by Sharon | Aug 23, 2018
To be honest with you, I try not to give demons much thought.
Yes, I have seen demons and I have felt them. I’ve had to remove them from my house and antiques.
I thought with the movies and some YouTube videos, people put too much emphasis on demons. They could be ghosts or poltergeists. Now, those are evil. The more research I’ve done, the more I’m believing there could be something to demons and I shouldn’t dismiss them.
Linda is an old friend who confided in me one day that there was a demon in her house.
“It’s the strangest thing,” she said. “I was in bed, about to go to sleep when I heard deep breathing at the foot of my bed. Without warning I felt a weight on top of me and it felt like a vacuum cleaner hose was stuck in my mouth sucking all the air out of me.”
She paused, watching my reaction.
“I heard that the name of Jesus chases demons away, so I chanted Jesus, Jesus, Jesus in my mind. The sucking stopped and the weight was off of me. I then heard footsteps in the hallway outside my bedroom door. I whispered ‘Jesus help me’ and the pacing stopped.”
Thinking it was over, Linda did drift off to sleep only to be awakened by a non-human growl at the side of her bed. She froze. Then screamed, “Jesus help me!”
She jumped out of bed and turned on the light. Within a second of it turning on, the light bulb blew.
“In the name of Jesus get out of my house!” Linda exclaimed as calmly and forcefully as she could.
She grabbed a pillow and a blanket and went to sleep on the couch in the living room. She’d change the light bulb in the morning. She had enough of whatever it was in her bedroom.
Linda knew it was evil. She wasn’t prepared for what she saw next.
“I have a mirror behind the couch,” she explained. “I expected to see my disheveled reflection, but instead, I saw a small child wearing an old fashioned school uniform. I looked behind me, but there was nothing there. I looked back in the mirror and there she was. It was almost like she was waiting for me to invite her to sit down.”
“As I observed this young child in her school uniform, I kept thinking about that old scary story of the girl in the red cape.”
For those of you not familiar with the story, there was a girl babysitting a five or six year old little girl. Her mother told the babysitter that if her daughter wanted ice cream a little later on, it was in the freezer down in the basement.
The little girl did ask for ice cream and the babysitter went down in the basement for it. She saw out the basement window a little girl in a red cape. It was still light out, but the babysitter thought it strange for a young child to be outside. She got the ice cream and went in the kitchen to scoop it into a bowl.
The little girl wanted some chocolate sprinkles on it. Those were also down in the basement in a cupboard above the freezer. The babysitter went back in the basement, looked out the window and saw the same little girl in the red cape. She was wondering if it was a friend of the girl she was babysitting.
While the little girl was eating her ice cream, the babysitter asked the little girl about school and if she had any friends in the neighborhood. It seemed there were no other children her age who lived nearby, but she was very eager to tell her about her ballet lessons and all the wonderful girls that were in her class.
By 8:00 the babysitter helped the little girl into her pajamas and into bed. She read her a story and the little girl fell asleep before the end.
The babysitter turned out the light in the little girl’s room and went into the living room to wait for the parents to return.
When the parents arrived, the mother went to check on her daughter and found her dead. The police were called and the babysitter was the prime suspect. She remembered the little girl outside the basement window in the red cape.
The mother said, “There are no windows in the basement, just mirrors.”
I agreed with Linda it was a creepy story, but did she really believe the child she saw in the mirror would be the evil she felt in her bedroom?
Yes, she did. No angelic face was going to fool her.
She did tell the entity in the mirror to leave her alone, to get out of her house. She did get a priest to bless her house and she regularly burns sage to cleanse it. She also got rid of the mirror above her couch and sold her bedroom furniture and bought new.
Some people go to extremes, but they do what they believe is necessary.
I guess the moral of this story is to realize that demons are real and whether you believe in them or not, don’t trust anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Well, I gave you two Real Ghost/Demon Stories rolled into one!! I seriously get creeped out about the girl in the red cape — that’s one of those stories that has stuck with me for a very long time. And, it is one I tell others . . . I don’t want to be the only one with creepy stuff bouncing around in my mind.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Sharon
by Sharon | Aug 22, 2018
I met some friends at our local coffee shop. Some dabble in ghost hunting — some more serious than others.
I like hearing of their ghostly adventures . . . and I’m rather fond of the blueberry muffins.
My friend, Barbara brought along her nephew Joel.
He seemed nervous.
After the introductions, Barbara told Joel to start at the beginning. Joel is a college student.
He decided to give us a description of the room he was in when his unexpected visitor appeared. The back room, they use as a TV room was added on to the back of the house about five years ago. From the living room, there’s an archway and you step down three steps into the back room. There are windows across the back of the room and a door on the right to the backyard. There’s a couch under the windows, a loveseat is against the wall to the right with the back door and to the left are bookcases and a couple of chairs with a table and lamp between them. Mounted on the wall to the right of the archway is a widescreen TV. There is a coffee table in front of the couch. Nothing is in front of the loveseat.
