Darkness After Light

It was a frosty winter morning. The sky was tinted with the first rays of sunshine. Jason took a deep breath of the cold winter air. He lived opposite to the Big Ben. Across the street, he could see the tower chime for seven than morning.

"Jason, come downstairs," said his mother, "it's almost seven o'clock!"
"Yes mom, I'm coming!" Jason replied.

It was hard times for Jason as his father, Julius, had died in a car accident. Now, with their mother working as well, they could barely afford he and his sister, Sadie's education and there was more. Jason was almost fifteen, and about to complete his schooling. He had been offered a seat by Oxford, and even with a scholarship, he would have to earn £100 in three months. But there were happy things in life too, just a minute's walk away...

"Hey Annabelle," Jason enquired, settling into his seat, "how's it going?"
"Never better..In fact, Oxford has offered me a seat!" she said, grinning jubilantly.
"Really? Me too!"

Even if the two weren't described, they were complete opposites. Jason was blond, with a broad, but clumsy build — a pun on the saying 'with great power comes great responsibility' — while Annabelle was thin, with red, straight hair and there was their friend Carter, with raven hair, knobby knees, and a scar on his chin.

Time flew by, and before Annabelle or Jason knew it, the bus screeched to a stop. The two rushed to class, after realizing they were late. By the time they ran to building B, and climbed up ten flights of stairs, they were panting hard. When they entered the class, they were greeted by complete silence. Annabelle and Jason could feel the glares on their back, but ignored them.

"Do you have any idea how much time I waited for you?" a voice dripping with venom echoed from across the room.
The two students froze, realizing who was in the room.
"It wasn't our fault, the–"Annabelle trailed off, stopped by the fierce gaze she was treated with.
"I don't need any of your silly and illogical explanations!" he said, seething with anger, "Both of you will go to the old church and clean it tonight — including the cemetery!"

After this particular incident, the whole day was a blur. The two were dreading the night, their thoughts clouded by what might happen.

It was dark. The moon casted an eerie glow over the Cleopatra Needle. It was a splendid sight, not doubt, but had foreboding feeling to it.

Annabelle and Jason found out Carter was accompanying them too, and were relieved at last. They all met up together, and started talking amongst themselves to calm their nerves. they dusted and mopped up the church, and went to explore the cemetery. It was covered in a seemingly dangerous and impenetrable fence, which after looking at, Jason and Annabelle concluded that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Just then, Carter rushed to beside an arch, and started examining it. By the time the other two came, he was picking the lock.

“Don’t you two see?” he said, “It’s a roman door trick; they disguise the gate as part of the fence.

“Oh ...” said Jason and Annabelle, clearly not understanding.

Carter opened the gate slowly. It creaked, and was in desperate need of oiling. As soon as it opened a crack, the spectres of the past rushed to their home, craving vengeance.

And a hoarse voice whispered —

“Populusque Romanus,
Radix malorum est cupiditas,
Memento, aut mori,
Loqcogito aurum potestas est,
Cavefacio, et acta non verba,
In crastinum, est finis.”

It echoed through the air.

Jason and Annabelle looked at Carter, and his expression was worrying them.

“Illuid non potestas esse”, he whispered, “It can’t be.”

Then, in English, carter repeated it —

“People of Rome,
The root of all evil is desire,
Remember this, or die,
They think gold is power,
Beware, and act don’t speak,
By over morrow, the end.”

Just then, a phone started ringing, and Annabelle picked it up. She said, “Hello?”

“Oh! Thank the gods! It's you, There’s something really weird going on here, I think you better come.” Said a voice from the other end.
And so, Jason, Annabelle, and Carter hopped onto a plane to Amsterdam. When they reached there, they got past the security, and their friend took them to a mountainside café for croissant and coffee. Then, they realized how hard it was going to be.

The sign said children under 18 should be accompanied by an adult. So, the trio had to sneak in through an old tunnel which opened into a wine cellar of the castle. It was pitch black, and they stumbled in the darkness, into the room of the ghosts. A candle flickered to life, and Carter’s sight petrified him.

They are surrounded by twenty-three ghosts, all holding a weapon of some sort, all desperate for revenge. The weapons Jason and Annabelle can see, coupled with the ghosts being envisioned by Carter, gave way to a dreadful scream …

Abhiram Vinjamuri of 6.A