text: I stepped off the plane into the unknown land of New Orleans. I took a deep breath of polluted air and coughed out sharply. "Big mistake," I murmured under my breath, unheard through the sound of all the suitcases rolling across the bumpy tarmac. I checked my phone. It read 10:58. The plane had landed thirty two minutes ahead of schedule. My host family was expected to arrive at 11:30 too, to pick me up and bring me to my new temporary home. I waited at the baggage claim for ten minutes watching the same bags of all sorts go around on repeat until the owners eventually picked them up off of the endless cycle. Every bag that you could imagine went around in circles, all but one, mine. I walked up to a lady working behind a desk. Her name appeared to be Jennifer as I read from the name tag that was pinned onto her shirt. She was staring down at her computer, the keys clacking ferociously as she typed incredibly quickly, her fingers a blur. I waited for her to look up and when she didn't, I cleared my throat in the most mannerly way possible. "Ahem." "What do you want?" she pestered, gum smacking loudly in her teeth. "Em, sorry to interrupt, my luggage seems to have gotten lost. I was waiting at baggage claim but I didn't see it come around." "Name?" she sighed. "Hermione Bell" I replied. The lady's long false nails tapped against the keyboard once again. "I don't seem to have you on our flight list. Can I see your boarding pass?" she huffed. "Yes, one moment," I started to tear out all sorts of random things from my carry on bag until I eventually found the important piece of white card. I handed it to Jennifer who ripped it out of my grip. The red light of the scanner illuminated the boarding pass as it made a deafening high pitched sound. "Mmm...'kay. So it seems here that one of your suitcases got lost in the shipping process. There was only one wasn't there?" "Yes, the other one was in my overhead storage." "Yeah, okay. It should arrive in about a week because the next plane from Los Angeles to New Orleans lands here tomorrow but it will take a while for all the bags to get sorted first. We will contact you through email for you to pick it up or you could have it shipped to your accommodation. Which would suit you better?" "I guess the shipping would be better, please." "Alrighty, I just need you to fill in these documents and all shall be well." I don't know what world she was living in but all should certainly not be well. It's not exactly the ideal beginning to an adventure. Most of my clothes were in that suitcase, my favourite items. By the time I had all the documents and papers filled in, it was 11:27. I was sweating from the stress of losing a suitcase and my stomach was still churning from the plane journey that was packed with turbulence. I decided to go down the escalator to meet my host family. I saw families holding glittery 'Welcome Home' posters with eyes filled with an excited sparkle. I was looking around to spot a sign with my name written on it. I was imagining the creative posters that the artistically talented children might have made. There was hope in my eyes and a smile on my face as I scanned through the crowds of people being reunited with their loved ones. In the very back of the crowds, I spotted a tall man wearing black sunglasses and a black suit, he was holding a sign that said 'Hermione Bell' in bold block writing. My smile faded away as I walked towards him. "Hello, you must be Mr.Stoker?" "No, I am not. Mr.Stoker sadly couldn't make it today to collect you, so I have been sent, supposing you are Hermione Bell?" said the mysterious man in a robotic monotone voice. "Yes I am. So who exactly are you then?" I asked as we began to exit the building. "I am the Stoker family's chauffeur and Mr.Stoker's brother." he answers in the same tone as before. "Oh,"I reply, shocked at this fact. It was a long silent car ride in a black car with tinted windows so you couldn't see out. I was just beginning to nod off when the car came to a halt as it rolled over little gravel rocks that sounded as though they were scratching the black paint off the shiny car, but when I stepped outside, the car looked brand new. The entire family was standing outside the ghostly looking mansion. The parents were standing in the back with the three children lined up neatly in front. They were all wearing formal black clothes. The children looked as though they were having an argument until their mother bent down and whispered something in their ears and then they kept quiet. I walked towards them with my suitcase in hand, because it didn't roll successfully over the gravel,and Mrs. Stoker met me halfway. "Oh my dear Hermione, we are all so glad that you are finally here," she announced, enveloping me into a cold, bony hug. A shiver went down my spine, as though a spirit had entered my body. She continued to introduce me to her husband and children. "This is my eldest daughter Clarice." Clarice stuck out her hand for a formal hand shake. When our hands touched, I felt a prick in the skin of my palm. I winced but thought that Clarice must have gotten a thorn stuck under her nail or something. "And this is my only son Barnabas, he is going to be in charge of the Stoker family when my husband passes," explained Mrs.Stoker with an odd glint in her eye. I nod slowly and smile at the boy who looks around ten or eleven years of age. "And last but not least is little baby, Belladonna," she says whilst picking up the creepy girl of about three. She had a full head of black hair and her eyes so dark brown that they looked like burnt charcoal. I found it unusual that none of the kids had said a word to me yet. Mrs.Stoker handed Belladonna to Clarice who lifted her and swung her by one of her arms like an out of control bowler with a bowling ball. I avoided eye contact with Clarice to prevent her from giving me an evil eye stare. Mrs.Stoker then put a long fingered hand on my lower back and led me toward the large double door entrance to the scary building. "How old are you Hermione?" "Em... sixteen,"I hesitated because it said so, multiple times, on all the documents that they had to sign before I came. As soon as I stepped inside the home the doors locked suddenly,it looked like an invisible hand just slid all the metal locks shut. I began to tremble. This place was terrifying to say the least. There was a bear rug on the carpet with its eyes still in their sockets and a pool of blood below the mouth. "Ahh, I see you are looking at Barnabas' latest achievement. He went into the woods with Damien last week and shot it with his own gun." "Damien?" I question, trying to avoid the fact that an eleven year old shot an animal dead. "Yes, my husband. Barnabas made it for you, to make the home feel cosier, I hope you