Scary Stories to Tell Here at Knoch

It’s a dark and stormy night, and you’re in your room watching the latest serial killer documentary on Netflix, because rather than go out or perhaps read your AR book that is due in two days, you decide all of a sudden that you would love to know all the red flags people ignored about Jeffrey Dahmer.  Then, the lights flicker, you hear a crash downstairs.  “Oh no!” you think, “I’m terrified of electrical failures and loud crashes downstairs!” Ding!  You look at your illuminated phone and see the stuff of nightmares: Ms. T just sent out a classroom update that she is absolutely livid about your class once again missing their deadlines, and you lay awake at night, in fear of your next encounter with her face to face.

Wow, if that doesn’t strike fear in your heart, then I don’t know what will.  Now while no experience could ever be as bloodcurdling as that, some of the students of Knoch have a couple of tales that will get you in the spooky spirit for Halloween.

The location is Plymouth, Massachusetts, and your name is Allison Smith (sophomore), and you are visiting your cousins, and you are nine.  Plymouth, being the historical town it is, is home to many a haunted church, one of which Smith happened to visit, or so she says.  While Smith was most likely admiring the architecture and brilliant craftsmanship of the church, like any nine year old, her father happened to take a picture of the church, in which you can see “A clear image of a ghost lady in a wedding dress.”  Or at least, that is what Ms. Smith saw in the photo.  As for myself, I have my doubts.

Perhaps I don’t have the right eye, but I personally see absolutely nothing of suspicion in this photo, just a wonderful, creepy looking little church.  However, I won’t discredit Smith or try to persuade you of the obvious lack of ghosts in the photo, you can decide that for yourself.  Though scared at the time, Smith has come out stating that she is no longer frightened by the experience, but finds it both “intriguing” and “interesting.”  When asked if she believes in ghosts, Smith said:

“Yes.”

Jeepers Creepers! If you’re reading this and thinking, “How could anyone possibly have a more bone-chilling experience than that!?” then you, my friend, are in for a treat.  This next tale came from junior Trianna Walls, taking place in the junior’s old house in Butler when she was around the age of 13.  While all the sisters of the Walls family were in different rooms one night, they heard a voice asking, “Is someone there?”  The question was directed towards the bathroom, where one sister happened to be brushing her teeth, and so she responded and asked the other sisters who said it.  They all claim that none of them said it and the event occured for the next few days.  To add on to all the goosebumps you probably have right now, Walls revealed that someone young had died in that very house from some sort of disease in the past, perhaps the very same spirit that gave the girls a startle.  

According to my source, the experience was, “fr weird” and she was “shooketh up lowkey.”  But don’t worry, Walls said that looking back, “it’s funny ngl”, and when questioned about the status of her belief in our friends from the afterlife, said, “hm tbh idk.”  

To some, the most terrifying thing about that previous story was the use of all those acronyms and “hip” language, but this last story is guaranteed to give you some serious spooks.  While at her friend’s house, senior Paige Rodgers saw some seriously concerning stuff.  One day when they were brave enough to go exploring in the woods, Rodgers and her friend came across a blood-soaked t-shirt lying on the ground, and then later ahead, a bathtub full of water and other miscellaneous appliances by a tree house.  Following these discoveries, there was a growling sound and movement along the treeline.  

Well, Rodgers wasn’t about to find out what it was, saying, “We’ve never ran faster in our lives.”  They never found out what happened, but since the incident, neither has gone back to the site of the potential crime.  

As a bonus story, Rodgers also said that one day, she was slapped in the face by a ghost after a nap, answering my question of if she believed in ghosts.  I’m taking that as a yes.  

I hope reading these stories has BOOsted your spooOOOoooky mood and reminded you to exercise caution for whenever you’re in a woods known to have bathtubs and blood-stained shirts. GHOUL-d luck this Halloween!