Dreams, Memories & Keys

Chapter 47 - The Tunnels

Back at the Pitt Manor work site, the Gaffney relatives and their hosts, Charlie and Benny, gathered beneath the scientist's shelter, located in the remains of Lord Pitt's former study. Each family member was given a liability waiver form to complete and sign. Once everyone did, they were ready. Benny led them back to the space which was once a kitchen and prepared to go down the stairs, leading the way into the basement beneath the remains of the old building. Benny made sure everyone had a flashlight, a headlight, or was holding a lantern of some kind. Then he went in.

"Follow Benny," Charlie instructed the men.

"I want Poppy and Riona to go before me," Gary insisted. "I want to be able to see them in front of me. I don't want either of them to get lost to the point I don't know where they are going. Not again."

Greg considered that. "Jessie, why don't you and Poppy go right behind Benny. Riona and Susan should follow them. You and I can go after that, or you can go with Byron. Your choice," Greg suggested to Gary.

"I'll agree with that, only Greg, if you don't mind, I would like you to go first," Charlie instructed.

Greg arched a brow but otherwise didn't question the instructions.

"I have the feeling you already have some idea what you will find down there," Charlie explained.

"Very well," Greg agreed. "Follow me," he told Jessie.

Making sure his flashlight was lit, he followed Benny down into the tunnel-like, narrow flight of stone and brick stairs, into what remained of the basement from the old Pitt Manor.

What Greg remembered as a relatively wide-open space had been divided at some time in the past into a number of rooms. Some were clearly storerooms, though others looked like they could have been living spaces at one time. To his surprise, Gary and his family gravitated to these, inspecting them with an air of familiarity.

"I suppose this might be considered tunnel-like," Byron remarked as he too inspected the space characterized by a long hallway with the rooms flanking it on either side.

"Except these weren't them," Poppy told him.

"Are you certain?" Byron asked.

"Yes. Mia, you remember," Poppy remarked to her cousin.

"I think so. I think you had to go through here," Mia said.

Mia surprised everyone by going through an open doorway into a room that was barely wider than another hall, except that instead of ending at the stonework which made up the basement's foundation the way the other rooms did, this room ended with a wooden panel and arrangement of stone around it, suggesting a doorway.

Greg shined his light on the panel to discover it was not a panel at all, but rather a heavy wooden door. It looked old enough to be original to the structure. He moved his light down to where on an ordinary door a knob or a lock or a keyhole might have been. There was no knob or handle, but sure enough there was a metal plate with a keyhole set into the wood.

"Is it locked?" Max asked.

Greg pushed on the door, which remained fixed in place.

"If you will allow me." Charlie squeezed past them carrying an ancient key. He squeezed past Greg, inserted his key in the lock, turned it until they heard a click, and gave the door a push.

It was more of a shove actually, and it ended up taking two men, but eventually the ancient door swung open on its ancient metal hinges, which showed signs of rusting in place.

"I believe you asked about tunnels," Charlie said, gesturing towards the passageway in front of them.

"I believe I did," Greg agreed. "Can we go in?"