*******************************
OUR SPOOKY OLD HOUSE... (continued)... is nearly 100 years old and provides us with an occasional spooky and unexplained incident to ponder and share with others. Nothing hurtful, dangerous or demonic... just very unusual, quirky and mischievous more than anything.
Well, IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN! Another unexplained and strange "coincidence" in our dining room this time.
Earlier, I told you about the "triangle of rooms" that has 95% of the incidents occur in them... the "kitchen-dining room-downstairs bathroom" connection. (Note: I know that I have yet to describe the numerous small to large incidents that have occured within this area of the house... but those short incident reports will follow as time goes on.)
This morning, about 20 minutes ago, my wife and I were sitting in the front room/TV room when we heard a loud, muffled crash in the house... maybe a couple rooms away !
I jumped up to investigate and found nothing disturbed in the games/piano room. As I entered the dining room, over near the basement door, there had been a stack of empty gift boxes in a tub and 3 wire storage racks set on top. This stack had been there since before our yard sale, ...untouched for well over 2 weeks.
There was no one else in the house and my wife and I had not walked through this room in nearly 2 hours.
The wire storage racks "decided", for no apparent reason, to just move sideways 5 or 6 inches from on top of the box of boxes to where they could then crash down onto the carpeting and rest up against the wall !
I saw no cause or explanation.
Just another quirky, strange, spooky "coincidence"?
Or is it another piece in a pattern of mild, but annoying paranormal occurences in our spooky old house ?
Monday, November 12, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
- OUR SPOOKY OLD HOUSE... Marble Chessboard Incident
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OUR SPOOKY OLD HOUSE is nearly 100 years old and provides us with an occasional spooky and unexplained incident to ponder and share with others. Nothing hurtful, dangerous or demonic... just very unusual, quirky and mischievous more than anything.
Our old, 2-story house was built in 1910 and sits on the edge of our small midwest town. The large town cemetery surrounds our 1-acre property to the north and northwest... and a few completely filled-in, abandoned water wells dot our back and side yards. To look at the house, there is nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary about it, the garage or the yard. But since we moved in 15 years ago, there have been many, many unexplained incidents that make the hair stand up on your neck or give you goose bumps.
As far as we know, no one has actually died in our house... there was an old, unverified rumor that a toddler boy fell into an open, uncovered water well at the bottom of the basement stairs a long time ago and drowned... apparently just an old (unconfirmed) rumor. Also, our large TV room has a big picture window and two pocket-doors that seal off the room... and it is rumored that several previous-owner family members, upon their deaths, were laid out for visitations in that room before their burials (also unconfirmed).
One thing that is true, is that the previous owner did try to intentionally burn down the downstairs bathroom portion of the house... while her husband was in there taking a shower !!! She claimed she "accidently" caught the bathroom doorway and carpet on fire... they were divorced soon after.
***The majority of incidents we have noticed over the years, do seem to occur in that downstairs bathroom/dining room/kitchen "triangle of rooms" area.
Anyway, on with the incident...
Several years ago while on a business trip to San Diego, (in March of 2000 I think) I purchased a great-looking, decorative marble and wood chess set as a souvenir from Tijuana, Mexico.
It has carved wood sides and a base with drawers that hold the marble, rough-carved chess pieces when they are not displayed. The chessboard inlaid on top is a pattern of pink and gray/white marble squares that match the chess pieces. The whole chess set weighs about 20 pounds or more.
When not in use, we stand it on edge and lean it back at a 45-degree angle against the dining room wall as a classy, room decoration.
One sunny afternoon a few years ago, my wife and I were watching television in the front room... when we heard a very loud and heavy "Ka-Thump" that came from the dining room area. Our dining room is two big rooms away from the front room, (plus we usually have the TV turned up a little too loud)... so the "Ka-Thump" must have been pretty loud for us to hear it like that.
