Rutland Water

The spirit was unthreatening. Posing static by the door for only twenty minutes.

Reluctance to manifest her features said ‘You don’t know me. But please help.’

Further explorations revealed she’d been the wife of a gunpowder plotter.

For reasons known but to herself, she’d betrayed the family priest.

Four Protestant bayonets had greeted his exit from the priest hole.

Her ossuary inscription read, ‘May God forgive her.’

‘Forgiveness comes first from the church?’ I thought.

Eternity seems a very long time, and surely one life is equal to any other?

I prayed for her forgiveness, sensing the prayer was heard.