The Lady and the Light

The Lady and the Light

I didn’t believe the story my grandfather told me about the lady and the lamp. How she would appear on the night of the full moon, searching the ground at her feet as she made her way across the ground. She never left any footprints, but he swore he saw her several times over the years. The story goes that she had been engaged, but after a nasty fight with her fiancé she tore off her ring and threw it. Later that night she died in a car accident while heading home. The locals say her spirit won’t rest until she finds the ring and returns it to her fiancé.

I went to the field at sunset and waited. The sky was clear and the stars emerged. Three hours later the full moon rose, lighting the field. When the area brightened, a light closer to the ground appeared, and then a woman blinked into view. She made her way across the field, staring at the ground. I watched her until the clouds began to obscure the moon. The scent of rain filled the air and I headed home.

I never told my grandfather I had gone to see if the story was true, but I have the feeling he knew, because he never told me the story again.