by Bethan Lewis
She made it back to the road, turned around and pulled up outside a little cottage. Turning off the ignition, she got out and walked around, assessing the damage. Deep ridges covered the side panel, cutting through the red paintwork taking it back down to the metal. Erin groaned, the rental company were going to love her.
There was nothing she could do about it, so Erin climbed back into the vehicle. To ascertain a clearer picture of where she was, she zoomed out on the map and discovered that she had driven north and was almost at the top end of the island. Going into the menu she found a setting for attractions and scrolled through until she came to the tunnels. Calculating her route she realised she was a mere ten minutes away. Back tracking, she drove down the road and executed a sharp turn which she had missed on the way up. A clear brown attraction sign reading ‘Jersey War Tunnels’, pointed her in the right direction. How did she miss that before?
As she pulled into a parking space she sighed in relief. That was more hassle than it needed to be. The car park was half full, and a few people were sat on the picnic benches enjoying the mid-morning sun.
Dug deep in to the hillside, the tunnels were almost concealed by the vegetation. The outside walls were painted white and a red cross was marked above the entrance. Erin was transfixed, the area was so calm and peaceful.
‘Hello there,’ a young man with fair hair and dressed in khaki clothes greeted her. ‘Welcome to the Jersey War Tunnels. Have you visited us before?’
‘Hi. No, this is my first time,’ Erin said as she dug through her bag for her purse.
She paid the entrance fee and following the man’s instructions, crossed the threshold in to the tunnel. The ceiling was low, and the white painted walls were so thick no heat from outside penetrated. Goose bumps appeared on her bare arms as the cold air struck her and she shivered, wishing she had worn something more appropriate than a thin summer dress and sandals.
As Erin dawdled along, she read the information boards. There were no other visitors in the first part of the tunnel, and a deathly silence surrounded her which Erin found creepy and unnerving. Not usually claustrophobic, Erin’s chest constricted and her pulse started to race.
She rounded the corner and the tunnel stretched in front of her. As she squinted into the distance, trying to make out the end of the tunnel, the arch-shaped ceiling seemed to get smaller. It was dimly lit, with doorways leading off in to small rooms. Light spilled out from the rooms illuminating the passageway just enough for her to see where she was going. Voices drifted from the nearest room and shadows briefly blocked the glow of light.
Erin came to an abrupt stop. Ahead of her, in deep conversation with a blonde haired woman, was Dan. What was he doing here? This was too much of a coincidence, he was going to think she was following him. He touched the woman’s arm and she threw back her head and laughed at something he said. A pang of something shot through Erin; jealousy? A young boy of about ten years old, came hurtling out of the room and Dan grabbed him playfully, and ruffled his hair in affection. Erin’s blood ran cold, was this his wife and son?
Erin held her breath and shrunk back into the shadows, hoping that he wouldn’t turn around and spot her. Luckily, they disappeared in to the next room and Erin darted from the shadows to the safety of the first room. She dawdled round the display, looking at the boards, but not really seeing them.
She glanced at her watch, ten minutes had lapsed. Had she loitered long enough? Would Dan have moved on? There was only one way to find out. Erin poked her head out and once she was sure the tunnel was empty, walked towards the next area. Too late, Erin realised her mistake, Dan had exited the room and was standing in the passageway waiting for the woman and boy. There was nowhere for her to go. She was stuck in the middle of the two doorways. It was too far to go back, so she did the only thing she could think of; turn her back on Dan and read the plaque on the wall, all the while crossing her fingers that he wouldn’t recognise her. Luck was not with her, Dan turned and caught sight of her.
‘Hi Erin,’ Dan called out, his voice echoing down the long empty tunnel. There was no escaping now, she had to acknowledge him.
‘Oh hello. I didn’t see you,’ Erin lied as she walked towards him.
Dan raised his eyebrows and grinned, knowing full well that she was lying. ‘Erin can we talk for a minute. We got off on the wrong foot, and I need to make things right.’
‘No Dan. It was me. I jumped to conclusions, and I shouldn’t have done,’ Erin said bravely owning up.