Joel was standing in front of the couch, bent down to pick up the remote from the coffee table. When he pointed it at the TV, in the reflection of the TV screen was a tall man wearing overalls and a straw hat, holding a shovel or hoe, standing behind the couch, right behind Joel. The curtains on the windows were closed, because it was night.
Joel stood still for a few minutes staring at the man reflected in the TV screen.
He slowly turned around to see if someone really was behind him. As happens so often, as soon as he turned his head to look, the man was gone.
Joel ran from the room, to join the rest of the family in the kitchen, looking at old photo albums. He tells his mother, Barbara’s sister, what he saw and to his surprise she smiles and walks away.
Joel just stood there, still in shock from his encounter. He watched pictures being passed around. There was an old yellowed newspaper article with a grainy black and white picture that he swears fell from the ceiling and landed in the middle of the table.
According to Joel, it was like the whole world stopped. He pointed to the picture and yelled, “That’s him!”
Barbara took the newspaper clipping from her purse and passed it around the table. Evidently, the man was found dead in his backyard, apparently from a heart attack, working in his garden. This garden is now the TV room.
Joel’s mother had seen the gentleman several times over the years. She usually saw him in the backyard before they added the TV room. At times she saw him in various areas of the house — this had been his home. She knew a man died on the property when they bought the place, but that didn’t bother Joel’s parents.
Barbara couldn’t explain where the newspaper article came from, but it was appropriate to note that the date of the newspaper article was August 20, 1968 — 50 years ago Monday.
We made a point of going to the cemetery and looking up this gentleman’s gravesite to place flowers and to let him know that he is remembered.
Joel is still uncomfortable. It will take him some time to come to terms with this unexpected visitor. He is actually no stranger to the paranormal . . . but it’s the newspaper clipping that has him creeped out.
I would feel the same way. How about you?
Leave me a comment, tell your friends about TwoCansOnAString.com and come back and visit us again soon!!
Sharon
by Sharon | Aug 22, 2018
The photograph of The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall is familiar to most everyone. It is included in everyone’s collection of ghostly apparitions. Many believe it is authentic, but there are always those who believe otherwise.
I’m no photography expert, but I am open in believing it is real and I’m also open to the possibility of light getting into the camera or there being some sort of double exposure. However, this doesn’t explain away the actual sightings many have claimed to see around Raynham Hall. 
The first was in the early 1800’s by King George IV. He said he saw a woman dressed in a brown dress standing next to his bed. He remarked that her skin was pale and her hair disheveled. During the Christmas holidays of 1835, Colonel Loftus saw a woman wearing a brown satin dress with a pale luminescence around her. He further described her as having her eyes gouged out. Captain Frederick Marryat and two friends encountered “the Brown Lady” in an upstairs hallway carrying a lantern in 1836. It is reported she grinned at the men in a “diabolical manner.”
Who is this “Brown Lady”? Why is she haunting Raynham Hall?
According to legend, the “Brown Lady of Raynham Hall” is the ghost of Lady Dorothy Walpole (1686-1726).
She was Robert Walpole’s sister (Robert Walpole is regarded to be the first Prime Minister of Great Britain) and the second wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham and residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 1700s. Rumor has it that before Dorothy married Charles, she had been the mistress of Lord Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton, an English soldier, politician and diplomat
Now Charles Townshend was known for his violent temper and accused his wife of adultery. It is likely he strangled her right on the staircase of Raynham Hall in 1725 and buried her. It is a tidy little story and ties the picture in nicely for this legend, but more rumors suspect the funeral was a hoax and Charles locked his wife away in a remote location on the estate. It is believed she died of small pox in 1726 and others believe she lived out her life locked away.
What is a legend without contradictions? Why are these sightings so rare? Is the photograph a hoax or proof that spirits walk among us? Was “the Brown Lady’s” life cut short by a jealous husband or small pox . . . or was she locked away for the remainder of her life in the place she now haunts?
I suppose “the Brown Lady” will forever be shrouded in mystery . . . until someone holds a séance at Raynham Hall and Lady Dorothy Walpole Townshend comes forward to tell her story. Actually, I’m surprised it hasn’t been done.
I sometimes wonder if not knowing is sometimes better than actually knowing the truth of a legend. It would truly be a shame if this was just a photographic anomaly. Photography in those days was in its infancy. It would be interesting to see if there have been other photographs, more recent photographs depicting the fine lady in brown.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Aug 22, 2018
While in high school, I did house sitting and dog sitting. I had another job at a local flower shop.
