Jessica Penot's Blog, page 8

The Little Girl Who Saw A Ghost

A friend and coworker told me a story today that sent shivers down my spine.   She was driving through downtown Decatur with her daughter one day last week when her daughter said something more than a little odd.  The little girl is only five years old and was looking out the window at The Old State Bank when she asked, "Mommy, why was that lady in the black dress murdered?"

Of course, my friend asked the little girl what she was talking about.   The little girl responded by asking, "Can we quit talking about this now?"  My friend was disturbed by this little discussion but just kept on driving.  After this she did some research on Decatur to find out its haunted history.   According to the Alabama Paranormal Association, The Old State Bank is one of the most haunted places in Alabama.  According to them, the two most commonly seen ghosts at the Old State Bank are a weeping lady and a lady in black. 

My friend didn't know any of this when her daughter asked about the murdered woman in black.  She just knew it was creepy, but it is even more chilling knowing that her daughter saw a woman in black at the exact location of a place famously haunted by a woman in black.  Apparently the little girl did more than see the woman in black, she heard her as well.  She heard her well enough to know that she had been murdered. 

A Banshee in the Night

Some of the best ghost stories are the kind of stories you hear around campfires and before bed at night. They aren’t linked to a haunted place with a history that is confirmed or well researched. They are just stories told by people that have had encounters on lonely country roads or in bed at night. One of the best ghost stories I have been told recently was told by a woman whose husband comes home late at night. Every night he drives the same old country road home alone. A few weeks ago, he was driving home with three of his children in the back of the car. He was tired and so were they, but when they saw something that looked like a woman crouched over on the side of the road they slowed down to try to help her. When they pulled up next the woman they could see her more clearly. The woman was crouched down in the fetal position and was all skin and bones and completely nude. This made the family very concerned that she might have been hurt or injured. The teenage son opened the door and the woman turned. At this point, he slammed the door shut. The woman’s face was not human. It was humanish but was twisted and distorted and she opened her mouth into a terrifying wail. The family sped away as quickly as they could. Upon arrival at home, the woman’s daughter ran to her crying. The family relayed the story to her tearfully. They were clearly very scared, but the woman couldn’t entirely believe it. She thought that maybe shadows and fatigue had played tricks on them. She was worried that an injured woman might have been left on the road so she got in her truck and went looking for her. She drove up and down the road for a while until she saw the figure. She didn’t slow down, the very sight of the hunched over, skeletal form sent a chill down her spine that she could feel in her very soul. The thing was clearly not human. She sped away and held her family close. They haven’t seen the creature they now call the banshee again, but they always look and they never forget that lonely night.

The White Cat and The Ouijia Board

I haven't written in a while.  I was promoted at my day job in November and supervising a team of therapists has proven to be much harder than just being a therapist.  Working ten hours a day is more haunting than any ghost and living people's emotional problems are far more consuming than any phantom tragedy I know. I have missed writing here and when I heard this story I knew it was time to pull myself away from life and write a story.  It is also my goal to have at least one story a week on this blog from now on.

This story was brought to me by a gentleman who read my commentary on Ouijia Boards.  He read my story and told me about a night that he decided to be a little wild and try to summon the dead.  He and a group of friends thought that it was a brilliant idea to take the Ouijia Board to a cemetery at midnight because they believed they would be able to contact more spirits this way.  Of course, what they didn't know was that trouble can come from summoning spirits in such an open place.  According to Voodoo and Hoodoo folklore, going to a cemetery at midnight without salt for protection can lead to trouble. 

The young men were a little drunk and set about attempting to contact the spirits.  When they first put their hands on the planchette, a white cat leapt onto the board.  The young men shoed the cat away.  They were a bit perturbed about the incident but they kept going and the cat jumped on them again.  They threw the cat away a second time.  After the third time the cat jumped on them, they gave up and went home.  It was only later that it occurred to this man that the cat might have had some meaning.  Reasearch into Chinese and Egyptian folklore shows that cats are said to drive away evil spirits.   The man researched the event and after learning the significance of the cat now believes the cat was protecting him from the dark spirits that were summoned by his nocturnal wanderings.

The Ouija Board: Good or Bad?

