The Sisters of Castle Stone

#14: The Grounds of Castle Stone

Floods of tears streamed down the face of Sally Greyson as she headed away from the scene.

"What the hell?" Dad moved closer to the open door, and Charlotte waited close by as he peered down the stairs to see exactly what had happened. "No you don't want to see this, Charlotte, take Clem and stay in your room. I'll wait for the doctor."

She watched as Dad headed further down the stairs, and as he turned on the light, she caught a glimpse of something she never thought she'd see. She took a deep breath and headed closer to the staircase.

Bethany's body lay at an unnatural angle at the foot of the ancient stone stairs. Her limbs twisted and bent in painful directions, as the blood that caked through her long dark hair seeped into a pool around her. The hardness of her bloodstained skull could be seen through the deep messy gash. There was no doubt about it, Bethany Greyson's life had ended.

A sudden gasp escaped Charlotte's mouth. Dad who by now stood feet away from Bethany, turned and looked up to see her standing there.

"I thought I told you to stay in your room?!"

He nipped quickly back up the stairs to where his younger daughter stood, and as he emerged from the servants area, he quickly closed the door behind him.

"Charlotte," his voice slowed down to its normal pace and quietened to a decent level, "I am a police officer. I've seen no end of dead bodies. I'm so sorry, you shouldn't have seen that." He placed his warm hand on her shoulder, "please, my darling, go back to your room."

Charlotte pushed open the door to her room, and sat on her bed. Her mind cast back to the last time she spoke to Bethany but the more she thought about it, the more her stomach churned. The last time she'd been with her older sister was the night of the crash, and that was something she'd so desperately tried to forget. Sadness felt like a cold blanket wrapped around her body so tightly that not even a tear could escape. She didn't want to leave her room, but part of her knee couldn't possibly stay there a moment longer. Not just her room, but the castle. All Charlotte wanted was fresh air, to feel something, anything, because at the moment all she could feel was numb.

She stood from her bed, and took a deep breath, as she pulled on a thick purple fleece top and her warmer walking boot socks. Charlotte stood by the door, waiting... listening. Again she inhaled deeply the sweet smells of the beautiful bouquet in her room, drifting up her nose. She placed her hand on the ancient door knob, and opened the door. Instead of walking near to where it happened, she nipped quickly down the stairs. A man headed towards her, a stethoscope draped around his neck. He looked at her, just for a second as they passed, but Charlotte looked away.

A few moments later, she pulled open the front door and stepped out into the fresh countryside. For a second or two she stood and breathed. In and out... in and out. She reached into her pocket, and put her headphones in her ears as she let the music take her away from reality. Her pace quickened, and instead of a gentle walk, it turned into rather a slow jog, as she headed towards the gate.

Tall trees with bare branches that seemed to go on forever that had stood for hundreds of years, lined the picturesque driveway as Charlotte opened the gate and turned down a small country lane on the Castle Stone estate. It was a long and winding track covered by fallen leaves of browns and gold, and broken pebbles. As she walked she felt free. Free to hear her own thoughts, free to think and free to feel. There was something about being in the place where her sister lost her life, that she felt she could cope with. Not now.

The night the two went out together, the last time they were alone, Charlotte's thoughts of Bethany weren't how sisters were supposed to feel about one another, well not the Greyson girls, anyway.