Clock Tower:
The Frightful Event

One day, five friends all wake up to find themselves locked in a strange old mansion, with no way out! There they meet a creepy old woman, and they all become suspicious and plan to find a way out, together... But somebody has other plans for these five girls, and they are suddenly split up! Now it's up to Hannah, the protagonist of the story, to find and save her friends from a gory death by the hands of two murderers. Could this mansion be linked to past disappearences of teenage girls in the area? And what is that clock tower hiding, exactly...

This is the first chapter, theoretically. I hope that you liked the prologue, if you read it at all. The place that is the town, Faire Brookes, is a made up town. My friend Vanessa came up with the name, for I was stuck, haha!

Okay, I disclaim to owning all rights to Clock Tower and the people participating in the story. I own the original idea, but my sister owns the idea of it being placed in a psychiatric ward. I own the evil characters, but my friend owns the town name, Faire Brookes.

I will give the list of characters and their appearences, so you do not get confused:

Hannah Collins: Reddish-brown hair, dark brown eyes
Vanessa Henderson: Honey brown hair and light brown eyes
Chantelle Matthews: Dark brown hair and blue eyes
Kelly Matthews: Auburn hair and muddy green eyes
Rebecca Spinners: Light blonde hair and pale blue eyes

Thank you and I hope that you enjoy reading the first chapter of 'The Frightful Event!'

CHAPTER ONE

The First Encounter

It was cold, so very cold, and also quite damp but hard... The light that filtered into the room was weak and barely fell across the sleeping person's face. There was nothing but silence, apart from the slow, steady breathing escaping each girls' mouths as they lay on the floor, sleeping, apparently. They were not aware of their lonely, dull surroundings. As no light could get in, the darkness shrouded them, letting them sleep and not disturbing them.

This, however, did not stop one of them from waking up, her eyelids slowly lifting. Her vision was blurry, but she was well aware of how hard her sleeping place was. It was also terribly cold, and she could smell the damp and a stale, burnt smell coming from somewhere within her surroundings. She sat up, her back acheing, and blinked a few times, adjusting her eyesight to the darkness of the room she was in.

Once her vision was clear, she could see where she was; But she didn't know where she was exactly. She had never been there, that was for sure, but she did recognize the sleeping figures beside her, and she let out a gasp, realising what had happened to them all. She started to shake each of her friends awake quickly, a look of panic sweeping over her face as each groggy girl opened their eyes, and groaned about the cold and uncomfertable surroundings.

However, when they saw that it was indeed Hannah who had awakened them, they realised something was wrong. Their thoughts were confirmed when they took a look at her panicked face, and their dark, horrible surroundings. Kelly adjusted her glasses, her eyes wide and full of terror as she scanned the area. No light, well, very little light.

"Where are we?" whispered Chantelle, speaking for her sister who wouldn't dare to speak. Hannah shook her head,

"I don't know, but... I think we've been abducted," she whispered dryly, her voice scratchy as Chantelle breathed in sharply, and Kelly let out a small squeal. She jumped up, her shoulders shaking as Rebecca blinked, looking alarmed, which seemed unnatural. Normally, she would have been thrilled.

"What? But how did that happen...? We never met anyone, did we? I remember going home and sleeping," Rebecca put in. Hannah nodded, and so did Vanessa and Chantelle. Kelly just looked at the floor, scared and pale. They knew that she was getting scared quickly; She didn't like the dark, and she didn't like scary places, like the one they happened to be in. Rebecca hugged her friend, feeling sorry for her.

"It is the same for me, but maybe the person who is behind these disappearences took us?" asked Hannah, biting her thumb gently as Chantelle started to pace the floor. Kelly jumped whenever a floorboard creaked underneath Chantelle's foot. Rebecca kept her arms around her tightly, all the while.

"Possibly, so, now we know that they take us in our slumber... Oh, this is terrible!" cried Vanessa quietly as Chantelle pondered, careful not to step on loose floorboards, because she knew that it would scare Kelly even more.

Everyone was silent, wondering when they would see their kidnapper, and whether or not he would kill them. Hannah, though, only thought about her cousin, Susanne, who had disappeared only a day before. Her mother would worry very much about her daughter, she knew that...

Chantelle suddenly stopped, and turned around to face Hannah and Vanessa,

"We should try and find a way out of here, before the kidnapper tries to come and get us. But we need to stick together," she said. Vanessa nodded,

"You don't need to tell us twice. We should always stick together," Vanessa whispered as Hannah and Rebecca nodded whilst Kelly's eyes swivelled around warily, waiting for something to happen at any moment. Rebecca took her clammy hand, and helped Kelly to stand up. The auburn haired girl stumbled a little, her legs shaking vigorously as Rebecca walked her towards their other friends.

