Tag Archives: paranormal

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Savannah Savors Spirits

Savannah, Georgia is one of the three most haunted cities in the United States. Ghosts throughout the town squares are so active, their stories are told with the same enthusiasm as nasty gossip, spoken without hesitation or question as to the likelihood spirits savor the old houses and historical town squares.

For instance, at the 17 Hundred 90 Hotel, an unfortunately poor child named Anna was forced into a servitude marriage with an old, abusive man. She performed into hard labor in addition to having almost no food and too many beatings. After a few years, she fell in love with a sailor who promised to return and free her from her enslavement. When the boy returned, her husband beat her to death, then tossed her out the upstairs window. There in the window, her spirits remains, waiting for her one true love.

At a quaint house around the corner, a black cat once lived and played with the local children in the courtyard. So attached to the fun and energy of happy kids, after his death, the cat makes himself visible to children in the form of yellow streaks.

Ah yes, the famed most haunted home in Savannah is the Hampton Lillibridge house that survived the 1820 town fire. The spirits love this home so much they refused to leave when the house was relocated, which incidentally resulted in an accidental death. The then owner, Jim Williams stood trial three times for murder and the word on the street was that in addition to a crypt found in the basement, Jim placed his victim there as well. During the 1960s, the hauntings were so outrageous, the neighbors accused him of having loud parties every night. The community insisted the local bishop perform an exorcism, however the paranormal activity continued.

The orb in my above picture belongs to a boarder who hanged himself. The below picture shows three white orbs and at the edge of the picture is a blue orb, all probably there for the nightly party.

In Reynolds Square at the previous site of the naughty pastor John Wesley’s home, there is a haunted tree beside his statue. Wesley arrived from England as a missionary for establishing the Methodist church in Savannah and creating the first Sunday school class in the country. His practice of preaching outdoors caused controversy, as well as his love for a young woman who didn’t return his advances. As punishment to her, he ruined her reputation and ran her out of town.
Bars have always been the favorite hotspots in Savannah. Despite the communities strong religious roots, pirates crowded the streets, swindlers looked to get rich quickly, Native Americans scalped citizens, men fled the law and cruel soldiers settled in the town after an invasion. At this particular bar, the owner never left. He still carries trays and sits down to have a drink while chatting with the late nighters.
The residents of Savannah have so many ghosts, they love them the same way a neighbor loves the noisy kids living beside him. The weather tends to be either sticky or wet, adding to the ghostly atmosphere and making it difficult to capture clear images. The town history is intriguing with its founders sharing their decadent behavior and gallons of tears while joining together for survival.
Actually, my first vision for writing my fantasy, Evangabella, came in 1997 when I photographed a ghost in a Savannah graveyard. I had certainly felt spooked before that but never realized spirits posed for photos. My later fantasy, Under a Full Moon, incorporates paranormal happenings I’ve experienced over the years.
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London Ghost Warning

If during a visit to London you have a vacant evening, consider filling the time with a ghost bus tour. Beware, or that is to say wary, if you anticipate actually seeing paranormal activity.

The London ghost tours answer any questions you had about where out of work British actors find work. The commentator of the bus tour puts on a grand show, leaning into the camera to distort his face, utilizing every crazed voice he’s developed and screaming as he runs up and down the stairs. Not that he’s uninformed. Quite the contrary. The commentator shares educational narratives about English monarchy and their brutal deaths. He gives accounts of fires and romances. The catch is, he interrupts himself regularly to intentionally create chaos.

It is all in good fun and is an excellent opportunity to see areas of the city you might otherwise overlook. He talks rapidly, pointing out so many interesting monuments and providing such shocking accounts of English history, it is difficult to glimpse every location.

If there are ghosts, the bus moves too quickly for anyone to take photographs or see them. The actors are there to entertain. The ghost tour creates suspense to scare the patrons. It is similar to a haunted house where the purpose of going inside is to be scared.

Patrons include a families and gothic collegians. Young adults show up with wigs, black lipstick and Goth clothing. Expect to laugh and sit at the edge of your seat to avoid being attacked by ghoulish monsters. The interior of the bus resembles a coffin and gives the feeling you are headed to a funeral.

Surprises crop up, according to the time of year. For instance, around Easter, a serial killer rabbit joins the crew.

Patrons get off the bus one time, and a huge surprise is that the tour ends on a sentimental note, instead of somewhere dangerous. It is a great way to learn about London and monarchy deaths. The actors discourage young children from taking the tour because they do want to scare you.

The tour reflects on experiences of people who often lead to their becoming ghosts. Paranormal activities first interested me when I was three years old and my grandmother passed away. My interpretation of paranormal activities appear in my stories. In Evangabella and Under a Full Moon, the protagonists encounter ghosts they must learn to understand in order to solve their conflicts with the world.

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Ghost Orbs Populate St. Augustine

The ghost tours in St. Augustine, Florida encourage visitors to take photographs of the haunted locations in hopes ghost orbs appear on film. Orbs are a recently discovered phenomena. Researchers theorize orbs of light appear in pictures when spirits drift into the scene. Some believe the spirits seek out past relatives to comfort and protect the living. Others consider the orbs to be disquieted souls with unfinished business on earth. Such ghosts suffered emotionally or physically at the time of their death.

Even though I saw no evidence of ghost orbs while walking around the town, images of round lights appeared on my developed pictures. “Are they nothing more than distorted refractions of light taken by digital cameras?” I asked the film developer. He also toured St. Augustine and felt some were glitches with digital cameras and others were actual spirits. “It’s whatever you want them to be,” he said.

The spirit of a boy likes sits in this tree at the Catholic cemetery. Thousands of confused spirits join him, wishing someone would tell them how to get out of the graveyard.

Native American Chief Osceola was imprisoned at the fort on the river. Upon his death, the doctor decapitated him and kept his head as a souvenir. Taking on a bluish appearance, the head of Osceola bounces above the fort in search of its body.

Spirits enjoy hearing stories about themselves and follow the tour guide along with the visitors. My dog growled and became anxious at this point so I took a picture curious if she was reacting to ghosts.

Many townspeople died at the city gates, forbidden to enter because of an illness or unsatisfactory behavior. The town burned to the ground on several occasions and fleeing residents died. One sweet little girl still skips down the street and then sits at the top of the left column.

Robbers uncovered a body and stole a man’s gold teeth. The man’s spirit searches for his teeth during the night. This yellowish orb is identical in size and placement to other photos posted on the ghost tour websites.

Three rogue brothers lived a jovial life, drinking and partying every night. Even after their death, the three brothers play around the cemetery.

A school mistress looks out the window in search of her students who burned in a fire. The spiral lines inside the orb suggest it is a spirit and not refracted light.

Ghostly encounters throughout my life inspired the theme for my supernatural story, Evangabella, where a girl senses paranormal activity but doesn’t know whether to trust the spirits.

What do you think? Are they real?