Secret Journal

by Laura Sieveking

  ‘What are you doing?’ a voice asked from behind me.

  I turned and saw Saskia and Mercedes walking towards their room, curious faces turned towards me.

  ‘Oh, nothing,’ I stammered. ‘Just looking at the wall.’

  Saskia and Mercedes wrinkled their noses in confusion.

  ‘It’s part of my story for Eden Press,’ I said hurriedly. ‘I’m looking at the architecture of the dorm.’

  ‘Sounds boring,’ Mercedes yawned.

  Saskia’s eyes narrowed and lingered on me a little longer, before she shook her head and followed her friend into her dorm room.

  I breathed a sigh of relief.

  Trying to look casual, I walked up the other end of the corridor in the opposite direction to Saskia’s room. Past the top of the staircase to the front of the building, I stopped and looked at the smooth wall there. I even ran my hands along it, looking for anything that might reveal a secret hiding spot. But there was nothing.

  I breathed out, frustrated.

  Then I looked back down the hallway to where I’d been before, and noticed the bathroom. I wondered.

  Perhaps the bathroom was a new addition to the dorm, one that hadn’t been there in older times. When you entered the bathroom, it extended beyond the wall at the end of the hallway. Perhaps the wall that was at the end of the hallway now was a new wall. Perhaps the hallway used to extend right to the end of the building, where the bathroom now stood.

  I walked into the bathroom. A tap trickled water into the sink. There was nobody in any of the toilet cubicles or the showers. I walked across to the back of the room and examined the wall, which was panelled. I pushed each panel, hoping for some kind of clue.

  As I reached the last panel, I noticed something odd. The bottom panel closest to the floor was not completely flush with the rest of the wall. I pushed it with both hands … and it moved slightly! I pushed harder, with my full weight on the wall.

  The panel clunked, shifting back into the wall.

  My eyes widened. I shoved the panel to the left and it slid along like a sliding door, revealing a gaping dark hole.

  I coughed slightly as dust from the opening filled my nose. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and turned on the torch. Shining it inside, I saw something I wasn’t expecting.

  Old stairs.

  I looked behind me, listening for anyone coming. The coast seemed clear.

  I had to duck right down low to get into the space, but, once I was through, I saw the headspace above me extended right to the upper levels of the house. I couldn’t believe how much fit into what I’d always thought was just a thick wall.

  I was nervous about going down the stairs. They were narrow and steep, and dropped down into the darkness below. Were they sturdy? What if I got stuck in here? Where did it lead?

  But the journalist in me urged me on. I tested my weight on the top step, and, while it creaked a little, it seemed solid. I took the steps one by one, cascading down, down, down.

  When I got to the bottom of the stairs, the space extended ahead of me in a tunnel. It smelt cold and earthy. I shone my phone torch up—I could see the wooden beams that supported the tunnel walls. I ducked down and felt the cold earth. It was pure dirt— there was no flooring on the ground at all.

  I looked back up the towering stairwell—I was certain that I’d travelled down past the lowest level of the house and was now underground. The thought was both frightening and exhilarating. Maybe I should go back? My chest felt tight with fear and excitement, all mixed together.

  Then I felt a cold breeze whip through the tunnel. There must be another opening for a breeze to be coming through!

  I walked cautiously through the dark tunnel, taking each step like a stalking cat, my eyes darting from side to side in alarm. All my senses seemed heightened. I jumped at the tiniest sounds.

  I walked on and on, until, finally, I could see some light up ahead—natural light, not reflected light from my phone torch. I was relieved that it resembled sunlight. At the end of the tunnel was a small flight of wooden stairs built into the wall. It wasn’t as high as the one I’d climbed down from the bathroom, though.

  I tested the stairs with my weight and, although they groaned slightly, they seemed sturdy enough. I climbed them one by one. When I reached the top, I saw an old wooden door with a latch above my head. Small pinpricks of sunlight broke through the tiny gaps in the wood. I pushed the latch with my fingers, but it wouldn’t budge.

  I really didn’t want to have to walk back through the tunnel without finding out where it led, so I tried again. This time, the latch screeched and moved ever so slightly.

