Through the door….. 

It was a beautiful, wooden cottage with emerald green ivy climbing up the walls and red roses growing around the perimeter of the cottage. The door was open and without thinking, she walked inside. The cottage had everything you might need: a cosy living room with a convertible sofa with candles burning dimly; a little kitchen with a cooker cooking some food; a table with a light blue tablecloth with some white dots on it with clean plates set out on it; and a coffee maker pouring out some hot coffee. 

“Hello,” shouted Maddie, while wondering if she would get a reply. But there was nothing but silence. She made her way up the crooked stairs to a black landing. There was no one in any bedroom, the beds were made with light yellow and blue quilts and rock hard pillows. For a moment, she wondered if she was in the three bears. 

She had drawn her wish but it didn’t seem that it would come true. There were no signs that a lady lived there. In her life she had never seen her mum or not that she could remember but she certainly knew that she was not there. That was when she heard it.

Something downstairs, something that was using loud footsteps. It was making a loud tapping accompanied by a deep growl. She looked down the stairs, and started to walk down them quietly. She stopped and poked her head round the wall into the living room. Her hair stood up on the back of her neck. Nothing moved. No sound except from the coffee maker finishing up. 

A moment later, she heard the noise again. Turning round, she opened the kitchen door carefully. It was then that she saw it: a big dark shadow walked towards her; ruby red eyes staring at her; and razor sharp claws scratching the ground. Maddie opened the cottage door and ran as fast as her legs could. She ran along the path to where the door was. 

But there was nothing there. Nothing but more snowy forest, going on endlessly. And the sun slowly melting the cold snow. “Come back,” growled a voice behind her.