The local flower shop would hire high school students from time to time when volume was high — Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day — graduations and weddings. Then, there were funerals.
As you may have gathered, I was drawn to doing flower arrangements for funerals.
I also pretty much specialized in doing casket sprays and gravesite bouquets. There are many people who want to have fresh flowers on their loved ones graves, but they aren’t in the area to do it. So, I’m hired. Sometimes various cemeteries need someone to put flowers on graves for special occasions. I’m hired for that, too.
While everyone else was into the “fun” floral arrangements, I was into the funeral and gravesite floral arrangements. My friends worked “normal” hours, I worked “after hours.” I enjoyed the solitude, but the flower shop was spooky.
There was nothing specific at first. Just random noises: knocks on the walls, footsteps, scraping sounds of something being moved and doors opening and closing.
I could ignore it most of the time when I was especially busy, but then I’d get a cold breeze on the back of my neck or a whisper in my ear that I couldn’t understand I would get a bit spooked, but I knew I had a job to do and couldn’t run out screaming.
I could hear people talking. I thought customers got in, but when I’d check, no one was there.
The real problem was the mood swings I noticed with the owner and the various florists. Sandra, the owner, claimed I left the back door unlocked when I left. I know I locked up. I kept the door locked when I was working. Then there were the suppliers who didn’t want to make deliveries or claimed Sandra cancelled a delivery. She claimed I was sabbotaging her business, that I was setting up my own flower shop and turning the suppliers against her. I had little contact with the suppliers. I had no idea how she got such notions. I offered to quit, but she cut my hours, instead..
That didn’t work out for her because I was making a reputation for myself with various mortuaries and cemeteries. It seemed funerals were a big business. People were asking for me, which made Sandra furious.
She did fire me, which was good. With the help of my parents, I was able to buy out an old floral shop in town. The man and his wife were very generous and helpful in getting me started.
I specialized in funerals, of course. I sent customers who wanted other floral arrangements to Sandra, but she became more and more angry with me. Just the mention of my name was enough to set her off.
She came into my shop one afternoon accusing me of vandalizing her shop. The police arrived to make her accusations official. Fortunately, I had an alibi. I had several witnesses who could account for my whereabouts on the night in question. I had three big cemetery jobs to do. I worked at night getting the graves dressed for Memorial Day. I worked from 6 in the evening through the wee hours of the morning. I wanted everything done when visitors would be coming to the cemetery. There was the caretaker at each location who let me in and out. There was also the evidence that flowers were placed on the graves. Fortunately, each cemetery was miles away from Sandra’s shop.
As my business was booming, Sandra’s declined.
I heard rumors that she was rude with customers and no one wanted to work for her. I knew something wasn’t right at her flower shop. It had to do with the paranormal. Some force was causing Sandra’s problems.
Then, the unthinkable happened, Sandra’s flower shop caught fire while she was inside. Her husband claimed he received a frantic phone call from Sandra saying she was trapped in the shop, she couldn’t get the doors opened, but the firefighters said the doors were unlocked.
I did the flowers for her funeral. Once a week I put flowers on her grave. I do hope she has found peace.
The lot that was once Sandra’s Flower Shop has been sold and a beauty shop was there for awhile, but it was sold and made into a dress boutique, which was sold and made into something else. It is now empty. It seemed no business lasted over six months at that location. Whatever’s there doesn’t want to be disturbed.
Just to clarify, I’m still doing funeral and gravesite floral arrangements. A business that seemed to find me has continued for more years than I want to admit. I have, however, sold my shop. I am on call for “emergencies” when mortuaries need casket sprays.
I do wonder if it had anything to do with the night my brother and I had our little adventure in the cemetery after dark. You can read about it here.
I have met some interesting “ghosts” over the years. But that’s another story for another time . . .
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Aug 21, 2018
Have you ever seen someone who seemed a bit out of place?
I’ve mentioned before how I’ve talked to spirits thinking they were real or saw something that really wasn’t there, but I know what I saw. Well, Janet was working in a nursing home. Basically she would claim she had seen just about everything and nothing in the realm of the paranormal surprised her. But what she saw one particular day did make her take notice and still gives her an uneasy feeling to this day.
This happened a couple of years ago in a nursing home in northern Alabama, but quite honestly, it could happen anywhere. And it probably has.
The nursing home was built in the 1960’s and has always been a nursing home. Prior to it being built, it was farmland and had been for years. Janet had worked at the nursing home for over 25 years when this incident happened.
Janet and a few other coworkers were in the dining room cleaning up one afternoon.
She had just finished cleaning the last table and turned around. She saw a figure dressed in black: a black suit, a black cape, wearing a black top hat. The odd thing was that the figure was either a skeleton or very gaunt. She remembers besides being dressed all in black, there was a mixture of beige, yellow and gray mixed in there, too. She did a double-take, but the image was gone. She mentioned it to one of the other women, on the off chance that she saw it, too. She hadn’t, but she believed Janet. The cook commented, “We see strange things all the time. It was just your turn to see something today.”
