IKC FHew 7C6110
Re-born – Mistress of The Rose (A little ghost story)
by Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope
Post Details
Mission: Ghost Ship
Location: An old Cornish castle
Mistress of the Rose
Mere Rosen Manor rose proud and tall against its rugged sea cliff. Built in the 1130's it ooze's the very essence of everything Cornish and romantic. A lot of the original house remains and is a mixture of ancient ages and styles. Its been in the present family for generations and attracts lots of visitors for its stark beauty and its acres of gardens. Its famous for its unique chess piece topiary and it's award winning roses of which there are nearly three hundred. But Mere Rosen has a long history and an equally long memory and there are some things that can't be forgotten or forgiven.
So on a cold wet afternoon I find myself sitting on an old worn leather chair by a large open log fire at Mere Rosen Manor. The flames hiss and spit at me as the rain drips down from the old chimney making the air feel more gloomy than it already is. The room is cosy, not overly big or fussy but offers very little light. What light there is comes from the pitiful glow of the low watt bulbs and norman windows with their deep angled sills.
My eyes strain in the light to read a letter from a friend who I've not seen or heard from for nearly twelve years. I was surprised and saddened to hear that she had passed away. Her funeral which had taken place in the village had been a quiet affair, now her wake was quieter still with few friends and even less relatives gathered around. They all talked about her in low hushed tones as if the very walls themselves were listening in. To me their voices began to fade into the middle distance as I started to read. It seemed that Pam's voice itself was reaching out across the grey ether to talk to me once more.
She began...
Dear Raine
Mere Rosen Manor did you know that means Sea Rose. You wouldn't have known this. But when I came to visit Mere Rosen Manor over twelve years ago, I fell in love with it so much that I ended up staying and working here as a guide. I sensed that somehow I belonged here. Soon I had quickly become part of the house and its garden and I have never felt that way about anything before.
I have seen so many people coming and going each and everyday. I became a well rehearsed automaton, well versed and knowledgeable. At the drop of a hat I was able to answer all and any questions they cared to ask about the Manor, its gardens and the people who had once lived here. In the end they would all smile politely and say thank you for all I did for them. Then they would leave happy whilst leaving me feeling euphoric and on a high as if I could fly.
When it rains here Raine the perfume from the roses in the garden become heady and the air unworldly hypnotic. I'd caught my finger on a rose thorn once and... and after that I began to see and hear things that no one else could. At first I thought I was going mad but I have to tell you, there is something about this place that is strange to say the least
The roses are very rare you know, beautiful and bred for their colour as well as their perfume. They are a hybrid, a marriage they call it but a very ancient splicing so they say. The roses are huge and open with such deep petals that look like they go on forever. I would loose myself entirely in them. I love them so much it almost breaks my heart to leave them.
You know I could never remember the journey home. I suppose its because everyday seemed always the same. I must have got used to it over the years. I would lock the door at night and leave Mere Rosen. I would always whisper goodnight to the roses, its the polite thing to do.Then all of a sudden I would find myself here outside the front door and its morning again. Then I start again unlocking Mere Rosen and getting it ready for another day.
Raine, there is something else here too thats much older and deeper than the Manor itself. The house is really here just by being allowed to but its the land that is far more older, steeped in legend and mystery. A deal was struck here centuries ago, a bargain if you'd like to call it between good and evil culminating with the roses.
You see an ancient battle was fought here between an rebellious King and a beautiful wild ethereal Queen. Thousands of lives had been lost in a terrible war and neither side would give in. There could be only one ruler.
When the final battle came it was to take place here in what is now the rose garden of Mere Rosen. Facing each other they suddenly realised that enough bloodshed had been lost and called an end to the war, unexpectedly declaring peace. But not everyone agreed with the decision and many of their forces refused unless there was some kind of sacrifice.
In the end it was said that the King and Queen offered themselves up as sacrifice. Their blood was scattered on the ground were the roots of the roses had lain in waiting.
Because the Queen offered herself as sacrifice first she became the mistress of the Rose and the King was to be her husband. Their spirits were tied and bound to the land to keep its peace. They are all still bound here. If you listen and watch carefully enough. They lay and wait in the whisper of the trees and in the dew of the roses.
Now they need another Queen a mistress of the rose and they are watching even now as you read. You could be the one like I was once and be trapped here for as long as you live. If you want my advice Raine, don't be the last one to leave here. Don't stop, don't touch the roses, run, run as fast as you can.
My heart was racing after I'd finished her letter and I looked up. I had become so engrossed in reading it that I hadn't noticed people leaving. I could hear their voices fading as I ran across the main hall almost stumbling down the steps.
I ran outside down the path with roses either side of me. I called out to the others to wait for me but they didn't seem to hear. A few more steps and I would be at the gate but something caught my arm though I still ran. I could almost touch the gate, I was almost there, I just had to reach out with my fingers. Pam's warning voice seemed to be ringing in my ears as I tried to get away.
Then suddenly I saw the blood on my arm. A rose thorn had embedded itself deeply and I was bleeding profusely. Almost, as if in slow motion I stared in disbelief and horror as a single drop of blood fell to the earth. When it hit the ground a shockwave seemed to reverberate around and through me. I suddenly found I could go no further. I couldn't leave.
