The Curious Case of Coldbeck Cottage PDF

The strange thing about Coldbeck Cottage was that there was nothing really strange about it at all. Quaint and pretty, the worn-out little house had stood at the end of Elm Street for as long as Maddy and Jonathan Brown could remember. Since they were tiny, the cousins had heard stories about how no...

The strange thing about Coldbeck Cottage was that there was nothing really strange about it at all. Quaint and pretty, the worn-out little house had stood at the end of Elm Street for as long as Maddy and Jonathan Brown could remember. Since they were tiny, the cousins had heard stories about how nobody who bought the house could stay in it for more than a night, and how it had stood empty for at least the last few years. Until, that is, the night they played truth or dare. “I dare you both to go into Coldbeck Cottage,” Maddy’s older brother had taunted, “You have to wave from the attic window to prove it, where I can see.” Unluckily for them, the front door had turned out to be open. Jonathan swallowed a lump in his throat as they crept silently through the entrance together. Excited and terrified, neither of them noticed the heavy door swing shut behind them with a quiet click. At the attic steps, Maddy’s heart hammered in her ears as she reached for the worn, brass door handle. “Please, let’s go home,” begged Jonathan, “We should forget all of this and just leave. Maddy, please. I’m scared!”. His large, blue eyes filled with tears as he clutched at her sleeve. “Will you give up being such a big baby!” Maddy snarled back as she shrugged away his hand and grasped the tarnished metal. It felt like ice beneath her fingertips - how could it be so cold in August? Although there was no window, a chill breeze swept past the children and made them shudder. Gritting her teeth, Maddy shot Jonathan a determined glare. With a deep breath to calm herself, she turned the handle. With an ear-splitting creak, the door swung slowly open… CRASH! Maddy shrieked and grabbed at her cousin as a dark shape exploded from the door in a cloud of dust and shot towards them. After a few moments of screaming, however, they realised there was no longer any noise. Nervously, Maddy opened her eyes just a crack…. Only to see a bedraggled, dust-covered crow perched at the top of the staircase. “Jon, you total idiot, look! After all that, it was just a silly bird trapped in the attic! Must have got in through one of those holes in the roof. Ha!” she jabbed him triumphantly in the ribs as he began to blush. Giggling, the two of them began to make their way down the stairs (passing the relieved- looking crow as they went) and back into the hallway of the quaint little house. “Mads, should we open a window or something? It’ll starve to death stuck in here,” Jon asked pleadingly. “I suppose so,” groaned his cousin, exasperated. Rolling her eyes, she disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. “Window in here’s stuck. Try the other room,” she called a moment later. With all his strength, Jon heaved against the frame but it was no use. The window wouldn’t budge. “This is stupid. We can come back and get your dumb bird later - Grandma’s making cookies at home!” hissed Maddy. Nodding in agreement, they turned towards the door and pushed. Nothing. It didn’t move. It was locked. Locked? “Leaving so soon?”