Startled, we both jumped up to investigate and found that the heavy, marble & wood chess set had... for no apparent reason... fallen FORWARD and crashed top-down onto the carpeted floor !!! Nothing was broken on the chess set BUT, remember... the chess set is always leaning BACK against the wall at least at a 45-degree angle ! We looked around and saw no reason for the set to have fallen FORWARD like that... no one else in the house, no windows open nearby, no earthquakes (in Illinois ?)... no explainable reason.
So I repositioned it and nothing has happened since.
Very strange indeed... Go figure ?
OUR SPOOKY OLD HOUSE is nearly 100 years old and provides us with an occasional spooky and unexplained incident to ponder and share with others. Nothing hurtful, dangerous or demonic... just very unusual, quirky and mischievous more than anything.
Our old, 2-story house was built in 1910 and sits on the edge of our small midwest town. The large town cemetery surrounds our 1-acre property to the north and northwest... and a few completely filled-in, abandoned water wells dot our back and side yards. To look at the house, there is nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary about it, the garage or the yard. But since we moved in 15 years ago, there have been many, many unexplained incidents that make the hair stand up on your neck or give you goose bumps.
As far as we know, no one has actually died in our house... there was an old, unverified rumor that a toddler boy fell into an open, uncovered water well at the bottom of the basement stairs a long time ago and drowned... apparently just an old (unconfirmed) rumor. Also, our large TV room has a big picture window and two pocket-doors that seal off the room... and it is rumored that several previous-owner family members, upon their deaths, were laid out for visitations in that room before their burials (also unconfirmed).
One thing that is true, is that the previous owner did try to intentionally burn down the downstairs bathroom portion of the house... while her husband was in there taking a shower !!! She claimed she "accidently" caught the bathroom doorway and carpet on fire... they were divorced soon after.
***The majority of incidents we have noticed over the years, do seem to occur in that downstairs bathroom/dining room/kitchen "triangle of rooms" area.
Anyway, on with the incident...
Several years ago while on a business trip to San Diego, (in March of 2000 I think) I purchased a great-looking, decorative marble and wood chess set as a souvenir from Tijuana, Mexico.
It has carved wood sides and a base with drawers that hold the marble, rough-carved chess pieces when they are not displayed. The chessboard inlaid on top is a pattern of pink and gray/white marble squares that match the chess pieces. The whole chess set weighs about 20 pounds or more.
When not in use, we stand it on edge and lean it back at a 45-degree angle against the dining room wall as a classy, room decoration.
One sunny afternoon a few years ago, my wife and I were watching television in the front room... when we heard a very loud and heavy "Ka-Thump" that came from the dining room area. Our dining room is two big rooms away from the front room, (plus we usually have the TV turned up a little too loud)... so the "Ka-Thump" must have been pretty loud for us to hear it like that.
Startled, we both jumped up to investigate and found that the heavy, marble & wood chess set had... for no apparent reason... fallen FORWARD and crashed top-down onto the carpeted floor !!! Nothing was broken on the chess set BUT, remember... the chess set is always leaning BACK against the wall at least at a 45-degree angle ! We looked around and saw no reason for the set to have fallen FORWARD like that... no one else in the house, no windows open nearby, no earthquakes (in Illinois ?)... no explainable reason.
I leaned the chess set back against the wall and tried to manually repeat the incident, but it took quite a bit of pulling the set forward before it would roll on over onto its chessboard top !
So I repositioned it and nothing has happened since.
Very strange indeed... Go figure ?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
- WHAT'S YOUR True Story ?
It's a chilly and windy, dark Halloween night. The kids have all Tricked and Treated to their hearts content.
Does anybody out there have a spooky and true personal story of a haunting or ghostly sighting ? How about a supernatural incident or Quija Board, Tarot or Seance gone wrong ?
Maybe a true first- or second-hand version of an Alien visitation or UFO sighting ? How about a Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Big Muddy Monster story to convince us they are really out there waiting to be found ?
Let us hear from YOU and we'll add your story to this site for our readers to examine and learn from.
Does anybody out there have a spooky and true personal story of a haunting or ghostly sighting ? How about a supernatural incident or Quija Board, Tarot or Seance gone wrong ?