 I watched the movie Ouija this weekend.  It wasn't a particularly wonderful movie.  It was one of those movies driven by the utter stupidity of the protagonist.  I did enjoy it, however.  It also made me think about the Ouija Board and its history.  The Ouija Board was first created during the spiritualist movement of the late nineteenth century.  It was designed as a tool to help communication with spirits.  Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard were the first to patent the device.   In 1966, the device's patent was sold to Parker Brother's who still own it.   Ever since its creation the Ouija Board has been controversial.  The most famous case of demonic activity with Ouija Board was the case that was later the inspiration for a book The Exorcist.  I've blogged about this case before.   A little boy named Robbie and his aunt attempted to contact a deceased relative and the resulting demon possession was legendary.

I remember my first experience with the Ouija Board was fairly typical.  I was at a slumber party and one of the girl's brought out the board.  We all took turns asking questions.  I can't remember them all.  They were mundane girly questions like "will Billy Bob ask me to the dance,"  or "Will I be a doctor when I grow up."   At the end,  the girl who brought the board out told the spirit thank you and said that she would give it all her Halloween candy as a way of saying thank you for all its help.   She put her bucket of Halloween candy by the board and we went upstairs to play light as a feather stiff as a board.  When we returned,  all the candy was gone.  The wrappers were still there.  They were still  sealed, but the candy was gone.  I'll admit,  this could be some kind of slumber party prank, but I don't know how this girl, who was pretty clueless pulled it off.

Almost everyone you talk to has a Ouija board story and almost all of them are bad.  Mine was quiet and stupid, but almost everyone I talk to about the board agrees that it opens doors that shouldn't be opened.   My grandmother passed away recently,  which had lead to much contemplation on her life.   She was a woman who always dabbled in the supernatural and believed firmly in ghosts.  In fact,  she had a relationship with a ghost named Alonk that lasted years via the Ouija Board.  She forced my mother and her sister to help her continue this relationship.  Alonk told her he loved and sent her love stories.   It really creeped my mother out, although my aunt grew fond of Alonk.

There are a million Ouija Board stories.   One local story, involves a teen that used the board regularly.  One night the sofa he stored the board under burst into flames,  burning down the entire apartment complex he lived in.    Another story I found in a book, describes a young man's interaction with a spirit via the board.  During this interaction, the spirit said the board was specifically designed to communicate with those in hell.  Only spirits that had been damned could be contacted using the board.

I have heard a few good stories about the board.   One woman at a paranormal meeting I went to said she talked with a playful girl spirit that had lived in her house before her.  She said the interaction was positive and helped bring peace to herself and her daughter who had been afraid of the ghost before the conversation via the board. I know that some people must be having positive experiences with the board, because it still sells very well.  There is even an online version of the game now that allows you to play alone using your mouse.   However,  the overwhelming bulk of the stories are terrifying.   Which brings me to the question.  Is the Ouija Board a gateway only to evil or can it be used for good?  Are people being swayed by the abundance of negative stories or are there any possible good uses for this tool?

The Ghosts of the Golden Gate Bridge

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The golden gate bridge is one of the defining features of San Francisco.  No trip to the bay area would be
complete without a glimpse of this landmark.  During our recent stay, we found that really seeing the bridge is a rare gift, as it is always wrapped in a heavy fog that always seems to obscure a perfect view of this daring landmark.    Despite all of its scenic beauty and historic significance, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most haunting and haunted places in the world.

I didn't realize this until I was researching a story on Aokigahara, Japan.   Aokigahara is the notorious suicide forest at the base of Mount Fugi in Japan.  I had always thought it had the highest number of suicides committed there in the world each year, but I was wrong.  More people kill themselves by jumping from the scenic heights of the Golden Gate Bridge than any other place in the world.  The Golden Gate Bridge earned its name as one of the most popular suicide destinations in the world almost immediately.  The first jumper ended his life on this bridge ten weeks after it opened in 1937.  Since that time, it has averaged two jumpers a week.   The bridge claims the lives of its melancholy victims in one of two ways.  They either die on impact with the water since they often hit the water at 86 mph or they die from hypothermia in the icy, turbulent waters beneath the bridge. 

