The Celtic Symbol Read online

  The Celtic Symbol

  VM Jones

  Copyright © 2015 VM Jones, LLC

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-10:151683111X

  ISBN-13:978-1516831111

  Cover design Copyright © 2015 Vance Jones

  All rights reserved.

  DEDICATION

  To all children and parents who love sharing bedtime stories together.

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  i

  1

  New Beginnings

  1

  2

  Trip to Cahir Castle

  8

  3

  Strange Happenings

  13

  4

  Disappearance

  23

  5

  The Call for Help

  31

  6

  The Archaeologist

  44

  7

  Revelations From the Past

  59

  8

  The Abduction

  78

  9

  First Steps Into an Old World

  93

  10

  Additional Support

  123

  11

  New Discoveries

  138

  12

  The Northwest Tower

  170

  13

  Prisoners

  190

  14

  Final Plans

  199

  15

  Into the Netherworld

  215

  16

  The Rescue

  225

  17

  The Escape

  237

  18

  From Darkness to Light

  257

  19

  A New Perspective

  275

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to my children and grandchildren who inspired me. Thanks to family members who read and provided suggestions. Special thanks to Vance Jones for the cover artwork. I especially want to thank my wife Pam for encouraging me to write and dream.

  1 New Beginnings

  Patrick had been waiting impatiently for the others for over an hour. What was taking them so long? He insisted going with the rescue team into the netherworld to bring back his son Tevan but wasn’t allowed to go beyond this point.

  The portal between the two worlds had been opened for just a few minutes to allow them to enter but was now closed to protect them from being discovered. It was his job to notify Brody to open the portal when the others returned.

  He began to rub his hands together nervously. The cold, grey stone walls seemed to be closing in around him. Time was running out before they could all be trapped in the netherworld with no chance of escape.

  Suddenly he heard pounding footsteps from the next room coming towards him. They were too heavy to be those of Dr. Ryan or Dr. McNamara. He quickly tied a knot on the end of the rope and placed it above one of the iron torch holders on the wall. With the rope secure he stepped back and pressed himself against the stone wall. If he was discovered it could jeopardize the whole rescue. There was no place to hide. His heart pounded as if it was going to jump out of his chest. He stood very still holding his breath as he heard the heavy footsteps coming closer.

  He closed his eyes and reflected back on the events of the past several weeks that had changed his family’s normal, quiet life forever.

  It was a warm summer day in the Irish countryside. The Murphy family had been driving for two hours staring out of the windows at the passing cars and changing scenery. The small villages they passed along the way all began to look the same.

  “I’m bored,” said Declan as he leaned against the car window. “How much longer Ma?”

  “Not long,” said Ansley trying to keep him calm.

  Car games can only be entertaining for so long.

  Tevan was oblivious to everything as he nodded his head to the music coming from his earphones.

  Siobhan was feeling moody as she felt she was coerced into leaving Dublin and all her friends.

  “Maybe there will be cute boys in Cahir,” she thought to herself. “At least that would make it bearable.”

  Noticing their restlessness, Patrick slightly turned his head towards the back seat and said, “We can all sing.”

  The rest of the family rolled their eyes and shook their heads, ignoring his suggestion.

  After a few more minutes several buildings came into view.

  “We’re in Cahir,” announced Patrick in a loud voice.

  The family peered out of the car windows. Ansley began looking for any shops for the family groceries. Siobhan began looking for any teenagers she might find interesting. Cahir was the nearest town to their new home in the country.

  To give the family a taste of the rich heritage of the area, Patrick Murphy turned off the national roadway and headed down Abbey Street.

  “Cahir has a castle and an old abbey,” said Patrick sounding like a tour guide. “Maybe we can catch a glimpse of it from the street.”

  “That looks like it could be it over there,” said Declan excitedly as he pointed out the car window.

  The family could see the top portion of the old monastery ruins. Patrick turned down the street leading to it. Their curiosity focused on the ancient abbey. The towers and buildings were impressive even though most of the monastery was in ruins. The stone walls had stood for centuries against the elements and stood defiant against the hustle and bustle of modern civilization.

  Patrick turned the car around and headed back down Abbey Street. As the road turned into Bridge Street, Cahir Castle came into view.

  “I see the castle,” said Ansley as she leaned forward in her seat.

  The boys pressed their noses against the car window to get a better look. Patrick crossed the river to let the family get a closer look at the old castle. The structure was mostly intact which was impressive given its age.

  “What do you think?” asked Patrick glancing over his shoulder.

  “Interesting,” said Tevan, nodding his head with his headphones hanging around his neck.

  “I think it’s awesome,” said Declan with a big grin and wide-eyed.

  “It’s ok,” said Siobhan still pouting and leaning back in the seat.

