Ghost Stories!
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: That's what I'd like to know.
Posts: 2,416
Ghost Stories!
Oooooooooooh! It's October. In spite of the fact that I have a costume warehouse, Halloween is still one of my favorite occasions. My Dinotar has put on his jammies, and is ready to have his bunny slippers scared off. Who can help? Tell the Dinotar a true spook story!
----
Shannon Cemetery
In Mason County Ky there is a small farming community called Shannon. There's not much there except farms, a Methodist church and a couple of graveyards. My father and most of his immediate family are buried in the new cemetery. I have plots there, too, and that's where my mom will go. I didn't know, until I started doing family research a couple of years ago, that more of his family is buried in the older graveyard next to the church across the road. The oldest family burial that I know of is my great great Grandfather John's first wife, Lumira. John was buried next to her, with his second wife, Sarah, on his other side. They are situated on the top of a small Indian mound near the church. It's very peculiar looking. Their's are the only three graves on the mound. Add to this the fact that, in spite of the fact that she died some 40 years earlier, Lumira's is the only stone standing.
Now, like all old cemeteries, there are a number of very spooky features to this one, besides the single stone on the Indian mound. The church is rickety, there are toppling iron fences, splitting vaults... it's fabulous. One of my very favorite things is a tombstone that has been "picked up" by a tree that was growing beside it. The stone has grown into the tree and the gnarls make a frame around the face, which is quite legible, only now about 20 inches off the ground and completely upside down. Chilling.
My brother and I were up there a couple of years ago on memorial day, and decided to go through the old cemetery for the first time. Even though it was just across the road, it was a totally new thing to us. We had no idea we had family over there. He had his camera, and was wandering around taking pictures of interesting things, and I was recording info off of our family's stones. Lumira is a mystery to everyone that has done research on our family. She died only a couple of years after she and John were married and had no children. One of Sarah's girls was named Lumira, for her. We don't know what her maiden name was or where she was from. I was standing in front of her tombstone on that little hill, pondering about all this. I wondered "Why is her stone standing when the others have fallen?". Behind me I heard a male voice, distinct and clear say "Because she died unavenged." It scared the geewillikers out of me, but I thought I must have spoken out loud and that my brother had snuck up behind me. I turned around. No one was there. My brother was about 50 yards away on the edge of the lot photographing a hedge. Now, you simply cannot tell him things like that. He starts breathing funny, his jaw sets and his eyes bug out. So I just went over and became very very interested in what he was shooting.
I haven't been able to find out anything more about Lumira, or how she died. But I will keep searching. I somehow feel it's my duty and my obligation.
----
Shannon Cemetery
In Mason County Ky there is a small farming community called Shannon. There's not much there except farms, a Methodist church and a couple of graveyards. My father and most of his immediate family are buried in the new cemetery. I have plots there, too, and that's where my mom will go. I didn't know, until I started doing family research a couple of years ago, that more of his family is buried in the older graveyard next to the church across the road. The oldest family burial that I know of is my great great Grandfather John's first wife, Lumira. John was buried next to her, with his second wife, Sarah, on his other side. They are situated on the top of a small Indian mound near the church. It's very peculiar looking. Their's are the only three graves on the mound. Add to this the fact that, in spite of the fact that she died some 40 years earlier, Lumira's is the only stone standing.
Now, like all old cemeteries, there are a number of very spooky features to this one, besides the single stone on the Indian mound. The church is rickety, there are toppling iron fences, splitting vaults... it's fabulous. One of my very favorite things is a tombstone that has been "picked up" by a tree that was growing beside it. The stone has grown into the tree and the gnarls make a frame around the face, which is quite legible, only now about 20 inches off the ground and completely upside down. Chilling.
My brother and I were up there a couple of years ago on memorial day, and decided to go through the old cemetery for the first time. Even though it was just across the road, it was a totally new thing to us. We had no idea we had family over there. He had his camera, and was wandering around taking pictures of interesting things, and I was recording info off of our family's stones. Lumira is a mystery to everyone that has done research on our family. She died only a couple of years after she and John were married and had no children. One of Sarah's girls was named Lumira, for her. We don't know what her maiden name was or where she was from. I was standing in front of her tombstone on that little hill, pondering about all this. I wondered "Why is her stone standing when the others have fallen?". Behind me I heard a male voice, distinct and clear say "Because she died unavenged." It scared the geewillikers out of me, but I thought I must have spoken out loud and that my brother had snuck up behind me. I turned around. No one was there. My brother was about 50 yards away on the edge of the lot photographing a hedge. Now, you simply cannot tell him things like that. He starts breathing funny, his jaw sets and his eyes bug out. So I just went over and became very very interested in what he was shooting.
I haven't been able to find out anything more about Lumira, or how she died. But I will keep searching. I somehow feel it's my duty and my obligation.
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: That's what I'd like to know.
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Well, he's got his little green lips all stuck out. So I'll tell another one...