It isn't surprising that this killer bridge has amassed a large number of ghosts over the years.    According to The Haunted Bay (http://www.hauntedbay.com/features/go...),  "The Golden Gate Bridge connects more than San Francisco and Marin County; it connects the world of the living to that of the dead. Since its opening in 1937, the 4,200-foot suspension bridge that spans San Francisco Bay has played host to on average 25 suicides per year, more than 1,000 suicides total"  This site tells the dark and haunting story of the bridge as predating the bridge itself.  It describes the ships that were claimed by the all consuming fog of the bay and the lives that were taken in these shipwrecks as the foundation upon which the darkness of the bridge began.  In fact, according to Seek Ghosts, phantom ship encounters are the most frequently told ghost stories associated with this haunted historic monument.   Visitors often describing seeing phantom ships in the mist.   They also report hearing the disembodied screams of the ghosts that lurk in the shadows.

The Downtown Huntsville, Alabama Ghost Walk: A Review.

 
It is probably not surprising that I have been on many ghost walks.  Every ghost walk I have been on has a different tone. They have all been brilliant in different ways.  However, there are some unifying principles in ghost walks that I feel makes them all wonderful.  Every ghost walk I've been on tells the story of the haunted places on the walk from a perspective that makes that story whole.  That means that there is a history to the haunting and then there are  tales of the haunting itself and those who have witnessed it.  This is always the case.  This was true until I went on the downtown Huntsville Ghost Walk.  This ghost walk was the strangest ghost walk I have ever been on and completely lacked the elements I associate with a brilliant ghost walk.

Instead of having the unifying principles that I mention above, the guide instead told pieces of each ghost story and none of them ever seemed to equal an entire tale.  He told tales of many residual hauntings.  He would tell stories of places where ghosts had been seen but the history was missing or he would tell tales of moments in history a medium had witnessed without any real ghost tales to go with the history.   On some occasions, he would mention hauntings without any history to accompany them.  None of the pieces were a whole story and when I questioned him, my guide he seemed lost.

For example, he told the tale of a place on the street where the ghost of a young girl with a basket of kittens wanders.  The girl's name is Allison and she haunts Washington Street.  The girl was deaf and her father worked for the railroads.  The Governor gave her a basket of kittens which she still clings to in the after life because she died of cat scratch fever.  It was a medium who determined who the ghost was, but the guide had no idea why she haunted Washington Street or why she would even chose to remain in Alabama since she didn't live here in life. 

Another ghost story that lacked definition was a story that a medium picked up in the street.  The medium felt someone died there and someone had, but there were no other haunting stories.  No one else had seen the ghost.  No one had been haunted.  A medium could sense a murder.  That was all.

Another example is the haunting of the Yargrow Hotel.  The hotel is haunted by a ghost that is angry about a water heater.  The guide couldn't say who the ghost was or why he was angry.  There was no history or story to augment the tale. A medium merely noticed that an angry water heater ghost lives there.   Similarly, The Heritage Club Kitchen is haunted by a ghost that bothered staff there, but the guide couldn't say anything else except that it was haunted.  There was no history to accompany the tale.

There were a few good stories on the tour.  The tragic story of the murder of Molly on the street was a perfectly haunting tale with every component of a beautiful and utterly compelling ghost story.  The story of William Street was also a perfect tale of woe.  

There are four ghost tours run by the same company in Huntsville, Alabama.  Maybe I just took the wrong tour with the wrong guide.  Although some of the tour was interesting, overall I was disappointed by the lack of depth most of the stories had and the guide's inability to answer 90% of my questions.  I was most frustrated when I asked him about the history of the Hotel Russell Erskin and he couldn't answer any of my questions.  He didn't know when it was built or anything else he didn't say in the tour.  My sister goggled the information we wanted about the hotel's history on her phone and showed it to him.  After, another person on the tour asked him about the history and he answered with my sister's information with the authority of a history professor without mentioning my sister's contribution.  That made me sad.

The best part of this tour was the history and the tour of downtown Huntsville.  The little city was bustling with activity and the history of the city was interesting to listen to.

I am planning on going on all the Huntsville Ghost Walk's this fall and I am hoping this one was just a fluke and that the rest will be wonderful!