  Buoyed with my small success, I tried again.

  The latched clunked open with a metallic CLANG. I pushed up the door and sunlight flooded in, causing me to shield my eyes. I’d been down in the tunnel for some time and the light made me wince.

  I climbed up through the hatch and found myself surrounded by trees. The door was flat on the ground and had largely been covered by dead leaves. I looked around. It was blissfully quiet and the smell of eucalyptus trees filled my nose.

  I heard the cackle of a kookaburra nearby. It was like he thought it funny that somebody had finally found the secret passage of Eden College again.

  I wondered who’d been the last person to walk that tunnel route?

  I shielded my eyes from the sun and looked back in the direction I’d come. I could see the school wall in the distance, and the dormitory behind it. I realised the tunnel had led right out of the school grounds and into the bordering bushland.

  My mind raced. I could be in a lot of trouble for being offsite without permission. Did any else know about the tunnel? Should I tell my friends? My teachers? Mrs Sinclair, the Headmistress?

  I took a moment to stand and breath in the fresh afternoon air. The sun was slowly sinking down towards its chamber, but it was not yet gone for the day. The leaves of the gum trees were dry and crackly, and looked like they needed a good drink.

  I imagined I was Elena—standing outside the school in the Australian bush. It must have felt so different to Italy. I thought about her traipsing through nature, alone yet somehow comforted by the company of the trees. Perhaps she felt less lonely outside amongst the trees than she did in the busy halls of Eden. I was sad for Elena.

  It was getting late in the afternoon, so I decided I’d better get back to the dorm quickly. I didn’t want to risk someone else finding the sliding panel, which I had left ajar. And I certainly didn’t want somebody to shut it, locking me outside the school gates. Then I would be in a lot of trouble.

  I hurried back into the tunnel, closing the latch behind me, and made my way back to school. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my new-found information, but I knew I definitely wanted to tell my friends first. This was big news!

  Chapter 11

  × −

  From:

  Ella

  Sent:

  Thursday, 5:48 PM

  To:

  Olivia

  Subject:

  HUGE DISCOVERY!

  Hi Oliva,

  Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Olivia, I’ve found a secret passageway at school! It leads from the dorm bathrooms out into the bushland surrounding Eden!! I HAVE to tell Grace, Violet and Zoe as soon as they get back from their after-school activities.

  What should I do with this info? If I tell the teachers, there’s no WAY they will let us in there again. And who knows what else might be in the tunnel?

  What would you do??

  I gotta go—the girls will be back any second.

  Love, Ella

  I slapped my laptop shut and carried it out of the study room as I heard some girls walking in through the front door of the house. I recognised Zoe and Grace’s voices, laughing up the corridor.

  ‘Guys, quick, I have some news!’ I gushed, grabbing their arms and pulling them up the stairs.

  ‘Slow down!’ Zoe protested, tripping up the stairs alon
g the way.

  Zoe and Grace followed me into our dorm and I shut the door behind us.

  ‘Where’s Violet?’ I asked.

  Grace shrugged.

  ‘I have something to tell you guys,’ I said hurriedly.

  ‘Hang on, hang on,’ Zoe said, pulling her sneakers off. ‘I only just finished cricket training. I’m SO sweaty. Can’t I take a shower first?’

  ‘No, this is too important,’ I gushed, jumping onto my bed.

  The door swung open and Violet walked in.

  ‘Where have you been?’ Zoe asked Violet.

  ‘Drama Club. We’ve just started—’

  ‘There’s no time for that!’ I yelled over the top of Violet.

  ‘Settle down, Ella. That’s pretty rude,’ Grace said, irritated.

  I wrinkled my face. Why couldn’t they appreciate that I had huge news to tell them?

  ‘Go on, Violet,’ Zoe said.

  ‘Well, we are doing a new production of—’

  ‘No, you don’t understand!’ I protested. ‘I was doing some investigating for Eden Press and I found—’

  ‘Ella, hang on just a minute,’ Grace said. ‘Why is Eden Press more important than Violet’s Drama Club?’