The Gazebo
In a town called Ogunquit in Maine there is a bed and breakfast called the Gazebo. I stayed there in the mid 80's with a couple of women friends. It's an old farmhouse that was built in the early 1800's that they have put some additions on. When we were there it was not exactly tourist season, so we got to stay in the main house. It was all so pretty and calm. My room was right next to my friends' room. It was really tiny. You pretty much had to crawl into the bed from the foot of it, which was just far enough from the door for it to be able to open. My friends had a bigger room... there were two of them. What I was in must have been a storage room or a sewing room or something like that. When I said goodnight to my friends and started for bed, I started getting the creeps. I can't define it. I was just scared. I felt so stupid, I couldn't tell them, but I was lying there terrified. I didn't know of what. They had bought an amulet for me at a renaissance fair that was supposed to ward off evil. I certainly didn't take that seriously... it was just cool and pretty... and in my suitcase. I was so distressed I actually got out of bed and put it on, then pulled the covers over my head. It seemed like forever, but I eventually fell asleep. In the middle of the night, there was very loud banging on my door. I thought it was K. and called to her. No answer. I went to the door... nobody. I got back in bed. Just as dawn was coming up, I heard more banging. This time it was on the roof, and I heard men's voices. I was really annoyed. I thought "Why in the world are they fixing the roof at dawn with people sleeping in here???" I went back to sleep.
A couple of hours later, K. really did knock on my door. She came in, and I sat straight up in bed and said "this place is haunted". That was really kind of strange, because I hadn't actually processed that thought until that moment. K. gasped. "Did you see it too????"
"SEE it? No ... I heard it. What did you see?"
She saw a man in colonial dress enter their room by the doorway and exit through an armoire. She couldn't sleep either. She showed us where the ghost walked, and we went down to breakfast.
Because we were the only guests that weekend, the owner was serving us breakfast. We attacked him immediately. No. No one was working on the roof. Haunted? His partner had said he heard the voices but he thought the guy was just trying to scare him. Through the armoire??? Wait a minute. The room K. and C. were in had just been remodeled. The owner showed us pictures of the room before it was redone. Where the armoire now stood on what was a solid wall had been a doorway... into my room. The ghost was just doing what he used to do.
C. and I wanted to stay another night. C. felt really cheated that she missed the ghost. K. wanted to leave RIGHT NOW. So we did. But someday, I will go back.
The Gazebo
In a town called Ogunquit in Maine there is a bed and breakfast called the Gazebo. I stayed there in the mid 80's with a couple of women friends. It's an old farmhouse that was built in the early 1800's that they have put some additions on. When we were there it was not exactly tourist season, so we got to stay in the main house. It was all so pretty and calm. My room was right next to my friends' room. It was really tiny. You pretty much had to crawl into the bed from the foot of it, which was just far enough from the door for it to be able to open. My friends had a bigger room... there were two of them. What I was in must have been a storage room or a sewing room or something like that. When I said goodnight to my friends and started for bed, I started getting the creeps. I can't define it. I was just scared. I felt so stupid, I couldn't tell them, but I was lying there terrified. I didn't know of what. They had bought an amulet for me at a renaissance fair that was supposed to ward off evil. I certainly didn't take that seriously... it was just cool and pretty... and in my suitcase. I was so distressed I actually got out of bed and put it on, then pulled the covers over my head. It seemed like forever, but I eventually fell asleep. In the middle of the night, there was very loud banging on my door. I thought it was K. and called to her. No answer. I went to the door... nobody. I got back in bed. Just as dawn was coming up, I heard more banging. This time it was on the roof, and I heard men's voices. I was really annoyed. I thought "Why in the world are they fixing the roof at dawn with people sleeping in here???" I went back to sleep.
A couple of hours later, K. really did knock on my door. She came in, and I sat straight up in bed and said "this place is haunted". That was really kind of strange, because I hadn't actually processed that thought until that moment. K. gasped. "Did you see it too????"
"SEE it? No ... I heard it. What did you see?"
She saw a man in colonial dress enter their room by the doorway and exit through an armoire. She couldn't sleep either. She showed us where the ghost walked, and we went down to breakfast.
Because we were the only guests that weekend, the owner was serving us breakfast. We attacked him immediately. No. No one was working on the roof. Haunted? His partner had said he heard the voices but he thought the guy was just trying to scare him. Through the armoire??? Wait a minute. The room K. and C. were in had just been remodeled. The owner showed us pictures of the room before it was redone. Where the armoire now stood on what was a solid wall had been a doorway... into my room. The ghost was just doing what he used to do.
C. and I wanted to stay another night. C. felt really cheated that she missed the ghost. K. wanted to leave RIGHT NOW. So we did. But someday, I will go back.
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: That's what I'd like to know.
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Okay dangit.
I posted this over on the follies page yesterday and didn't get ONE response, much less a STORY. So I'm bringing it to a bunch of codies and laying it on your doorstep. YOU are now responsible (BWAAAA- HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!!). Making codies responsible always gets you some action.
Now... I want ghost stories ...or the GOBLINS will get you. And if you don't believe me, look at my avatar.
Okay let me rephrase that. Pllllleeeease, please, pleeeeease... it'll be fuuuuuun!
Hugs,
Smoke
I posted this over on the follies page yesterday and didn't get ONE response, much less a STORY. So I'm bringing it to a bunch of codies and laying it on your doorstep. YOU are now responsible (BWAAAA- HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!!). Making codies responsible always gets you some action.
