Haunted Humpday - First signs and a Spooky Tale

Happy Haunted Humpday!

 Thank you again, Marfi, for getting us into the Halloween spirit right away. I don't visit Blogland much anymore but when Fall comes around my old blog loving muse pays a visit and I'm always eager to welcome her with open arms.

For me, Halloween starts as soon as all the 4th of July merchandise leaves the shelves and skulls, ravens and witches take their place.

It's an annual ritual I look forward to every year.

There is nothing like leaving the summer heat behind and walking into a Michael's store filled with shelves of glittery Halloween wares. It's even better than being a kid in a candy store. I love seeing everything in neat rows before everyone else gets their sticky little hands on them!

I very rarely add much else to my Halloween collection but just being around all that haunted goodness puts me in a happy frame of mind. It might be 95 degrees outside but standing in the middle of an aisle draped in shades of black, purple and orange means Autumn is on it's way.

Are you excited too?

Now let me tell you a little tale about a recent visit to one of our haunted places.

Earlier this year my son and I went to an event at our local city cemetery. The historical society puts on a variety of themed events and the one we attended was about musicians from the turn of the century who are buried there.

There was a wonderful fiddler and a very animated docent who led our large group while regaling us with tales of horror and misfortune during California's Gold Rush.

Our city cemetery is a beautiful place with heritage rose gardens, bewitching iron work and grand mausoleums. My son and I have been there many times before to attend other tours or to enjoy a pre Halloween walk.

The tour was going well. We were enjoying the music and stories, stopping here and there to learn more about the colorful people buried there. About three quarters of the way through the tour I suddenly felt a chill come over me. It was a warm Spring day with no wind but I felt this chill deep inside and within seconds I felt ill. I felt like throwing up.

I walked over to my son to tell him we had to leave. My stomach tightened in a huge knot as I felt my heart beat unusually fast. I held onto my worried son's arm as he practically carried me through the sprawling graveyard.

My head spun. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I have never experienced anything like this before. A few times I had to brace myself on a tombstone, fearing I was about to pass out. Thankfully my son urged me to keep walking and we made our way to the large iron gate at the entrance.

Finally, we walked through the gate towards our car and just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped and I felt better. It felt like walking out of a stifling room and out into the fresh air. The shift was a little unnerving.

The knot in my stomach, chill in my bones and nausea went away. After a sip of water I felt well enough to drive us away and within a few minutes it felt like nothing had happened.

I honestly don't know what made me feel so horribly sick those few minutes. Something I ate? All I had that morning was tea and toast. Maybe an allergic reaction to something on the grounds. I never figured it out to this day.

My witchy sense thinks I crossed paths with something that morning. A spirit? A few people jokingly offered that explanation and I nervously laughed along with them. I come from a culture where people believe those things are possible. I do know that each time I drive by the cemetery I recoil just a little bit remembering that horrible feeling. I've not gone back since.

Coincidence or not, I felt there was a message for me to tell. Perhaps it's simply to remind everyone that there are stories there, as there are in other places where old souls rest. There are spirits who once walked our city, adding to it's color and history, and making their mark no matter how big or small. I think we all would like to be remembered in some way.

It's for those restless souls that I deliver this message. So they won't be forgotten even if it's just for a minute or two. Maybe that's what it was all about after all and that's why you happen to be here reading this. So you don't forget them too.

Today I deliver the message to you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Visit Marfi at Incipient Wings for more haunted fun.