Maybe a true first- or second-hand version of an Alien visitation or UFO sighting ? How about a Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Big Muddy Monster story to convince us they are really out there waiting to be found ?
Let us hear from YOU and we'll add your story to this site for our readers to examine and learn from.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
SIGHTINGS AT "LANTERN ROAD"--- A GHOST OR SPIRIT OR... ?
This is a strange, but totally true first-hand account!
Back around 1970, I was a high school teenager with a hand-me-down car, a girlfriend, and a craving for a little night time excitement. It didn't take much to be more exciting than the usual Friday night action in our small, Illinois canning-factory town. I heard from some of the older guys on our football team about a great place to take your girlfriend "parking". They said it was spooky, dark, and a sure-fire way to get a girl to cuddle up close to you after a date.
They told a scary tale of some old farm couple that disappeared one stormy night and of a disembodied "light" that was always seen floating around the road out there. That sounded exciting enough for me!
The location itself was pretty spooky. It was a 30-minute drive to the dark, country road about eight miles northwest of Milford, Illinois. All I remember is there was something like a small, natural gas relay pump or station close by the road junction a few miles north of Milford on highway Route 1. I turned heading west onto an asphalt-and-rock country road.
After a few minutes driving west on this dark, winding road, my girlfriend was quiet and clinging to my side. As we drove to the parking spot, I told her the mysterious story of the old farm couple; so she was already a bit spooked by the time we arrived.
The story of "Lantern Road" (as the road is nicknamed by the locals) tells of an old farmer and his wife back in the 1920's or 30's who lived along this stretch of country road with their two dogs and a herd of dairy cattle. Early one summer evening, a bad storm started to blow in so the farmer told his wife he was going to the pasture to shoo the cattle into the barn for protection. Shortly after he left, the storm got really bad... strong winds and heavy rain with hail. After an hour of this, it became dark and the farmer still did not return. The old woman worried and waited a bit longer as lightning crashed and the winds howled all around their farmhouse. Still the old farmer did not return. She then put on her rain slicker, lit an old kerosene lantern, and headed out into the fierce storm with her two dogs running ahead of her. The old lady was determined to help her husband find his way home.
It was not to be. Neither the old farmer, his wife, or their dogs were ever seen again. It is said that most nights you can hear the ghost dogs howling in the distance.. and then see the lantern light floating as the old woman's spirit still searches for her long lost husband.
Well, that was the old legend of Lantern Road as passed down through the years. Now it was our turn to park and wait for the "lantern".
After winding down a gulley area and crossing an old bridge over a small creek, the road leveled off and was straight as an arrow for a couple miles. There was an open plowed field to the north of the road, but on the south side was a long row of big, dark trees overhanging the roadway. That was eerie enough, but to top that, there was an old abandoned farmhouse just down the road. Was it THE farmhouse... I don't know, but it sure made it spookier for our first time there.
Now the reason it is a good place to go "parking" with your girl is because, as legend goes, you must park your car, shut off the engine and all lights and make no noise! Then you sit, watch and wait. After several nervous minutes of watching for the lantern, we began to "make out" in the front seat (since there was no known restriction against it in the Lantern Road "rules").
I checked the road every few minutes just to be sure we didn't miss anything.
Then suddenly, I saw something down the road! My girlfriend sat up quickly and couldn't believe her eyes either.
There it was... just as the guys had described it! We watched as it began as a small, dull red glowing light that looked to be about a half mile away from us. It sort of floated and weaved a little as it moved closer and turned red-orange, then an even brighter glowing orange when a quarter mile away.
The light, orb, lantern or whatever was coming right down the road toward us... turning yellow-orange and bright yellow at a hundred yards away! It was hypnotic as it floated toward us, getting larger and brighter as it changed color now to a brighter yellow-white light... it was about 50 yards from the car and still coming! At about 20 yards, we could see that it was a bright, glowing white orb of light that sort of flickered like a lantern fire would have. And there was nothing at all around it... nothing holding it or supporting it... and no sounds either!
That was enough for us!