Dan shook his head, ‘I owe you an apology and an explanation. Your reaction to my career annoyed me, even though the same thing has happened countless times in the past. I am not that kind of surgeon, what I do is far more rewarding. I was teasing when I said those things to you. I now realise it was insensitive of me, I hurt your feelings and for that I am sorry. You are a knock out, and I wouldn’t change a thing.’
Erin held up a hand, ‘Dan stop. I am the one who should be apologising. As usual I overreacted, but you need to understand something, when I look in the mirror a forty year old woman stares back at me. Over the years I have changed, and there are certain parts of my body I hate. For someone to point out those flaws and suggest they need fixing, even in jest, was hurtful.’
‘I understand, and can only apologise again. What you must realise is, your flaws as you call them, are what makes you, you. They are what attracted me in the first place.’
‘I know I need to accept my body, but strange things happen to a woman’s brain when she turns forty. We become irrational people and our sense of humour abandons us. I read the newspaper article of you opening the unit at the hospital, I know what you do, and I am so ashamed of what I said.’ Erin’s face flamed in mortification. ‘It is my turn to apologise, please forgive me. What you have achieved is brilliant, very commendable, and I am honoured to have had the chance to spend time with you.’
‘I think we have both been a bit silly. You can’t deny it, there is something between us. When our eyes met for the first time on the plane, the chemistry sizzled. We have wasted the last few days when we could have been getting to know each other better. We could have become “more than friends”,’ Dan grinned showing off a row of perfect pearl white teeth.
‘You are not going to let me forget that are you?’
‘Not any time soon. I saw you in the bar with the Americans, I gathered you were drunk and unlikely to remember in the morning,’ Dan laughed. ‘You’re so pretty when you blush.’
He reached out a hand and touched her cheek. His palm was warm and Erin closed her eyes savouring the moment.
‘Excuse me?’ a silky sweet voice interrupted.
Erin’s eyes snapped open, and she jumped back as if she had been burned. The blonde woman and the boy were staring at them with curiosity. Erin studied her, she was beautiful with elegant features; a small pointed nose, bright green eyes and high cheek bones with a small dimple in the left cheek. She didn’t look annoyed to find Dan touching another woman. In fact, she was smiling. Why was she smiling?
‘Erin, let me introduce you. This is my sister Sarah, and her son Adam. They are here on holiday.’
His sister? They looked nothing alike. There was no resemblance at all. Erin glanced down at the boy and there it was, plain as day, Adam was a miniature version of Dan, dark-haired and blue-eyed. Her gaze returned to Sarah.
‘Hello, nice to meet you,’ Erin said politely.
‘Good to finally make your acquaintance. Danny has told me all about you,’ Sarah said.
Oh God. What had he said to her? Had he divulged all the horrible things that had happened, such as the incident on the plane? Did Sarah know the awful things she had said to him?
‘Relax,’ Dan laughed, noting her horrified expression. ‘I told her wonderful things. Like, I had met a funny, charming, beautiful woman.’
A tell-tale warmth flooded her face. Uncomfortable with being praised in front of strangers Erin shuffled her feet. ‘Really? You said tha
t?’
‘Oh Erin, it takes a lot to impress my brother, but you have made quite an impression. Usually he clams up when talking about his private life. I have been on the island for two days, and you are all he has talked about,’ Sarah teased.
‘I have mentioned other things,’ Dan stated, his cheeks going pink.
Sarah laughed, ‘Yes big brother. You commented on the hospital once or twice.’ She turned to Erin. ‘Are you here by yourself? Why don’t you join us, it will be fun. Besides…,’ she winked slyly at Erin. ‘I want to get to know the woman who has stolen Danny’s heart.’
Danny? Stealing a glance from under her lashes Erin decided the name suited him, not that she knew him well enough to use it, but maybe one day she would have the chance. Nodding, she agreed to join them. Sarah and Adam walked on at a discreet distance, giving Erin and Dan some time to talk.
