Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Thursday evening

“Hi Rainie. Could you be so kind and help me with something for a minute?” Mrs. Tamaro’s head had popped up from behind her hedge when Rainie and George had arrived back. She had rang her bell to alert her grandfather of her imminent arrival, out of habit, drawing the neighbour’s attention.

“Sure” Rainie said, looking at her grandad, who nodded. “Not too long though”.

“That’s ok George, I won’t keep her long”. Rainie parked her bike against the fence and followed behind Mrs. Tamaro into her house.  

“I want to hang this picture I had framed today” Mrs. Tamaro showed her a stunning photograph of a misty sunrise over Coldrum Longbarrow. Rainie felt the goosebumps rise on her arms.

“The standing stones at Coldrum” Rainie whispered.

“I’m surprised you recognise it” Mrs. Tamaro said whilst handing it over to Rainie.

“Funny thing” Rainie said “I’m doing a project for school and needed a childhood picture. So yesterday I dug out one of me and Toby at the Stones, flying kites”. She explained.

“What a coincidence” Mrs. Tamaro climbed onto a metal step ladder and nailed a picture hook into the wall.

“Can you hand it to me now?” Rainie did as asked and Mrs. Tamaro hung the wire at the back of the frame carefully on the hook.

“Now if you take a few steps back for me, dear and tell me if it’s straight” Rainie walked back until she bumped against the sofa and looked at the frame.

“A little left” she instructed Mrs.. Tamaro “Yeah that’s it. Perfect”.

Mrs. Tamaro climbed down and folded the step ladder up, then went over to Rainie and stood next to her.  “Didn’t you get lost or something when you went there? I seem to remember there was a bit of a do da.”

Rainie looked at Mrs. Tamaro in surprise. Had she been talking to George?

“I can‘t remember what happened” Rainie said honestly. Mrs. Tamaro gave her a piercing look. Just like earlier in the week, in the woods, Rainie felt as if all her secrets were uncovered.

“Take a good look at that picture Eliza and you’ll remember.”

It was hard to pull her eyes away from Mrs. Tamaro, but when she managed she did look at the photograph more closely. There was indeed something. Close to the edge of her memory, trying to push through. It wasn’t George’s version of events, nor her parents. Something had happened, she just couldn’t quite grab it.

“I’m sorry, I really can’t remember. I have been told I got lost and…” Rainie stopped talking. Not sure if she should carry on. Something was niggling her. Suddenly it hit Rainie.

“Did you call me Eliza just now?” Mrs. Tamaro nodded sagely.

“Find me when you remember, dear. It’s important.” Mrs. Tamaro looked at the stricken girl and tried to reassure her. She could only guess the fear she must be feeling.  

“I’m sorry” she apologized, placing a hand on Rainie’s arm “I cannot help you any further. I wasn’t there ten years ago.” Rainie looked at the older woman. She felt a connection she hadn’t felt before and knew the woman was telling the truth.

“Okay, I will.” Rainie trusted her and knew deep deep down that things were going to be all right.

Mrs. Tamaro nodded approvingly. “You better go. George is waiting for you and she’s scared. Be kind to her Eliza. She means well.”

Rainie left the house, giving the photograph a final glance.

When she stepped into Sunnyside George and Toby were watching TV.

“You two made up?” she greeted them, leaning in to give George a kiss on the cheek.

“Did you find her?” George asked when Toby had finally gone to bed. She looked nervous. Rainie decided to play innocent.

“Who do you mean? Mrs. Tamaro? I helped her hang a painting before I came home or do you mean Hannah? She did come round here to tell you I was over at hers right?”

George folded her arms and studied her granddaughter carefully. “Hannah did indeed come round and I’m glad Debs caught you.” Two can play this game she thought. She may not be able to get answers from Rainie now. But she was going to get them plus she had another card up her sleeve.

Rainie felt guilty about her stand off and apologised. She wasn’t going to get any closer to the truth by rubbing her Grandfather up the wrong end.

“I went to the library this morning to do some research” Rainie saw George relax, she didn’t look surprised.  “I guess you didn’t find anything that corroborated by story” George said.

“Indeed. So I went shopping with Hannah for a bit and then we went over to hers”

Up in her bedroom, Rainie studied the photograph taken ten years ago at Coldrum and tried to separate truth from fabrication. In her notebook she drew a table with three columns and headed them: George’s version; Facts; Things I remember

Under facts she wrote:

·         Went to Coldrum Long Barrow ten years ago with mum, dad, Toby and Grandpa George.

·         I wanted to see Standing Stones.

·         We flew kites.

·         Something happened.

·         People use Pagan rites to stop environmental disasters.

·         Dheera is real. 

Under George’s version she wrote:

·         I brought a rucksack with an egg and a spade. It disappeared.

·         I disappeared, probably inside the burial chamber.

·         Stones toppled over. Site evacuated.

·         I was found unharmed waiting in the carpark.

Then she went to the column headed ‘Things I remember’ and thought. She had felt something stir when looking at the picture at Mrs. Tamaro. Something did happen and she knew without a doubt is had something to do with Dheera. Suddenly an image of a yellow backpack with a print of a panda on it hit her. It was hers and she had lost the bag and had been distraught. She could feel the panic almost reliving the moment.

“Eliza…” Mum crouched down.

“Rainie. My name is Rainie.” She said crying. Her mum pulling her close to give her a hug.

“I am going to call the train people. Maybe someone has found it and handed it in” mum kissed her head.

“But it’s Dheera’s. Someone will steal it”

“I’m going to call them now”

Rainie exhaled. Dheera had given her a yellow bag. She had told Rainie to use it on their trip. Rainie dug deep again. Was there anything else? She opened the wardrobe and picked up an old canvas bag. She smelled it. Sometimes people would remember things by their smell. Nothing.

She took out her phone and googled images of the burial chamber at Coldrum. Stones had indeed tumbled down it seemed. But it looked like that had happened centuries ago, not ten years. There also didn’t seem to be an entrance to a burial chamber, unless it was accessed through the stone circle at the top of the mound Rainie thought. It didn’t look like there was a tunnel or anything else going into the hillside. However, George must have clearly seen a cave of some sort. Rainie checked the letter. A chamber, George mentioned someone had seen her disappear inside a chamber. Scanning the pictures she couldn’t see any. Just grass and vegetation surrounding the stones. They must have had a picnic under the tree. Rainie tried to picture herself sitting in its shadow, eating squashed sandwiches. Nothing tangible surfaced. There was only one thing for it. Tomorrow she would have to find Dheera. The girl was real and had known her before she changed her name. That much she knew for certain. She needed answers and despite George’s warnings she thought Dheera would be the only one to give her any, if she was willing to talk. Whatever happen or didn’t happen ten years ago she would have to piece together.