The Secrets of Dragonsmoore: The Takers.

Chapter Three: Ettie

                                                                 Chapter Three

                                                                          Ettie.

Saturday July 22nd 4.02 p.m. Dragonsmoore Castle, Cornwall. As the Range Rover raced away Ettie could just hear her Mother's voice shouting over the accelerating engine, as she waved dismissively from the drivers open window. 

   "See you after the holidays!"

   "Mum? Mummy! Mummy please wait! What about my birthday, are you coming back?" Ettie would have chased after her mother but there didn't seem much point. Eloise only used the rear view mirror to check her makeup and in any case the vehicle was already too far away, spitting up stones and sand in clouds of exhaust fumes, leaving a foggy haze trailing behind it, as though a dusty spirit was chasing it away. Slowly it settled on the track and like the Rangerover, disappeared.

Damn her!  DAMN HER!

Ettie stood alone with her two cases. One, a large brown imitation leather trunk and the other, a small insignificant little thing, a little ruffled at the edges, just like Ettie. She bit hard into her bottom lip. The pain would stop the tears. Damn her! Damn her!  Damn her!!

A strong sense of déjà vu suddenly washed over Ettie making her feel dizzy. As she turned to look across the sand dunes she half expected to see someone rising up out of the water. In eagerness her heart missed a beat, her hand moved ready to wave. All at once she felt a chilling sensation, like ice, as though someone or something had suddenly walked across her grave or ran straight through her taking her heart with them. It made her call out. She felt a sudden surge of energy as though her soul was being pulled from her body too and saw to her horror, as she gasped for breath, herself, another Ettie, running as though, from her, across the sand dunes towards the beach! Suddenly she could feel the hot sand between her toes but knew she was still wearing shoes.  

Across the bay she could see a single yacht sailing away towards Pentorren Bay, its blue and white sails eagerly catching the breeze. At its stern flew a blue, white and red flag. A soft salty breeze blew off the sea and from behind, to her horror, Ettie heard laughter!

She tried to turn to see who was there but found she couldn't move a muscle. In front of her she could still see her other self on the highest point of the sand dunes throwing something into the air and laughing as it fell into the sea. It was a Frisbee, no, a hat. No, two school hats made of straw, with lilac ribbons. Ettie watched herself, the same age as she was now, but not dressed in a green dress far too small for her but in a lilac gingham school dress. Her long tangle of blonde hair fell loose, not tied back and blew freely in the breeze as she laughed and skipped bare foot across the wet sand.

All at once the other Ettie screamed with excitement, just as someone erupted from the white foaming waves in front of her. Ettie stood paralysed as she heard herself squeal with delight and run eagerly towards the waiting arms of Charlie! He slowly came out of the water, unzipped his wetsuit and rolled it down low on his hips, showing off his deep tan and then held out his arms towards her.

Ettie couldn't believe what she was seeing. She watched as she saw Charlie kissing the other Ettie, allowing themselves to tumble and roll into the white foaming breakers, still laughing and kissing. Unable to move, Ettie heard Charlie say as though he was whispering into her ear...

'I've missed you so much!' and then he kissed her so passionately, giving her French kisses and love bites. Never in her life had she ever been kissed like this. She could feel the cool water washing over her, taste salty kisses and Charlie in every pore of her body. His very soul seemed to be inside her.