The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2124 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

We followed Dunstan down the staircase and out towards the drawbridge. He trotted over it and breathless pointed up to the woodland, “Up there,” he gasped.

I looked up in line with his pointing finger and thought I could see a figure in amongst the trees. Cindy’s voice called down, “Help.”

I took off towards the spot that I thought she’d appeared, the hill quickly slowing my dash to more of a fast walk. Simon I knew was not far behind me judging by the puffing, panting and swearing that preceded him. I’d covered about a hundred yards when I tripped over a fallen branch I didn’t see. I cursed, rubbed my shin and picked myself up on legs which now felt like jelly. I glanced behind, Simon had slowed to a walk. He called to check I was okay, I declared I was, and continued my ascent through the mainly pine wood.

When I finally got to Cindy, she was with Danni and Pia and the three of them were standing looking up at a body hanging from a tree. It was Alice, I gasped and threw up. It was obvious that she’d been dead for some time, so blue light even with a defibrillator would do her no good.

I felt so sad—I thought I’d sorted her immediate problems, obviously she didn’t think so. Simon trudged up behind us and after swearing threw up as well. He looked at me and said, “Why?” I shrugged, I had no answer.

I asked him to call the police and I escorted the three youngsters down the hill back towards the castle. As she was dead, it seemed better to leave things for the police to sort out, rather than us cut her down. Simon called the police on his mobile and gave them directions, so by the time we’d got down to the castle the first car had arrived.

Dunstan directed the two young male officers up the woodland towards where Simon was shouting and waving. The three youngsters, now back in safety, began to take on board what they’d witnessed and they were crying and shaking. I tried to hug them but it required help from Stephanie to calm them down. She was visibly shaken when she heard what had transpired.

More police cars and an ambulance arrived but we were almost oblivious to the commotion, we had enough excitement of our own to deal with in the form of three very upset children.

In the end, Stephanie sedated them and we put them to bed for a couple of hours, trying to keep the other children away from them for the moment. Trish was naturally very curious but to her credit she didn’t push her luck like she usually does.

I asked Mrs Cuddy to find out where Callum was, she returned a few minutes saying that his mother was bringing him over. She hadn’t told him what had happened other than there appeared to have been an accident and he was required to come quickly.

The police wanted to speak to the children but couldn’t because they were sleeping, they spoke to me and I told them we’d responded to the call from the children to go and assist them and what we saw was still there when the police arrived.

I explained what had transpired the night before but that we’d thought we had things under control. They spoke briefly to Stephanie and then went off to speak to the GP and then to inform her parents. I just felt so sad. Just when it looks as if everything someone wants is coming together it overwhelms them and they can’t face it, taking a permanent solution to a temporary situation. She’d hanged herself with her own belt—poor kid.

Callum, when he arrived was devastated when he found out what had happened. I told him that we all thought they’d gone off together but he corrected us. She’d told him she wanted some time to herself and he had things to do, so went home. His mother was very distressed and took some time to calm down. Mrs Cuddy took her off for a cuppa which helped quite a bit.

The police took statements from anyone and everyone. To me it looked like a straightforward suicide, but I’m no expert and I suppose it could have been something else unlikely though it was.

Simon, when he returned went for a shower and had a stiff drink before he’d speak to anyone. The police took a formal statement from him and he later spoke to me. He kept asking why and I had no answers, neither did anyone else.

Stephanie agreed with me that it probably overwhelmed her and she panicked perhaps wondering what her family or others who knew her would say. Teen suicides don’t always leave a note apparently. The police looked through her possessions at the castle and nothing was found except a text for Callum, saying she was sorry.

Life’s a bitch and then you die, for some it seems worse than others. I remembered my own attempt, less dramatic then Alice’s and thankfully less successful. Did I fully intend to kill myself? At the time I thought I did, perhaps I didn’t. Only prompt action saved me and administration of the antidote to paracetamol by the A&E medical staff. I was very lucky, Alice wasn’t. Nor were the three children who found her.

They woke, spoke to the police with Stephanie present, and then cried buckets after the cops had gone. I did throw blue light around them to try and mollify them a little, it might have helped. I wasn’t looking forward to the night, which is when these things tend to manifest in bad dreams.

I slept in a bedroom with the three discoverers, and they did wake once or twice. Cindy seemed most affected and woke twice. I reassured her and she went back to sleep. Danni woke crying asking if she’d be doing the same. I reassured her she wouldn’t. Pia woke and went for a wee. Given what had happened I followed her to the bathroom and back, she went back to sleep without seemingly being upset—until later on when she woke me, busy talking in her sleep. She appeared to be talking to Alice, which was a bit creepy and I shivered as I thought about it.

I interrupted her and told her she was in bed asleep and to go back to sleep as she was safe and secure. She did just that. Simon and Phoebe kept an eye on the other children, the three mouseketeers slept with Simon, and Phoebe kept an eye on the two little ones. Stephanie was there if we needed her but she’d worked hard all day and needed a break from the children, especially as she’d be in use the next day.

The children went to the farm the next day but the events of the day before had somewhat taken the polish off the holiday and when I asked them if they’d prefer to go home, they all said they would. We left for Portsmouth the next morning and I began to wonder if the place was cursed to me as something unpleasant happened on the two occasions I’d been there. Simon said no, and later that night I encountered the Grey Lady and she told me I had nothing to fear from Stanebury. I wasn’t quite so sure, so wouldn’t be dashing up there in a hurry.