GHOST STORIES: "Her Own Words" Concludes

Her Own Words

By Judith Cullen

(c) 2013

Conclusion

When she finally went to bed, sometime after three in the morning, she just stared blankly at the ceiling until the sun came up.  At eight she called her office to let them know she was staying at home.  She didn’t have any crucial appointments or deadlines, and she had plenty of time off coming.

Ten a.m. found her in the stiff cold air, opening her umbrella as the rain started to fall.  She had gotten the

name of the cemetery from the listing she had found, and the desk clerk had given her directions how to find the grave. The actual physical cemetery was a little more intimidating than the graphics on the desk clerk’s computer.  Elaine finally found her though.

Rebecca Jonas

Born August 14, 1962

Died October 5, 2006

There was no other inscription.  Elaine recognized the headstone.  There was a group of ladies at one of the big local churches who had started a charity to help people who died without means to have a proper burial.  They held bazaars, bake sales, and auctions all to provide monuments and obituary listings for people who passed and had no relatives, or whose relatives could not afford it.  What had happened to Rebecca’s family?  She had been an only child, but she’d had parents. 

GHOST STORIES: "Her Own Words" - Part 2

Her Own Words

By Judith Cullen

(c) 2013

Part Two

If Elaine had been correct, and it had been a practical joke, that should have been the end of it.  Middle aged woman annoyed – mission accomplished.  End of story.  But that was not the end of it. 

Two days later she walked into her workroom, put her bag down next to her desk, and dropped the mail on top of it.  She had avoided the room since the night of the storm, but there was work she needed to do from home tonight.  She had totally forgotten about the note.  She glanced across the desk as she began sorting the mail, separating the important things from those that would go straight to the recycling bin at her feet. 

Except it wasn’t there, the note from the other night.  There was a note there, but it was not the same note.  Or was it?  It was the same envelope, same old-fashioned looking paper, and the same familiar curvy handwriting “Elaine Harrison.”  This envelope, however, was sealed.  As it sat there on the desk, it was almost shouting at her already.  Elaine didn’t want to know what it said.  She pushed it to one side and went back to her mail.

 

Wait a minute!  If it was sealed and a new note, how the hell did it get there?  Could it have simply been the same note as before, and she just didn’t remember putting the note back in the envelope? It looked awfully neat and untouched teetering there on the edge of the desk.  There was only one way to find out if it was the same note.  She reached for it, tore open the flap, and ripped the note from inside.

GHOST STORIES: "Her Own Words" - Part One

This is the third year in which I have written a ghost story for October.  In fact this year I write two.  The certain irony is that people who publish ghost stories actually are reviewing them in February.  So I suspect I am "banking it forward" with this work.

There is something undeniable about the effect late September has on my writing muse.  In 2012 I wrote my first ghosty story, "In the Mist", which was published in A TRIO OF IRISH TALES which is available on Amazon, and remains my most popular publication to date.

"Her Own Words" was last year's (2013) story took second place in a Ghost Story Contest sponsored y author Lissa Bryan. Since  this story is only available in paperback as part of TRIO TALES 2013, I have decided to share it here, in series, as it lends itself to that.  I'll follow with this year's stories, similarly eeked out in hopefully enticing bits.

Just a side note about me and scary stories:  if you are looking for the "blood-curdling-eviscerating-entrailing" kind of story from me, you are in for disappointment.  My stories have suspenseful, possibly thrilling moments, but my inner "Pooh-Bear" always asserts itself.  So you might best categorize my scary fiction as "Spooky-Sweet."  You have been warned - Enjoy!
*****

Storm Clouds over Brent Hill by Adrian Platt

Her Own Words

By Judith Cullen

(c) 2013

Part One

The wind and rain made the trees outside her window groan and rumble.  There was nowhere Elaine would rather be than right where she was: curled up under her warm, thick comforter.  She’d grown up with weather like this, and she loved listening to it buffet and batter as long as she could do so from safely under the covers.  The cat had a similar idea, hopping up once Elaine had pulled the comforter up.  It had stomped around before becoming a cushion of purring fur and lapsing into feline snores. 

Familiar as the sounds of the storm were, Elaine was not lulled into sleep.  Her mind would not shut down.  The wind and rain reflected her own unrest as she tried to close down the thoughts of the day to get some sleep. Instead, she tossed with the branches and leaves accompanied by the sounds of the cat, which let out a low howl of annoyance each time Elaine moved.

The sound, when it came, seemed so out of place.  It challenged Elaine’s coziness.  It entreated her not-so-quiet mind to get out of the bed.  It was the squishing thump of footsteps outside.  How remarkable that she could hear them from this end of the house, with all the racket of the storm.  But hear them she did, loud and clear, and seemingly approaching her front door.  Who would be out at this time of night in this kind of weather?  Elaine’s still-careening mind ascribed whomever it was an idiot, and rolled over again.

There were two sharp raps on her front door.

WE PLACED! HUZZAH!

 Thanks to everyone who read and supported Her Own Words, this year's ghost story.  It was on two contests and placed in author Lissa Bryan's Ghostwriter Ghost Story Contest!  This is the first writing contest I have entered since I entered a DAR Essay competition in Junior High School, so this was a fun experience for me.

Visit her Contest Blog to enjoy the winning entry and the other submitted story entries.

This month will be a month filled with little bits and bobs.  Miracles: A Trio of Island Tales is due to be completed, plus the assembly of an anthology of this year's stories which will be available in paperback in early December. It will include all of this year's Trio Tales plus some bonus stories and a few poems. If you have enjoyed this year's stories, and have readers of such fiction on your holiday to-buy-for list, this just might be the thing for them.

