Rites of Spring

40

Thea continues to read the transcript with rising excitement. There is something strange yet deeply fascinating about reading twelve-year-old David’s words, while the forty-five-year-old version lies sleeping on the other side of the bedroom wall. She feels as if she is getting much closer to him with every sentence.

INTERVIEWER: So you played music on a tape recorder and danced. Then a man arrived on a horse. What happened next?

DAVID NORDIN: Someone screamed. We ran away as fast as we could. Tore off our masks and dropped them in the forest. We were terrified.

INTERVIEWER: All of you?

ALL FOUR CHILDREN: Yes.

INTERVIEWER: Did you see who was riding the horse?

DAVID NORDIN: It was Leo. Elita’s stepbrother.

INTERVIEWER: Leo Rasmussen?

DAVID NORDIN: Yes.

INTERVIEWER: And you’re sure of this, even though the rider was dressed up as the Green Man? Even though you were wearing masks, and Elita had given you alcohol?

JEANETTE HELLMAN: Yes, we are.

INTERVIEWER: But how can you be? You said he was disguised as the Green Man.

JEANETTE HELLMAN: We recognised the horse – Bill. We’ve seen him at Elita’s place several times.

INTERVIEWER: Did you see what happened next? What Leo did to Elita?

(SILENCE)

INTERVIEWER: Did any of you see what happened next?

(SILENCE)

INTERVIEWER: Nordin, did you see anything?

DAVID NORDIN: Mm.

INTERVIEWER: What did you see?

DAVID NORDIN: I . . . I stopped in the forest and went back.

INTERVIEWER: Back to the stone circle?

DAVID NORDIN: Yes.

INTERVIEWER: And what did you see there?

Thea realises that she is holding her breath. Her fingers are shaking, it’s hard to turn the pages.