Spooky Little Pickle

Werewolf of Langrick Fen (Dogdyke, Lincolnshire, UK)

A local archaeologist digging in the peat discovered a human skeleton but with a wolf’s head.

Carrying the object into his cottage he placed it on a table and examined it carefully. But he could make nothing of it and concluded that it must have been some monstrosity, such as showmen bring out at fairs to excite the interest of the crowd.

That night, however, he found himself unable to sleep, and fancying he heard a noise in the back premises, got up to investigate. Suddenly he heard a sharp rat-tat on the window pane and looking round perceived a dark object looking at him. This speedily resolved itself into the form of a human being with a wolf’s head.

Every feature was distinctly marked and there was no possibility of reflection, since no light was visible anywhere. As the young man stood transfixed with horror, the creature gave a snarl of savage exultation and raised its arm to dash in the glass, whereupon he recovered the power of movement and fled into the kitchen. A crash sounded behind him and he wasted no time in locking and barring the door and erecting a barricade of furniture against it. There he waited all night in a cold sweat, while the stealthy pad-pad of feet sounded without. At last the first streaks of dawn told him that his long vigil was over and as the light grew stronger he ventured to unbar and open the door.

Nothing was visible of the ghostly visitor, but the table, whereon he had placed the skeleton was overturned and the window of the room was shivered into fragments. Hastily collecting the remains of the uncanny being, which lay scattered all over the floor, he buried them again in the same place, where he had found them and covered them over with several layers of peat. Nor was he again disturbed, though for many years afterwards, he would describe with vivid gesture his peculiar adventure with the supernatural.

Ghosts of The Stanley Hotel (Estes Park, Colorado, USA)

Completed in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley (inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile), this 138-guest room hotel in the Colorado Rockies is probably best known as the inspiration for Stephen King’s book The Shining, which he wrote after staying at The Stanley, in room 217. King did not write the novel there, nor was the 1980 Stanley Kubrick movie filmed there, but the TV movie version of The Shining was used as the location. Today, the elegant hotel is a popular resort and destination for ghost hunters; a ghost tour is even offered to visitors.

Several apparitions and other phenomena have been reported throughout the hotel:

The ghosts of Freelan Stanley and his wife Flora have been seen dressed in formal attire on the main staircase and in other public areas, such as the lobby and the billiard room. Mr. Stanley has also been spotted in the administration offices, perhaps to keep an eye on the hotel’s books. Flora’s piano playing occasionally echos in the ballroom.

Disembodied voices and phantom footsteps have been heard in the hallways and rooms.

Staff and visitors have reported unseen hands yanking at their clothing.

More than one guest has said they have awakened to find their blankets taken from their beds and neatly folded.

The Earl of Dunraven, who owned the land prior to the Stanleys, is said to haunt room 407, where the aroma of his cherry pipe tobacco still can be smelled. A ghostly face has also been reported peering out of the room’s window when it was not occupied.

Room 217, where Stephen King stayed, was the site of a tragic accident in 1911: housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson was nearly killed by a gas leak explosion. Since her death in the 1950s, strange, unexplained activity is said to take place in that room, including doors opening and closing, and lights switching on and off by themselves.

Room 418 is the most haunted room, according to hotel staff, apparently by the ghosts of children. Guests who stay there say phantom children can be heard playing in the hallways at night. One couple complained that the noisy children kept them up all night, although there were no children staying at the hotel at the time. Impressions of bodies have been found on the bed when the room as been unoccupied.

The ghost of a small child who calls out to his nanny has been spotted (including by Stephen King) on several occasions on the second floor.

UFO: Puerto Rico (May 1988)

The Mermaid of Zennor (Zennor, Cornwall, UK)

The people of Zennor had long wondered at the beauty of a richly-dressed lady who attended divine service at the church. None knew whence she came, but when she fell in love with Matthew Trewella and lured him away, tongues began to wag. Neither was seen again for many years, until one Sunday morning the sailors on a ship anchored near Pendower Cove were surprised to see a mermaid rising from the water, and recognised her as none other than the mysterious visitor to Zennor Church. She asked the captain to raise his anchor, as it was barring the entrance to her house. Her likeness can be seen to this day carved on a pew-end in Zennor Church.

Ghostly girl on the gravestone

This photograph appeared in both the Chicago Sun-Times and the National Examiner. It was taken during an investigation in Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery on August 10, 1991 with a group of GRS members. The picture is an enlarged black and white infra-red shot taken of an area where many of the group noticed something unusual with some of the equipment they used. It shows a young woman sitting on a tombstone with parts of her lower and upper body being somewhat semi-transparent. The dress she is wearing is also out-of-date. It was taken by member, Jude Huff-Felz.

Northern lights in Iceland
By: Olgeir Andresson