Haunted Flower Shop

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