‘Ignore the digs,’ Dan said, rolling his eyes. ‘Sarah thinks a man my age should be married and settled down by now. She has been trying to meddle in my love life for years, setting me up on countless dates with her friends and colleagues.’
‘She just wants you to be happy.’
‘I know, but it does get quite tedious sometimes. I am more than capable of choosing my own date and besides, I was waiting for the right woman,’ he gazed at her intently.
‘Uncle Dan look, a gun!’ Adam shouted as he ran to the display case. ‘This is so awesome.’
Dan laughed and went over to examine the item which had captured his nephew’s interest. ‘Yeah it is cool, but also very dangerous and can do a lot of damage if not used right.’
‘I am going to be a soldier one day,’ Adam announced and pushed out his chest in pride.
‘Well that’s a noble profession young man. Protecting ones country is an important job.’ Dan raised a hand to his head and saluted the little boy.
Erin smiled, this was a side to Dan that she hadn’t expected to see. Her heart melted, and she felt herself falling for him even further. She caught his sister’s eye and Sarah gave her a knowing smile.
The afternoon passed quickly, and an hour later they exited the tunnel. The warmth of the air hit them and Erin immediately broke out in perspiration. She fanned herself with a leaflet as they browsed around the gift shop.
‘Hello folks,’ a chirpy round-faced woman dressed in khaki clothing approached them. ‘Hope you enjoyed the tunnels. If you are interested, we are conducting a ghost walk here tonight, after dark. Here’s the information.’ She handed them a piece of paper. ‘If you decide to come, go to Sherrie over there, the woman with the clipboard and she will add your name to the list.’
Erin read the information, it sounded entertaining, and ghost hunting and being in a haunted location overnight was on her bucket list.
‘I think I will give it a go,’ Erin announced.
‘Want some company?’ Dan asked. ‘Sounds like it could be a laugh.’
‘That would be lovely,’ Erin said, and walked over to Sherrie to add their names to the list.
After purchasing some souvenirs they left the gift shop and strolled back to the car park. Sarah hugged her goodbye and Adam high fived her (which apparently was the standard greeting of a ten-year old these days).
‘Back in a minute,’ Dan said to his sister as he walked Erin to her car.
‘I enjoyed this afternoon, thank you.’ Erin fiddled with her keys, unsure why she was so nervous.
‘I had a great time too,’ Dan replied. ‘I am relieved we sorted out our squabble. Tonight should be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I arranged to dine with Sarah and Adam tonight, but I will meet you in the foyer around half past seven. Wrap up warm, the tunnels will be freezing.’
‘Okay, that sounds good. See you later then. Enjoy your dinner.’ Erin lifted her head and met his eyes. Her mouth went dry and her tongue came out and licked her lips. Dan’s gaze transferred to her lips and lingered.
‘Now isn’t the time,’ he said huskily. ‘Later.’
With that he strode back to his car, waved and disappeared inside. The engine started, and he backed out of the car park. The wheels spun and Erin was left coughing and spluttering in a cloud of dust.
Chapter 14
Erin looked at her watch for the tenth time, 7:40pm. Dan was late. Had he forgotten, or just got delayed? She paced around the reception area, ignoring the curious look of the receptionist. To one side, a small section was filled with large comfy chairs and tables, and she moved towards it and sat down. She picked up a magazine and started flicking through it. 7:42pm. Where was he? They were going to be late for the event. Should she go without him?
Seconds later, Dan sprinted through the door dressed casually in blue jeans and a light jumper, his hair was messy, and he looked flustered. Erin’s heart skipped a beat, he really was handsome.
‘I am so sorry. The hospital called and I had to go sort something out. I didn’t think it would take so long. Are you ready?’ he apologised as he tried to catch his breath.
‘Hi. Yes I am ready, and there is no need to apologise, I understand,’ Erin said and gave him a beaming smile.
‘Let’s go then. My carriage awaits.’
They left the hotel, and as they got into Dan’s black jeep Erin found herself wondering how he managed to manoeuvre around the lanes in something so big.
