That made good sense. Aisley thought about it for a moment. 'Michael Sheldon had a hundred miners working for him,' she said. 'It would have been easy to get some of them to dig a tunnel from the house to the beach.'
'It sure would,' Chandra agreed. 'If what we're thinking is right, then we should get to the beach soon.'
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, the tunnel levelled out to a sandy floor and they realised they were standing in a small cave. They walked out of the cave and found themselves on what could only be Cariad Lili Bay Beach. The cliffs rose up majestically around them, white against the stormy, evening sky. The beach was dotted with rock formations of all shapes and sizes. Huge waves crashed against them relentlessly where the rocks jutted beyond the water's edge. It was such a wild and beautiful place that, for a moment, neither Aisley nor Chandra could say a word.
'I can't believe we found it!' Aisley said as they wandered down towards the water.
'You can't believe who found it?' came a shouted comment from somewhere nearby.
Aisley and Chandra both jumped and Aisley let out a little scream. Then they spotted the figure of the twelve-year-old boy they'd been searching for.
'Wade!' cried Aisley, relief coursing through her veins.
Wade was standing atop one of the rock formations like Superman, with his hands on his hips. His torch jutted from the pocket of his hoodie.
'I found it, Aisley!' he yelled happily. 'I told you I would. The key opened the secret door to the secret beach in the story you told me. And here we are!'
He looked proud as punch and Aisley couldn't help but laugh. 'Oh Wade, I don't know whether to hug you or punch you out! You had me worried sick! I thought you'd fallen off the cliff.'
'Why would I?' Wade replied casually. 'I was never on the cliff.'
'But … the floor?' Aisley was puzzled. 'Dad would have seen that trapdoor when he re-laid the flagstones in the wine cellar. I don't understand how he missed it.'
Wade shrugged. It was obvious he couldn't care less. He was the conquering hero here today and that's all that mattered. The waves crashed dangerously against the very rocks that Wade was standing on.
'I think the tide is coming in,' said Chandra, looking from the sea to the rocks and back again. He took a step forward. 'Better hop down from there, bud,' he called to Wade. 'You're going to get drenched in a minute.'
Aisley cast a cautious glance at the sea. 'Yes, Chandra's right, Wade. Come down now. We'll come back down first thing in the morning and you can show off to mum and dad.'
'Take a picture of me first,' said Wade, striking a pose. 'I so cannot wait to tell Nyle about this!'
'I don't have my phone,' said Aisley. 'I'll take a photo of you tomorrow okay. Come down now. Please.'
The waves crashed against Wade's rock again, splashing him from head to toe and he jumped away in an attempt to avoid the spray. It was then that the awful thing happened. Wade slipped and fell. He screamed, disappearing over the side of the rocks and into the water just as the waves hit again.
'Wade!' Aisley screamed, running forward.
'No!' Chandra grabbed her wrist. 'The tide's coming in. You'll get smashed to pieces.'
Aisley smacked his hand away. 'Get off! He's my brother!'
Chandra grabbed her again and pinned her arms to her sides. 'I will get him,' he shouted. 'You will stay here. Do you understand?'
'But …' Aisley struggled weakly, but he was too strong and she couldn't break his hold.
'Tell me you understand!' Chandra yelled at her.
Aisley nodded helplessly.
Chandra kicked off his runners and pulled his t-shirt off over his head. Then without a second's hesitation he ran into the enormous surf, diving under the big waves. When he emerged again, she could see him swimming out towards the rocks where Wade had fallen. Aisley stood as if made of stone, trying with all her might to see beyond the dark and the rain. She'd never been as terrified in her life as she was right now. The waves rushed in, moving further and further up the beach and she could see no sign of either Chandra or Wade.
A whimper escaped her lips and she clasped both hands over her mouth. 'I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do,' she sobbed. She scooped up Chandra's t-shirt and runners and hugged them to her chest.
The minutes passed with agonising slowness and the advancing tide forced her back, almost to the cave entrance. The salt spray was soaking her more than the drizzling rain. Just as she was at her wits' end, Aisley thought she saw a dark shape bobbing way out beyond the breaking waves, hardly visible in the dark. She squinted, sure she was seeing things, but no … there was definitely the silhouette of two figures in the water out beyond the end of the cliff. It was Chandra and Wade. It had to be.
