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Mystery under the lake
The Café by the lake
Looking out over the quiet Lake I sipped at my coffee and tried to listen to the man across from me. Hearing words here and there I was distracted by the white house and the red thing, is that a shop or a phone box. Snow on the trees reflected in the water as I learnt about a hidden tunnel and a plan.
Why use a café to discuss such matters? I had followed him from the churchyard after observing him walking amongst the gravestones. I had become curious as he stopped at each one making notes. Something wasn’t right, he was a stranger to our village, what interest did he have in our deceased folk?
This is when it got interesting. The odd words, “tunnel, treasure and brave.” I certainly should not have been listening but there he was on his phone and I couldn’t help it. Was he a bad person or was he a Christmas philanthropist? He then hung up and started to look around the room. Who or what was he now looking for? As he noticed me watching him, I quickly turned to watch the water. Feeling an uneasy sick feeling, am I in trouble now?
Annie
‘Hi, just wondering, have you lived here long? Can I buy you another drink?”
Stammering I answered, “About ten years and no, my coffee is fine.”
As I willed him to go away, he pulled out the chair and sat down. Struck by his handsome smile I reminded myself that I’ve been caught here before. I’ve so far got to meet a genuine nice man, so far they are all rogues and cheats.
“Did you ever meet a little lady called Annie Hart?” She lived in the house just over there and she would help on Sundays at the church.
I remembered Annie, she died about six months ago. I nodded.
“Did you know her well? and any of her family?”
“I didn’t, it was more just hello and nod. I was always unsure of her family”.
“Ok, and do you often trust your uneasiness? He smiled.
“I do, but I’m not always right”. Where was this headed? Handsome stranger approaches girl in café and asks questions about a dead old lady.
“Was Annie well liked?”
“I think so but there was always something about her, might have been her sons but she was not someone that you upset. You just smiled, nodded and kept going.”
“You are wise, would it surprise you to learn that I’m also one of her sons”.
“It would, but I’ve never seen you before”. My stomach was churning, what was happening here?
The family
“Have you ever heard about the lake passageway?”
No never, as far as I know there is just a footpath that goes around it if that’s what you mean?”
“What’s your name? I’m Philip.”
He held out his hand, shaking it I answered,
“I’m Carla”. Should I be careful? Can Philip be trusted? His brothers you certainly can’t.
“I’m aware that you followed me from the cemetery which means you are either nosey or curious in a mystery like I am.”
“Or I am a girl who likes a handsome man in a suit but confused why he is taking notes in a graveyard”.
Why was he trusting me with this. Pulling out his notebook I was now shocked with what I was reading.
The deaths of Annie and Ted then other names that I didn’t recognise.
“My dad was her first husband, William George.”
“Was he not murdered? His killers never found”.
“Yes, and who would be your suspects for his murder.”
“Her sons, but surely not?”
“Did you know that those boys were not actually hers. She was with Ted maybe just twenty years the boys she saw them as sons, but they were not her blood. Do you also know what happened to their mum.”
“I’m guessing murdered”.
“She vanished, never found. I’m suspecting that she knew she was in danger”.
The plan
“Okay so Philip, what is happening here. So far, I have pieced together treasure and a tunnel under the lake. A lady who maybe lived a life that was a lie. Why did you not visit sooner.”
“About four years ago I attended a funeral a good few miles from here, Ted informed me that she was dead and I believed him. Don’t know who we buried that day, but the internet is a wonderful thing. Her more recent death came up on my internet newsfeed and I’m now finally here to do something for her, years too late! Ted died maybe a year back and those boys are still here. Carla they are dangerous!”
“How can your suspicions be proven?”
He pulled out a letter and a map of the lake. An underground pathway ran all the way from the café to the church.
“Mum has left something that we need to find. She must have been scared for years, I stayed away as was warned away by Ted. We need to get into the cellar of this café. The police will not listen to my suspicions, that’s who I was talking to. They just mocked my theories as a daft treasure hunt. The treasure here is not gold, it’s getting Mick, Fred and Bob locked away for murder”.
The cellar
I now knew I could help. Reaching for his hand, I pulled him up. Following behind me we now approached the kitchen, I knocked on the door and opened it.
