Spooky Childhood tales

A Story to be told 

 There was an old story I was told at girls' camp when I was a teen. It was often said at the close of the night. There was this small log cabin in the woods and in it lived a man whose real name had been lost. In other variations, have him as a logger, and he chopped his legs off accidentally. which earned the same name. Anyway, he was a hermit or a cannibal. In the main one, he kidnapped a girl from a camp not too far from his place. He killed her but kept her feet as a souvenir. Which earned him the name of stumpy.   He then did it to the rest of the girls camping with her. he was never caught, and his spirit is said to haunt to woods near cedar city, Utah.

     Of course, being a bunch of girls at a girls camp in the dixie national forest. There was a bunch of pranks and jokes. This one, in particular, being reenacted as ridiculously as possible. But it does make you wonder how good of a story it would make. Just imagine the innate possibilities. That is if they put their hearts into it. but alas, not everybody is as enthusiastic about stories as I am

History often repeats

    And there was another that takes place in the same city. This one more based on historical fact. In the old theater on the Suu campus, there is this ghost from around the fifties. She is said to haunt the stage singing her last song before she committed suicide. More often than not, you can see her in there right after a storm. To make it even more, eriee, the theater where she is, is locked with many padlocks. Trust me, I have seen it with my own eyes. This is what made me curious enough to reach out to the dean of suu at the time.

    This and many other stories I have heard in my life I love. Not that I love horror stories, just stories in general. They seem to instill a sense of wonder and feeling in all of their listeners. My love of history and ghosts sprang up from listening to such things. I fondly remember that feeling, that rush. It is so thrilling, not that I am a believer. I am a skeptic of the paranormal stuff. Especially those ghost hunting shows they have. Let us be honest almost 90 percent of the show is fake. Heck, I can spot discrepancies within a few minutes. I bet you more than anything. all the high school kids or tourists or someone else is behind the scenes making all the noise. Even when the hunters claim to be alone. Let's be honest, though; they aren't really. Otherwise, why would there be a camera guy with them?

 And another thing, all of their talk about what equipment they use. Well, I don't think its a specialized as they want us to believe. In all honesty, I only watch the shows for the stories told.

A bit of truth in things

     Anyway, I believe that there is a basis here often overlooked by the common person. That we can sense things, we cant see with our own eyes. I mean, think about it. Have you ever wondered why you get an off feeling going into a particular area? Or maybe a sudden chill out of nowhere on a hot summer day. Do you ever wonder where those feelings come from? I have, always. When you talk to them, some people have a haunted look sometimes when talking about their past. Sorry, I am getting carried away. 

    I am trying to say that there is a story in everything you see, hear or touch. And some people love a good scary and haunting tale. I have met quite a few. And although I don't know the joy of it. I can understand, at least to a point, the thrill. Take, for example, an old theater. It could be just an empty room with a lot of time-worn seats. Or it could be something spookier like this excerpt from a book I am writing.

    Echoing laughter filled the empty room. It seemed to come from around them as they walked up to the stage. Glowing spectres faded in and out of sight in each seat. The room was ripe with electricity. Then all too quickly, it was gone. This snapshot of the past caused the group to scurry outside, panting for breath. They all looked at each other, making a silent promise to never talk about this again. 

Creative Imagination at work

    I love creating suspense where needed. The jingle of echoing bells in an empty room. The voices were heard in otherwise quiet halls. It is so much fun to scare people this way. But I am still learning, and sometimes I mess up. But I will always remember what my teachers used to tell me. Fear is what makes the world worth living in. Of course, this is not that surprising coming from the lovers of horror stories themselves. 

    I can't count how many times they swapped stories about haunted this and spooky that. I still loved listening to them. Also, countless others shared the same interests or different ones. But scary stories about hauntings and the history behind them will always catch my interest. Because they are little snippets of connection. To our past and even our history.

The Takeaway

they say that stories are written by the victor, but what about the victims. Just imagine the possibilities the next time you visit a location you believe to be haunted. And when you connect with the story, be aware of what is happening. Write in detail everything you think would happen. Remember, the best stories were created simply by asking what if. Who knows, you might just become the next best-selling author.