like it," answered Mrs.Stoker. "Yes, I do very much," I lie blatantly. Barnabas grinned. "I will show you up to your room now," whispered Clarice very quietly, taking my hand and dragging me up the creaky warped oak floors. We went up four flights of stairs before coming to a grey door. I was panting when we had finally reached the top. Clarice ripped off a necklace that was hanging around her neck and stuck a key that looked like a charm into an old keyhole. She wriggled the key around until a click was heard and the door opened slowly. "Welcome to your new home," she said, in a scary voice. "Thanks," I whispered. I stepped inside the room and felt a cold breeze blow across my face and I noticed that the window was open. No I was wrong, there was no glass, it was just a hole in the stone wall, white lace curtains blowing. I turned around to look at Clarice, to notice that she had disappeared as silently as a grave. I gently closed my bedroom door behind me, wedging my backpack between the door and wall so as to prevent being locked in, like in the movies. There was a steel bed pushed up against a wall with a thick sticky liquid dripping down it. The mattress had one thin grey blanket folded on top and a flat pillow that looked as though it was as old as the building itself. There was an empty fireplace opposite the bed and that was it; that was my new bedroom for the entire summer. My mom had sent me to New Orleans to learn a bit of independence and to get a job and to become self-sufficient. but personally I didn't think it was a good idea and I guess I was right. I took my cell phone out of my pocket, 14:43. The time was flying by today. I dumped my suitcase on the floor and threw my backpack on top of it whilst holding the door open. I then walked down the stairs, I kept imagining screaming faces in the small pane of glass in each of the doors that I walked past but just presumed that it was my tired eyes playing tricks on me. I walked all the way down the flights of stairs back to the entrance where I first came in. I walked as quietly as I could but there was a loud squeak each time I placed my foot on a stair. I could see light and hear voices talking coming from a room off the main entrance. I skipped towards it. “July 16th 4pm, it will be done,” said Mrs.Stoker’s voice. “No, it will be much too soon, the people will get suspicious,” replied an unfamiliar voice. “Not if they never find out,”giggled Mrs.Stoker wildly. Today was July 16th, something secretive was going to occur very soon. I knocked lightly on the wooden door and stepped inside the warmly lit kitchen. "Hello." "Oh hello dear, would you like some food? You must be hungry after your long trip," said Mrs.Stoker. The anonymous voice was matched with the body of Mr.Stoker. "Yes please,"I reply politely. She took out a large pot out of the oven with her bare hands and began to ladle out a chunky looking stew into a cracked bowl before handing it to me. "There you go love,"said Mrs.Stoker "You can eat at the dining room table," she said, pointing to a dark green picnic bench in the corner of the large airy kitchen that I hadn't noticed before. "Thank you,"I said gratefully as Mr.Stoker gave me an ivory spoon. I walked over to the bench and placed my meal on the table while I swung my legs in under the seat and ate the chunky mush and gagged before managing to swallow a spoon full and said I was full even though I was so hungry I could eat a horse. I left my bowl on the table. "Where are the children?"I asked, wanting to become acquainted with them properly. "They are probably in the play room," Mr.Stoker replies without looking at me and pointing at a room straight through the kitchen entrance. I walked out and crept towards that room. Belladonna came crawling towards me on all fours frowning in a way that I have never seen a toddler frown. I picked her up and bounced her up in my arms, I noticed Clarice and Barnabas doing something that looked very strange indeed. "Clarice!"I yelped. "What?" she asked dully. "Stop doing whatever on earth you're doing to Barnabas!"I demand. "We're just playing, it's no big deal," replied Barnabas as he took his head out of the miniature guillotine. I ran up to my room, two stairs at a time, after I left Belladonna on the bear rug. I grabbed my phone and punched in a number. "Hello, how can I help?" asked the robotic voice,"If you would like to order a cab please press one." I stabbed in the number one very harshly. "Where would you like the cab to be sent to? Would you like to put it in manually or would you like me to send it to your current location?" "Current location," I reply in an intense voice. "A cab will arrive in approximately twenty minutes." I sighed a breath of relief. I can't stand this creepy place any longer! It was currently 15:35 I screamed a little inside. Something bad was going to happen in twenty five minutes. If the cab came in time I could make it out safely. I started throwing all the little items that I had taken out of my small bag and began to put them back in. I sat on the edge of my bag waiting for the time to slowly tick past. I had my bag on my back and my suitcase in hand. The second the minute turned to 15:55 I ran down the stairs and crept along the ground floor slowly so as to not make much noise so nobody would notice my disappearing act until when I was already on a flight home. I tried to unlatch all the locks silently and it was on the last lock that I heard a voice behind me. "Where do you think you're going?" screeched Mrs.Stoker in a horrible voice. I slowly turned around on my heel, a look of terror on my face. "Em..I was just...em...getting a breath of air..." "With your bags?" "Yes...um...I-" "You what, dear?" she said, coming closer, her breath on mine. I gently managed to get the door open and I made a run for it. I could hear multiple pairs of feet chasing after me, snapping twigs and crunching leaves on the autumnal ground. A yellow cab pulled up in the driveway. I jumped in. "Go! Step on the gas!" I panted, out of air, my lungs felt as though they were burning. Roughly, five minutes later when I was able to breathe normally again I realised something. "Hi, sorry, I never actually told you where to go, where are you taking me?..."I questioned, fear creeping up on me again. The cab driver didn't say anything. I took out my phone to pretend to do something when I saw a text from three minutes ago. Your cab has arrived to pick you up, please come outside. I started to freak out... "Who are you?" I asked, breaking out in a cold sweat. The driver didn't reply. "Can you let me out?" I ask. Still no answer. I grab at the door handles when I hear a click. He locked them. "Let me out!" I scream. The driver eventually turned around and I couldn't believe it when I saw...