Now... I want ghost stories ...or the GOBLINS will get you. And if you don't believe me, look at my avatar.
Okay let me rephrase that. Pllllleeeease, please, pleeeeease... it'll be fuuuuuun!
Hugs,
Smoke
I used to work here ;)
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: I live in Trevose, PA & collect Barbies :)
Posts: 2,024
Nobody lives there.....
Along a stretch of road known as route 438, in Montdale, Pa, there is an old home, that is still lived in today, and next to that home is an older house that used to be for the servants of the larger house. This servants' quarters has not been used for many years, and it has been used for storage, but on one rainy night it was lived in once more.
A woman traveling though the area at night encountered car trouble, and being she was some distance form the main part of town she looked for help at a nearby house. She spotted one and went to the door to seek help. No one was home so she decided to try the smaller house next along side of it. The woman went up to the old house , and knocked on the door.
An older woman opened the door and offered to help. She got the traveler in out of the rain and helped her until the car was ready to go again. The next day the young traveler came back to the house where she broke down, to offer her thanks. She approached the old home, but there was no answer. She then went to the larger house to ask about the older woman, when she did, she was met with odd looks. The occupants of the larger house told her that she must have been mistaken, no one has lived in there for many years. The woman she described that helped her, was a servant a long time ago. The traveler, shaken, got in her car and left the village of Montdale. Never to return.
A woman traveling though the area at night encountered car trouble, and being she was some distance form the main part of town she looked for help at a nearby house. She spotted one and went to the door to seek help. No one was home so she decided to try the smaller house next along side of it. The woman went up to the old house , and knocked on the door.
An older woman opened the door and offered to help. She got the traveler in out of the rain and helped her until the car was ready to go again. The next day the young traveler came back to the house where she broke down, to offer her thanks. She approached the old home, but there was no answer. She then went to the larger house to ask about the older woman, when she did, she was met with odd looks. The occupants of the larger house told her that she must have been mistaken, no one has lived in there for many years. The woman she described that helped her, was a servant a long time ago. The traveler, shaken, got in her car and left the village of Montdale. Never to return.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,955
Oh, anything for that cute little
Dinotar. He is adorable in his ghost costume, although I'm sure he would prefer to be scary and feared. The night cap, bunny slippers and candle are too much. He looks like such an avid listener. What does he like for trick or treat? I hope he knocks on my door this year. He will get lots of good treats.
Here is a ghost story...for my little buddy.
From China...
A young woman was spending a quiet evening with her boyfriend at home. Later in the night they heard someone knocking at the front door. Surprised that someone would be visiting at such an hour, the boyfriend advised her against answering the door. The young woman, however, got brave and went to answer the door. She said there might be an emergency. Furthermore, there is a famous Chinese saying that goes, "If you didn't do any harm to others during the day, you shouldn't be afraid of a ghost knocking on your door at night."
So, she opened the door, thinking nothing of it. A woman stood on the front door as she opened the door. She noticed the stranger had a hideous face that was half burned beyond recognition.
"Please help me... I need money to take with me to the other side," the apparition pleaded. In the Chinese tradition, families always burned paper money and provided food and fruits for the deceased to take with them to the after life.
The young woman, trembling, replied, "I will help you. But please don't harm us."
With her promise, the ghost disappeared before her eyes. The next day, the young woman, with her boyfriend's help, asked around the neighborhood about the ghost and found out a young woman had been burned to death wrongfully. Her family had abandoned her grave without burning any money for her. So the young woman visited the dead woman's grave and offered her paper money and fresh fruits. She never saw the ghost again.
P.S. My favorite ghost story is the one about The Bell Witch. But I thought it was far too long to print here. If you are interested do a search and you can read about her. The Dinotar might need to sleep with the light on if you read it to him though.
Here is a ghost story...for my little buddy.
From China...
A young woman was spending a quiet evening with her boyfriend at home. Later in the night they heard someone knocking at the front door. Surprised that someone would be visiting at such an hour, the boyfriend advised her against answering the door. The young woman, however, got brave and went to answer the door. She said there might be an emergency. Furthermore, there is a famous Chinese saying that goes, "If you didn't do any harm to others during the day, you shouldn't be afraid of a ghost knocking on your door at night."
So, she opened the door, thinking nothing of it. A woman stood on the front door as she opened the door. She noticed the stranger had a hideous face that was half burned beyond recognition.
"Please help me... I need money to take with me to the other side," the apparition pleaded. In the Chinese tradition, families always burned paper money and provided food and fruits for the deceased to take with them to the after life.
The young woman, trembling, replied, "I will help you. But please don't harm us."
With her promise, the ghost disappeared before her eyes. The next day, the young woman, with her boyfriend's help, asked around the neighborhood about the ghost and found out a young woman had been burned to death wrongfully. Her family had abandoned her grave without burning any money for her. So the young woman visited the dead woman's grave and offered her paper money and fresh fruits. She never saw the ghost again.