  “We’ll come back another time once we get settled in,” promised Patrick as the rest of the family stared out of the car windows.

  He then turned around and headed back to the main road. The family headed west towards the mountains outside of town, towards their new life.

  Patrick Murphy contemplated the events leading up to their move. Patrick was a computer programmer who had just finished a project with a large company and was now between jobs. He and Ansley had lived in Dublin for the past fifteen years and felt they needed a change.

  He recalled the knock at the door that night in early spring. The letter carrier left them a registered letter from a barrister and solicitors office. They were instructed to meet with the barrister the following Monday to read the last will and testament of Patrick’s Uncle William.

  Patrick’s father died when he was young. He had wished growing up that he could have known his father better. He occasionally visited his uncle at the Dublin nursing home and loved to hear about the boyhood antics of his uncle and father. It gave him a connection with his father.

  As they sat in the barrister’s office and heard of the inheritance, both Patrick and Ansley were shocked. They had not anticipated an inheritance from anyone. His uncle had left him the old vacation home near the mountains outside of Cahir.

  He and Ansley, his wife of 18 years, had many discussions on whether to move the family out of Dublin to the Irish countryside. No
w they were given the perfect opportunity.

  “It’s going to be difficult for the kids,” said Ansley worried how they would react. “They have made so many friends here in Dublin.”

  “I know,” said Patrick nodding his head. “But they will make new friends. Besides, they will have a lot more room to have fun.”

  They returned home to inform their three children, Tevan 16, Siobhan 14 and Declan 11 of the move. They did not take the news very well. Siobhan was the most defiant out of the three.

  “This is the worst day of my life,” said Siobhan when she was told of the move, “I can’t leave all of my friends. I just got Thomas to talk to me. I’m never going to get a boyfriend. My life is over.”

  You’ll be fine,” said Ansley trying to reassure her.

  Patrick rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh at the dramatic though comical reaction of his daughter.

  “I think it’ll be fun to live in the country. We can go hiking and exploring every day,” said Declan excitedly.

  “I’ll be able to catch mice, frogs, and rabbits,” he said contemplating what it would be like. He put his head in his hands and smiled.

  Tevan was more reserved. “What else is there to do?” he asked with a sigh. He also had some reservations on how the move would affect his social life. He had already started noticing girls and was concerned that there would be less to choose from in Cahir but he didn’t want anyone else to know.

  “Well, there will be lots of things to do,” said Patrick as he tried to think of some. “Besides all the fun things that Declan mentioned, I’m sure there’s a sports club in Cahir. We’ll check it out when we get there.”

  Tevan liked that idea. “I guess it won’t be that bad,” he thought to himself.

  Reluctantly, the children agreed to the move.

  Patrick returned his attention to driving the car. He turned onto the road heading west out of Cahir then turned south on the old road alongside the mountains. The mountains were green and beautiful.

  “How much longer Da?” asked Declan fidgeting in his seat.

  “Not much farther,” said Patrick as he glanced at the GPS and drove further up the mountainside.

  “According to the GPS we are just around the corner from the house.”

  As they turned the corner, they could see a cottage mid-way up the mountain on a small plateau.

  The cottage had a beautiful view of the mountains as well as the valley below. The house was a two-story, rectangular structure made of grey stone. Ivy covered most of the old walls. The grounds around the building were overgrown and in dire need of trimming. The trees seemed gnarled and ghostly.

  Behind the house the mountain rose sharply from the back of the plateau. The hillside was a beautiful lush green with trees and bushes interlaced with flowers.

  Where the mountain slope met the plateau was a mound of dirt that jutted out covered in green leaves. It was approximately two meters tall and about ten meters wide. The mound seemed out of place with the rest of the landscape.

  The homestead was charming but there was something eerie about the area.

  The family piled out of the car and marched up to the front door.

  “It certainly has potential,” said Patrick as he stood rubbing his chin.

  “I guess so,” said Ansley cautiously as she surveyed the structure. She was going to reserve her opinion until she could see the inside of the house.

  Patrick slowly swung the door open which gave a loud cracking sound with the movement of the door. It smelled a bit musty and the wooden floor creaked as they stepped into the house. The windows were covered with sheets making the house seem dark and sinister.

  “This is awesome,” said Declan hopping over the threshold.

  “Do we have to stay here?” asked Siobhan as she cautiously entered the house and looked around the dark room.

  “Of course Sis, it’s our new home,” said Tevan pushing her out of the way as he hurried into the house.

  Ansley removed the coverings on the windows to let in the sunlight and brighten the house. With the sunlight beaming through the windows, the house seemed warmer and more appealing.

  “Can we choose our own rooms?” asked Siobhan as she turned to her Ma.

