by Kevin Guest
Amy, Jessie, and Fletcher beat Anderson back to the manor, but to no avail. The front door refused to open. They pulled and pulled but it would not budge.
Amy put her ear to the door. She could hear Mary screaming. A moment later, Anderson walked up. He saw the three struggling to open the door. He scanned the area for any tool that could be used. He saw the gallows and the pulleys above it. He pointed and screamed, “Quick, there!”
Fletcher dashed over and climbed the gallows. He grabbed a long rope and ran it through the pulleys. Amy darted over and grabbed the rope as he tossed it down. She threw it to Jessie and she tied it to the door handle.
Fletcher began to pull, the pulleys magnifying his strength. The girls climbed the platform and grabbed the rope. Together, they exerted nearly a thousand pounds of magnified force. The steel door peeled back just enough that they could enter. They jumped down and dashed into the house.
“Mary! Mary!” Fletcher screamed as he darted up the stairs. They searched everywhere, and finally found her, asleep in her bed, unharmed.
They decided to allow her to rest. They were unsure what they had heard before, but if she was safe, there was no reason to wake her.
Amy had a different feeling, but decided to keep it to herself. She sensed something very dangerous about Mary.