HAUNTED HOUSE

THERE IS A HOUSE DOWN THE BLOCK FROM MINE WHICH HAS BEEN
CONSIDERED HAUNTED FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. IT IS A SMALL,
TYPICAL LITTLE BRICK HOME, RATHER DARK IN APPEARANCE BUT NOT THE
LEAST FORBODING. UNTIL ONE HEARS THE STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES
SURROUNDING THE HISTORY OF THIS HOUSE, THAT IS. OVER TEN YEARS
AGO, A MIDDLE AGED COUPLE LIVED THERE. THE MAN WAS VERY STRANGE.
I CAN REMEMBER AS A CHILD WATCHING HIM WALK TO THE BUS STOP,
ALWAYS WEARING THE SAME BROWN SUIT, THE SAME BROWN HAT, AND WALKING
THE SAME SHUFFLING WALK. NEIGHBORS GOSSIPED CONSTANTLY ABOUT HIM,
BUT SINCE HE BOTHERED NO ONE, NOR DID HIS WIFE, HE WAS FOR THE MOST
PART IGNORED. THEN ONE DAY, POLICE CARS WERE PARKED IN FRONT OF
THE COUPLE'S LITTLE HOME. IT SEEMS THE WOMAN'S DEAD BODY HAD
BEEN FOUND LOCKED IN A CLOSET...SHE HAD BEEN HUNG. IT WAS AN
UNSOLVED MURDER, HOWEVER THE NEIGHBORS ALWAYS HAD THEIR SUSPICIONS.
IT SEEMS THE ROPE AROUND THE DEAD WOMAN'S NECK HAD BEEN TIED INTO
A STRANGE AND INTRICATE KNOT, FREQUENTLY USED BY SAILORS ON BOARD
A SHIP, THE OLD MAN WAS KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN IN THE NAVY.
THE OLD MAN CONTINUED HIS LIFE JUST AS BEFORE, EVERYDAY WALKING TO
WORK IN THE SAME SUIT, AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED TO ALTER HIS LIFE
IN THE SLIGHTEST. HOWEVER, WE CHILDREN WERE INFORMED NEVER TO GO
NEAR THIS HOUSE, WHICH OF COURSE MADE US ALL THE MORE CURIOUS. ONE
DAY, WE WERE SCROUNGING AROUND THE MAN'S GARAGE, WHEN WE FOUND A
BOX OF OLD ROPES BURIED FAR BACK IN A CORNER. SCREAMING, WE RAN
FROM THE GARAGE.
A FEW YEARS AFTER THIS HAPPENED, SIRENS WERE HEARD SCREAMING DOWN
THE STREET LATE IN THE NIGHT. FLASHING RED FIRE TRUCKS WERE
SPRAYING WATER OVER THE LITTLE HOUSE. LATER, IT WAS MADE KNOWN
THE STRANGE LITTLE OLD MAN WAS DEAD. HE HAD BURNED TO DEATH IN HIS
FAVORITE EASY CHAIR. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE BY HIM TO GET OUT, THE
FIRE HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY SET, AND ALL DOORS TO THE HOUSE (INCLUDIN
DOORS INTO THIS FRONT ROOM HAD BEEN BOLTED.
THIS MAY AT FIRST APPEAR TO BE JUST A SAD STORY OF TWO LONELY OLD
PEOPLE, WITH PERHAPS A RATHER NEUROTIC TWIST. HOWEVER, AFTER MANY
UNSUCCESSFUL YEARS OF TRYING TO RENT OR SELL THIS HOME, THE HOUSE
HAS FINALLY BEGUN TO BE OCCUPIED BY A CONSTANTLY CHANGING STRING OF
WIFE NEVER SPEAKS TO ANYONE. THE CHILDREN ARE ALSO STRANGE...THEY
QUIETLY TO WORK EVERY DAY WEARING THE SAME SUIT (BROWN), AND THE
PEOPLE WHO IN MANY WAYS RESEMBLE THE OLD COUPLE...THE HUSBAND GOES
LOVE TO PLAY WITH ROPES.
AND THIS IS A TRUE STORY.
WOULD NEVER PLAY WITH THE OTHER CHILDREN, NEVER LAUGH, AND SEEM TO

Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

James Callow Keyword(s): SUICIDE BY BURNING

Date learned: 03-08-1970

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