Nightmare! How did I get there and why? It's a question I will probably never get the answer to. But one thing I know for sure is that I will never forget that night.

I opened my eyes after what seemed like a very long nightmare. I struggled to get to my feet and started to take in my surroundings. It looked like the old dilapidated castle on top of the hill that I had seen the week before, while playing with my friends. Everyone said that it was haunted, but I thought it was just a bit of silly nonsense to scare us away from it. That was then. But even so I never had the courage to go inside. Now I was trapped. I looked around and saw an old grandfather clock. It was 11:00 pm. In some parts of the room the roof had collapsed and the moonlight crept in, casting eerie shadows across the floor. I started to creep around the room, hands in front, to try and find a door. An owl screeched in the distance. Just the very sound of it sent chills running up and down my spine.

As I moved slowly out of the room, a large chipped and worn marble staircase came into view. As I moved forward I started to daydream of a time when this castle was still in use. I imagined knights in shining armour and ladies in the most amazing dresses. I looked down at the clothes I was wearing, I wished they were like the dresses the women were wearing. I was astonished to watch my old, ripped jeans and baggy t-shirt fade away, and be replaced by a beautiful ruby studded red ball gown. I swiftly moved through the dancing couples to the back of the room. I stopped abruptly. In the far corner of the room I saw, what looked like two men duelling over a beautiful young lady. I watched until eventually one won. Just as the sword went straight into the other man's heart I turned away. I turned so sharply that my dream disappeared - all the people and my beautiful dress vanished. I looked back at that corner and heard a scream of pain. Well at least I thought I did. But wouldn't that be impossible? It was only a dream after all. I heard a crash of armour hitting the stone cold floor. I jumped. I wanted to turn away but I couldn't. A stain that looked like human blood spilling out onto the floor now fixated me. It was exactly where the knight that had been killed had been. A ghostly light appeared. I suddenly felt cold. Ice cold. This was unusual for me, as I nearly always felt warm. I watched in horror as the light made its way towards me. I turned and fled up the marble staircase.

I clutched at the elegant locket my mother had given me the night before. I slowly opened it and looked inside at the portrait. It was of a woman. She looked young and pretty, 18 at the most. I looked at her long, curly, auburn hair and large, green eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, but that was definitely impossible. The locket dated back to the 1600s. The man on the Antiques Road Show said so when we had it valued. So I am not likely to see her on the street.

I felt something watching me and slowly raised my eyes to see that light. The light I had been hiding from for what seemed like forever. I hid the locket in the corner of the room, summoned what little courage I had left and climbed out of my hiding place. I watched the light turn into a man. I noticed it was the same knight that had been killed. I was filled with terror as I heard the old grandfather clock strike midnight. I was determined not to run away again so I looked him straight in the eye. I was sure the entire colour had drained from my face. Still I held my ground.

"What have you done with it?" Demanded the ghost. I let my eyes quickly flicker towards the corner of the room before answering.
"The what?" I mumbled, ashamed that my bravery had faltered once again.
"The locket!" I looked at him blankly. "The locket with the portrait of my darling Rachel in it!" Suddenly it hit me - that's where the girl looked familiar from. Once again I looked at the corner of the room. This time he followed my gaze, but still neither of us moved.
"What do you want with it?" I asked as calmly as I could. I watched as his face changed from a cold hard expression to a sad lost look.
"Without it I am unable to rest in peace." Then as quickly as his sad and sorry look came it disappeared, followed by a long hard stare. "Give it back or I will never let you go!" he shouted. I ran to the locket, threw it at him and sprinted towards the door. I was surprised at how easily I got out. I knew the minute I got home I would be safe.

"Hey Tilly, we are going to the castle on top of that hill! Do you want to come?" shouted my friend Kelly.
"Err no, I think I will give that one a miss!" I shouted back. Some people don't understand why I won't go back to the castle. I am not sure whether the knight got his locket back and is finally resting in peace. But every time I look at that old building I get chills and wish that night was just a nightmare.