HIDDEN SECRETS

By 

Alfie 

St Paul’s Junior School, Shepton Mallet. 

I’m not supposed to have it. I don’t want to have it. I just happened to stumble across it one day and now my life has changed. If you’ve got five minutes, I could tell you what happened. 

It all started when my parents were looking through the garage and something caught my eye. Something shiny that was half hidden behind an old desk. I waited until my parents had left the garage and I put my hand down the back of the desk and tried to pull it out. It was wedged so tight I had to pull the desk out so I could wriggle it free. It was a leather-bound diary by the looks of it and attached to it was the shiny key that had caught my eye. I tried to open the diary but it had a small lock that I’d not noticed. I took hold of the key and then it happened… there was a sudden sensation – a tingling up my spine. I tried to fit the key into the lock – it took a few attempts but eventually I managed to turn it and the book fell open. There was nothing written inside except for a note. It said: Don’t let anyone take the key. And that was it. I flicked through the pages but there was nothing. Just the one note and tattered old paper. 

I heard footsteps on the gravel outside the garage so I hastily put the diary and key in my pocket thinking my parents were coming back in and would take it off me. I cautiously opened the garage door and looked out. To my surprise a tall man with a snake tattoo around his neck was stood staring at me. He smiled and asked if I knew anything about a certain key. I said I didn’t have a clue and that he shouldn’t be in our garden as I didn’t know him and my parents would be back soon. He took a step towards me and suddenly his smile turned into a grimace. At that moment I realised I could read his mind and he wanted to get the key at any cost. I was in danger! 

I ducked under his arm and bolted down the garden path and into my house. I locked the door and ran upstairs to my room and hid behind my wardrobe. I could hear him banging at the door. I could feel the diary vibrating in my pocket. I took it out and opened it and to my amazement I saw a second message. It said: Beware the man with the snake tattoo – he knows the secret. 

I grabbed my school bag and filled it with things I thought I would need – clothes, food, water, money, and my favourite comic books, and I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would take me because I knew that ‘snake man’ was looking for the diary and now he was looking for me.