Her hopes started to rise as the two boys struggled back towards shore. Just a few more metres and then they'd be able to touch the ground. Thank goodness …
Then in another second, Aisley's hopes were brutally dashed as a sudden huge swell lifted and carried Chandra and Wade away and far back out to sea. Before her horrified eyes, they were swept around the end of the cliff and out of her sight.
'No!' Aisley screamed. 'No, no, no!' She made to dart forwards but the tide forced her back into the cave. What could she do? They were going to die out there and there was nothing she could do! She couldn't even ring for help. She didn't have her phone.
At that thought, Aisley turned and sprinted back up the tunnel as fast as she could. By the time she reached the steps and climbed back into the wine cellar she was badly out of breath, but she couldn't stop. Not even for a second. She didn't know how long they could stay afloat out there. She dumped Chandra's clothes on the floor of the wine cellar and snatched her mobile phone up off the kitchen counter. She started to punch in triple zero and then she stopped. What could she say? She didn't even know where the boys were or even if they were still alive. That last thought was too horrible to consider.
She stared blankly at the cold lasagne on the counter. It seemed a lifetime ago that she'd put it there. Aisley forced herself to stop and think for a minute. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She pictured Chandra and Wade getting swept away around the end of the cliff. Which direction would that take them? Think!
She pulled up an imaginary map in her head and realised they would have been carried around the cliff towards Seamere Surf Beach. Her eyes snapped open. Clutching her phone, she ran from the house and dashed down the gravel road hoping and praying that she wouldn't fall this time like she did before. Her heart thumping hard in her chest, Aisley punched triple zero into her mobile and pressed the phone to her ear.
'Ambulance, police, or fire?' inquired a professional female voice.
Aisley burst into tears. 'I don't know!' she wailed helplessly.
'Just calm down,' said the woman in a composed tone. 'Tell me where you are.'
At the bottom of Loch Hill was the narrow, sandy track that led to the surf beach. Aisley raced down the track as fast as she could with her long hair streaming out behind her. 'I'm … I'm on Seamere Surf Beach,' Aisley panted.
'Alright, that's good,' encouraged the woman. 'What's your name?'
The unruffled questions were calming Aisley a little. 'Aisley Brannon,' she said. 'Please … I'm on Seamere Surf Beach and my brother and my … my boyfriend … they need help. They're out in the water in the storm. My brother fell in and my boyfriend went to save him,' Aisley started to cry again. 'Now, they're both lost!'
She hit the sand, stumbled, and fell to her knees. Scrambling to her feet, she ran down to the very edge of the water and scanned the sea around the bottom of the cliff. If she'd guessed right, Chandra and Wade would be swept around to this part of the beach. Well, that was if they weren't crushed against the rocks first.
'Listen to me Aisley,' the woman was saying. 'Someone will be there soon. Do you understand me?'
'Y … yes.' Aisley bit her knuckles. She couldn't stop trembling.
'Tell me exactly wh
ere you are on the beach,' said the woman.
'Um, I'm at the far end, to the right of the lifesaving club,' Aisley said. 'Right near where Main Street joins with the Loch Hill Road, there's a … um … a walking track down to the beach.' She didn't know how she could describe her location any better but she didn't need to. The woman seemed satisfied and Aisley was profoundly grateful.
'Okay Aisley, you've done really well,' the woman said. 'I want you to stay exactly where you are until help arrives. Do not go into the ocean. Not even if you see your brother or your friend. Do you understand?'
'Yes,' croaked Aisley.
'Can I notify someone for you?'
Aisley gasped. 'My parents! Chandra's parents! Omigod!' she cried.
'What are your parents' names?' asked the woman calmly.
'Shay and Grant Brannon. We live at Sheldon's Seat, Loch Hill, Seamere,' Aisley reeled it off without thinking. The phone number, however, was a mental blank. 'But they're not at home!'
'And your friend's parents?'