  ‘Because this is way more interesting,’ I smiled.

  ‘Hey! That’s mean,’ Violet said. ‘Why is Eden Press so much more interesting than Drama? For your information, I was about to tell the girls how I’ve been invited to do a soliloquy at the Alumni Luncheon in front of everyone,’ she said.

  ‘A soli-what?’ Grace asked.

  ‘A soliloquy,’ I said. ‘It’s like a solo speech from a play.’

  ‘That’s awesome, Violet!’ Zoe gushed. ‘I can’t wait to see it!’

  ‘But won’t you be waitressing?’ Violet asked.

  Zoe and Grace exchanged knowing glances. The kind where there was a secret between them. A secret I clearly didn’t know about.

  ‘Well …’ Zoe started. She looked at Grace, who shrugged.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked, momentarily forgetting about my epic news.

  ‘I’ve been asked to host the Alumni Luncheon with the Year 12 School Captain,’ Zoe said. ‘You know, like welcome the guests and introduce the different segments. Using the microphone. They wanted someone in their first year and someone in their last year of school here to host it.’

  ‘OK,’ I said slowly. ‘So what’s the secretive eyes about?’

  Zoe looked at Grace, then looked down. ‘Oh, nothing. We just weren’t sure how you’d react.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I frowned.

  ‘Well, you seem pretty jealous that Violet and I are going to the luncheon with our relatives,’ Grace said.

  ‘I am not!’ I yelled. I felt the blood rising to my cheeks. I was NOT jealous.

  ‘I just mean, you seemed weird about us getting invitations and we thought you’d feel left out if Zoe got one too, and you didn’t,’ Grace finished.

  ‘I don’t even care about the stupid luncheon,’ I said defensively. ‘Why would it even bother me?’

  Violet, Grace and Zoe all looked at each other again. Another knowing look.

  ‘Well,’ Violet said slowly, ‘you have seemed a little … sensitive about Grace and Zoe’s friendship lately.’

  ‘What? No, I’m not!’ I yelled. ‘Like, how?!’

  ‘Oh, it’s nothing,’ Zoe said, trying to diffuse the situation.

  ‘Well, it’s clearly something,’ I shot back accusingly.

  ‘Just little things,’ Grace said. ‘Like you seem annoyed whenever Zoe and I are partners for things.’

  ‘That is SO not true!’ I shouted. A tremor in my voice betrayed my certainty.

  Zoe put her hand out to touch my arm. I pulled it away sharply.

  ‘What was your news?’ she asked gently, clearly trying to change the subject.

  ‘Nothing. It was nothing at all,’ I said, as I stood up angrily. I grabbed Elena’s diary and my notebook and pen, which were neatly piled on the desk by the door. Then I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

  Tears pricked my eyes. What kind of friends were they? Always leaving me out and talking about me. Not even wanting to hear my news. And then accusing me of being jealous? As if!

  ‘Are you OK, Ella?’ Ruby asked, as I stormed down the hallway.

  ‘I’m fine!’ I yelled back at her as I stomped past.

  I ran all the way to the end of the hallway. Tears sprung from my eyes and dripped down my cheeks. I walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me. I looked into the mirror at my wet cheeks and puffy eyes.

  I just wanted to go home. I wanted to be in my bedroom with my dog, Bob, listening to my favourite music, with Mum cooking dinner downstairs. I even wanted my annoying brother, Max, to come into my room to play a trick on me. Or Olivia to walk in demanding to borrow my gel pens. I wanted Dad to come in and tell me everything was going to be OK. But I couldn’t have any of that because I was here at Eden College.

  My chest heaved as I sobbed.

  Then I heard footsteps and the familiar voices of Zoe, Grace and Violet echoing up the hallway.

  ‘Ruby said she headed for the bathroom,’ one of them said.

  I looked around wildly. I didn’t want to talk to them. I just wanted to be alone.

  I pulled my phone out of my dress pocket and quickly flicked the torch on. Then I ran to the secret panel and pushed it so it jolted inwards. I slid the panel open and crawled in onto the top step. Then I slid the panel shut behind me.