“Pam, please can me and Philip have a look in your cellar?”
“Why love what’s in the cellar?”
“That’s what we need to find out, I just need to check something with Philip”.
She handed me the keys smiling,
“I don’t know what you are up to but there’s rats down there. I haven’t been down those steps in years”.
“Okay come on Philip. Sorry I used to work here, Pam the cook is a good friend.”.
Opening the door we now studied the map. Using his phone as a torch Philip led the way.
Standing in an empty room that’s stank of damp we now looked for a door or gap. Moving some hessian bags and then shelves, Philip led out a whoop.
“Do you have just one key or two?”
“There has always been a mystery key with the cellar key but as Pam said people don’t come down here.”
The passageway
Opening the exposed door with a loud shove and then a creek, we walked through. I’m sure this had been dismissed as a cupboard, certainly not a tunnel. under the lake. I let Philip take my hand; this was an unexpected adventure.
Possibly about halfway under the lake the tunnel opened into a room. Boxes were piled up on the sides and forgotten beer cans littered the floor. According to the map there is something buried under the boxes. I was surprised as he pulled a garden trowel out of his jacket, we need to dig about here.
Pulling boxes out of the way he now started digging, hearing the scrape of metal he breathed heavily. This was it treasure found. As he grabbed it we heard a noise and then Bob appeared in the room holding a gun. I stood sweat pouring of me now, I’m too young to die. As the shouting started and the threats got louder I closed my eyes. Philip stood shielding me as I started to cry. I certainly am not brave. Now as if my prayers were all answered at once, the sound of many footsteps were coming from the church. Then a loud gun shot, no this couldn’t be happening.
Help
Philip grabbed me as the team of Policemen appeared,
“Mr George, I presume, sorry we mocked you. Pam phoned us concerned for Carla, she thought she might be in danger, we came straight away to meet you the other way from the church. Didn’t expect to need to shoot Bob here, but he is known to be dangerous. We just couldn’t prove it”.
Philip now sat with the metal box. Inside his birth certificate reading Philip George, and a photo of him and his mum. Photos of his dad and then letters. Letters written in fear of a man threatening to come between them. Philip took what was his and passed the tin to the policeman,
“I think this is your evidence, mum buried it under the lake as knew it could get her killed. I’m hoping it was natural causes that got her and not Teds sons”.
“That we don’t know, but reading through this it’s evident that your suspicions for your dad are true. Was there any reason for them to latch onto your family as they did?”
Inheritance
“My dad after he died left a large inheritance to my mum, Ted and his boys have been abusing that for years”.
Finding an envelope addressed to Philip in the tin, the policeman passed it.
“You might be wanting that.”
He opened it, “okay I think I need a solicitor, my mother is a very clever lady”.
Turned out that William had left a much larger sum of money. They had planned ahead and Philip was now inheriting thousands.
So, all in a day’s work, one murderer shot, two more to catch and a new handsome stranger helped.
A year later
Philip is no longer a stranger, we are having our own much safer adventure together, The person who I suspected as a bad man is actually a very good kind man, full of stories and plenty of laughter. We are happy and life is good.
The ;police with help from Annie’s letters had now found Sandra, Teds first wife, not dead just running. The boys now imprisoned she no longer needed to hide. Grateful to Philip and Annie, her and Annie had been writing for years. Both scared of angering Ted and the boys they had been supporting each other. I was relieved to find that she was alive not murdered, and was living a happy life on another continent with her husband Fred and his two daughters. Watching the four of them now I hugged Philip. He was a good man, Sandra truly now had her freedom and Annie was in a much happier place away from Teds evil sons.
So, what about our future? no wedding ring yet but right now we couldn’t be much happier. The day I followed my handsome stranger to the café by the lake, I didn’t expect an adventure and love, but this is exactly what I got.
Written for Writers unite, Write the Story, photo prompt
For more see My new old bike a murder and gratitude
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Listen to the music!
Music shop
When I was a teenager I would always meet my friends on the top floor of a music shop. It was small and very easy to find each other. Those precious days before downloading and streaming music. Those days when you would buy your music and then share it on tapes with your friends.