"This is creepy," whispered Rebecca, and Kelly nodded slowly in agreement, tears evident in her eyes. Vanessa had wondered when Rebecca would say that, one day. She gave a nod herself, then took Chantelle's and Hannah's hands in hers. Chantelle held onto Kelly's other hand, squeezing lightly to reassure her big sister. She hated seeing her so scared and miserable,

"It is... We should start searching, though, for an exit, before Kelly faints!" cried out Chantelle quickly, and pulled her friends forwards, hoping that it would lead them somewhere; It did. They found a door, black as night and dusty with cobwebs. There were finger prints along the door knob, though, but none took notice of this, for they were busily trying to find an exit to the creepy surroundings,

They were all silent as they pushed the door open, and it gave a low, eery creek which sent shivers up each of their spines. Kelly started to shake rather violently. Chantelle and Rebecca could feel it as she gripped both their hands tightly, shaking her head and squeezing her eyes shut tightly.

Everyone, other than Kelly, held their breath as they stared at the room before them. It was light, very light. The windows were large, but rather dirty, and shredded curtains hung at the sides, thin and once beautiful. The carpet was torn up underneath their feet, and they saw a marble fireplace standing at one wall, covered in scratches. They all wondered... What was this place? Why was everything so neglected and torn up? Who could have done this?

Hannah then turned to the window, and her gaze fell upon the sight below them. She gasped, her mouth opening wide,

"We're... On the hill!" she cried out, gaping at the small town underneath her. Her statement caught her friends' attention, especially Rebecca's, who bounded towards her quickly to see if it was true, and when she peered out of the dirty window, she saw the small town of Faire Brookes. She blinked, her eyes wide with panic yet interest,

"We're... In the deserted mansion," she breathed, earning a small, strangled cry from Kelly and a terrified gasp from Chantelle. Vanessa stood there, rigid, the only thing moving were her blinking eyes. Rebecca and Hannah turned to stare at their friends. Rebecca looked overly worried, then. Her forehead creased as Hannah twitched, ever so slightly.

"How? How could we be?" whispered Vanessa, her voice hoarse, "It has been locked up for ever so long... The door has been boardered up," everybody looked at each other, then a meek voice spoke up, suddenly,

"Maybe... There is another way in," Kelly said in a tiny voice, wondering herself how they had entered the mansion on the hill. She tried to stand up straight, but the others could see that she was still shaking and fear enveloped her mud green eyes. She looked around the light, airy room, shaking her head.

"The chimney?" she muttered, but that was very unlikely. If anyone had entered the chimney, it was a certain way to death, and the smoke would clog thier lungs, and it was far too thin and a long fall.

"That is impossible, Kelly... The entrance or exit could be anywhere. It may be impossible to find it," said Rebecca, her voice wavering slightly as she said it. She was trying her best to keep composed, but even she couldn't hide her fear that well. Hannah whipped her head to the door when she heard a floorboard squeak, and she stared at the newcomer. Her friends turned to see what she saw, also.

There, in the doorway, halfway in the darkness and halfway in the light, stood an elderly woman with greying hair, a wrinkled face and sharp, bright green eyes that pierced each of the girls. They shuddered, feeling something creepy about this woman's presence. It was not comferting, especially for Hannah and Kelly,

"Who... are you?" asked Vanessa, trying to be polite, but struggling. The old woman then gave a wry smile, her thin lips stretching across her old, worn face.

"A keeper of the house," she croaked, her voice like sand paper. The girls stared at her. A housekeeper in an abandoned mansion? How? It was destroyed years before, was it not? Everyone was massacred in the outbreak.

She stared at them, her green eyes shining in the light. She then shuffled towards them, and they saw that she had stood half in the dark for a reason, for the left side of her face was covered in ugly, red scars and her left hand had been chewed off, a bone sticking out where her hand should have been. Kelly stared, trying not to scream out loud. Hannah, Vanessa, Chantelle and Rebecca stared at each other, their faces full of confusion and shock. The old woman let out a laugh, which was loud and rang in their ears,

"Ha! I was mauled by a dog, dears! But enough about that... I welcome you to Faire Brookes Psychiatric Home, girls." she told them sweetly. When they heard the name of the mansion, the girls all stared at each other, and then the old woman, who showed a twisted grin. Kelly, Hannah and Vanessa were petrified by the grin,

"Oh, my dear children... Don't worry... I'll take care of you," she hissed, but that was it. Kelly let out a high pitched scream, and grabbed whoever's hand was close to hers, then ran towards the door, pushing the old woman out of her way. The woman was knocked to the floor, glaring at each of the girls as they ran from the room. Hannah slammed the door behind her. None heard the old woman's low growl that escaped her thin, paled lips...

The footsteps echoed off of the worn walls, floorboards creaked under the weight of all five girls and the silence of the house was disturbed by the passing girls' ragged breathing and their pounding hearts as they ran, together, through the house, escaping the old woman who had scared them so with her words and the sight of her ugly scarred face.

The punding hearts dimmed, though, and their footsteps ceased when the five young teenagers stopped fast. Each of them carefully listened, waiting for the response of drumming footsteps bouncing off the faded red walls. There was nothing, no sound at all other than the soft breathing that passed each of their lips.