Seeing something strange was odd enough, but the unsettling part for Janet was that the woman who sat right across from this figure passed away before dinner. She seemed to be healthy for a nursing home resident. Her passing was a surprise to the nursing staff and other residents.
Janet is convinced she saw “the grim reaper.” Why she happened to see “him” that particular day, she doesn’t know, but she doesn’t want to see him again.
Quite honestly, Janet was afraid for her own life. It wasn’t that she wasn’t feeling well or had any health issues, it was just the idea that she saw “the grim reaper” and no one else on the staff saw him . . . or admitted to seeing him.
She had seen “shadow people” scurrying about at various times, but nothing like this figure dressed in black. She had also seen a “lady in white” floating about the hallways and slipping in and out of rooms, maybe making her rounds checking on patients, but none of these sightings foretold of death.
There has been a resident ghost at the nursing home since before Janet started working there.
Many believe it is residual energy. It’s a woman who always would sit outside her door, waiting for the nurse to come to her room to check her temperature and blood pressure. She had to know, first thing in the morning if she had a temperature and if her blood pressure was normal. It became an obsession with her. It was something she needed to know before she would dress in the morning or eat breakfast. She insisted it be taken precisely at the same time every morning. Well, even during her after-life, she’s waiting for her temperature and blood pressure to be taken.
One of the nurses thought it would be interesting to take this ghostly apparition’s temperature and blood pressure, but on several occasions when approaching “it” . . . “it” vanished.
I suppose one of the ghost nurses needed to accommodate her . . . and there seemed to be ghost nurses hanging around the nursing home, too.
I hope you enjoyed this real ghost story and will leave a comment or share this website with a friend or two.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Aug 21, 2018
Where did this practice originate?
I’m fascinated by the folklore of our ancestors. When it came to ghosts and ghouls they had very definite practices. The one I’d like to tell in this post is Why cover mirrors after a death?
First I looked to Europe, second to old Jewish tradition and third to the southern portion of the United States. Many interesting beliefs seem to originate from the south . . . from vampires to ghosts to voodoo practices . . . to covering mirrors with cloth.
Why Cover The Mirrors?
The thing is, when a person passes at home many people cover the mirrors thinking that the newly departed’s soul could get trapped in the mirror and not continue on their journey to “the light.”
There is also the belief that one’s reflection in a mirror is a projection of an individual’s soul. Thus covering the mirror prevents others from seeing their reflections — whether mourner or spirits from beyond ushering the newly departed to their destination and the newly departed.
For some, mirrors are considered portals and by covering them, it keeps out any rift-raft from the spirit world.
Also, with all the mourning going on, it is believed spirits can enter the body of the living through the nose or the mouth. While bereaved, one’s guard is down and covering the mirrors is a safety precaution from possession.
Evidently, many spirits don’t want to leave — so in their spirit form, they could indeed enter a body of the living through their nose or mouth. Thus, the practice for widows to wear a veil at the funeral . . . while others keep a handkerchief handy to cover the nose and mouth — and wipe the tears . . .
Some cover the mirrors in black and others with a white sheet. Still others use a spray to prevent the mirror from allowing reflections. The mirrors are usually covered or masked until after the funeral.
When the body is removed from the house, it is advised that the deceased be taken out feet first. This prevents the corpse from looking back at others in the room and beckoning them to join him or her on their journey to the afterlife.
That’s kind of “creepy” . . . but . . .
I hope this was informative and answered the question of the ancient practice of covering mirrors after someone dies.
Now, I can’t leave you without a story. I’m sorry I don’t have one about covered mirrors, but this one is about a message from beyond the grave you may find interesting.
Granddad’s Message
Joe’s grandfather was in a nursing home. He was well into his 80’s and suffered a massive stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak.
Joe’s sister, Emma, gave her grandfather a stuffed bear that when you squeezed it would say in a cute recorded message, “I love you.”
Although they visited daily, Emma wanted her grandfather to know they loved him and they knew he loved them, too. He would squeeze the bear when he saw them in greeting and again when they left. The nurses said he would sleep with the bear and squeeze it periodically throughout the night and first thing in the morning.
Days before her grandfather’s passing, Emma asked him, if he should pass, if he could send them a message that he was all right and arrived in heaven. He squeezed her hand in agreement.
One year to the date of his passing, the bear was sitting on the mantle of their home, as it had since his passing, and precisely at 6:32 in the evening (the time of his death), the bear said, “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
I hope you enjoyed this post . . . and enjoyed the Real Ghost Story.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Sharon