I started the car and turned on my headlights. The floating light went out immediately and totally disappeared. We quickly left the area and headed home to tell our friends, certain we had seen the ghostly lantern of Lantern Road!
That wasn't the end though. Over the next several years, we (my girlfriend and others with me) visited Lantern Road a half dozen more times with similar results almost every time. Sometimes it would come down the road in front of or behind us... sometimes over the plowed field... and even once it came from between the dark, overhanging trees beside us.
And we ALWAYS chickened out before it actually reached the car! (There had been an urban legend that some teenagers out drinking one night, got brave, shot a .22 caliber pistol at it, and then let the lantern light pass right over the top of their car! They freaked out as it went over the roof of the car, they started the engine and took off fast for home. When they got out of the car they looked at the roof and a 6-inch wide stripe of burnt and blistered paint went right down the middle of the car roof!)
I don't know what it is, but even in the late 1980's I took friends there and we saw it again!
So, whatever or whoever it is, the legend of Lantern Road is alive (?) and well as far as I'm concerned... I do believe!
Back around 1970, I was a high school teenager with a hand-me-down car, a girlfriend, and a craving for a little night time excitement. It didn't take much to be more exciting than the usual Friday night action in our small, Illinois canning-factory town. I heard from some of the older guys on our football team about a great place to take your girlfriend "parking". They said it was spooky, dark, and a sure-fire way to get a girl to cuddle up close to you after a date.
They told a scary tale of some old farm couple that disappeared one stormy night and of a disembodied "light" that was always seen floating around the road out there. That sounded exciting enough for me!
The location itself was pretty spooky. It was a 30-minute drive to the dark, country road about eight miles northwest of Milford, Illinois. All I remember is there was something like a small, natural gas relay pump or station close by the road junction a few miles north of Milford on highway Route 1. I turned heading west onto an asphalt-and-rock country road.
After a few minutes driving west on this dark, winding road, my girlfriend was quiet and clinging to my side. As we drove to the parking spot, I told her the mysterious story of the old farm couple; so she was already a bit spooked by the time we arrived.
The story of "Lantern Road" (as the road is nicknamed by the locals) tells of an old farmer and his wife back in the 1920's or 30's who lived along this stretch of country road with their two dogs and a herd of dairy cattle. Early one summer evening, a bad storm started to blow in so the farmer told his wife he was going to the pasture to shoo the cattle into the barn for protection. Shortly after he left, the storm got really bad... strong winds and heavy rain with hail. After an hour of this, it became dark and the farmer still did not return. The old woman worried and waited a bit longer as lightning crashed and the winds howled all around their farmhouse. Still the old farmer did not return. She then put on her rain slicker, lit an old kerosene lantern, and headed out into the fierce storm with her two dogs running ahead of her. The old lady was determined to help her husband find his way home.
It was not to be. Neither the old farmer, his wife, or their dogs were ever seen again. It is said that most nights you can hear the ghost dogs howling in the distance.. and then see the lantern light floating as the old woman's spirit still searches for her long lost husband.
Well, that was the old legend of Lantern Road as passed down through the years. Now it was our turn to park and wait for the "lantern".
After winding down a gulley area and crossing an old bridge over a small creek, the road leveled off and was straight as an arrow for a couple miles. There was an open plowed field to the north of the road, but on the south side was a long row of big, dark trees overhanging the roadway. That was eerie enough, but to top that, there was an old abandoned farmhouse just down the road. Was it THE farmhouse... I don't know, but it sure made it spookier for our first time there.
Now the reason it is a good place to go "parking" with your girl is because, as legend goes, you must park your car, shut off the engine and all lights and make no noise! Then you sit, watch and wait. After several nervous minutes of watching for the lantern, we began to "make out" in the front seat (since there was no known restriction against it in the Lantern Road "rules").
I checked the road every few minutes just to be sure we didn't miss anything.
Then suddenly, I saw something down the road! My girlfriend sat up quickly and couldn't believe her eyes either.
