A True Ghost Story

I think the best ghost stories have some resemblance of truth.  I grew up in Hot Springs Arkansas during the 80’s.  My family owned 5 acres plot with a stream flowing through it.  At the water line our property ended.  On the other side is where the nightmare began. 

I couldn’t put my finger on it but there was something wrong with the house across from us.  Every time we visited the neighbors I felt a strange malevolence blanketing me, making the hair rise on the back of my neck.  It was particularly strong at night when evil is most powerful.

The rented house had a constant rotation of new people because no one stayed there for very long.  Nobody ever found happiness there.  We often heard screams at night as the renters slowly became insane.  Inside the house, objects moved by themselves by an unseen force. Several people died by apparently natural causes.  The house even burned to ground when it had been empty for a spell.  I thought that would be the end of the evil but I was wrong.  I found out later it wasn’t the house but the land itself which was tainted.

After I moved away, my mother had her home blessed by a local Shaman who told her a harrowing tale.  Long ago a tribe of Native Americans lived there with a healer who dabbled with things he shouldn’t have.  He became corrupt and instead of helping his people, he used his powers to kill them.  Eventually, his true intentions became clear and his people killed him but not before he put a curse upon them.  From that day forward anyone who died on the property was bound to it.  They became ghosts forever sealed to the earth, unable to pass on.  They grew evil as their rage turned to hatred ... hatred directed towards the living.

I returned after many years, armed with my camera.  On many occasions I have read that ghosts appear as orbs in pictures.  Ignoring the eerie feeling surrounding me.  I began snapping random shots.  Each picture had an orb or two in the camera screen.  And then … they noticed me.  Within moments my camera screen grew white from the amount of orbs.  I hastily departed, the dust rising from my squealing tires. 

How much of the Shaman’s story is true, I cannot say.  This much I do know however, the evil residing there still haunts me today.  There were things upon that tainted piece of earth watching with hungry eyes, yearning to claim me … for their collection.