|
Most ???Hallowe??™en??? (the correct
spelling) stories are supposed to be ???scary???. Since I believe in God and go no
place without my Guardian Angel, there are many things which I respect, but few
of which I am afraid, since I know from experience an angel??™s immense
protective power. Still, being scared can, for some unknown reason to me, be
fun for most of us, as long as it is not from some serious danger. Thus, I
submit my little story for anyone who would like to be scared! It is a true
story. By the way, next to Christmas, Hallowe??™en has always been my favorite
special day.
About 1998-99, I was President
of my local Rotary Club. Each week, as ???evening??? clubs do, we met for dinner
and business, generally with invited guests and a good program. After a change
of restaurants, we found a great one in historic Lewiston, NY. I??™d rather not
give out the name, since it has changed ownership, but for many years it was
known as the ???Bloody Bucket???, first built around 1850. This place had seen
decades of Niagara Frontier violence; hence, that name!
The waitresses told us right
away that the restaurant was ???haunted??? by five ghosts, all of whom they had
actually seen at some time and with whom they even talked! One was in the
kitchen area, where an old wall was actually about five walls built over one
another. One roamed the beautiful balcony outside. Another was a young lady or
girl, who just sat on the staircase, located directly across from the entrance,
and waited for her fiancé to arrive. But he never would arrive, since he had
been killed on his way to her. I did not get all the stories, but the staff
had, I believe, an old painting of one ghost.
One night, as we who go
everywhere early arrived, the staff explained that one ghost was in a ???bad
mood???. OK. All of us early arrivers were well inside and far from the veranda or
the door or the front hallway. There was no one on the balcony, no one just then
parking, and not one person not inside near the rest of us. Well, no one except
......
Suddenly we were jolted by a
loud crash! An old, huge wooden china cupboard had ???fallen??? over flat onto the
floor in the entrance way, along with the newer coat rack! We hurried to
investigate. No living human was anywhere inside or outside near the scene!
It took two of us men to place the cupboard back upright. Since it had fallen
flat onto carpet, few, if any, china pieces had been damaged.
However, at that moment I
became angry with the ghosts. ???If you do anything like this again, I will
bring in an exorcist to send you on your way to a place from which you will
never return??? was my threat. I actually spoke this, but when the other men were
out of sight. Later, I discovered that an old lamp had been pushed over in my
cellar at home. Although the globe had been broken, I had another to replace
it; there was not real loss. Our dog at the time was a small breed and could
never have pushed or pulled that lamp over. This was a sign, and I thought
about it. I knew what I had done wrong.
Please just imagine with me
what it could be like, if ghosts are not ???evil spirits??? (or other phenomena)
but the souls of dead humans who have not let go of this world and are trapped
in a dark land between two ???worlds???! I thought and could not fathom the
feelings that such lost and trapped souls might have! Now I felt guilty about
my threat. It is written in Scripture that Jesus Christ, after His
crucifixion, went down to free those trapped in Sheol, in the darkness below.
For us who choose Him now, there need be no fear; upon leaving this life, we
will join Him, just as the thief on the cross next to Him. Although I could give
other explanations of the phenomenon of the fallen cabinet and our apparent
ghosts, I chose then to accept that they were lost and trapped humans, trapped
by some desire or force beyond their own powers. That girl would continue to
wait for her fiancée for all time.
On the next meeting evening, I
went even earlier. I stood alone at the foot of the staircase, looked up, and
said: ???Guys, I am sorry for what I said. I love you guys!??? Love. At that
instant there was not the expected cold feeling, about which I have read.
Instead a feeling of warmth spread over me! As long as we ate there, I always
greeted whomever was in the front entrance way. (When no one else was
around!) During the years, I prayed for ???my ghosts???, but I have never taken a
real man of God back with me to free them. May God have mercy on them and free
them from their bondage! That is my ???ghost story???.
By Vance Agee
Written about 2000, long before
TV shows began to portray trapped souls. |