P.S. My favorite ghost story is the one about The Bell Witch. But I thought it was far too long to print here. If you are interested do a search and you can read about her. The Dinotar might need to sleep with the light on if you read it to him though.
spirit
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: perth,western australia
Posts: 1,460
spirit
hey this site might help !!! australian ghost stories!
http://www.castleofspirits.com/
regards
kath
ps one night in an old house in kalgoorlie, (west australia) my husband woke and there was an old lady and a young boy standing at the bottom of our bed. we always thought the house felt odd, not scary, but it always felt like someone was there. another night in the same house a friend was staying in the spare bedroom and woke to see a man dressed in mining gear. kal is a gold mining town.
the room he was is always looked weird, like it wasnt quite there, like you stepped into a void when you went into it. very strange.
ciou
http://www.castleofspirits.com/
regards
kath
ps one night in an old house in kalgoorlie, (west australia) my husband woke and there was an old lady and a young boy standing at the bottom of our bed. we always thought the house felt odd, not scary, but it always felt like someone was there. another night in the same house a friend was staying in the spare bedroom and woke to see a man dressed in mining gear. kal is a gold mining town.
the room he was is always looked weird, like it wasnt quite there, like you stepped into a void when you went into it. very strange.
ciou
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: That's what I'd like to know.
Posts: 2,416
Yaaaay! Now that's more like it. The Dinotar is chewing his sheet but still wants to hear about the Bell witch. We'll check it out. He wouldn't mind if we could keep this up until Halloween. LOL.
Oh, Gabe... he won't have on the ghost costume at Halloween. He was in a hurry to get in the "spirit" as it were... (sorry spirit.
) ... so I just threw a sheet over him. We may have to try a few more costumes before he decides for sure.
Oh, Gabe... he won't have on the ghost costume at Halloween. He was in a hurry to get in the "spirit" as it were... (sorry spirit.
) ... so I just threw a sheet over him. We may have to try a few more costumes before he decides for sure.
I used to work here ;)
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: I live in Trevose, PA & collect Barbies :)
Posts: 2,024
Stranger in the Church
adapted from folklore by
Craig Dominey
Now this story happened long before there were cars, or highways, or motels. Back in the old days, folks would travel or haul things by wagon, riding miles down long dirt roads to get from one place to another. And the wagoners - that's what the old folks used to call guys who hauled things - would get mighty tired after being on the road so long, and were always looking for a place to sleep.
That's the dilemma Joe Bates found himself in. For two days, he'd been steering a wagon full of farm equipment destined for Red Springs, Alabama. Night was falling fast - as were his drooping eyelids. The last thing he wanted was to fall asleep and steer his team of horses into a ditch. So he figured he better find a place to catch a wink or two, even if it was on the cold, hard ground.
As luck would have it, Joe passed an old farmer walking home from a long day in the fields. Joe stopped him and asked where he might find some lodging. "There ain't nothin' between here and Red Springs," the farmer said. He then pointed toward a small dirt path that split away from the main road into a dense pine forest. "That there's a short cut that'll git you there in half the time. But I wouldn't travel on that road at night."
"Why's that?" Joe asked.
The old farmer spit a stream of tobacco juice into the bushes and said, "'Cause ever'body knows that road is haunted."
Well, Joe had been traveling through Alabama long enough to know that country folk made up a lot of tall tales to pass the time. So Joe grinned, patted the old man on the back and said, "Thanks, old timer, but I'll take my chances, ghosts or no ghosts." And with that, he steered his wagon into the forest.
A couple of hours went by, and Joe was starting to think that this so-called "short cut" wasn't so short after all. All he could see around him in the darkness was thick, impenetrable forest. His lantern cast eerie shadows on the stark pine trees. Strange night creatures chattered amongst themselves in the shadows, as if waiting for the forest to swallow Joe alive.
Finally, the trees broke on one side to reveal a small, white clapboard church sitting on a small rise. The windows were dark, but Joe knew the door was probably unlocked. After all, preachers encouraged their flock to pray whenever they could, even at odd hours of the night. So Joe tied his team to the front post, walked up the stairs, and opened the heavy door with a loud creak.
Sure enough, the church was empty, So Joe stretched himself out in a pew in the back and chuckled to himself. He couldn't believe his luck, finding this place so far out in the woods. It was almost enough to make him consider going to church again on Sundays! But he quickly shook that thought off and fell into a deep, much-needed slumber.
Moments later, Joe awoke to a sudden thumping sound coming from the front of the church. He lay quiet for a moment, thinking an animal had crawled inside. He heard it again, louder this time. Joe reached for his extinguished lantern, but couldn't find a match to light it with. Cursing under his breath, he peered over the pew in front of him.
His eyes took awhile to adjust to the darkness. But when they did, he saw something that made him jump. Standing by the pulpit was a small figure in white, rocking back and forth on her heels slowly. "Who's there?" Joe called out, only to be answered by a low, painful moan.
Joe found the matches in his pocket. He tried to light the lantern, but no luck. He looked up, and a chill ran through him as he saw the figure had moved closer. He could see it was a woman in a torn white dress, her long, stringy hair hanging over her face. She was moaning louder now as she approached him.
Joe found himself backing away toward the door. He tried to light the lantern again, but still the flame wouldn't catch. He looked up and saw that the woman had moved even closer. He noticed that the front of her dress was stained with mud.
"Wh...what do you want?" Joe asked her, his voice cracking with fear. He backed up against the door, but it was closed. The woman moved closer and closer, her moans growing louder and louder.
