Locked in the tower

‘Halt who goes there?’  The words rang through the corridor of the Tower of London.  My friend and I were Student Nurses from a London hospital. An invite from a young soldier we knew and off we went for an evening’s fun.  We had danced all evening and tired and happy we headed for home.

‘Its us.  Pat and Betty.  You remember us?  You invited us.’

‘I still need the password’

‘What password?’

‘To leave the Tower.’

‘But you know us.’

‘Password. I still can’t let you pass.  The Sergeant will have my guts.’

It was midnight.  We were col and tired. The stone walls of the Tower began to close in on us.  Our pleading was of no use.

All the ghost stories flashed before our eyes,  but no use he would not give way.

Some footsteps behind us made me turn around.

‘Hallo girls, what’s up?’

‘No password.’

‘I can’t let them through’.

”Listen, girls. No password.  No exit.’

Our new friend stood there with a grin on his face.

‘But you both know who we are.’

‘Still need  the word.  The magic word.’

‘Well, what is it’.

By this time my patience was running out.

Laughing, as if it was a joke,  the password was barked out.

The guard shouldered his rifle and stood to one side as we thankfully ran out of the Tower to catch the last bus home.

Pat Parnell.