Writing for Fun
December 2016
High Voltage - Bob Wendelkin
‘Come on Ruth, if we don’t start soon the road over the Bridge will be blocked with early morning traffic,’ said Steve, Ruth’s husband.
‘I’m not certain I really want to go now. I have a bad feeling about going to the Skirrid Mountain Inn.’
‘Look, Ruth I know you were turned on by your adventure at Borley Rectory and so you started to read up about other haunted places around the country. Then you booked a weekend for us, so we are going,’ said Steve with a firmness in his voice that Ruth knew from the past would brook no argument.
‘I know, Steve we did do some good at Borley didn’t we, that young Nun went to her Henry and the Abbott went to Hell.’
‘What is so special about this place?’ asked Steve.
‘Well it supposed to be quite haunted, that Hanging Judge Jefferies is reported to haunt the place. He is supposed to have hanged 140 men, over the staircase, who were involved with the Monmouth Rebellion. But there is no real evidence that the Judge was ever there. Anyway when we get there it may be that no ghosts will ever turn up, it may just be the owner of the Inn advertising for customers,’ replied Ruth.
‘With you in your present mood if there are any spirits there you will raise them, I’m sure. Anyway let’s get going,’ said Steve as he took hold of their suitcases to put in the boot of the car. They then set off for the trip to Wales.
‘Ah, Mr and Mrs Heywood, I’ve put you into room 3. It was supposed to be the court room where Judge Jefferies is said to have held court after the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 so I hope you are not afraid of Ghosts,’ said the receptionist with a grin on her face, as she often welcomes visitors to her inn who are there for its haunted reputation.
‘We aren’t afraid of ghosts, and I’ve met a couple in my time,’ replied Ruth with an equal grin on her face.
‘I’ll show you to your room, dinner is served from 6.30 until 8,’ said the receptionist as she showed them to their room.
As soon as they entered Ruth felt there was some strange force in the room, she said it felt like tension like lightning that raised the hairs on the back of her neck as if it was like a very high Voltage.
‘I’m not happy about this place, John, I mean Steve, I don’t know why I said, John I think it’s this place. It seems too much for me, can’t you feel it?’
‘It’s your imagination; you have been reading too many stories about this place,’ replied Steve taking hold of Ruth.
‘No, it’s not that, there is a malevolence atmosphere, I think this is the room where Jefferies held his hanging court, I think we should go,’ said Ruth with a cold feeling running down her spine.
‘Alright but it’s too late to go tonight, let’s stay the night and go home in the morning,’ replied Steve in his usual consolatory manner. ‘I also feel concerned about this room but not strongly as you.’
After their meal they spent some time in the bar talking to the barman. He told them about how it was reported that Judge Jefferies used to sentence people to death and the executions were carried out in the stairwell and there is a beam that has rope marks scarred into its surface.
‘Come on Ruth we have had a long day and the sooner we go to bed and to sleep the sooner tomorrow will arrive,’ said Steve as he helped Ruth out of her chair.
They went to their bedroom, where the heater had been put on but it still felt as if there was a chill in the air. As they had a heavy day they were soon in bed and they fell asleep.
The night passed and in the early hours a candle suddenly started to burn in the window then another, and another until the whole room was candle lit, in the fire place a fire started to burn. Although it blazed no heat was given into their room.
Ruth began to stir and she became aware of a man in old fashion robes sitting by the fire reading some papers. He raised himself and then seated himself in a chair that was raised off the ground to give its occupant importance. This must be Judge Jefferies Ruth thought to herself as the tableau unfolded before her. She roused Steve who was a sleep beside her.
‘Wake up Steve it’s all happening,’ said Ruth as she gave Steve a shove and got out of the bed.
More figures entered the room along with some prisoners who were chained together. They were forced to stand before the Judge. Among them there was a young man who was the spitting image of her Steve.
‘Steve look at him, he is just like you,’ said Ruth as she pointed to the young man at the same time as she pulled on Steve’s arm. ‘Just look at him.’
‘What is your name?’ asked the Judge.
‘Joshua Heywood, Sir,’ was the young man’s reply.
‘He’s got our surname,’ said Ruth.
‘I had a very distant relation who was said to have been involved in this rebellion, I wonder if he is the one, he was transported to America and hence my father’s family,’ said Steve.
‘I think he must be the one because he looks just like you,’ replied Ruth as the story unfolded before them.
‘You were involved in this rebellion, you and the rest of those rebels tried to remove our lawful king, and I’m certain that if you had caught him you would have executed him,’ continued the Judge as he pointed his finger at Joshua.
‘No sir, all we wanted was to have a Protestant King on the throne not a Catholic.’
‘Silence. I look at you and I can see you are young, I was going to sentence you to be hanged like the rest. However, because of your youth I’m going to be lenient. You will go to the American Colonies to serve your sentence. There you will be of some use. Although I’m certain that your kind will eventually cause a rebellion in our American Colony.’
‘I’m not having that, he’s so young and he may not even survive the long journey to the Americas. I’m going to say something,’ said Ruth as she began to manifest herself in the Court Room.
‘Please don’t, let history run its course,’ said Steve as he followed her.
‘Judge Jefferies, your evil ways of killing many innocent people by having them hanged, will condemn you to purgatory,’ said Ruth as she manifested herself between the Judge and the prisoner.
‘What! Where did you come from? You are a witch,’ said the Judge as he stood up and held a Bible in front of him as a protection from the witch.
‘Come away Ruth. This won’t end well I have a bad feeling about this,’ said Steve as he tried to pull Ruth to one side.
Ruth seeing the great concern on Steve’s face moved to one side.
The Judge was once more facing the prisoner. ‘I was going to send you to the Colonies before this Witch intervened. You are in league with the Devil I will send you to your death, you will be straightway executed,’ said the Judge as he waved the Bible at Joshua.
Two guards grabbed the prisoner and took him to the stairwell where a rope with a noose was there waiting to choke the life out of Joshua.
Quickly Joshua had the rope put round his neck and they began to pull on the rope so that he began to choke as his breath was cut off. Slowly his life began to leave his body.
‘I told you not to interfere, this was history, you have messed with time and you have changed it somehow my ancestor didn’t go to America and his descendent did come over in WW2, he didn’t meet my mother and . . .’ said Steve.
As Ruth looked at him, Steve began to fade before her eyes, as the life was being choked out of his ancestor.
‘I’m sorry Steve I thought I was doing good,’ replied Ruth as she held her hand out to the image that was fast fading and then was gone.
The night passed and Ruth woke up and gave her John a shape poke in the ribs to wake him up.
‘How did you sleep?’ asked Ruth.
‘I couldn’t have slept better, although I did have a strange dream about you and some other man,’ said John as he snuggled into Ruth.
‘Let’s go down to breakfast then perhaps we will take a trip into town,’ replied Ruth.
As they sat at their breakfast table their waitress asked, ‘Did you and Mr Stokes have a good night’s sleep? Only strange things can happen in that room.’