Totally Weird...From Who Forted Ezine

Filed under Strange Creatures Who Forted Ezine is reporting the Mathiba Primary School in Maun abruptly ended classes last week after sightings of a "hairy little humanoid" caused a panic. When sixth and seventh grade students reported seeing a black hairy creature that resembled a human being all heck broke loose. Children left classes and hysterically ran all over the place, some students fainted, and several students had to be treated for shock at a local clinic. Due to the disruption classes were canceled, sadly just before final exams. If that is not odd enough, one teacher commented that the area is known for out-breaks of monster induced hysteria.

Ouija Sleepover

I grew up out in the country in a large seven bedroom house. Our nearest neighbors were about a mile away and in the winter it could be quite desolate even though there were seven kids in the house. My birthday is in February and the year I turned twelve I was allowed to have several friends from school come out on a Saturday night for a sleepover.

We got to have free run of what we called the rec-room.  It was a large room in the walk out basement that had a wood burning fireplace with two bedrooms and access to the garage. One of the downstairs bedrooms was used as a den and was one of my favorite rooms. It was wall to wall books from floor to ceiling and had a large oak desk prominently set under the window. The perfect setting for a sleepover.

We plopped some of our supplies in the den and lit the fireplace and played several goofy games including a dance contest. Then we settled down in front of the fire to tell scary stories. My cousin, who was a year younger than me suggested we get the Ouija board. I suggested we go under the desk in the den where it was really dark.

We huddled under the desk and sat with the board balanced on our legs. Not everyone could fit so some of the girls sat on the floor as close as they could holding flashlights. We started asking questions like who would we marry and I don’t remember if we got any real answers or just us unintentionally moving the planchette. The room was very quiet and we were all very intent on what we were doing. I finally said in my most dramatic voice: If there are any spirits in the room, give us a sign.  At that exact moment there were three very loud and slow knocks on the window above us.  We shrieked and booked it upstairs like a herd of wild water buffalo.  

By the time we reached the kitchen we were laughing. Of course it was the older kids heading into town for Saturday night. They must have seen us get the Ouija board and waited around to scare us. When my aunt heard the ruckus she came in and we explained what happened.  She didn’t laugh. She explained that the older kids had left for a movie in town over an hour ago. Then she did something I had never seen her do, she locked the front door. Needless to say we slept upstairs in the living room that night, one of the best birthdays I ever had.

©Joy Yehle, 2013

Hospitals are perhaps one of the scariest places on earth...

This picture made me think about a story I wrote that has long been on a back burner…maybe it needs to be stirred.  Here is a quick blurb from it..enjoy.

I must have fallen asleep shortly after my mom left. She had turned on my tv as she left and the movie she had put on was scrolling the ending credits. I tried to move my head but it felt like it was full of rocks and sloshing water. I could hear the usual hospital noises floating in through the slightly open door. The pain in my head must have been the grinding of the rocks in there because my mouth felt like it was full of gravel. I spotted the water pitcher and a plastic cup next to the sink just a few feet away from the bed. I knew that I probably shouldn't be out of bed but my need for a drink was a great motivator.

I sat up slowly and inched my legs over the side of the bed. I was thankful that the bed next to me was empty as I realized my backside was hanging out of my ridiculous hospital gown. Maybe it was the concussion or the pain medication but it entered my mind that I was relieved to have on clean underwear heeding my mom’s warning about accidents. I put my feet on the cold tile floor and put all my concentration on them. When I was sure they were solidly planted I slowly pushed myself to standing. A wave of nausea washed over me and I gripped the side of the bed and breathed deeply until it passed. Movement behind the door caught my attention. These nurses were good.

“Oh, hi. I just really need a drink.” The figure stood still. “You know, some water?” Still no response or move to help me.  Maybe these nurses weren’t so good.

I looked a little closer and could see the hem of a hospital gown illuminated by the TV which was the only light source in the room. The top half of the figure was obscured by the dark.

“Oh, sorry. I thought I was alone and you were the nurse. I didn’t realize I had a roommate.”

My eyes adjusted to the dark and I could see it was a man. He was standing very still with his arms at his side. I noticed that his skin was pale and had an unhealthy tint to it. His feet were bare and I could make out that his toenails were thick, yellow and peeling. I hoped whatever he had wasn’t contagious.

I pushed myself off the bed and crept to the sink. I filled the cup from the tap and drank like it would be my last. I was going for seconds when the door to my room swung open and a young woman in scrubs stepped in.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yea, I just needed some water but that dude over there looks like he may need you.”

She looked around the room, “What dude?”

I looked behind her where he should have been. The darkened space was empty.

“Maybe you hit your head harder than you thought,” she smiled at me.

I felt all the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. I knew I hadn’t hit my head that hard.

©Joy Yehle, 2013

It is not the dead you have to be afraid of…It is the living.