Chapter 3

Throughout the afternoon, James lay down on the cold concrete floor feeling under the weather. However, Esther prowled around the dark, damp and dusty coal shed, the coal shed got colder by the second not helping Esther trying to search for opportunities to escape. Esther spent her own time staring vaguely out of the window, checking anything to get out. The glass seemed to be shaped like diamonds and stars it was actually quite time consuming. She soon spotted a little bit of glass which was missing from the window, she put her mouth close to it and shouted for help, while James gave up and didn’t see the point in it anymore. Brackenbridge Manor was to far away from the main road for anybody to hear anything. Esther pushed, shrugged and banged at the bricks, they wouldn’t move one inch. It was useless, terrible, disappointing.

Every so often, Esther released her building up anger on James, “Instead of lying there making your self look like a stuffed teddy you could actually help me for once!” However, James just ignored Esther and just sulked in the corner, lost within sadness. In conclusion Esther started to tap and nudge the solid walls looking if any inch was hollow. In the end, it all came down to the door. Esther thought to her self is there any way to unlock this door lock. Esther spent most of her time rattling her hair pin into the lock, desperately trying to hack the lock. Exasperated, she spun round once again and launched her anger and frustration onto James, “I can’t do this by myself get up and help me will you, just try!” James once again ignored her and shrugged away in the corner curled up like a ball.
“There is no point what so ever, just give up now Esther.” he murmured and muttered to himself.
“You haven’t even tried to get out, you then may find a point to help.” Esther retorted, standing up sighing at James in irritation and frustration, anger raged through her.

James sat while Esther stood in silence. Esther twiddled her hair and pressed her fingers together in annoyance. Esther stewed with pure anger. Esther could not believe that James could give up so easily, she sighed dishearteningly, “Theres no way out is there, it is no use?” by how much time has been wasted it was already evening, they both knew they were tired, they couldn’t go on for much longer. Inside the coal shed, dark gloomy shadows stretched and covered every moonlit space in the shed. Outside, stationary stars freckled the night sky. The full moon cast a white sheet of Brackenbridge Manor.

Half awake half asleep, Esther heard a familiar tingling of the grass. From outside of the coal shed, there was a whisper, a noice, a groan. It was Tyson. Within a second Esther poked her head out of the window and examined Tyson, soon enough James woke up with a startle, then he too was staring out of the window. Esther carefully and calmly reached down only for her finger-tips touching Tyson’s cold fur, he nuzzled her hand and slumped to the ground with a thud, “need a wind-up, and fast” Tyson mumbled with pure exhaustion. Esther soon turned the cold iron key round several times hidden beneath his shoulder blades.

Thirty Ticks later, Esther, Tyson and James took some rest and shelter in an old ornate abandoned barn with half a roof, sadly James had hay-fever so it wasn’t the best time for James. Wasting time Tyson cleaned his already clean paws and stared at his singed fur from the night of John Hartman missing, it reminded Tyson of him it made him feel he could of done better to protect him if he even is dead. By then James had enough and started collecting some semi-damp wood and sadly hay to light a fire. Blazing towards them it infused them with pure heat by now they were warm through. They were free and safe for now but Esther was still worrying of what’s yet to come. “Where is the vase and John Hartmans designs?” Esther thought to herself. But most all Where was John Hartman himself.