Joe fumbled with the lantern again, striking another match. This time the flame caught, and as he lifted the lantern in the air, he gasped - the woman was standing right in his face, her eyes crazed and bloodshot, skin pale and cracked like some long lost china doll! She reached for his face, and even in that split second, Joe could see that her fingernails were broken and dirty.
Joe flung the door open and ran to his wagon. He could hear the woman's bare feet thumping down the church stairs behind him. He frantically untied the horses and leapt into the driver's seat. And right before he sped away, he swore he felt the woman grab his shirt, trying desperately to pull him off the wagon.
Joe rode swiftly away from the church and did not stop until he reached Red Springs, just as the morning sun cracked the horizon. He found a local restaurant and collapsed into a chair. With trembling fingers, he lit a cigarette as the morning breakfast crowd stared at him strangely.
"You all right, Mister?" the Manager asked as he poured Joe a steaming cup of coffee. Joe shook his head and told him the story of the ghost he'd seen in the church. The Manager stared at him for a moment, then sat quietly beside him and said, "That weren't no ghost you saw. I think you saw Mary Ann Finch. And the Sheriff's been looking for her for days."
The Manager went on to explain that Mary Ann was a young woman who'd escaped from a nearby mental hospital. Seems she had delivered a baby girl out of wedlock a year or so ago. She was so scared that the townsfolk would shun her that she killed her baby, and buried it deep in the forest where no one would find her.
But her guilt only festered inside her, eventually making her crazy. So much so that her family put her in the hospital. But while she was in there, she cried out that she had had a change of heart, and wanted to dig up her baby, lying somewhere out there in those piney woods, cold and alone. Problem was, she couldn't remember where she had buried her.
One night the doctors went to Mary Ann's room to give her her nightly sedative, but she was gone. Most folks figured she had run off into the forest, but nobody was too eager about going in there and finding her.
After Joe told the Manager his story, the police went back to the old church, but all they found were a bunch of muddy footprints. But Joe didn't stick around long enough to find out what ever happened to Mary Ann Finch. He delivered his equipment as promised and rode back home, swearing never again to take a questionable short cut, no matter how much time it saved,
And he also learned that he shouldn't easily dismiss the tall tales that older folks might tell him. 'Cause there may be a germ of truth in them after all, if you listen hard enough.
- THE END -
Craig Dominey
Now this story happened long before there were cars, or highways, or motels. Back in the old days, folks would travel or haul things by wagon, riding miles down long dirt roads to get from one place to another. And the wagoners - that's what the old folks used to call guys who hauled things - would get mighty tired after being on the road so long, and were always looking for a place to sleep.
That's the dilemma Joe Bates found himself in. For two days, he'd been steering a wagon full of farm equipment destined for Red Springs, Alabama. Night was falling fast - as were his drooping eyelids. The last thing he wanted was to fall asleep and steer his team of horses into a ditch. So he figured he better find a place to catch a wink or two, even if it was on the cold, hard ground.
As luck would have it, Joe passed an old farmer walking home from a long day in the fields. Joe stopped him and asked where he might find some lodging. "There ain't nothin' between here and Red Springs," the farmer said. He then pointed toward a small dirt path that split away from the main road into a dense pine forest. "That there's a short cut that'll git you there in half the time. But I wouldn't travel on that road at night."
"Why's that?" Joe asked.
The old farmer spit a stream of tobacco juice into the bushes and said, "'Cause ever'body knows that road is haunted."
Well, Joe had been traveling through Alabama long enough to know that country folk made up a lot of tall tales to pass the time. So Joe grinned, patted the old man on the back and said, "Thanks, old timer, but I'll take my chances, ghosts or no ghosts." And with that, he steered his wagon into the forest.
A couple of hours went by, and Joe was starting to think that this so-called "short cut" wasn't so short after all. All he could see around him in the darkness was thick, impenetrable forest. His lantern cast eerie shadows on the stark pine trees. Strange night creatures chattered amongst themselves in the shadows, as if waiting for the forest to swallow Joe alive.
Finally, the trees broke on one side to reveal a small, white clapboard church sitting on a small rise. The windows were dark, but Joe knew the door was probably unlocked. After all, preachers encouraged their flock to pray whenever they could, even at odd hours of the night. So Joe tied his team to the front post, walked up the stairs, and opened the heavy door with a loud creak.
Sure enough, the church was empty, So Joe stretched himself out in a pew in the back and chuckled to himself. He couldn't believe his luck, finding this place so far out in the woods. It was almost enough to make him consider going to church again on Sundays! But he quickly shook that thought off and fell into a deep, much-needed slumber.
Moments later, Joe awoke to a sudden thumping sound coming from the front of the church. He lay quiet for a moment, thinking an animal had crawled inside. He heard it again, louder this time. Joe reached for his extinguished lantern, but couldn't find a match to light it with. Cursing under his breath, he peered over the pew in front of him.
His eyes took awhile to adjust to the darkness. But when they did, he saw something that made him jump. Standing by the pulpit was a small figure in white, rocking back and forth on her heels slowly. "Who's there?" Joe called out, only to be answered by a low, painful moan.
