There were a few things that I left behind at Live Oak. Two of them were the Barbie and Ken that my brother Matt tossed up on the roof that were melted to the shingles. The other were all the ghosts that resided in two houses on the block. Now my parents think that I made all these things up, and yes my imagination soared in those years, but some things you just never forget.
It all started when I became friends with Shelly Pruitt. She invited me to watch Back to the Future, when it came out on video, at her place and we hit it off. (Man, I love those movies!) She was 3 years older than me and she is still a good friend of mine. Her father was one of the funniest guys that you will ever meet and he would tell stories of the ghosts in his house. It always freaked me out to this day and Shelley will confirm that the house was haunted. Eggs would roll off the table (always), cabinets would be open when you walked in the kitchen and then there was a mirror in the hallway that the family said they could always see shadows passing by. When I would spend the night I could never sleep because the mirror was right in front of Shelley's door and I would stare at it terrified. I never experienced it personally, but I believe them, and the reason why I do is that her older brother never wants to go back. (he is in his 30's)
My only "personal" run-in with something strange was at my friend Penny's house. She lived across the street and I would walk her home everyday from Erma Nash Elementary school. A common friend of ours from church, Diana, came with us on this particular day. We were there for a few minutes and some erie things started happening. The phone would ring and a voice on the other end would ask, "Are you home alone?" Then scratching on the window screens followed and we were frightened. I waited for a while and ran across the street to get my mom. (I guess I was a brave child, because if this happened today, I would have locked down my house.) My mother said, "Go get the girls and come back here.", which translated, "You are dreaming this up but this will make you feel better." So I ran back over to the house, (even braver) and Diana and Penny were in the living room holding each other screaming. They pointed to the kitchen and the blender was going off by itself and it was not plugged into the wall. I told this story numerous times in the next few years and everyone thought I was crazy. Shortly after graduation, I ran into Diana and she said, "Hey Michelle, do you remember the blender?" I looked at her in disbelief because I had myself thinking I made it up. It still gives me the willies thinking about it.
So now I said it and you all think I am probably crazy! But if any of you would like to write and and tell me some ghost stories, I will try to not get freaked out too much, but something in all of us likes to be spooked.
6 comments:
There's a huge legend at Howard Payne about the old theater, "Coggin," which was torn down the year after I graduated. Supposedly the wife of Mr. Coggin caught him in an affair in the building and later hung herself on the lower level. Where she did it eventually became the men's restroom. There are tons of stories about Lady Coggin - my music theater professor would make someone stay with her to walk out after rehearsals, because she swore that she was lifted off her feet and thrown down the stairs one night. She said she felt hands on her back. A bunch of us were in there late one night, and turned the lights off before we closed up. As we drove around the front of the building, we could see that the lights were turned back on. No lie. Lady Coggin scared me. (I wouldn't have been in there alone either, Dr. Humsfeld).
Oh, I already had chillbumps and now reading Courtney's story I have chillbumps upon chillbumps! Ooh! I try not to think about these things because they freak me out. But if anything freaky ever happened in the women's restroom next to the raquet ball court in the clc, it's because me and all the other day care kids from when my mom taught aerobics used to go in there and tell ghost stories. We would turn off the lights and chant weird things try to see ghosts in the mirror. Idiots. I can't believe we did that in the church!
My sister has some really good stories about her college duplex. But if I start to type them Xavier will hate me b/c I'll get scared then make him stay up with me and watch TV all night.
When I was little and would stay with my grandparents my grandmother would tuck me into bed and tell me the same poem each time. Here is a little of what she would send me off to sleep with
Little orphan Annie. One of the verses went like this
There once was a little girl who always mocked and grined and made fun of everyone all her blood and kin. And one night when old folks was there, she mocked and she shocked them and she said she didn't care. Just as clicked her heels to turn and run and hide there were two great big black things standin' by her side. They snatched her through the ceiling before she knew what she's about and the gobblins are going to get you if you don't watch out. My grandmother knew the whole poem by heart...uh, I didn't settle into a calm sleep there. Strange closets and noises... We would pray and then she would say the poem. I was always seeing gobblins at their house in the night.
Peggy and I used to go to the cemetary by Hunt Retreat in the middle of the night too.
Can I just say that I read this post a day or two ago...and I'll now find myself chuckling randomly about the Barbie & Ken melted to the shingles. That's comedy, my friend.
In the house I live in now, I promise that when you turn on any TV in the house, it will be turned on again 5 seconds later. I can turn it off again and it is fine. The same with closing doors. I know I sound silly, but it is true. We just have learned to live with whatever being (which I do not believe in) is with us in our home :}
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