                                                 

                                              

                                      

The Winchester Mystery Mansion

Sarah Winchester lost her husband and her baby when she was young. Up until that point, she had lead the perfect life.  She was a rich woman and was surrounded by luxury.  Her husband had been heir to the Winchester fortune and his family had made millions selling and manufacturing the famous Winchester Riffles.  The fortune given to her by these guns was astounding and after her family died, she blamed this fortune for their death.  A medium convinced Ms. Winchester that the ghosts of those killed with Winchester Rifles has contributed to the death of her family.  These ghosts were still angry and would seek revenge on Mrs. Winchester unless she bought a house and never stopped building. 

Thus began construction on the Winchester Mansion.  The Winchester Mansion is one of the most unique
architectural events in the United States.  It is a building that was built by either spirits or madness or maybe a combination of both.  Everyday Mrs. Winchester drew up blue prints for new additions to the eight bedroom farmhouse she bought in San Jose California.   These blue prints were drawn up in her Séance room.  No one but her was allowed in or out of this room.   Once she presented new blue prints to her construction team no one was allowed to question them no matter how nonsensical or impractical they were.  The resulting house is a nest of endless rooms, stairs to nowhere, windows into the floor, upside down pillars, doors that open to nothing, endless chains of strange rooms, and chaos.  It is miles long and truly haunting and labyrinthine. 

 In the small tour of the house we took, we walked for over a mile and we didn't even take the "grand tour". 
The house felt haunted to the core and is possibly one of the creepiest and most beautiful places I have ever been.  This bizarre house inspired Stephen King to write Rose Red and it inspired me to marvel at the fine line between spiritualism and mental illness.  The photographs included in the blog are only a glimpse of the oddness that is The Winchester Mansion.  

The Murder of History: Kildare Castle to Be Destroyed

One of my most popular blog posts and chapters in my book, Haunted North Alabama, tells the tale of the Kildare Castle or McCormick House.  This beautiful, haunted, historic home has fought a long battle with its current owner.  The owner hates anyone looking at their home.   Now, they've decided to gut it as a kind of punishment to all who ever tried to look at this brilliant piece of history.  It is funny to me because in the below news story on WSFA the owners' were upset because people cussed at them and called them names driving by.  I drove by there one time with my children just to look at the house I did nothing harmful.  I just drove by with my children and looked at the house and took a couple of photographs.   I was squirted with the hose and cussed at by the owner.  The things they yelled in front of my children (6 and 8) made my ears bleed.  Maybe if they didn't curse at everyone that passed and throw things at them, people wouldn't treat them with the same disrespect.   Their odd behavior has lead directly to the number of people that drive by causing problems hoping to view this insane behavior.   Click the link below to see the full story.

Kildare Mansion to be gutted and the pieces sold - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

My Original Story on the House:

  The Kildare Mansion was first famous for it's ghosts.  It was built in 1886 by a wealthy Irishman named O'Shaughnessy.   He built the castle as a reminder of his homeland, Ireland.   He put a fortune into making it the most extravagant house in the area and he did a good job of it.  This giant of a house overshadows everything around it. It has over 40 rooms and is over 17,000 square feet including the massive basement.   In 1900, MR. O'Shaughnessy went blind and his wife Anna sold Kildare to the trust fund established for Mary McCormick who inherited a multi million dollar fortune from her father

Unfortunately, Mary McCormick was mentally ill and suffered greatly during certain periods.  At the time,  treatment options were limited so they kept her locked in the house and had several nurses and staff to take care of her.  During her lucid periods,  Mary a wonderful woman who was known for her kindness and generosity.   For her entire life, she needed nurses to help her care for her mental illness.  Finally she had to retire to a sanitarium,  leaving her beautiful house behind.

From 1932- 1975, the Kildare Mansion fell into disrepair.   It decayed slowly as slums and lesser buildings slowly surrounded it hiding it's beauty in their sullen shadows.  In 1975, the house was purchased by the Reeves, who lovingly restored the house to its original splendor  It was during this time that the house was shown in the tour of historic homes and became a popular visit for haunt jaunters.   The house's basement was notoriously haunted by the ghost of  Mary McCormick.   Still tormented by her madness, she apparently made quite a ruckus at night.