I turned slowly and faced the path down which I had run only seconds ago. Shadows seemed to move all around me. I saw figures silently walk in and out amongst the trees and the roses that had grown increasingly heavy with perfume. I was rooted to the spot as if an invisible force was holding me there. It was then that I saw him and I knew there was no escape. He beckoned me with his right arm for I was now the Mistress of the Rose.
by Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope
Post Details
| Title | Mistress of The Rose (A little ghost story) | |
| Mission | Re-born | |
| Author(s) | Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope | |
| Posted | Sun Feb 26, 2012 @ 6:48pm | |
| Location | Cornwall, England |
Location: An old Cornish castle
Mistress of the Rose
Mere Rosen Manor rose proud and tall against its rugged sea cliff. Built in the 1130's it ooze's the very essence of everything Cornish and romantic. A lot of the original house remains and is a mixture of ancient ages and styles. Its been in the present family for generations and attracts lots of visitors for its stark beauty and its acres of gardens. Its famous for its unique chess piece topiary and it's award winning roses of which there are nearly three hundred. But Mere Rosen has a long history and an equally long memory and there are some things that can't be forgotten or forgiven.
So on a cold wet afternoon I find myself sitting on an old worn leather chair by a large open log fire at Mere Rosen Manor. The flames hiss and spit at me as the rain drips down from the old chimney making the air feel more gloomy than it already is. The room is cosy, not overly big or fussy but offers very little light. What light there is comes from the pitiful glow of the low watt bulbs and norman windows with their deep angled sills.
My eyes strain in the light to read a letter from a friend who I've not seen or heard from for nearly twelve years. I was surprised and saddened to hear that she had passed away. Her funeral which had taken place in the village had been a quiet affair, now her wake was quieter still with few friends and even less relatives gathered around. They all talked about her in low hushed tones as if the very walls themselves were listening in. To me their voices began to fade into the middle distance as I started to read. It seemed that Pam's voice itself was reaching out across the grey ether to talk to me once more.
She began...
Dear Raine
Mere Rosen Manor did you know that means Sea Rose. You wouldn't have known this. But when I came to visit Mere Rosen Manor over twelve years ago, I fell in love with it so much that I ended up staying and working here as a guide. I sensed that somehow I belonged here. Soon I had quickly become part of the house and its garden and I have never felt that way about anything before.
I have seen so many people coming and going each and everyday. I became a well rehearsed automaton, well versed and knowledgeable. At the drop of a hat I was able to answer all and any questions they cared to ask about the Manor, its gardens and the people who had once lived here. In the end they would all smile politely and say thank you for all I did for them. Then they would leave happy whilst leaving me feeling euphoric and on a high as if I could fly.
When it rains here Raine the perfume from the roses in the garden become heady and the air unworldly hypnotic. I'd caught my finger on a rose thorn once and... and after that I began to see and hear things that no one else could. At first I thought I was going mad but I have to tell you, there is something about this place that is strange to say the least
The roses are very rare you know, beautiful and bred for their colour as well as their perfume. They are a hybrid, a marriage they call it but a very ancient splicing so they say. The roses are huge and open with such deep petals that look like they go on forever. I would loose myself entirely in them. I love them so much it almost breaks my heart to leave them.
You know I could never remember the journey home. I suppose its because everyday seemed always the same. I must have got used to it over the years. I would lock the door at night and leave Mere Rosen. I would always whisper goodnight to the roses, its the polite thing to do.Then all of a sudden I would find myself here outside the front door and its morning again. Then I start again unlocking Mere Rosen and getting it ready for another day.
Raine, there is something else here too thats much older and deeper than the Manor itself. The house is really here just by being allowed to but its the land that is far more older, steeped in legend and mystery. A deal was struck here centuries ago, a bargain if you'd like to call it between good and evil culminating with the roses.
You see an ancient battle was fought here between an rebellious King and a beautiful wild ethereal Queen. Thousands of lives had been lost in a terrible war and neither side would give in. There could be only one ruler.
When the final battle came it was to take place here in what is now the rose garden of Mere Rosen. Facing each other they suddenly realised that enough bloodshed had been lost and called an end to the war, unexpectedly declaring peace. But not everyone agreed with the decision and many of their forces refused unless there was some kind of sacrifice.
In the end it was said that the King and Queen offered themselves up as sacrifice. Their blood was scattered on the ground were the roots of the roses had lain in waiting.
Because the Queen offered herself as sacrifice first she became the mistress of the Rose and the King was to be her husband. Their spirits were tied and bound to the land to keep its peace. They are all still bound here. If you listen and watch carefully enough. They lay and wait in the whisper of the trees and in the dew of the roses.
Now they need another Queen a mistress of the rose and they are watching even now as you read. You could be the one like I was once and be trapped here for as long as you live. If you want my advice Raine, don't be the last one to leave here. Don't stop, don't touch the roses, run, run as fast as you can.
My heart was racing after I'd finished her letter and I looked up. I had become so engrossed in reading it that I hadn't noticed people leaving. I could hear their voices fading as I ran across the main hall almost stumbling down the steps.
I ran outside down the path with roses either side of me. I called out to the others to wait for me but they didn't seem to hear. A few more steps and I would be at the gate but something caught my arm though I still ran. I could almost touch the gate, I was almost there, I just had to reach out with my fingers. Pam's warning voice seemed to be ringing in my ears as I tried to get away.
Then suddenly I saw the blood on my arm. A rose thorn had embedded itself deeply and I was bleeding profusely. Almost, as if in slow motion I stared in disbelief and horror as a single drop of blood fell to the earth. When it hit the ground a shockwave seemed to reverberate around and through me. I suddenly found I could go no further. I couldn't leave.
I turned slowly and faced the path down which I had run only seconds ago. Shadows seemed to move all around me. I saw figures silently walk in and out amongst the trees and the roses that had grown increasingly heavy with perfume. I was rooted to the spot as if an invisible force was holding me there. It was then that I saw him and I knew there was no escape. He beckoned me with his right arm for I was now the Mistress of the Rose.