There it was... just as the guys had described it! We watched as it began as a small, dull red glowing light that looked to be about a half mile away from us. It sort of floated and weaved a little as it moved closer and turned red-orange, then an even brighter glowing orange when a quarter mile away.
The light, orb, lantern or whatever was coming right down the road toward us... turning yellow-orange and bright yellow at a hundred yards away! It was hypnotic as it floated toward us, getting larger and brighter as it changed color now to a brighter yellow-white light... it was about 50 yards from the car and still coming! At about 20 yards, we could see that it was a bright, glowing white orb of light that sort of flickered like a lantern fire would have. And there was nothing at all around it... nothing holding it or supporting it... and no sounds either!
That was enough for us!
I started the car and turned on my headlights. The floating light went out immediately and totally disappeared. We quickly left the area and headed home to tell our friends, certain we had seen the ghostly lantern of Lantern Road!
That wasn't the end though. Over the next several years, we (my girlfriend and others with me) visited Lantern Road a half dozen more times with similar results almost every time. Sometimes it would come down the road in front of or behind us... sometimes over the plowed field... and even once it came from between the dark, overhanging trees beside us.
And we ALWAYS chickened out before it actually reached the car! (There had been an urban legend that some teenagers out drinking one night, got brave, shot a .22 caliber pistol at it, and then let the lantern light pass right over the top of their car! They freaked out as it went over the roof of the car, they started the engine and took off fast for home. When they got out of the car they looked at the roof and a 6-inch wide stripe of burnt and blistered paint went right down the middle of the car roof!)
I don't know what it is, but even in the late 1980's I took friends there and we saw it again!
So, whatever or whoever it is, the legend of Lantern Road is alive (?) and well as far as I'm concerned... I do believe!
BIGFOOT TRACKS IN VERMONT ?
In January of 1979, I was skiing in a National Guard Biathalon competition at Camp Ethan Allen outside Burlington, Vermont. The Biathalon consists of cross-country skiing around long wilderness trails and circling back to a central firing range. You then ski up to your assigned firing lane, assume the designated firing position and attempt to shoot clay disk targets mounted on a target board with a .22-caliber rifle.
We competed for several days over courses of varying distances, usually 5 or 10 kilometers each course. One day, during the first loop of a 10K race, I was skiing alone over a section of trail way, way out in the boondocks... probably a good mile and a half away from the camp. I was skiing in the pre-cut trail tracks that were put in just that morning in the fresh, newly-fallen eight inches of snow. There was nothing for miles but deep snow, endless pine forest, and this ski trail about nine feet wide cut through the trees.
Suddenly, I stopped skiing.
There directly in front of me was a HUGE footprint that totally demolished the ski-tracks that I was skiing in! The footprint was at least eighteen inches long and definitely shaped like a foot! I looked closely at it and confirmed that it was not a snowshoe or snow boot (bunny boot) imprint.
I looked to my left and saw another footprint in the snow about four feet from the one in my tracks and it was headed into the thick pine forest at the edge of the ski trail. Looking to the right, I saw a footprint again about four feet away where something had come out of the bordering pine forest and crossed my path. I looked ahead of me, behind me, and to both sides again. Seeing and hearing nothing, I hightailed it out of there!
I don't know what or who made those tracks... but in my opinion, it was too secluded, too cold, too restricted, and too unexpected for them to be human made.
I honestly believe that the location, size and stride length of these footprints in the deep Vermont woods that morning could only have been freshly made BIGFOOT footprints.
A few other skiiers saw them too, but didn't know how, why, or by what they were made there either! That's as close as I care to come to a possible Bigfoot!
We competed for several days over courses of varying distances, usually 5 or 10 kilometers each course. One day, during the first loop of a 10K race, I was skiing alone over a section of trail way, way out in the boondocks... probably a good mile and a half away from the camp. I was skiing in the pre-cut trail tracks that were put in just that morning in the fresh, newly-fallen eight inches of snow. There was nothing for miles but deep snow, endless pine forest, and this ski trail about nine feet wide cut through the trees.
Suddenly, I stopped skiing.