  “Of course you can,” said Ansley smiling at the three.

  With their parents’ approval the three kids eagerly ran to explore the old house and make their claims to the bedrooms upstairs. They found the playroom with doors to three bedrooms off from the main room. Siobhan laid claim to the bedroom nearest the door to the playroom. Tevan took the middle room which left Declan with the far room. Declan laid down on the floor and smiled.

  “I’m beginning to warm up to the house,” said Ansley with a look of satisfaction on her face. “It’ll take a little work, but I kind of like it.”

  The moving truck showed up about an hour later and in a few hours more, the family’s belongings were scattered about the old house. Oddly enough, everything seemed to have a place. The house seemed strange yet familiar.

  Patrick was a little worried about the condition of the plumbing and electrical system. He found that the plumbing had been redone recently but still rattled a little when the faucet was turned on in the kitchen or bathrooms. The wiring had also been recently replaced with outlets and switches that tried to reflect the era when the house was built. The large fireplace needed cleaning and the chimney flue checked before building a fire.

  Ansley went to the back of the house to inspect the kitchen and shook her head.

  “Um, this won’t do. I’m going to have to remodel the kitchen,” she said crossing her arms and looking at Patrick. “It’s just not adequate. I’ve got to have more room.”

  Patrick nodded knowing it was no use arguing. “At least the kitchen remodeling would give her something to focus on,” he thought to himself.

  The couple then made their way upstairs to the master bedroom. It was large with a medium sized fireplace and a window facing the hillside.

  “I like the room but it will need to be repainted. I don’t like the color,” said Ansley disapprovingly.

  “I figured I’d be busy fixing up something for the next few weeks,” said Patrick as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

  2 Trip to cahir castle

  Patrick and Ansley took the family back into Cahir the following Saturday morning to visit Cahir Castle. He turned onto Mitchelstown Road and headed to Cahir then turned onto Bridge Street. Patrick parked the car in the parking lot and everyone piled out of the car.

  Declan was the most excited of the children to explore the old structure.

  Patrick looked up at the vast walls of the old castle and suddenly had an uneasy feeling. He looked over at Ansley who also was observing the large castle.

  “I have a strange feeling about this,” she whispered leaning over to him.

  “Me too,” he told her still staring at the old walls.

  Declan had already run a few meters ahead of the family who began walking over to the entrance.

  “Declan, please wait for the rest of us,” said Ansley trying to get his attention.

  Declan returned and grabbed his mother’s hand and began tugging her as he tried to hurry over to the entrance. She turned to Patrick and smiled.

  Patrick went over to the admission booth and paid the eight pound fare for the family to enter the castle.

  “How long does the tour take?” he asked.

  “About 45 minutes to an hour,” said the volunteer cheerfully.

  Patrick thanked him and turned back to the family.

  “I want you pay close attention to the tour,” he told the children, “It will give you a better understanding of your heritage.”

  “You have much to be proud of,” added Ansley with a touch of pride.

  The family began the tour. They entered the gatehouse and noticed the wooden gate above the opening.

  “Look at that gate,” said Declan looking overhead as he walked through the gateway.
“I bet it could come down and smash people.”

  “They didn’t smash people with the gate,” said Patrick softly to the lad.

  “It’s called a portcullis. Didn’t you listen,” said Siobhan arrogantly.

  As they entered the courtyard, they noticed stairs leading up to the walkway on the castle wall.

  “Can we go up to the top of the wall?” asked Declan pointing up the stairs.

  Ansley looked at the wall and was visibly nervous. “Please?” he added giving his Ma his best sad puppy face.

  “Only if you hold onto your Da’s hand,” she said worried about his safety.

  She felt uneasy seeing that there wasn’t much protection to prevent anyone from falling off the wall.

  Declan pulled Patrick all the way up the stairs. The rest of the family slowly followed behind them.

  From the top of the castle wall, they could see more of Cahir. They watched the Suir River as it flowed around the castle.

  “I can see around the town,” said Declan excitedly.

  “It is a beautiful view,” said Ansley as she looked out at the horizon.

  Siobhan was straining to see if she could see any cute boys down below the castle. She waved at a few she saw.

  Tevan surveyed the town and turned to see the mountains behind. He watched the river flow around the castle. He thought how fun it would be to go fishing in the river. He took a glance or two at some of the girls down on the street.

  The family climbed back down the stairs from the top of the wall.

  Declan immediately ran over to the one of the cannons on display in the courtyard. “Look at the cannon! Tevan, come over here and look!” he said jumping up and down.

  The two boys moved around to the back of the cannon and started making explosion sounds as they pretended to fire it at an imaginary enemy. The family turned to enter the buildings for the rest of the tour. Patrick gently pulled Declan away from the cannon and caught up with the others.