloud has disappeared.’
She jumped up. ‘Let’s go and explore the castle,’ she said.
They walked down a dark corridor and saw a dark oak door. An eerie moan came from inside. They opened the door. They had to push hard because there were stones blocking it.
It was dark inside the room except for one small flickering candle sitting on a table. Neemh gasped. The room was full of statues of people and dogs. They walked around the room examining the statues. Suddenly Neemh stopped. Oliver bumped into her.
‘Watch where you’re going,’ he said. Neemh was too shocked to reply.
‘Look, Oliver!’ she said. ‘These statues look like our parents!’
‘What are they doing here?’ asked Oliver.
He reached forward to touch the statue, but stopped when he heard a dark laugh…