There directly in front of me was a HUGE footprint that totally demolished the ski-tracks that I was skiing in! The footprint was at least eighteen inches long and definitely shaped like a foot! I looked closely at it and confirmed that it was not a snowshoe or snow boot (bunny boot) imprint.
I looked to my left and saw another footprint in the snow about four feet from the one in my tracks and it was headed into the thick pine forest at the edge of the ski trail. Looking to the right, I saw a footprint again about four feet away where something had come out of the bordering pine forest and crossed my path. I looked ahead of me, behind me, and to both sides again. Seeing and hearing nothing, I hightailed it out of there!
I don't know what or who made those tracks... but in my opinion, it was too secluded, too cold, too restricted, and too unexpected for them to be human made.
I honestly believe that the location, size and stride length of these footprints in the deep Vermont woods that morning could only have been freshly made BIGFOOT footprints.
A few other skiiers saw them too, but didn't know how, why, or by what they were made there either! That's as close as I care to come to a possible Bigfoot!
Monday, October 29, 2007
HALLOWEEN PAJAMA PARTY SEANCE
This is a true story of a Halloween Pajama Party that my cousin Gina attended in the early 1970's:
Gina and several of her high school girlfriends went to an overnight Halloween pajama party at the country farm home of her best friend, Sarah. There were eight girls altogether and they spent the night talking about boyfriends, eating popcorn and telling spooky stories until well after midnight.
One of the girls, Donna, came up with the idea to have a candlelight seance to see if they could contact a Halloween night spirit. This idea frightened several of the girls and they wanted no part in trying to contact the dead. Donna and three other girls (Gina, Sarah, and Jenny) decided they would go ahead with the seance but would go to another room to do it.
They grabbed a big candle, lit it, and attached it with melted wax to a small plate. The four girls then headed into the upstairs bathroom at the end of the hall. The bathroom was small and decorated in true 1970's fashion; one wall was covered from floor to ceiling with alternating, 12-inch squares of cork tiles and decorative mirror tiles stuck on the wall in a checkerboard pattern.
Donna sat on the edge of the bathtub facing Sarah, who sat on the floor rug in front of the cork and mirror wall. Gina sat on the floor in front of the closed door facing Jenny who sat on the lid of the toilet seat. It was close quarters in there, but all were gathered around the burning candle and excited to get started with the seance.
Gina turned off the light and the girls stopped giggling, becoming serious as they joined hands around the flame. Looking around the circle of girls, Donna said, "Who do we want to try to contact? I don't know anybody who's died lately." The girls looked at each other and then Sarah said shyly, "Well, my Grandma Louise died two years ago right here in our house. She lived with us for a while and had a bedroom downstairs. We all miss her terribly. We could try to contact her." The girls all agreed.
Donna told the girls to hold hands, close their eyes and repeat after her. "We are here calling for the spirit of Sarah's Grandma Louise. Grandma Louise, if you can hear us, give us a sign." The girls repeated after her, but nothing happened. Donna tried again saying the same words. The other girls repeated the call for the spirit of Sarah's grandma. Nothing.
Then suddenly, Donna screamed loudly and fainted, falling off the edge of the tub and onto the floor rug near the candle. Gina quickly turned on the bathroom light as the other girls helped Donna come to and sit up. Donna's face was white as a sheet as she slowly regained her senses. Sarah and Jenny held Donna around the waist and shoulders, steadying her.
The other girls came running from the bedroom to see what was the matter. Donna looked nervous and scared to death as all the girls started asking her what was wrong and what happened. Donna said, "I was chanting the words calling for Sarah's grandma and when you girls were repeating them, I opened my eyes to peek at you all to see that everyone was still doing the seance right. But... when I looked over at Sarah, there was a ghostly, transparent figure of an old woman reflected in one of the mirror tile squares behind her. The old lady was in a dress and crawling in the mirror toward Sarah on her hands and knees. She was smiling and reaching out with her hand like she was trying to touch Sarah's shoulder from inside the mirror!"
Instantly, Sarah let out a loud gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. She too turned pale and became shaken. The girls turned their attention to Sarah and asked her what was wrong.
