Ghosts, Demons and Kindred Spirits

Some people search for ghosts while others spend their lives trying to avoid them. I am one of the latter because I know that spirits are real and with us everyday. Yes, there is every manner of transient being among us - ghosts, demons, angels and kindred spirits, and any one doubting this is not paying attention.

I have lived in my house for eleven years. The man that Anne and I bought it from committed suicide three days after he sold it to us - not in the house, but not far away. Anne died about six months later. These are just two spirits that I know to whom the house is connected.

I have told this story before but I feel it bears retelling. Anne died in March but we’d had one last Christmas together. She had graduated from law school late in her life and had only practiced for four years before her death. She had met three young women and one young man that she called her law daughters and law son. Anne and I never had children of our own.

That last Christmas, all of our law children spent several days with us. They bought Anne a stuffed frog that had a button on its foot. When you squeezed the button, the stuffed animal would croak out "Jingle Bells." I left the frog sitting on the living room mantle and forgot about it.

The following Christmas Eve, I was standing in front of the mantle, staring at the frog when it began croaking "Jingle Bells." I was standing ten feet away and never touched the button. The next morning, Christmas Day, the radio on the nightstand next to my bed suddenly began playing. It was early and I can't remember much but I think Brenda Lee was the singer and she was wishing me a very happy Christmas Day. I had never used the awake by music function on the radio. It came on by itself.

I remember when I was a child, I was always afraid there was a monster under my bed, or in the attic. Now I know that spirits surround me, but they are the benevolent variety and they wish me no harm. My pug Princess barks at them at night when they stir around the house. Animals, it seems, attune to the supernatural more than humans are. She usually falls back to sleep quickly, as even she realizes that she is in no danger.

Some people spend their lives searching for ghosts. Even though they may be sitting beside them, they’ll never see because they obviously haven’t a clue.

Louisiana Mystery Writer