In 2005 the house was bought by a family whose name I won't mention.  Since that time, the ghosts have become the least interesting part of this house.   The house has always been a favorite site for anyone visiting Huntsville because of its historic significance, its beauty, and its haunted history.  Many people drive by the house and photograph it.   Since 2005, however, the new owners have spent a considerable amount of time watching out for anyone lingering near the house.  If you drive by slowly or stop in front of the house,  a woman will emerge screaming at you.  Sometimes she'll curse and sometimes she'll use the garden hose to spray your car.  Other times she'll shine a spotlight on you and others she'll take pictures of you with her cell phone.  No matter what the new owner does, it is always hostile and she seems to always be watching.  She sits day and night waiting for those that linger to long, which might make one wonder if  Mary McCormick's mental illness might not be spreading?   Perhaps the house and its dark secrets have driven the new owner mad?  Perhaps madness is part of the curse of the house?

No matter what the case. Sadly,  the reason most drive by these days is to see the new owner run out and start screaming.  Her wild antics have become a fun attraction for locals who stop by just to see her jump around and scream  Few remember the ghost stories or the house's beautiful history.

The Playful Ghost of The Hotel Monteleone

 [image error]Last week, some friends of ours traveled to New Orleans.  They love this beautiful, historic city and they enjoyed their trip.  They also had an encounter with one of New Orleans most famous haunted locations.   They stayed at The Monteleone, one of New Orleans most haunted hotels.  They didn't book the hotel for this reason.  They booked the hotel because they had a Groupon.  Discounts may have brought them to the hotel, but the Groupon didn't protect them from the ghosts of this historic haunt. 

Our friends visited the hotel on a family vacation.  They are the typical family. There was a mother, father, and two daughters.  They have no particular interest in ghosts or hauntings.  They just enjoy traveling. When they traveled on the elevator together, they immediately noticed that the elevator always stopped on the 14th floor.  Being reasonable people, they assumed this was a technical difficulty.   The door would open on 14 and they would push the button and continue their journey. The problem continued, but they didn't let it hamper their enjoyment.  On the second day, they heard one of many ghost stories that floats about the historic hotel like dust.  They heard the story of a little boy who once visited The Monteleone with his family.   During their stay, the parents caught yellow fever.  They passed away and the boy was left orphaned.  They boys life went on.  He went to live with family and time passed.  Sadly, the boy died a few years later.  According to legend, the boy's ghost keeps returning to the Monteleone, however.  It is forever searching for his parents.  Apparently, the ghost believes that he can find his parent's spirtit where they died, on the 14th floor of the hotel.

When my friend's discovered this story, the cute technical difficulty suddenly became terrifying to their two daughters.  They were afraid of the 14th floor and wanted nothing to do with it.  So my friend decided she would investigate on her own.  She went up and down the elevator several times and without her daughters and the elevator never stopped.  She got out and wandered the halls and found nothing strange.   She felt safe taking her daughter's on the elevator again.  As soon as they got on, the elevator stopped on 14 again.  It waited there, as if calling to them.  The girls were mortified.  It seemed the ghost wanted them and was waiting for them.  The ghost wanted a friend. 

Get a Free Copy of My New Book!!!

My new middle grade book, The Monster Hunter's Manual, is now available.   It is a children's book set in the haunted castle, Chateau Larcher in France!  For the next two days, I will send free copies of this new book to the first 5 commenters below who agree to review the book on Amazon or Goodreads! 


The Monster Hunter's Manual is the story of Gabriel.  Gabriel is a boy who has just lost everything.  His parents have died and he's forced to move to a strange county, France, to find a new home.  He dislikes his crazy aunt, who he has to live with, he doesn't want to learn French, and to make matters worse, the only real family he has left is his whinny, baby brother.  Despite all this, as soon as Gabriel enters his aunt's ancient castle, he realizes that all these disasters might be the beginning of a grand adventure.  In the castle of Chateau Larcher, the walls groan and the attic talks.  Shadows take on strange shapes and Gabriel becomes convinced the castle is haunted.  But the ghosts in Chateau Larcher aren't what Gabriel expects and he soon learns that skeletons aren't always scary and ghosts can tell the most interesting stories.  Even Aunt Perrine can end up being the most powerful monster hunter in the world.

BUY NOW AT AMAZON!!! 
http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunters...