The last train from Redstone City arrived at Evermore Station at 9:15 in the evening, its passengers fewer arriving than leaving the small North-East Resheenian Town. Among these were Ms Carrie Brindley-White and her younger brother, Thomas, who was only accompanying his sister home safely before returning on that same outbound train that would take him back to their University in Redstone. His arrangements not resting easy on his Aunt Melissa Evermore’s plans, who to be fair hadn’t seen Thomas since Carrie’s near-fatal accident three years ago, one which left her in a coma for all but six months out of the three long years of amnesia.

  ‘Have you got everything, Sis?’ Thomas called out over the loudening noise of the trains’ cooling hydraulics system releasing their heated pressure into what fast became a bellowing vortex of whitened steam that spread like a sheet of flash fog across the near-empty platform.

Carrie gave one last look at the pile of stacked cases that had been taken from the Luggage Cart on the train and placed with care onto the platform by the train hands.

  ‘I believe that is everything…Ooh, hang on!’

Gazing down at the smallest of the cases Carrie noticed that it had been opened – but how! The case had been locked by her personally and, furthermore, she was the only one with the key which was still secured on her person around her neck.

  ‘That’s strange!’ She exclaimed waving Thomas over to her. ‘Someone’s opened my case. Look, the lock has been broken!’

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. ‘Maybe it burst open with the amount of clothes you bring each summer, Sis, it wouldn’t half surprise me.’ He giggled.

Carrie knew that her brother was only joking, but somewhere in his tone, she felt that he, too, had no real idea of how her case had opened during the journey. Whether it had been opened by force or by accident, the shared decision of making sure that there was nothing missing from it was made.

  ‘Very funny, Thomas, but unfortunately, it is my private case…!’

Carrie opened the vanity case and gently rifled through it to check everything, and to her satisfaction, she found everything there that she had packed that same day – as far as she knew.

  ‘Well, everything appears to be here…’

Thomas quickly cut in to inform her that the train was now ready to leave and head back to Redstone, which meant they had to be quick with their goodbyes; a moment of complete silence followed by a swift half-cuddle and finally a glanceless wave that would take Thomas onto the train and leave Carrie standing watching him fade into the distance. All of this taking less than a few minutes before she found herself standing completely alone with her thoughts.

  ‘Good evening Ms. Brindley-White, my name is Edward, I am here to take you up to Evermore. Your Aunt is awaiting your earliest convenient arrival.’ a short fair-haired old gentleman who was sporting a very deep mustache and wearing a flat cap declared suddenly, while at the same time startling Carrie, making her jump half out of her skin.

  ‘Oh, I say! ’ She yelped, immediately reaching for her chest with a probing nervous hand. ‘It is not polite to sneak up on people like that. You almost gave me a heart attack!’

Edward apologized immediately, removing his flat cap, bowing his head to the floor and now looking like a naughty schoolboy having been told off and reprimanded by the school Head Mistress.

  ‘Apologies, Ms. Brindley-White, may I take your cases?’

Turning to look at the mountain of luggage laid on the platform, Carrie nodded her head with unsurities of either of them being able to carry such a hefty load, least of all Edward.

  ‘I think we’re going to need some help, Edward, would you mind finding a Station Porter, or someone who may help us to your car with these cases, some of them are very heavy?’ Carrie replied.

  ‘I will go and see the Station Master, Miss.’

Disappearing for a few minutes some short way down the platform, Edward returned with three strapping young men from the Station Master’s Office, two of whom spoke very little English, and the third – Cheeky, as Carrie referred to him – spoke far too much, and yet, with it a Slanguage all of its own that would put a blush on even her Aunt Melissa’s face.

  ‘Tell me, Mr.…’ She attempted to acquire the man’s name, but for the sound of an injured Edward falling to the ground holding his back in agony completely ruining the moment.

  ‘My back! Oh, my back’s gone! ’ He cried out in what seemed to be an award-winning whine for sympathy.