Joe found the matches in his pocket. He tried to light the lantern, but no luck. He looked up, and a chill ran through him as he saw the figure had moved closer. He could see it was a woman in a torn white dress, her long, stringy hair hanging over her face. She was moaning louder now as she approached him.
Joe found himself backing away toward the door. He tried to light the lantern again, but still the flame wouldn't catch. He looked up and saw that the woman had moved even closer. He noticed that the front of her dress was stained with mud.
"Wh...what do you want?" Joe asked her, his voice cracking with fear. He backed up against the door, but it was closed. The woman moved closer and closer, her moans growing louder and louder.
Joe fumbled with the lantern again, striking another match. This time the flame caught, and as he lifted the lantern in the air, he gasped - the woman was standing right in his face, her eyes crazed and bloodshot, skin pale and cracked like some long lost china doll! She reached for his face, and even in that split second, Joe could see that her fingernails were broken and dirty.
Joe flung the door open and ran to his wagon. He could hear the woman's bare feet thumping down the church stairs behind him. He frantically untied the horses and leapt into the driver's seat. And right before he sped away, he swore he felt the woman grab his shirt, trying desperately to pull him off the wagon.
Joe rode swiftly away from the church and did not stop until he reached Red Springs, just as the morning sun cracked the horizon. He found a local restaurant and collapsed into a chair. With trembling fingers, he lit a cigarette as the morning breakfast crowd stared at him strangely.
"You all right, Mister?" the Manager asked as he poured Joe a steaming cup of coffee. Joe shook his head and told him the story of the ghost he'd seen in the church. The Manager stared at him for a moment, then sat quietly beside him and said, "That weren't no ghost you saw. I think you saw Mary Ann Finch. And the Sheriff's been looking for her for days."
The Manager went on to explain that Mary Ann was a young woman who'd escaped from a nearby mental hospital. Seems she had delivered a baby girl out of wedlock a year or so ago. She was so scared that the townsfolk would shun her that she killed her baby, and buried it deep in the forest where no one would find her.
But her guilt only festered inside her, eventually making her crazy. So much so that her family put her in the hospital. But while she was in there, she cried out that she had had a change of heart, and wanted to dig up her baby, lying somewhere out there in those piney woods, cold and alone. Problem was, she couldn't remember where she had buried her.
One night the doctors went to Mary Ann's room to give her her nightly sedative, but she was gone. Most folks figured she had run off into the forest, but nobody was too eager about going in there and finding her.
After Joe told the Manager his story, the police went back to the old church, but all they found were a bunch of muddy footprints. But Joe didn't stick around long enough to find out what ever happened to Mary Ann Finch. He delivered his equipment as promised and rode back home, swearing never again to take a questionable short cut, no matter how much time it saved,
And he also learned that he shouldn't easily dismiss the tall tales that older folks might tell him. 'Cause there may be a germ of truth in them after all, if you listen hard enough.
- THE END -
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32 Sure Ways to Find out if Your Neighbour is a Witch!
( no wart-inspection needed! )
Most of her clothes on the washing line are black.
The local kids talk in whispers as they go past her house, then start running at the last moment.
Nobody trick-or-treats her house; not after the incident when the kids' costumes were less scary than hers when she opened the door to them. (She was embracing the Crone that year no doubt!)
She hardly ever gets junk mail. You ask her what her secret is and she confides that she returns it to sender after writing something on in strange curly writing.
When you pop next door for a chat, the kettle is always already on.
The Jehovah's Witnesses never call ... not anymore ... not after the last time.
Footprints on the roof. And the trees in her flight-path have been pruned down. I swear it's true!
Has a pond full of frogs, and you haven't seen that bothersome double-glazing salesman around for a while.
Doesn't kill spiders. Not even big hairy long-legged ones that suddenly appear from the waste-pipe whilst you're having a bath.
You ask her for suggestions for nice walks in the area, and they all go by way of stone circles and strange earth mounds.
32 Sure Ways to Find out if Your Neighbour is a Witch!
( no wart-inspection needed! )
Most of her clothes on the washing line are black.
The local kids talk in whispers as they go past her house, then start running at the last moment.
Nobody trick-or-treats her house; not after the incident when the kids' costumes were less scary than hers when she opened the door to them. (She was embracing the Crone that year no doubt!)
She hardly ever gets junk mail. You ask her what her secret is and she confides that she returns it to sender after writing something on in strange curly writing.
When you pop next door for a chat, the kettle is always already on.
The Jehovah's Witnesses never call ... not anymore ... not after the last time.
Footprints on the roof. And the trees in her flight-path have been pruned down. I swear it's true!
Has a pond full of frogs, and you haven't seen that bothersome double-glazing salesman around for a while.
Doesn't kill spiders. Not even big hairy long-legged ones that suddenly appear from the waste-pipe whilst you're having a bath.
You ask her for suggestions for nice walks in the area, and they all go by way of stone circles and strange earth mounds.
Guest
Posts: n/a
<center>
She's always smiling, darn her!
She goes dressed as normal to a Hallowe'en fancy dress party; and wins first prize.
Has named her four cats Beelzebub, ****, Diana, and Moonbeam ... or her rats Devon and Cornwall.
