Page 6 The LION’s EYE October 13, 2000 Nightmare House It was a dark and stormy night. Steve had just came in from having tied down anything that could possibly blow away in the wind outside. Cold seeping into his bones, he decided to go sit by the fireplace to warm up. He closed the door to the large living room of the large house he had just purchased. His wife and daughter were back at the old home, gathering up some of the last items to be moved to their new home. Steve decided to stay the night by himself to get a feel for the house. The house was probably too large for such a small family, but Steve [11 A great blinding light filled the room from the door yy couldn’t pass up the good buy he got on it. An old antique house, incredibly large, in a quiet, secluded area, for such a small price. Steve still couldn’t believe how lucky he was. The television was one of the items his wife was bringing the next day, so he decided to read a book to pass the time. He sipped at his hot coffee, while being warmed by the crackling fireplace. Steve couldn’t help but to look forward to many more nights like this, all snug in front of the grand fireplace, on the cold winter nights that would eventually come. He had just started to get into his book when he heard a taping sound from the upper floor. Steve brushed it off quickly, old houses like this always make sounds like that in the movies, even though I'm sure it’s had enough time to settle. He had to chuckle over his corny joke. He went back to his book, but the sound started again, it seemed to be moving across the room upstairs. Perhaps mice, thought Steve, I should really look into that tomorrow morning, the wife would not be pleased to find mice in their new home. Tomorrow though, no use chasing mice in the dark. Then Steve heard what sounded like a dooropening upstairs. The big room was starting to feel a bit less cozy. He tried to pass it off as his imagination running wild, and tried to immerse himself in his book. It did no good, because this time, the sounds didn’t go away. The tapping, footsteps ... started to sound like they were coming down the stairs, down the stairs that led to the living room’s door. Thump, thump, thump, louder and louder, as the went down. Steve had put the book down now, and was staring at the door with great intensity. What if it’s a robber, he thought, or worse ... no, he mustn’t let his imagination go wild. He stared at the great door, and heard the footsteps keep thumping, finally coming off the stairs, and towards the door. Thump, thump, thump ... He stared at the door, his fear increasing. Thump, thump, thump ... the fireplace suddenly went out. The door handle started to turn. Steve was too frightened to get up to stop it, stuck in his place by fear. Slowly, it creaked open, until it was finally completely open to Steve. A great blinding light filled the room from the door, a blood curdling scream arose * from Steve... Linda pulled into the driveway in her truck. She was sure she finally had gotten every last thing and was ready to move into the new house. Her daughter bounced out of the car and ran towards the house. Linda thought, not for the first time, that the house was much too big for the three of them, but Steve was too much in love with it for her to change his mind. Steve, she had told him not to spend the night in the house alone, but he had insisted. She smiled to herself, the big goof was probably going to tell their daughter all kinds of ghost stories he made up last night, and she’ll end up trying to soothe her to bed tonight. Her daughter bounded into the house, she followed closely behind. She called for Steve, no answer. Probably still asleep in that huge living room, or can’t hear us through the door. He loved the room most about this house. She told her daughter to check the living room for her father. Her daughter went off to do that. Linda started unpacking some of the food they had brought in the kitchen, when she heard a scream from her daughter. She ran to the living room to see what was the matter. She looked in, and screamed herself. Steve was sitting, in his chair, book on the floor. His hair ... his hair had turned stark white, his clothes were ripped, and it looked like he had tried to claw his eyes out with all the claw marks on his face. He was dead, with a look of stark terror etched forever on his face. Linda retched, and cried, what, what could possibly have done this to her husband, what??? Then, through her sobs, and her daughter's screaming, she thought she heard a thumping sound upstairs... The End Hallowe’en Night Twas the night of Hallowe’en and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, Though ghosts floated about. The winds whistled quietly, through the bushes and trees. While monsters and ghouls, haunted with glee. The pumpkins were carved, Fearsome grins all around. As children in disguises, Fill the dark streets with sound. The moon seems alive, You can almost feel the fright, and that’s part of the fun, Of this Hallowe'en Night. So beware all who dare venture, Out and beyond your safe place. For Hallowe'en is here, Is anyone really safe... The hours pass on, and the children retire. But on Hallowe'en night, Restless souls, never tire. -by Brian Skinner HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS - Smoke, fog or electroplasmic activity? Photo by Joan Barr Ghost Hunting Tips for Seekers of the Paranormal The following is meant to aid you in your hunt for the supernatural. Take heed, or someone else may try to teach you... Photography: Remove your camera strap. If you should obtain a photo that clearly shows a vortex, a strapless camera eliminates reasonable doubt in your photos authenticity. The strapless camera is a must at all PGHA investigations. If for some reason you cannot remove your camera strap, you MUST secure it around your neck or tightly around the wrist as to not get in the way of your camera’s lens. Tie your hair back. If you have long hair, wind can blow it right into your camera’s way. Something as simple as a rubber band can significantly reduce the risk of a false-positive image. Do not smoke. During an investigation, especially while photos are being taken, do not smoke. Cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke may show in an image as an ectoplasmic cloud. Also responsible for this phenomena is the photographer’s breath in cold weather (hold breath while photo is taken), vehicle exhaust, fog and lens condensation. We have made it a point to document area and weather conditions for every investigation in our reports. Avoid reflective surfaces. Mirrors, glass and other surfaces capable of directing your cameras flash back at you should not be photographed head-on. Instead, take pictures of reflective surfaces from an angle. This will reduce some common film problems. Camera grip. This mistake pertains to a select amount of people who constantly put their finger in front of the lens when they raise the camera (you know who you are). Simply be aware of how you handle your camera when taking pictures. Hooded Jackets. Be sure to wear clothing that does not have any type of tie. This pertains to hoods that have laces to tighten, etc... They can get in the way of your camera lens, especially if you are taking a photo in a downward direction. : Lights. Oftentimes, it is unavoidable to take photos without getting a natural light source in the frame. Be sure to document what light sources are around you in case they show up in the pic. Street lights, lanterns, flashlights, cars and even airplanes can work their way into your photos. Be careful! Remove the lens cap. Enough said. Equipment: Know your equipment. The foremost important rule about equipment is to know how to use it properly before you conduct an investigation. So many times we’ve heard of people experimenting with their equipment on site. Not only does it look unorganized, a dark cemetery doesn’t make for good learning conditions. Compass. If you cannot afford an EMF meter initially, you can use a compass to detect magnetic fields. A ghostly anomaly will usually tilt the needle at least 30 degrees off Magnetic North. Again, be sure to rule out a possible electrical source. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance at http://hometown.aol.com/Rayd 8em/Tips.html
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