It was now that the young man who had been looking Carrie up and down with a serotic stare-like look, was now thinking hard to himself, maybe not what Carrie thought that he was thinking, but definitely thinking all the same on how to fix the situation she had got herself into.

  ‘Well, that’s just great! ’ Carrie sighed with frustration.

  ‘I’m sorry, Ms. Brindley-White, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to contact the House and request another driver for you, there’s no way I can take the journey with this bad back.’ Edward couldn’t emphasize enough on the pain that he was feeling, his face contorting with the agony.

Carrie began to worry, about Edward and the matter of how she was going to get to Evermore, as already it was getting late – very late – and as well as feeling tired from the journey the three men could see it clearly on her face that she was drained.

  ‘I can take you up to Evermore and Edward could arrange for your luggage to be brought up to you tomorrow, Ms. Brindley-White.’ The young man who had been looking at Carrie cheekily suddenly suggested.

Edward pondered a few moments on the idea, as did the other two men who obviously wanted to get off to their homes as soon as they could. Carrie, however, she was a little unsure whether the strapping young man before her should be charged with such an important task, considering she knew that his looks and stares toward her were more than likely contaminated thoughts that contained the sort which you would expect from a stranger.

  ‘I’ll walk! ’ Carrie snapped.

  ‘Walk! Are you…I’m sorry, Ms. Brindley-White, but I must insist, as I am employed by Evermore…’

  ‘You’re fired! I’ll walk, now you can all get back to whatever it is you’d be doing after you’ve finished a hard day at work. Thank you, Sir, for the offer, but I am in no way introduced to you…’

  ‘Tristan,’ the young man stepped forward and boldly introduced himself with a wide smile. ‘My name is Tristan, Ms. Brindley-White, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance.’

The whole station became silent – deafly silent – as Carrie’s deep-set control over the situation crumbled before the men’s very eyes; the dead set plan which she was about to carry out was replaced with a gnawing, not uncomfortable, but something that all at the same time soaked her in a sure feverish excitement. But even then, the growing feeling of attraction began to meddle in what she believed was her ‘Better Judgement’…this was Carrie’s first mistake.

  ‘Tristan,’ she whispered, her tone changing from her previous objecting reply to a more civilized stance.

The three men, including Edward, walked away and left the two alone, each of them knowing that what was about to be said in their conversation was more than likely not for their ears.

  ‘My car is over here at the entrance, Ms. Brindley-White. Is there one or two cases that you would need before morning?’ He asked looking down at the pile with a perplexed look.

  ‘You must look upon all women as weak!’ Carrie barked suddenly putting her hands on her hips and staring all too intensely at the young man, who turned and gave what she believed to be an annoying smile.

  ‘An imbecile, too, may I add?’

  ‘You are so much like your Aunt, Carrie, it’s frightfully alarming,’ Tristan said in a low, calm and somewhat arousing manner to the young woman.

Carrie was blindsided; the borne etiquette within her wanted to thank the man, but for the fact that something else, a word – a person – that to Tristan would hardly be considered a friend, or with his statement tone a possible lover spoilt the urge.

  ‘You tread on very thin ground Mr.…?’

Tristan was amused. ‘You don’t remember me, do you, Carrie?’

Carrie looked into Tristan’s eyes, deeply searching for something that would recall any knowledge of him. The task, though easy at first, became harder. Carrie’s whole body was beginning to fill with an overwhelming desire to move closer to the young man and have no power in which to stop herself. No sooner had she thought of approaching him, that she suddenly found herself standing before him – very close.

  ‘Who are you?’ She asked in a half-demanding tone, just as both leaned forward and kissed full on the lips.

A few moments later the passionate kiss was over. Carrie’s eyes were closed tightly shut. As for Tristan, his were set on looking at every detail of the young woman’s face, before gaining his composure to answer the query.

  ‘Tristan, Ms. Brindley-White, at your service.’

Carrie opened her eyes and looked at him dreamily. ‘You kissed me!’

  ‘Actually, you kissed me, I was just kissing you back out of courtesy.’ Tristan replied taking a step back. ‘Now, I think we should get some of these cases and take them to my car before it starts getting light, don’t you agree?’