Sarah said shakily, "I never told any of you before, but my Grandma Louise was crippled and used a wheelchair. At night in her bedroom, it was easier for her to get down on the floor and crawl on her hands and knees when she got ready for bed!" Sarah then smiled weakly and said, "You must have really seen my Grandma Louise!"
Needless to say, the seance ended right then.
Most of the girls could not sleep a wink the rest of the night, but Sarah was very glad she had had the pajama party that Halloween.
My cousin Gina said she was not afraid, but she never stayed overnight there again.
Gina and several of her high school girlfriends went to an overnight Halloween pajama party at the country farm home of her best friend, Sarah. There were eight girls altogether and they spent the night talking about boyfriends, eating popcorn and telling spooky stories until well after midnight.
One of the girls, Donna, came up with the idea to have a candlelight seance to see if they could contact a Halloween night spirit. This idea frightened several of the girls and they wanted no part in trying to contact the dead. Donna and three other girls (Gina, Sarah, and Jenny) decided they would go ahead with the seance but would go to another room to do it.
They grabbed a big candle, lit it, and attached it with melted wax to a small plate. The four girls then headed into the upstairs bathroom at the end of the hall. The bathroom was small and decorated in true 1970's fashion; one wall was covered from floor to ceiling with alternating, 12-inch squares of cork tiles and decorative mirror tiles stuck on the wall in a checkerboard pattern.
Donna sat on the edge of the bathtub facing Sarah, who sat on the floor rug in front of the cork and mirror wall. Gina sat on the floor in front of the closed door facing Jenny who sat on the lid of the toilet seat. It was close quarters in there, but all were gathered around the burning candle and excited to get started with the seance.
Gina turned off the light and the girls stopped giggling, becoming serious as they joined hands around the flame. Looking around the circle of girls, Donna said, "Who do we want to try to contact? I don't know anybody who's died lately." The girls looked at each other and then Sarah said shyly, "Well, my Grandma Louise died two years ago right here in our house. She lived with us for a while and had a bedroom downstairs. We all miss her terribly. We could try to contact her." The girls all agreed.
Donna told the girls to hold hands, close their eyes and repeat after her. "We are here calling for the spirit of Sarah's Grandma Louise. Grandma Louise, if you can hear us, give us a sign." The girls repeated after her, but nothing happened. Donna tried again saying the same words. The other girls repeated the call for the spirit of Sarah's grandma. Nothing.
Then suddenly, Donna screamed loudly and fainted, falling off the edge of the tub and onto the floor rug near the candle. Gina quickly turned on the bathroom light as the other girls helped Donna come to and sit up. Donna's face was white as a sheet as she slowly regained her senses. Sarah and Jenny held Donna around the waist and shoulders, steadying her.
The other girls came running from the bedroom to see what was the matter. Donna looked nervous and scared to death as all the girls started asking her what was wrong and what happened. Donna said, "I was chanting the words calling for Sarah's grandma and when you girls were repeating them, I opened my eyes to peek at you all to see that everyone was still doing the seance right. But... when I looked over at Sarah, there was a ghostly, transparent figure of an old woman reflected in one of the mirror tile squares behind her. The old lady was in a dress and crawling in the mirror toward Sarah on her hands and knees. She was smiling and reaching out with her hand like she was trying to touch Sarah's shoulder from inside the mirror!"
Instantly, Sarah let out a loud gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. She too turned pale and became shaken. The girls turned their attention to Sarah and asked her what was wrong.
Sarah said shakily, "I never told any of you before, but my Grandma Louise was crippled and used a wheelchair. At night in her bedroom, it was easier for her to get down on the floor and crawl on her hands and knees when she got ready for bed!" Sarah then smiled weakly and said, "You must have really seen my Grandma Louise!"
Needless to say, the seance ended right then.
Most of the girls could not sleep a wink the rest of the night, but Sarah was very glad she had had the pajama party that Halloween.
My cousin Gina said she was not afraid, but she never stayed overnight there again.
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