Aisley hesitated. All of a sudden she realised she didn't know Chandra's parents. She didn't even know his address. There was so much she didn't know. The tears rolled down her cheeks. 'The surname is Sarin. Um, Ravi and …' Oh god, what was Chandra's mum's name again? '… and Ela, I think. He lives in Seamere West …'
Aisley abruptly stopped speaking as two things happened at once. The first was that her mobile phone went flat. The second was that she saw the boys. She couldn't believe it, but she actually saw Chandra and Wade! Chandra was struggling, dragging Wade through the breakers towards the shore.
'I see them!' she screamed into the flat phone. She shoved the useless appliance into her pocket and dashed into the water, waving her arms above her head and yelling at the top of her voice. 'Here!' she screamed. 'Chandra! Over here!'
Chapter Fifteen
Keep the Secret
Thursday evening, late
Chandra dragged Wade into the shallow water and Aisley ran to help him. Between them they carried the unmoving boy up onto the sand and laid him down. Aisley dropped to her knees on one side of her brother and Chandra collapsed on the sand on the other.
Chandra was pale and shaking, hardly able to catch his breath. 'He's … alive,' he panted. 'I think …' He couldn't manage to say anymore and just sat there with his elbows on his knees and his head hanging down.
'Oh Chandra,' Aisley sobbed. She leaned over Wade, feeling and listening for a heartbeat. The twelve-year-old boy was very still and grey looking. Aisley dragged up all the knowledge she could recall from the first aid training they'd done in health the year before, rolling Wade onto his side and into the recovery position.
Just as she decided that CPR was inevitable, Wade coughed and spluttered and then spat up an amazing amount of seawater onto the sand. Aisley whimpered with relief as Wade groaned, opened his eyes, and tried to sit up. She put a restraining hand on his shoulder, holding him down. 'It's okay Wade,' she said softly, her mouth close to his ear. 'Just lie still and try to relax. The ambulance is on its way. You're going to be alright.' She looked over at Chandra. 'Chandra saved your life,' she whispered.
Chandra was still panting and trying to catch his breath, but he raised his head and looked at her. He smiled.
Wade mumbled incoherently and shut his eyes again.
'Are you okay?' Aisley asked Chandra.
'I'm fine,' he said. 'Just need to rest for a minute.'
'That was very brave of you,' she said. 'Thank you.'
'You're welcome,' he answered, and then he lay down on the sand and shut his eyes, looking utterly exhausted.
Aisley got up and moved around Wade so she could sit between him and Chandra. She took Wade's hand in one of hers, and Chandra's hand in her other. Then she sat and kept watch over both boys, until the warble of sirens signalled the arrival of the ambulance.
It was midnight. Wrapped in her doona, Aisley sat curled up in her window seat looking out at the ocean. The storm had passed, leaving bright moonlight that made everything look like it was painted silver. In the calmness and serenity it was difficult to believe the events of the past few hours had really happened. But they had happened.
Aisley's tired mind replayed them in slow motion, over and over again, like a poorly-made movie. She and Chandra finding themselves on Cariad Lili Beach and then the horror of Wade falling off the rocks. Chandra's daring rescue attempt. The ambulance coming, arriving with two police officers, and she was sitting on the sand, watching them jog down the beach towards her. Standing up and backing away as the medics went to work on Wade. Chandra, climbing slowly to his feet. One of the medics taking him aside and wrapping a blanket around him, checking him over despite his repeated comments that he was fine. Wade being carried on a stretcher to the ambulance.
The wonderfully kind police officer putting her arm around Aisley's shoulders and telling her that their parents had been notified and would meet them at the hospital. The other police officer telling Chandra he was going to drive him home. Chandra joking that his parents were expecting him to come home in a police car eventually anyway, so why not now? Climbing into the ambulance to sit beside Wade. Meeting Chandra's eyes as he headed for the police car. The drive to the hospital, holding her brother's hand in the back of the ambulance. The emergency room — bright lights and lots of noise; Wade on a gurney.
Finally, her parents rushing in looking anxious and relieved at the same time. Aisley could relax at last. She'd put her head on her father's shoulder and cried her heart out while he hugged her tightly. It was over.