Her bumper sticker reads:
Frequently gets raided by the drug squad who confiscate large amounts of dried green leaves; they always return them with apologies after analysis.
A screech owl has chosen the lamp-post outside her house as its favorite calling-post. That's just when it's getting warm at night and you like to sleep with the window open.
She was given a bodhram drum for her birthday. And she plays it at midnight in the fields. And she's got a blasted tamborine.
You discover that her realistic resin skull ornament in her living room, actually is real.
She's always smiling, darn her!
She goes dressed as normal to a Hallowe'en fancy dress party; and wins first prize.
Has named her four cats Beelzebub, ****, Diana, and Moonbeam ... or her rats Devon and Cornwall.
Her bumper sticker reads:
Frequently gets raided by the drug squad who confiscate large amounts of dried green leaves; they always return them with apologies after analysis.
A screech owl has chosen the lamp-post outside her house as its favorite calling-post. That's just when it's getting warm at night and you like to sleep with the window open.
She was given a bodhram drum for her birthday. And she plays it at midnight in the fields. And she's got a blasted tamborine.
You discover that her realistic resin skull ornament in her living room, actually is real.
Guest
Posts: n/a
<center>
You catch her washing a crystal ball along with the dishes.
She wears a lot of silver jewelry, even when doing the gardening. And bat earrings for goodness-sake.
She has a tame robin that will eat from her hand in the garden. That can't be natural.
Never catches a cold, even though she walks barefoot most of the time. In the snow as well.
She listens to what you are saying like she really cares.
She has lots of female friends who come round every few months. When you ask what they get up to, she tells you that they just have cakes and ale and a good natter.
All the stray cats in the neighbourhood tend to congregate in her garden ... and use your own as their litter.
You notice that the parish priest crosses himself whenever he walks past her house.
She makes jars of quince and mandrake relish for the Women's Institute coffee morning jumble sale.
You ask to borrow a pack of cards for an impromptu bridge evening, and there are 78 in the pack.
You have never known her to visit her GP.
Expectant mothers are forever visiting her. Also women who become expectant mothers a month after visiting her.
She tells you that she is coming out of the broom closet, joins Witches' Voice, and erects a stained-glass pentacle window in her front door.
You catch her hugging a tree.
You catch her washing a crystal ball along with the dishes.
She wears a lot of silver jewelry, even when doing the gardening. And bat earrings for goodness-sake.
She has a tame robin that will eat from her hand in the garden. That can't be natural.
Never catches a cold, even though she walks barefoot most of the time. In the snow as well.
She listens to what you are saying like she really cares.
She has lots of female friends who come round every few months. When you ask what they get up to, she tells you that they just have cakes and ale and a good natter.
All the stray cats in the neighbourhood tend to congregate in her garden ... and use your own as their litter.
You notice that the parish priest crosses himself whenever he walks past her house.
She makes jars of quince and mandrake relish for the Women's Institute coffee morning jumble sale.
You ask to borrow a pack of cards for an impromptu bridge evening, and there are 78 in the pack.
You have never known her to visit her GP.
Expectant mothers are forever visiting her. Also women who become expectant mothers a month after visiting her.
She tells you that she is coming out of the broom closet, joins Witches' Voice, and erects a stained-glass pentacle window in her front door.
You catch her hugging a tree.
Queen of one liners
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: walking beside you! Not in front of you.
Posts: 658
Here I am back with a true "ghost story just for Dinotar,
Back in 1963 we bought our first house at the end of a dead end street, close enough to see the roof tops of our neighbors but far enough away that we'd feel sucluded...
The perious owners had left early that morning. I arrived shortly after noon to do clean-up work as they had left in a hurry...The living quarters were all on the top floor with a half basement under neath it. A joining the basement was a long narrow screened in porch, with a door at each end....
After sorting through all the things they had left up stairs I started carrying it down stairs so we could haul it off to the dump... On one trip down stairs I heard footsteps walking around in the upstairs....empty houses have such strange sounds any way..so up the stairs I went to see who was walking around....But there was no one there..I had left the front door open to air out the house while I worked.....Now it was closed....
O.K. I think the wind blew it shut... so this time I propped it open with an old chair....
Again I take a load down to the basement.....AGAIN I hear footsteps upstairs.....Up I go looking for whoever is walking around my house without my permission.....The door is still closed....but there is no one there....and no footsteps either...
Suddenly I hear footsteps in the basement...now I am getting really ticked...So being the brave wee soul that I am, I go running down the stairs to find.....
NO ONE THERE!
Alright this time I'll fix them...Up the stairs I go, lock the front door, and down the stairs I go looking for who ever is driving me crazy with this stupid game....
Now in this basement there are five small rooms with one way in and one way out...so I firgue I've got them for sure.. I lock the door onto the sun porch (we didn't have many sun porches here in the NW back then)
I begin to check out each room as I came to it.....Nothing unual in any of them, just junk the owners had left....Now I am ticked but still very, very brave...After all this is my first real, ever, dream house and no one is going to get away with this....
I decide that who ever it was had to have left out the door leading to the sun room....Unlocking it out I go...More junk!.....I checked the door at the North end of the porch...It's locked up tight....I go to the other end of the porch to check that door and it isn't locked.....so I open the door only to find that here is another small room I'd never seen before...It's more than a little dark inside......so I open the door wider.....
that's when I saw "IT!"....