Dan sped down the country road, and Erin gripped the door handle for dear life. Accelerating around the last bend, he went a little wide and narrowly missed an oncoming car. Erin squeezed her eyes shut and prayed.
They arrived at the war tunnels with two minutes to spare. With a sigh of relief Erin opened her door and stepped on to the ground. Her legs were shaking so much she could barely stand, and she grabbed at the car to steady herself. Noting her pale face Dan apologised for his erratic driving and took her arm.
They hurried inside and joined the small gathering of about twenty people, who stood waiting for the event to start. A woman, who Erin recognised from earlier, came over to where they were assembled. Instead of the khaki uniform, she was dressed in dark jeans and a hooded jacket with a badge that read “Staff”. The logo of Ghost Seekers, a local ghost hunting company, was on the back of the jacket.
‘Good evening folks. My name is Sherrie, and this is David. We will be your guides tonight. I need to check everyone has arrived, so when I call your name, shout out “here”.’
Sherrie read down her list and concluded that everyone was present.
‘Looks like everyone is here. Right, there are a few rules. If at any time you start to feel unwell; headaches, nausea etc. tell either myself or David straight away. This walk is entirely voluntary, we are not holding anyone prisoner, if you want to leave at any time then come and tell us,’ she paused and everyone nodded. ‘The event will take about three hours and is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. We won’t tolerate any bad behaviour; anyone caught behaving in a less than orderly fashion, or who is disturbing the walk and ruining the experience for everyone else, will be asked to leave. Throughout the next couple of hours we will be undertaking various experiments, participation is voluntary, and we will not force anyone to do anything they are not comfortable with.’
Erin listened intently wondering what experiments they would be doing. This sounded a bit more intense and scientific than a walk with ghost stories. As she zipped up her jacket she shivered. Was it the cold, or nervous anticipation?
‘Let’s start,’ Sherrie announced, and strode off into the first part of the tunnel.
The tunnels didn’t look any different than they had done in the day time, but somehow the atmosphere was different, more charged. Erin shivered again and warmth surged through her as Dan took her hand in his, she smiled up at him. It was nice to be in close contact with someone again, she hadn’t realised how much she had missed it. She had been with Tim for years, but they had drifted apart and stopped holding hands ages ago.
Up front, Sherrie was giving a brief account of the history of the tunnels. ‘There is over
one thousand metres of tunnel to explore. It was built by the Germans using more than five thousand slave labourers. In 1943, it was converted into an emergency hospital. Many people died in here, and there have been rumours and sightings of German soldiers wandering the complex. We are going fifty metres underground, no sound will penetrate or be detected above ground. No one is going to hear your screams,’ Sherrie laughed. ‘I am joking, there is nothing to be frightened off. Get your torches ready.’
The lights went out, plunging the room into darkness. Dan was holding the torch and as Erin peered into the blackness he turned it on, illuminating their path. In the soft glow of the torch light, the tunnels appeared more eerie and Erin had an uncomfortable feeling which made her want to turn and run. Her chest tightened, and she was aware of the blood pounding in her head. Dan squeezed her hand, and she relaxed a little, he would look after her.
They rounded the bend and Sherrie stopped. ‘This is where the sightings of one of the German soldiers has been reported. Does anyone feel anything?’ she glanced expectantly around, but no one admitted to any strange sensations. ‘Okay, I am going to split you into two groups now. One will be with me, and the other with David. My group are going to carry on down to where the hospital surgery was situated. David’s group will stay here.’
Erin and Dan were part of Sherrie’s group, and they carried on down the long tunnel to what was once the hospital room. Once everyone was gathered, Sherrie announced they were going to do an experiment called an EVP session.
‘EVP stands for electronic voice phenomena. The gadget in my hand is a voice recorder and I will be using it to record this session. I am going to call out and ask the spirits to communicate with us. If anyone else wants to ask a question feel free to call out too. After a few minutes, I will play back the recording to see if any voices or sounds have come through,’ she explained.
Erin was sceptical, she had never believed in ghosts and the afterlife, but she would play along. Sherrie directed everyone to turn off their torches and be as quiet as possible.