The Shriving of Miss Esme Stamp…

Episode 62… Rebecca’s Tale (Part One)

Later that day, Rebecca woke from her deep sleep, and when gently roused by Charles, agreed to meet them all in the Parlour downstairs.

‘She seems quite flesh and blood to me.’ remarked Charles quietly to the others whilst they sat and waited.

‘That is because her spirit is in limbo between two different worlds, you might say.’ stated Toby, ‘In the present, the only thing she will know, when she begins to understand, will be the difference in time. Right now, she is in her own time, the life that she knows. She will simply take us to be her rescuers. Her form, that we all see… is simply a dressing. An illusion projected by her spirit form… for the purpose of acceptance.’

‘But how can we deal with that?’ questioned Charles. ‘Years have passed since Rebecca’s earthly life time.’ He looked inquiringly at Tobias.

‘Yes, please tell us how Toby.’ chorused Esme.

Barney and Toby looked at each other with a somewhat cautioned eye. There was a hesitant silence. It was Barney that spoke very softly. ‘Her life, just now, is simply a portal in time. Of what could have been her future. Nothing more than a footprint for us. Soon her spirit… her earthly body, as we know it, will leave us… but not before we have performed a final act of retribution for her.’

‘Retribution.’ remarked Charles. Esme looked worried.

‘What kind of retribution?’ he demanded.

‘She had been discarded, thrown aside, by a man that she deeply loved. Her spirit, simply, has only one course now. Her energy force will not rest until those matters are put right.’

‘We are living with a ghost that has grudge and this is a haunting!’ sighed Charles flippantly.

‘I think you know that already’ insisted Toby, ‘But ghost, well, that’s a fashionable term. What we are dealing with is… Well, an after death energy force. A spirit form. To us here now, that energy can appear in human form, that’s because… it’s what our eyes want us to see and our brains would conceived. This would be quite normal. I believe the scientific term would be ‘A latent Image.’

‘A latent image or not. How do we deal with this. If it’s revenge against the man that left her years and years ago. He would be dead now.’ remarked Charles. ‘What would be the point.’

‘Rebecca still lives within her own world remember. Her own time. That’s what her spirit would recall.’  Toby looked knowingly at Charles.

I’m sorry Tobias. I don’t really understand. If she is living in her own time. But is here in our time. How can we be of help.’ Charles was a little confused.

‘It’s simple Charles. If you think about it. Just her spirit remains with us, yes in human form, but it’s simply an allusion. A trick of the mind, But who controls that mind is the real question.’

‘If I touch her… She is warm, flesh and blood.’

‘Of course. That’s what we want to believe, and what her spirit wants us to believe, and in part it’s quite natural.’ replied Toby. ‘Death is part of living. It’s certainly nothing to be alarmed by. After a pause he continued. ‘She will talk with us, as if we are part of her life in her time. Her spirit and form will not take account of present surroundings, merely our words and thoughts. She will form an opinion of us, either, as her family, her friends, or simply, her rescuers, and she will engage with us through a void of blackness that has turned to daylight, between her moving spirit and us beyond the darkness. I rather think, this will be a most upsetting time for all of us.’ Toby then relaxed himself and sat back in his chair feeling he could add no more.

In that moment, the parlour door opened, and Rebecca stood, framed within its doorway… Her curt body and beautiful looks betrayed nothing of the torment and ordeal she had suffered. She smiled gently to her onlookers, within a somewhat apprehensive air.

‘Come in Rebecca,’ Charles said warmly, ‘You are truly most welcome to our little gathering.’

 

About Patrick

a photographer, writer and blogger, a studio and press photographer since the mid 1960's, first published writings in 1974
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