Would any teen now create a mix tape? Would they know how? I wonder if future generations will buy Cds. I still do but my children have never shown an interest. They are both happy with streaming on their phones.
So why am I telling you all this? Music drives so many of us. All of us like some form of music, none of us would ever imagine they could be scared by it. Have you ever had a song repeating in your head? and then heard it everywhere you go?
This song haunted me for months before the night. I can replay those times in the music shop, but nothing could have prepared me for this. In life I had never needed my friends as much as I did then. So here is what happened, have you ever been told to listen to your inner voice? Yes, you most definitely need to, I was ignoring mine, big mistake!
Our world
A friend told me years ago of a song that made him feel like he was flying. This seemed crazy to me but he had just experienced something that I should have been listening to. As we go about our daily lives we miss so much. Often focused on our lives, our problems our stresses and worries but we keep on going. How often do you listen to the wind? Actually stand and sense what is happening out there. Have you ever walked through a wood and heard whistling in the trees or stopped as you thought you heard something, then dismissed it. Yes, me too!
The night is a lonely place, I should have listened to Sam and accepted a ride home, I didn’t, I walked my usual route listening to music on my headphones.
Walking under the bridge that I’ve walked under many times, my song started playing about being by the river. I smiled seeing the silent water flowing next to me, reflecting the light of the moon. This was when my whole perspective changed, something happened and I don’t really understand how.
The field
It felt like I had walked into a long tunnel, with a large field at the end, the river had vanished. I could hear birds singing, and sheep standing quietly, I could even smell lavender and the song was still playing. It was as if I had stepped into a different world. Now pulling my coat around me, the wind had changed and the night felt darker. The music was now replaying; I now actually listened to the words. “I go to the river, I go to the field, the man calls to me and I’m finally healed.” Does this mean something? Music is key to our lives, but this field does not exist. Where is the bridge?
Feeling fear now, this was wrong, sitting down I felt sick, what was earth trying to tell me?
Hearing my name, I could hear Sam. Hear him but I couldn’t see him. I had a greater awareness now of the dark field and the lavender smell was extreme.
Problems
I had been busy these last few months. Fixing other people’s problems but not looking at my own. Things had been spiralling and tonight I had ignored Sam when he told me to slow down, take a break from work and look after me. To stop worrying about other people’s problems and sort out my own. He had advised acupuncture or massage, to just slow down.
Stretching out my legs now I could feel the grass under me as I laid down. Noticing now that the sky was purple. This was wrong and Sam’s voice was still talking to me somewhere.
This was a call, listen to your inner voice and slow down, listen to your friends. I had heard this song so many times about the field and healing but ignoring its significance.
A wake up call
Hearing another voice now, I didn’t recognise it, the field was disappearing. I could hear a beeping noise and could feel a tug on my arm. Coming round I looked up at the man looking at me smiling.
This was a wake-up call. I found out later that Sam had followed me home, lucky he did as I had fainted under the bridge and then stopped breathing. He had dialled 999 and here we are. The paramedic had brought me back and the music had, for now, stopped. Realising that the song had said about a man healing someone, this was me. I’m sure it had been a warning; I am now listening!
Listen!
I’ve learnt to listen, to stop and focus on me. I am too young to be fainting and seeing purple skies and why Lavender and sheep? I can’t explain the sheep, but I had learnt that Sam had started spraying Lavender scent in desperation to help revive me. Next step is to talk to my GP and take a break from work. I need to stop. The world around us is significant, listen to what it’s trying to tell you and any songs that seem to be talking to you, mine definitely was.
We all love music, stop and listen to the words and stop and really listen to the world and your environment. Listen to your internal monologue and stop if you need to, nothing is more important than your own health. Your loved ones need you so work out what really matters. Take each day one at a time and enjoy the company of those around you. I’ve certainly had a frightening wake up call!
Written for write the story on Writers Unite!