Nodding her head she turned to choose several small cases that she would be able to carry and proceeded to walk toward the train station entrance while walking close behind was Tristan, he too carrying cases. Standing outside the Station Masters’ Office, Edward and the other men waved them goodbye as the two finally made their exit from the station to find Tristan’s car right outside.

  ‘It’s open…Just…!’

Carrie reached the car where she suddenly dropped the cases she was carrying right by the side of the boot, then with a paused cry, she turned to Tristan while fighting her anger at him.  Tristan saw this coming and prepared himself.

  ‘You kissed me…On the lips…How!’

  ‘How did I kiss you?’ He interrupted opening the boot and loading the cases inside one by one.

Carrie was still overthinking the incident. ‘Did my Aunt send you to…?’

  ‘To seduce you? Yes, she wanted you to know that it is better a relationship fall out of the sky and find you than you to waste away a lonely, childless old woman. She also passed comment on your weight problem, too!’ Tristan turned and said in a well-held serious manner.

The moment was lost.

  ‘What the hell did you just say to me?’ She growled in a way that the tone and restraint were neither of Evermore, or that of her Aunt’s plumb flavored etiquettes.

Tristan put up a hand. ‘Chill out, Okay, nobody sent me. You really don’t remember me, do you, Carrie? All these years and you’ve forgotten me…like I never existed!’

The anger, pain and driving frustration that was leading her to react in some vicious response subsided to the statement. Of all the questions that raced around her mind, only one ran to the forefront – did she know this young man? It was abundantly clear that he certainly believed that the two of them had met before, but when?

  ‘I’m sorry, I don’t remember you…I was…’

  ‘Brainwashed?’ He piped up and suggested sarcastically.

  ‘No. I was in an accident three years ago. Through it, I lost many parts of my memory…Maybe the memory with you is…erm…’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Tristan apologized wholeheartedly.

Putting up a friendly hand Carrie begged him not to take the matter to heart. ‘No need to apologize, many of my memories return, just not as quickly as I would like them to.’ She laughed.

Tristan paused a moment from putting the last case into the boot of the car, his face showing that he was in very deep thought and a troubling one at that.

  ‘I mean for kissing you, I shouldn’t have done that,’ he confessed nervously.

Carrie was confused. Here was a young man who she was obviously attracted to, but for some reason or another, he was apologizing for kissing her. The story that Tristan reported to be her who initially kissed him seemed genuine, though the actions in which she had taken to do this were far beyond even her reasoning.

  ‘Home!’ Carrie exclaimed suddenly.

  ‘Home, you mean…’

  ‘Yes, Tristan, can you please take me home?’

He looked around before giving a pleased nod. Opening the passenger door for Carrie he quickly made his way around the other side of the car and got inside. The engine started first time, which had the two starting on their way to Evermore Manor chatting, giggling and reminiscing their own tales of Evermore Town and its lands.

Along the way Carrie happened to see an old childhood haunt that she and her family and friends used to frequent, it was at one time an old Mill that sat at the base of Lake Hill.

  ‘Oh my god! Is that…!’

  ‘The Old Mill, yes, it was bought a year ago by one of the local residents and adapted into a fully functional home.’

Carrie looked down at it as if proud that it was what it had been – and of what it had become –persons, couple, family home that was nestled away from sight on the other side of Evermore Lake.

  ‘I can only imagine what it looks like inside,’ she whispered to herself unbeknown that Tristan had also heard her too.

Pushing up on the indicator the car swayed to the left and drove off the main road onto a broken dirt track that lead straight down and up to the front doors of the Old Mill.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Carrie cried out.

Not saying a word to answer the question he turned and smiled before turning off the headlights and engine of the car. Getting out quite casually he walked around to help Carrie out. This was something that she had not expected, her knowing nothing about Tristan, nothing that would assure her safety, or that she was indeed safe to be around him.

  ‘Please, follow me and be quiet.’ Tristan warned and then calmly lead her across to the front door where he bent down, picked up the corner of the mat and found a door key that just happened to be lying underneath.

