10.17.2017

What Makes a Great Ghost Story? #Paranormal

It's October! Time to get your scare on...



There's something about a good ghost story that suckers me in. You're probably tired of hearing my account with an actual ghost... A black thing ran over my foot once and out the door. It was like a shadow, but not a shadow. My husband was there at the time and saw the same thing.

We believed it the spirit of Mr. Sox, who was killed by a car. After he died, I used to hear him scratching at the back screen. The sound was so distinct, I would often get up and go out on the patio looking for him, even though I knew it was impossible he was there.

That black shadow ran over my foot while I was serving dinner and raced out the sliding door into the backyard. I never heard the scratching at the back screen again.

It wasn't a frightening experience. It perplexed me. The shadow had form and was thicker than a shadow, more solid. Yet I could see through it. It was the size of a cat.

My husband and I have gone ghost hunting before, and I'd love to say I've had other encounters, but I haven't. I don't want to jump to conclusions that a sound is a spirit or an experience is a spirit. I want a real, solid encounter... like the one I had.

Recently, we went on a 'haunted' tour of our town. To me, it was a win-win... history and ghost stories. I love history and I love ghost stories. There were some good ones...


George at the Reid School, a builder who had died on the site, shows up quite frequently. It's now the local history museum.


A boy on a bicycle at the high school, which is now county offices. He likes to turn lights on during the night.

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson of the Tower Theater are sometimes seen sitting in the audience.


Mrs. Smith can still be heard banging on the ceiling with a broom to call Mr. Smith to dinner.


There's a malevolent presence in the old hotel, who has attacked several people.

No one wants to own anything that was in the old nunnery. The buildings and contents were sold and transported far away. I wonder if the new owners have had anything odd happen.

Whether true or not, my favorite ghost stories are accounts related by family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. I don't want to run away, I want to investigate. I love talking over the mysteries that touch our lives and our world.

What's out there?

24 comments:

  1. I find mysteries intriguing. And history. And some places most definitely have very distinct 'feelings'. Ghosts? I know not. But won't rule them out.

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    1. There should be more tours combining stories and history. All the better if they're mysteries.

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  2. Hi Mary - interesting about Mr Sox. I've never experienced anything ... but feel certain there are 'things' out there ... and some people are more open to presences. There must be ghosts here ... but I have to say I can't think where ... however enjoy your searches - that tour sounds interesting ... cheers Hilary

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    1. The search and the wonder are the fun part.

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  3. I've never seen a ghost myself, but I keep looking. I watch a lot of ghost hunting shows, and while my hubby rolls his eyes, he'll pay attention because the history is so interesting.

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    1. It was an interesting experience, and I'm glad I had it. Not sure if I'd believe otherwise.

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  4. Interesting thoughts and who doesn't like a good ghost story.

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  5. In college, I went to a supposedly haunted bridge in Wisconsin. Though we didn't see anything, we did scare some high schoolers. If you can't see a ghost, be the ghost. *grins*

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  6. I find this very intriguing and always want to learn more and more. I live near Niagara on the Lake, supposedly the most haunted town in Canada or, at least, Ontario. Fort George alone, has many sightings or at least, disturbances and then you have the hotels. I have experienced sounds and things missing and then they reappear although I never witness the reappearance but I know the item was not there before. I never got freaked out about any of it for some strange reason but just found it really cool!

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    1. It is cool. And I've been to Niagara on the Lake several times and Fort Niagara. I grew up in the Buffalo area.

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  7. Oooh, I love a good ghost story. My sister and I went to the Whaley House last year on a ghost hunt. At midnight. Someone (not us) caught a spirit on camera. It was awesome!

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    1. That is awesome. Ghost hunts are fun. I just want to see what I saw again.

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  8. I love this time of year. It's fun and entertaining. I've never seen an actual ghost, but I do like a spooky ghost story.

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  9. Perhaps that was your cat finally passing on to the other side.
    Ghost tours are great because of the history.
    And yes, I've had a definite ghostly encounter before.

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    1. It may have been. I love the history. Ghost stories are about people, which is history I really enjoy.

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  10. I love reading about ghost stories, though I'm not so eager to encounter them.

    When we visited Antietam Battlefield, I got the heaviest feeling from the area...maybe it was just natural empathy for the history I was experiencing, but it was an unshakable heaviness, like there was a presence weighing me down. I've been to Gettysburg too, but didn't get that feeling.

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    1. I've been to both battlefields as well. I found Gettysburg profoundly sad, especially the grave markers that are only numbers.

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  11. I'd love to go on this ghost tour! Such interesting stories. When I did an author event in the spring the library group took me to dinner at a restaurant that is supposedly haunted. I loved hearing the stories! So fun.
    Happy Halloween to you and the whole UR gang!!

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  12. Ghost tours! Those are fun and yeah, personal account are more fun.

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  13. I've experienced things which I sometimes think might be the ghosts of beloved dogs - but at other times I think are just memories or wishful thinking.

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