"It" was sitting there on an old wood stove......
In a glass case......
"It" almost seem to be smiling.....
Needless to say I beat my feet up those stairs as fast as I could. opened the front door, ran to my car and drove to the highway to wait for my prince in shinning armor to come into town from work....After all I am no dumbie! There's no way I will stay in that house with "IT" one minute longer without MAN POWER to back me up....
Into town he came in his 53 Ford....Candy Apple Red it was....Oh that's another story...
Anyway I proceed to tell him why I am waiting for him there when we were to meet at our new house....HE LAUGH! He then told me he knew about the extra room but he didn't know about "IT" being in there....BUT being the Prince that he is...He'll go back with me and check things out... WELL, of course, he really didn't believe me about the footsteps or the door, or about "IT" even through he is Irish.
So here we go, into the house, everything as I left it upstairs, down the stairs...him in front of course, through the basement, out onto the sun porch down the length of it to the small dark room.......and opening the door (again),
still sitting on the wood stove is "IT"....
No footsteps could be heard this time, maybe a creack, but old houses do that when empty you know.....Well, Himself isn't laughing anymore....
He couldn't have been more surprised that I was when I saw "IT"
There sitting on the old wood stove
In a glass case
Looking almost as if it was smiling
was a real human skull!!!!!!!!!!!
Back in 1963 we bought our first house at the end of a dead end street, close enough to see the roof tops of our neighbors but far enough away that we'd feel sucluded...
The perious owners had left early that morning. I arrived shortly after noon to do clean-up work as they had left in a hurry...The living quarters were all on the top floor with a half basement under neath it. A joining the basement was a long narrow screened in porch, with a door at each end....
After sorting through all the things they had left up stairs I started carrying it down stairs so we could haul it off to the dump... On one trip down stairs I heard footsteps walking around in the upstairs....empty houses have such strange sounds any way..so up the stairs I went to see who was walking around....But there was no one there..I had left the front door open to air out the house while I worked.....Now it was closed....
O.K. I think the wind blew it shut... so this time I propped it open with an old chair....
Again I take a load down to the basement.....AGAIN I hear footsteps upstairs.....Up I go looking for whoever is walking around my house without my permission.....The door is still closed....but there is no one there....and no footsteps either...
Suddenly I hear footsteps in the basement...now I am getting really ticked...So being the brave wee soul that I am, I go running down the stairs to find.....
NO ONE THERE!
Alright this time I'll fix them...Up the stairs I go, lock the front door, and down the stairs I go looking for who ever is driving me crazy with this stupid game....
Now in this basement there are five small rooms with one way in and one way out...so I firgue I've got them for sure.. I lock the door onto the sun porch (we didn't have many sun porches here in the NW back then)
I begin to check out each room as I came to it.....Nothing unual in any of them, just junk the owners had left....Now I am ticked but still very, very brave...After all this is my first real, ever, dream house and no one is going to get away with this....
I decide that who ever it was had to have left out the door leading to the sun room....Unlocking it out I go...More junk!.....I checked the door at the North end of the porch...It's locked up tight....I go to the other end of the porch to check that door and it isn't locked.....so I open the door only to find that here is another small room I'd never seen before...It's more than a little dark inside......so I open the door wider.....
that's when I saw "IT!"....
"It" was sitting there on an old wood stove......
In a glass case......
"It" almost seem to be smiling.....
Needless to say I beat my feet up those stairs as fast as I could. opened the front door, ran to my car and drove to the highway to wait for my prince in shinning armor to come into town from work....After all I am no dumbie! There's no way I will stay in that house with "IT" one minute longer without MAN POWER to back me up....
Into town he came in his 53 Ford....Candy Apple Red it was....Oh that's another story...
Anyway I proceed to tell him why I am waiting for him there when we were to meet at our new house....HE LAUGH! He then told me he knew about the extra room but he didn't know about "IT" being in there....BUT being the Prince that he is...He'll go back with me and check things out... WELL, of course, he really didn't believe me about the footsteps or the door, or about "IT" even through he is Irish.
So here we go, into the house, everything as I left it upstairs, down the stairs...him in front of course, through the basement, out onto the sun porch down the length of it to the small dark room.......and opening the door (again),
still sitting on the wood stove is "IT"....
No footsteps could be heard this time, maybe a creack, but old houses do that when empty you know.....Well, Himself isn't laughing anymore....
He couldn't have been more surprised that I was when I saw "IT"
There sitting on the old wood stove
In a glass case
Looking almost as if it was smiling
was a real human skull!!!!!!!!!!!
Queen of one liners
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: walking beside you! Not in front of you.
Posts: 658
OH, I am so sorry kids but I am just to tired to continue this tonight....
"Yawn! "
besides it's dark outside and himself wants to go to turn in for the night.....
"Yawn!"
Maybe tomorrrow night
"Yawn!"
or the next one................
"Yawn! "
besides it's dark outside and himself wants to go to turn in for the night.....
"Yawn!"
Maybe tomorrrow night
"Yawn!"
or the next one................
Dinotar has his little green toes are scrinched up he is so excited.
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