I'll be celebrating Veteran's Day by reading from A Trio of My Father's Tales live on stream, November 11th.  Stay tuned for more on that and other live sessions.

Also stay tuned here for updates on The Dickens Project - Tacoma: a  simul-presentation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol in Second Life(c) and before a live audience in my hometown of Tacoma, WA. More information may be found on that by Clicking Here!

Happy November!  And don't forget to be thankful!

HALLOWEEN STORIES ONLINE!

Seems I write one spooky story a year specifically for Halloween.  I love Halloween!  Always have.  It started out as amber-tinged remembrances of magical Octobers when I was a small child.  It became about Disney's Fantasia, oddly enough, and there are still parts of that movie's soundtrack that I associate with this time of year, and always play - Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony for one.

"Boo" as Pooh, waiting for his first treating

Later it became about being on the giving end of the treat train as my young nephew Brandon entered the world of costumes, and the fashionably acceptable wearing of the color orange. "Aunt Dede" spent a delight-filled decade mimicking Brandon's Mom's waaaaay cool Halloween doorbell: "bong, BONG, bong-bong Mwwwwahahahahahaaa!"

Now, Halloween is about stories.  ALL about stories. On Halloween I will be doing two sessions in Second Life, and a special online live streaming of my own stories at Noon Pacific.

Ever been haunted by your own words?  What if you were haunted by them literally?  A woman is pursued by words she wrote over 30 years ago, and struggles with how to end being haunted by HER OWN WORDS.   

Love can hurt.  Especially if it is a sweet first romance.  But what hurts more is falling off a cliff.  Find out how a young Irish girl has an encounter with a legendary Irish haunt, and finds the strength to return to her life with a new perspective from IN THE MISTS. 

UPDATE! More Stories. . .
 By request, I will be reading selections from Bram Stoker's Classic DRACULA beginning at 5:30pm Pacific on Halloween!

IMPORTANT NOTE . . . In order to be able to listen on your computer or device, you may need to use an enabling application. Don't wait till story time!: CLICK HERE for links to helpful sites to make certain you are able to listen to streaming audio on your computer

 . . . CLICK HERE to be connected to the Shoutcast stream, which will go live 10 minutes before the posted start time.

Tips/donations for making these sessions possible are gratefully accepted.(see the donation button in the right hand margin)

HER OWN WORDS ~ Encore Live Online, Wednesday 10.23 @ 3pm Pacific

I'll be presenting an encore reading this story Wednesday, October 23rd live in Second Life (c) at 3pm Pacific Time at the Burn 2 Literary Camp AND also live, streaming on the web . . . CLICK HERE to be connected to the Shoutcast stream, which will go live 10 minutes before the posted start time.

Ever been haunted by your own words?  What if you were haunted by them literally?  A woman is pursued by words she wrote over 30 years ago, and struggles with how to end being haunted by HER OWN WORDS.  

IMPORTANT NOTE . . . In order to be able to listen on your computer or device, you may need to use an enabling application. Don't wait till story time!: CLICK HERE for links to helpful sites to make certain you are able to listen to streaming audio on your computer


This story is entered along with 11 others as part of author Lissa Bryan's Online Ghost Story Competition.  You can visit the "Ghostwriter" Ghost Story Contest Blog and vote for HER OWN WORDS, or any of the other submissions.  The winning story will be announced on Halloween!

Stories streamed on the internet are free.  Tips/donations for making these sessions possible are gratefully accepted.(see the donation button in the right hand margin)

HER OWN WORDS - In This Year's "Ghostwriter"Ghost Story Contest - VOTING OPEN!

Author Lissa Bryan's "Ghostwriter" Ghost Story Contest is officially open for reader voting, and my newest original short story HER OWN WORDS is entered.  Check out my story, along with nearly a dozen others, and place your vote for your favorite. Voting is open now till the end of the month.  Check it out,

STAY TUNED for more streamed stories and new releases, especially come HALLOWEEN NIGHT!

TUESDAY at 7PM Pacific Time - A New Ghost Story: HER OWN WORDS

I wanted to try and write a different kind of ghost story.  One without rattling chains or glowing spectral figures.  Just words.  Words can have tremendous power all by themselves.  Words can change lives.

Ever been haunted by your own words?  What if you were haunted by them literally?  A woman is pursued by words she wrote over 30 years ago, and struggles with how to end being haunted by HER OWN WORDS. 

I'll be reading this story Tuesday Night  live in Second Life (c) at the Seanchai Library at 7pm Pacific Time http://slurl.com/secondlife/Imagination%20Island/46/211/28 

And also live, streaming on the web . . . CLICK HERE to be connected to the Shoutcast stream, which will go live 10 minutes before start time.

IMPORTANT NOTE . . . In order to be able to listen on your computer or device, you may need to use an enabling application. Don't wait till story time!: CLICK HERE for links to helpful sites to make certain you are able to listen to streaming audio on your computer


 Readings in Second Life (c) are offered free to all residents with the invitation show their appreciation, if they desire it, by joining the Seanchai Library Staff in supporting their featured charity.  Stories streamed on the internet are likewise free, and tips to the Seanchai Library charity, or to the Storyteller (donation button in the right hand margin) are gratefully accepted.

Starting October 16th, this story will be part of author Lissa Bryan's Online Ghost Story Competition.  You can visit the "Ghostwriter" Ghost Story Contest Blog and vote for HER OWN WORDS if you like, or any of the other submissions.  The winning story will be announced on Halloween!