Carrie stared at him as though she didn’t want to clarify the fact that she was already scared – to a point – about being driven home by a complete stranger. Tristan nodded, as though mentally reading her face and replying to the dreaded question that she had asked in the car.

  ‘You wanted to know what it looked like inside, so let’s go and have a look…’

  ‘No way! You can’t! What if they’re still in the House?’ Carrie wrestled with the many possibilities which could lead them to being caught trespassing, being arrested and going to prison.

Unlocking the door and walking inside Tristan held out a hand for Carrie’s, and eventually, she took a hold of it to allow him to take her further inside the dimly lit House. Wasting no time in the process of showing off the House, Tristan switched on all of the lights before leading Carrie to the bedroom where he made straight for a mini-bar that was directly opposite to the bed. Carrie was very hesitant of hanging around the place, the fear was growing inside her.

  ‘Would you like one, Carrie? Tia Maria and Coke, am I right?’

Another surprise for the young woman as she was now remembered as being a drinker of liquor’s too, but nonetheless, she accepted with a swift cautious nod.

  ‘I could see if there’s something in the kitchen if you’re at all hungry after your journey from Redstone?’

Carrie was distant all of a sudden as she walked around the bedroom looking at everything, gliding her hands over ornaments and seemingly becoming a part of the House that was obviously not hers, but consisted of many thoughts and inspirations that someone like her would have in place of her own; the small attractive dolls of children, cherubs, and animals scattered sparingly around wall units, shelves, and window crevices. The furniture, the décor and of course, all the creature comforts that she found pleasing to her eyes.

  ‘This place is absolutely beautiful…Whose is it?’ She asked while accepting her drink from Tristan, and now coming out of her inner self to stand before him.

Tristan was stalling purposely. The look on his face showing more to the question than he wished to answer.

  ‘It has an attic room, the thought was on children…’

  ‘You mean Medievally speaking, or Maternally speaking?’ She whispered with raised eyebrows that transformed her facial features into someone entirely different – in Carrie’s eyes.

Shocked at her thinking of such a thing Tristan coughed into his drink – a well-stirred Bacardi and Coke – which splashed across his white silk shirt. Straight away as if by instinct Carrie took a napkin from the bar and started dabbing the fabric onto the stain, and all of this was done without as much as a second thought.

That moment that Carrie realized Tristan was looking at her – Like really looking at her – she felt the sudden fletch of warmth as well as the strangest feelings of security – a knowing feeling that Tristan was no more a threat to her than she was to him. For Tristan, however, Carrie looked unhinged.

  ‘It’s Okay, I’m here. I’ve got you.’ He whispered taking a hold of her hand and pulling her gently toward him.

Taking in a deep breath of what seemed like warm air she rose her head up and looked again into the depths of Tristan’s eyes, the blue ferige was now becoming aluminous under the soft artificial lighting of the room, but still just as hypnotizing to someone such as Carrie. Together the two of them stood on the verge of something wonderful: The Tremadale.

  ‘Maybe we should go…’

  ‘Or, we could check out the attic?’ Tristan spoke insistently.

Carrie was suddenly drawn back quickly from the place in which she stood, now conscious of the suggestion that had her puzzled by his break in character.

  ‘Why? What’s in the attic, Tristan? Is that where the owners’ bodies are hidden?’

Not exactly speaking sinisterly, but enough to get the idea of what Carrie was thinking, Tristan gave a very bad impression of Egor, with just as bad, if not worse verbal quote from an early “Frankenstein” movie: Their lives are for my Master.

Laughing out uncontrollably at Tristan’s somewhat childish behaviour, Carrie slowly began to think of her accident; the sharp, painful flashbacks from three years ago suddenly filling her mind. Tristan saw the change in her laughter and immediately became concerned.

  ‘Are you alright? Carrie?’ Tristan cried as she collapsed to the floor unconscious.

If you would like to purchase the paperback of this novel, then click on the following link: EVERMORE