The girls tried to calm themselves down, but it was near impossible, as Kelly would let out a cry of desperation every time something occured, like a moth flapping around them, or if one girl touched another accidentally. Shivers ran down their spines as it chilled in the dark house. It then occured to them that they did not know where they had run to. They were lost, and it was pitch black. No windows showed light, for they were boardered up, only a dim gray strip filtered through a small crack in a window, but nothing else.

The strip of gray light fell upon the pale, fear-filled face of Kelly, who's eyes swivelled this way and that, trying to find a place to hide. Hannah and Rebecca clutched at the cold, shaking hands, and Kelly clung tightly onto them. Vanessa, who was also looking for a place to go, let her eyes fall onto the small, splintered door of a staircase closet, which was, of course, connected to the staircase itself.

Vanessa gasped quietly, so that Kelly could no hear and become even more petrified, and gently tapped Hannah and Chantelle on their shoulders. When they turned to stare at their friend, Vanessa pointed up at the staircase above them. It was clearer, for their eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark. Hannah, despite how frightened she had become, let a small flicker of hope fill her head and heart, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips whilst Kelly looked around, clinging to her friends and whimpering silently,

"Should we go up, though?" asked Chantelle warily as Rebecca and Kelly focused their attention to the staircase as well, and Kelly stopped whimpering, even letting go of her friends' hands and staring at the staircase that loomed before the girls. Rebecca took a careful step as Vanessa gulped and Chantelle bit down on her lip, causing it to bleed slightly. Kelly saw this, and shuddered at the smear of blood on her sisters' lip.

"Well, the old lady is far from us, so it must be alright. And anyway... We may be able to find some clues if we go upstairs. There should be no harm in trying to find the missing girls," Rebecca stated, returning posture as Chantelle and Kelly frowned simultaneously, unsure of Rebecca's plan. Hannah rested a hand on her blonde-haired friends' shoulder,

"Rebecca, this is not a good idea... We could get lost, and not be able to find our way out. Remember... We are in a former pyschiatric mansion. There will be many rooms of which will be destroyed. It could be dangerous!" whispered Hannah, fear echoeing her words as Rebecca rolled her blue eyes. Kelly suddenly stepped beside Rebecca, flexing her fingers to keep herself as calm as possible.

"Dangerous? Are we not in enough danger already? We have been abducted, Hannah... If anything, we should look around to find a way out, be it a door, a broken window or even a cellar full of rats and spiders," Kelly shuddered when she heard herself, "we should really do what Rebecca says and investigate. You never know what you could find in a place such as this," the girl mumbled, her hair falling over her face as she hung her head. Hannah, Rebecca, Chantelle and Vanessa stared at her, wide eyed.

It was a slight shock to hear Kelly speak some slight sense. Kelly then lifted her head, staring at each of her friends carefully, then took her sisters hand in hers, leading Chantelle towards the stairs,

Chantelle was shaking her head as Kelly clutched hold of the banister, turning to return her gaze to Hannah's as Rebecca quickly took a hold of Chantelle's hand, ready to follow them up the stairs. Vanessa was not sure of what to do,

"Are you coming? We need to stick together, Hannah, Vanessa." Kelly told them as Hannah stared at her friends,

"It is dangerous." Hannah whispered earnestly, trying to keep her friends where they were. Rebecca began to frown, and Kelly's brows furrowed worringly. Chantelle chewed on a bitten nail, anxious for Hannah's decision.

"Maybe, but if we look around, you might find something out about Susanne, Hannah." Rebecca said quickly, and Hannah snapped her head aroudn to stare at Rebecca with wide, frightened eyes. Of course, Susanne... Her cousin.

Rebecca's blue eyes boared into Hannah's brown ones,

"You do wish to find her, don't you?" asked Rebecca quizically. Chantelle stared at Rebecca with angry eyes. She hissed at Rebecca, and squeezed her hand hard.

"Rebecca!" she cried out, catching her friends attention, "How could you bring something like that up? It is just so cruel!" Rebecca just simply shrugged at Chantelle's cry of outburst. She then stared at Hannah again,

"Do you want to find Susanne or not, Hannah? This is the only way." she said blatantly as Kelly and Chantelle stared at Rebecca like she had recited the Devil's own words. Vanessa had decided to clutch Rebecca's hand, and was sending a pleading look towards Hannah, holding out her hand. Hannah let out a small sigh,

"I do wish to find her, and if I must go with you, then... I will do what I must." she croaked, holding onto Vanessa's hand, grasping it tightly as Kelly nodded, and Rebecca smile lightly. Kelly started to lead the way up the stairs, and none of the girls knew what awaited them...

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The first chapter is finished. I feel that it is a little bland and boring, but oh well. I have no murders yet, but the fourth chapter may have one, so, next chapter I will put up the voting polls.

Hope you enjoyed this dreary chapter. I don't know when I shall update, okay? OKAY!

Blue -Niagra

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