  Chapter 12

  I bundled down the rickety stairs, almost tripping halfway down.

  Calm down, I warned myself. The last thing I needed was to trip down the stairs in a secret passageway on my own. Imagine if I broke my leg and couldn’t get help. I’d be stuck down here! Forever! Maybe I’d get eaten by wombats. I shuddered.

  I walked along the dark dusty passage, dragging my feet as I went. All I could think about was my so-called friends upstairs. They were probably talking about me again right now. About how I’m jealous and silly and just a big baby. Ugh!

  I didn’t even want to get to the other end of the tunnel. I just wanted to hide out in here forever.

  As I dragged my feet along the ground, my toe clipped something in the dirt. It felt hard, like a pebble, yet thin, like a piece of metal. I shone my phone torch down into the dirt and fossicked about like a bandicoot in the back garden at night.

  My fingers brushed something cold. It was definitely man-made. I picked it up and wiped the dirt off, exposing gold metal underneath. I used the hem of my uniform to polish it under the torchlight.

  As I cleaned it, a beautiful, little metal bird revealed itself. It looked handmade, with tiny delicate strokes for feathers. On the back was a pin with a small clasp. It was a brooch.

  A sparrow brooch!

  I opened Elena’s diary, which I was still carrying, and read back over the last entry. She had spoken about the gift her father had made her … a gold Italian sparrow brooch with a pin.

  It must have been this brooch! My hands shook a little and I sat down heavily. It felt like I’d travelled back in time. I couldn’t believe I was sitting here, in the very spot Elena must have sat, holding her precious brooch. She must have lost it down here.

  I leaned up against the wall and decided to read the next entry in Elena’s diary with the light on my phone. Maybe she would mention something else about the brooch.

  8 March 1940

  Oh, my diary,

  Things are getting worse. As news of the war spreads, life at Eden is getting harder for me. Everyone now regards me with much suspicion. I see them whispering behind their hands. And the words ‘untrustworthy’ and ‘hidden motives’ pepper their conversations.

  To make matters worse, I have lost my beloved Italian sparrow that Papa made for me. I wonder if it was stolen from me or if I was careless with the clasp. Either way, it is gone and I am inconsolable. There is only one other in exist
ence—the one belonging to my dear sister.

  My heart is heavy.

  If only I had a true friend to share my sorrows with. But even the teachers regard me with watchful eyes.

  Papa wrote to me and said things are equally fraught for him and my family in the city. Customers no longer come to his shop. I’m not sure I will be able to continue my education here if Papa is unable to sell his jewellery. What a tumultuous time we live in.

  Elena

  Poor Elena. I felt the heat of my anger at my friends start to ebb away. It was like watching glowing embers in the campfire as they slowly lose their heat and light.

  But still, they did accuse me of being jealous. True friends didn’t accuse each other of jealousy, did they?

  Was I really jealous of Zoe and Grace’s newfound friendship? I wasn’t sure.

  But at least I had friends, even if we were fighting. Poor Elena had no one. Only her diary …

  That’s why I really wanted to solve the mystery of who Elena was and why her diary ended up in the bell tower. I felt like I knew Elena—like she had become a part of me. I couldn’t end things without knowing.

  Plus, I wanted to know what secrets may have lived in the walls of Eden College. This could be an amazing thing to write about for my Eden Press article. But without any record of Elena in the school library, it seemed like she was some kind of ghost.

  I shivered.

  Uneasy now, I stood up and dusted the back of my dress to get rid of the dry dirt that was clinging to it from the floor of the tunnel. I gently tucked the sparrow brooch into my pocket.

  Looking down at my phone, I noticed with alarm that the battery was running low. I suddenly felt a wave of panic wash over me—what if my phone ran out of battery and I was left down here in the dark? How would I find my way back?

  I hurried back through the tunnel, towards the dorm. My phone beeped.

  Battery less than 3%.

  I breathed in sharply and carefully picked up my pace. I didn’t want to run, because it was so dark and the ground was so uneven. I finally made it back to the rickety staircase and began to climb. When I got to the top, I placed my hands on the panel and tried to slide it to the right.