Slow the Cadence

New characters: (***Spoiler)

Mary was Abbot Richard Whiting, the head of the monastery, who was partially hung, tortured, finally killed and buried at the top of the Tor. 

Gloria was Brother Roger James, who was beaten up when he went to a meeting with the henchmen of King Henry VIII and later was hung to his death on the Tor.

Anne was Brother John Thorne, an assistant to the Abbot who was hung to his death on one side of Abbot Richard, with Brother Roger on the other. 

I’ve got many friends on here. Every once in a while, someone inspires me for what to include in my chapters. Aryr, a wonderful lady on here, phrased the new relationship of our ladies with the new women who just came down from the Tor.

She said, 'they were meeting their leaders from the 16th-century.' When the newly made friends began reporting their physical, and emotional reactions, our ladies identified them as Abbot Richard, Brother John and Brother Robert.

Previously: The group who had recently returned from a time travel experience into the 16th-century was on their way to the top of the Glastonbury Tor and met 3 intriguing women, just descending the Tor.

“As our group intensely took in all these three ladies were saying, it was becoming clear to us, who these three women were in the 16th-century. 

But how to tell them was going to be the challenge.”

**********

I had been doing some quick thinking about where to go from here in this conversation. With the new insight provided us, to use a time-worn idiom, 'this changes everything.'

We had some major work to do with these ladies, our former leaders from the 16th-century. Yes, they were our former leaders, and here we are requesting further leadership as to how to get up that blasted hill.

The irony is that when we saw them being dragged out through our monastery door, we never dreamed, we would meet them again, alive, in a new lifetime...ours.

Another irony is that we, the subordinates, would be leading them in their healing. I scratched my head, trying to figure where and how to begin. 

Since it would be seriously impolite to call a huddle with the other ladies, I was on my own and could only hope they joined in the  contribution of some affirmations for me. 

I decided to just go for it, beginning at the beginning, to borrow a line from Julie Andrews as Maria in “The Sound of Music,” ‘a very good place to start.’

“Did any of you notice any unusual sensations before getting to Glastonbury? The reason I ask, is because on the way, when we were within the vision of the Tor, Cordelia began experiencing extreme discomfort.”

I looked at my other lady companions. “I don’t know if either Cordelia or I have mentioned this to any of you. You will soon see how it makes complete sense.”

Turning my attention to Mary, Gloria, and Anne, I continued. “We both complained of severe headaches. As we drove closer to the Tor, our head pain increased, in addition to a new sensation.”

Mary Jo, Somara, Evelyn, Cyndy, Karin and Caren looked from one to the other.  I guess we hadn’t told anyone of the strange foreshadowing. The three women were fixated on my every word.

Cordelia jumped in to help me out. “Our headaches morphed into a very weighted feeling, like our heads were being held down. Now we know why.”

Mary Jo wanted to make some sense of things for the bewildered trio. “ We’ve actually just come out of a time warp where we all were monks in the monastery in the 16th-century in Glastonbury.”

Cyndy added her take on things. “Evidently, that really happened to all of us, which is why we’ve all been called by the universe to meet before this, at a workshop about harps, which we will explain further if desired.”

Somara gifted us with her knowledge gained from being the bursar or money manager for the monastery. “Because the monastery was making money, fast, the King at the time, Henry VII, demanded the monasteries in England, shut down. 

“Our leader, Abbot Richard Whiting, didn’t want us, his monks, his charges, to be displaced. When he refused, there was nothing but trouble from then on.” 

Evelyn wanted Mary, Gloria, and Anne to comprehend the impact of events, that the veil might be lifted for them. “To begin with, the King’s henchmen bombasted their way in through a locked and barricaded door.”

Karin admitted she was not there, but reported what she’d heard. “I’m choosing to relate this to you, because as a psychiatrist, I am aware of the subtle workings of the mind.”

In an effort to be cautious and gentle, she slowed her cadence as she continued. “You may have unforeseen reactions upon hearing the next set of events these others have witnessed.

"What you have already experienced as you were nearing the top of the Tor will hopefully all make sense and will impact you as needed.”

Karin took a deep breath before she pronounced what might potentially cause new trauma for Anne, Gloria, and particularly, Mary. "When the King’s soldiers violently entered the monastery, they made a death announcement for our three leaders. 

Richard Whiting, Roger James, and John Thorne were to be brought to the Tor to be hung to their death. Although, Richard would be cut down sooner to be kept alive for the sake of torturing.”

All three began to hold onto their throats, with the rope marks returning. It was uncanny how quickly those marks appeared on each of their throats. There were moans and puzzled facial expressions.

Mary was the first who was able to put emotions and questions into coherent words. “What do you mean by all of this? Are you saying we were all in a monastery in the 16th-century? How could this be? Do you people believe in past lives?”