I'll keep you safe

Chapter 172

Whitby was a picturesque Coastal haven. The town was rich in history and breathtaking scenery. There was a captivating atmosphere to the entire place, a charm that lured you in and tugged on your heart strings. The locals were incredibly friendly and welcoming, greeting everyone with a warm smile and a "Hello!". It was a peaceful and charismatic place, with an endless list of things to see and do.

Rachel had never been to Whitby before, but she had always wanted to. As well as its gorgeous scenery and fascinating history, it was also famous for its link to the iconic novel, Dracula. It was one of her favourite novels. She had first read it when she was fifteen, and it was the first book she'd ever actually read or taken an interest in. Fifteen year old Amanda Fenshaw didn't think education was important. But when she read Dracula for the first time, thanks to her English teacher lending it to her, she immediately fell in love. It had sparked something inside of her; a love for literature and writing that she didn't know existed. She might have left school with only her English GCSE, but she still had something.

Even when she was forced into prostitution to provide for herself, her Dad and her sister, she still read books and wrote when she could. Once she had paid the rent and bills and had pacified her Father's alcohol addiction each month, she sometimes used the remaining money she had to buy a book or two. For seventeen, eighteen and nineteen year old Amanda, books and writing were an escape. It meant that she could enter another world, one that was far away from the hell she was experiencing. She could meet new characters and see another world; she could be involved in a life that wasn't her own for once.

When she had changed her name to Rachel Mason at twenty years old, the career she wanted to go into came to her straight away. She wanted to work in education, to help young people to the best of her ability and to try and prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else.

The subject she wanted to teach hadn't taken her long to choose either. She wanted to be an English teacher. In a way, her love of literature and writing had saved her. If she could inspire more students the way she had been inspired, maybe she could save them from going down the dangerous path that she had gone down.

Four years on, after re-taking and passing her GCSE's, A-Levels and graduating from University with a degree in English Literature and a PGCE, Rachel was thrown into the world of teaching. Dracula was on the school curriculum, to her delight. She loved teaching it, just as much as she loved reading it. She knew the story inside out and her passion for it radiated onto the students. In her view, it was a timeless classic, suitable for all generations. Of the all the novels and poetry she taught, Dracula was her favourite and it seemed to spark the most interesting debates and conversations between the students during class time.

In a way, she still couldn't believe that she was only visiting Whitby now, after being fascinated by the story of Dracula for so long. She had been itching to go for years, but had never found the right time. Being here now felt like a dream come true. And it had been worth the wait.

Rachel and Eddie were five days into their holiday in Whitby. They were enjoying every second, Rachel especially. Being by the Coast, surrounded by the sea, was Rachel's favourite place to be. It was a safe haven for her.

After finishing University and starting her first teaching role in York, she used to spend most of her weekends in Scarborough. It was a break from the bustling but gorgeous city of York where she lived, and a chance to reflect on the week and to take time for herself. Just being by the sea or strolling along the beach lifted her mood instantly. She had stayed in York for so long, jumping from school to school and slowly making her way up to being a Head Teacher, that visiting Scarborough at the weekend became a part of her routine to wind down.