Belle, the nine year old girl from a boarding school

The ice cream came in five gallon tubs and the kitchen staff stored it in a huge walk-in freezer that was unlocked. All they would have to do was sneak down the back stairs, enter the kitchen, enter the freezer, remove a couple of ice cream buckets along with scoops and help themselves. It was easy. It was free and, no matter what the grown-ups might think, it was legal.

Of course that wimp, Brittany, had to chicken out and say that she was afraid of the dark at the last minute, and of course Taylor had to stay with her, and of course neither of them had a flashlight or would go upstairs to get one. So Belle had headed into the big institutional kitchen alone. Starlight through the windows lit her way to the freezer, which was pitch black inside and very cold. She opened the door, pulled the light switch and found the ice cream in its cardboard buckets. Then someone or something turned out the lights. Everything became a black void.

Belle stands still in the darkness a long time. She is very scared but she takes a deep breath. It is then that she notices that the air is not the cold air of the walk-in freezer any more. Belle begins to grope her way for the door, but there is no door. The only sound is that of other girls laughing. Then there is light. It is a square of bright yellow light and dangling down from that light is a big thick rope.

1. Belle grabs the rope and tries to climb out of the dark void.
2. Belle moves toward the voices that are laughing.

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