For more see A fork in the road – Just muddling through life
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White witches and superstition
A day out
Have you ever stood and asked yourself, why? Why are these beautiful children so mischievous? Why can’t they just stand or sit still? I should have known better then to take them to the Tudor House. The term stately home should have set off alarm bells. No, stupidly I had made the sandwiches, put squash in beakers, found wellies and put the children in the car. I had imagined a nice day admiring the home and gardens of Lady Gray. This was not the day I had planned and I certainly did not expect to meet witches.
As we drove along the long gravel drive looking for parking, Jane hit Tim, shouting,
“Yellow car, no returns.”
“Mum, Jane hit me.”
Ignoring them and now concentrating on reversing, I needed a happy day.
Taking their hands we walked, paid entry and entered the great hall. Tim groaned,
“I’m hungry”
“Later.”
The incident
After an exhausting but long afternoon, it happened, like watching something in slow motion. I saw the face of the screaming tour guide first. So many times, I have told the children to touch nothing, today was no exception. As I saw the wall vanish, I heard Jane and Tim laughing.
When you are alone with these two it is impossible to stop and read anything. I had taken my eyes off them for a second and now this. Standing in the centre of the large ornate room there was a plaque. It told of a great superstition, a warning. Small children don’t read warnings. They had picked up the huge ornamental cup between them, Tim shouting, “We won”.
Maybe this place should not have been open to the public, but people were now screaming and running. Hysteria over a disappearing wall!
I’m not superstitious and certainly do not believe in ghosts but I now wrapped my coat around me and shivered, and the children had put the cup down. This was no longer a fun game.
The cup
As the crying started, the tour guides were trying to get everyone out safely. This was a first for the National Trust and no one was prepared for it. The plaque had been considered merely a story, but the cup had always been treated extremely carefully, and no one had touched its handles, until now.
Historians had recorded an event in 1783, where it was found that if the cups handles were held at the same time by different people, it was believed that the dead will rise again. They wrote that white witches had chanted and returned the spirits to their other realm where they needed to be. Today there are no witches, and the crying has turned to howling.
Why am I now smelling incense? The children are now sat watching events unfold as if we are at the theatre. The National Trust staff don’t know what to do and a stranger is now trying to take charge. A blonde-haired guide is trying to ignore what he is saying, and he is becoming more irate. His plea’s are urgent and being ignored. This was all our fault and running was the coward’s way out.
“Excuse me, but can I help? Seems that you know something here.”
“This cup has been here many years, and it was just a matter of time before this happened. The National Trust have ignored all my warnings but did at least install a sign. Not your fault that your children can’t read. We need a white witch.”
The White Witches
Ignoring his reading comment I now googled, ‘White Witch, Essex’.
“You don’t need to google I’ve already messaged them. They know me, I’m prepared. Not sure if they believe me though.”
I now phoned the number and explained what had happened. They had not taken Eric seriously; they had considered him a time waster years ago. Now knowing there really was a problem they made their plans to leave immediately. Looking at Eric I could see he was enjoying this. The rest of us were scared but he was wearing his ‘told you so’ smile.
Smelling the aroma of herbs and then flowers, grey smoke was filling the room. The crying and wailing continued as clouds formed and then disappeared, then reappeared again as if they were dancing.
Hearing the screech of tyres I grabbed the children, surely this was it. As the giant walked in the guides went quiet. Eric ran up to him but was told to leave alone. Watching his co-workers assemble their equipment this appeared to be a military operation. They had obviously performed this many times before.
Problem solved
Watching the children hold their noses as the scent of lavender filled the room I was amazed at the seamless operation happening around me. The giant, Jack, was giving commands, as a lady started to chant.
Gradually the smoke became thinner and the crying and wailing died down. Lastly the wall reappeared. No harm done, all spirits returned to where they should be and the room now back in harmony with its surroundings.
A manager now appeared and was talking with Jack about the cup. Maybe it really was not something that should be on display in a National Trust property.
This was a day that we will be re telling for years to come. However, I doubt people will believe us. One of those events that if the children mention it at school they will be accused of lying. its not often you visit a National Trust property and meet real witches.
I didn’t know that white witches existed. There is so much that we are unaware of as we go about our daily lives. This was a day that we are never going to forget, question is though, next time will the children do as they are told? And not touch!
Written for Write the story photo prompt on Writers Unite
For more see, Sand falling into a new life
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