Wade was admitted for observation overnight, but he was going to be alright. Shay stayed at the hospital with him and Grant brought Aisley home. He made them both hot chocolate and they sat together in the kitchen, sipping it quietly. The lasagne still sat forlornly on the bench-top.
Afterwards, Grant sent her to bed and then went himself. However, Aisley couldn't even think about sleeping, so she grabbed her doona and retreated to the window seat instead. She was waiting until she was sure her dad was asleep, because there was something she had to do. Time passed and eventually she felt it was alright to leave her room. Taking her torch she crept downstairs.
The kitchen was bathed in moonlight. When she opened the door to the wine cellar it was easy to see the hole in the floor, just the way they'd left it. As quietly as she could, Aisley eased the trap door closed and locked it. She pulled out the key and dropped it into her robe pocket. Then, panting with the effort, she manoeuvred the flagstones back into place. Stepping back, she surveyed her work and was satisfied with what she saw. Nobody could tell what lay beneath the stones now and that was how she wanted to keep it for the time being. As far as her parents knew, Wade had been pulled from the ocean on the public beach. It wasn't time to reveal Cariad Lili Bay yet. She wanted that to be a cheerful event and not tainted by this disastrous evening.
Aisley picked up Chandra's clothes and wandered slowly back into the front hall. She felt weary to the bone. She gazed up at the three, beautiful, old leadlight windows. The moonbeams filtered through them, casting gorgeous rainbows on the wooden floor.
Aisley stopped and waited. Something was going to happen … she could feel it. She felt movement. A soft breath passed by her ear, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The most gentle of breezes wafted her hair and a beautiful, pale shape of a woman, barely seen but definitely there, swept by and then was gone.
Aisley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'Thank you Lily,' she said softly. 'Thank you for showing us the way to Wade ... and to your beach.'
She climbed the stairs to her room, feeling weak and fragile. Retrieving her doona from the window seat, Aisley put it back on her bed. She pulled off her pyjama top and put Chandra's t-shirt on instead. Then she climbed under the covers. She snuggled down in her cosy four-poster bed and, surrounded by the smell of him against her skin, she could finally relax. Her eyes closed and she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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sp; Chapter Sixteen
The Final Thing
Friday, the last day of term
The final slide on the PowerPoint presentation titled "Sheldon's Seat, the story of Lily and Michael" was the photograph of the formal garden party, taken on the immaculate front lawn in 1902 when the house was brand new and splendid. Aisley's speech was the sixth and final part of the twenty-minute presentation. When she finished speaking, she laid her papers neatly on the table in front of her. Cate stood beside her, then Archie, Freya, Lucan, and finally Chandra at the far end. It seemed to have gone okay, all things considered.
Chandra had spoken first. Looking tired after his ordeal the night before … after all, it took considerable effort to pull a twelve-year old child from a stormy ocean … he had told the story of Lord Michael Sheldon arriving in Australia. He talked about Michael investing in the coal mine and putting substantial funds into the town of Seamere. 'We have him to thank for our town hall, our library, the Anglican Church, and the hospital as well as half of the buildings in Main Street,' Chandra read from his notes. 'He was also responsible for organising the design of the botanical gardens. Probably his greatest passion, however, was the home he built on the top of Loch Hill for himself and his new bride, Lily.'
After Chandra, Lucan had talked at great length about the architect Albert Weatherson from Melbourne who had been employed to build Sheldon's Seat, the largest house in Seamere. Apparently, he used methods previously unheard of in Australia to create the classical Victorian mansion. Lucan also talked a little about the Seamere coal mine and the part that Michael Sheldon played in it, but in deference to Bria and Drew's group who had made that their chief subject; he kept his information to a minimum. 'Come to think of it,' said Lucan, looking thoughtful. 'It was a shame that tilt-slab building wasn't developed at the time. If the building was tilt-slab, it would still be intact to this day and Mr and Mrs Brannon wouldn't have such a mammoth task ahead of them.' The last bit, of course, was only Lucan's personal opinion.
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