A heavy hush falls over the house as we enter the ancient dining room, empty aside from a fireplace, a mirror, and a painting on the wall.

“This is the room where people report seeing shadow figures,” explains my guide. I light up instantly, turning in circles and snapping photos from every direction, while she searches through her phone. I am too transfixed by the mirror hanging slightly above my head to notice the distinctive painting hanging above the fireplace.

“Ugh, of course now I can’t find it,” she exclaims, disappointed. “Somebody took a picture with this mirror in it, and when you look at it, it looks like there’s a sort of dark figure in the mirror. It was a bit creepy when I saw it.”

Hello and welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I really hope you enjoy.

Previously on Spook Lit…

We finished up Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe and voted on our next book - The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories by Gertrude Atherton.

This week, we are starting out strong with Part I of The Bell in the Fog, a story about a haunted painting. While I have heard a few stories about haunted paintings, I’ve never encountered one myself until I visited the Octagon Museum in Washington DC two months ago.

The Octagon Museum

was a house built for Colonel John Tayloe III in 1801, where he and his wife Ann Ogle Tayloe lived until their passing. They had 15 children, 13 of which survived to adulthood. The house is one of the oldest private residences in DC, and the architect Dr. William Thornton was an amateur who won a contest to be the first architect of the US Capitol. He was chosen to build the Tayloe home because of his ability to work with the oddly shaped triangular plot of land.

The architecture design was a neoclassical federal style, and the home was decorated by the same professionals who decorated Monticello and the White House. Many of the original features still exist today.

One of the most notorious details about the Octagon House is that it was home to James and Dolley Madison for 6 months after the British burned down the White House. Dolley Madison would throw huge parties and balls known as “Dolley’s squeezes” because she tried to squeeze so many people into the party room. An upstairs office now called the Treaty Room was used as a temporary Oval Office. It still contains the treaty table where James Madison signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.

After Mrs. Tayloe’s passing in 1858, the building was turned into a Catholic girl school, then later office buildings, before it was finally taken over by the American Institute of Architects, after which it became a museum.

The ghosts…

Perhaps most famously, Jackie Kennedy was visiting the Octagon House during her husband’s presidency in the 60s. She was standing on the spiral staircase looking out the window when she was overcome by the scent of lilacs. She believed she was experiencing the ghost of Dolley Madison.

After Colonel and Mrs. Tayloe passed away, there were reports of servant bells continuing to ring periodically on their own.

A staff member once saw a man in 18th century clothes sitting on the stairs. He smiled at her and raised his hat as she passed. She asked her fellow staff member if they were hosting a themed party in the museum that day. Not only was there no party, but nobody else was there at the time.

There have been paranormal stories from the basement, however the majority of activity seems to escalate in the dining room, with several reports of shadow people, including the shadow in the mirror I mentioned earlier.

My guide walks me over to the fireplace, acknowledging intricate details on the mantel stonework. She points to the hidden doorways, which she calls jib doors, that blend seamlessly into the walls and lead to servant areas behind the scenes.

She narrates the painting that hangs above the fireplace. It features a man named Archy Nash, John Tayloe’s valet and alleged half brother, an enslaved person who was freed after his death.

The painting was created by a contemporary artist named Peter Waddell. He is praised for his ability to depict realistic scenes based on his extensive research of American history and architecture. There are several of his paintings throughout the house, portraying scenes that would have taken place in each room during the Tayloes’ and Madisons’ residencies.

The lovely guide confides that the painting reminds her of a scene in Bridgerton, with women wearing empire dresses and Archy Nash sporting a beautiful collar in full livery, serving everyone at the party. The painting is striking, but for me it is more due to the format and less about the scene.

In reality, as we face the fireplace, the mirror is on the wall to my right towards the back of the room. It is interesting that dark figures are seen in the mirror, as it is too high up on the wall for most people to see their own reflections. It doesn’t reflect much except for the windows on the wall to my left.

In the painting, the artist has built an optical illusion in which the viewer themselves are looking at the room through a reflection in a mirror. We are looking at the mirror presumably through a mirror, and we can see the other mirror directly opposite us in the reflection of the room.

The view in the painting cannot exist in many ways. The mantel doesn’t have a mirror. The one true mirror in the room is on a different wall than is depicted. However, there is no question that the artist has portrayed this particular dining room because of the unique sculpting on the fireplace stonework. It’s unmistakable that he is painting the dining room. But his imagination is slightly off from reality.

It is a common paranormal belief that mirrors reflecting each other can cause an “infinity mirror” effect, which can act as a gateway or portal for spirits. I have seen this effect in several of the most active haunted locations I’ve visited, such as the Conjuring House, a haunted shop in Vancouver, and a haunted bar in Pike Place Market. It feels as though the artist has created this painting almost intentionally to build upon the mirrors, thereby creating his own infinite reflection tunnel.

Fireplaces are also considered to be portals in paranormal lore. The painting placed above the fireplace almost feels like a spiritual welcome mat. To top it all off, deep below our feet in the basement is a prominent room with a large bricked off well. Wells are also known to be portals or “energy vortexes.” I am certain that all of this somehow contributes to the energy of this space.

Later, as I listen to a recording taken in this room, I hear myself say “That is so cool!” And she responds “That’s great because now I can look at it in another way” and on my recording, I capture an EVP ghost voice say “yeah.” I did not get permission to share a recording from the museum, so I won’t share it at this time, but I was blown away when I heard that little whisper “yeah.” So incredibly cool.

We conclude our tour

by visiting the basement cellar, which contains one of the largest kitchens I’ve ever seen and servant quarters with handmade nails spiking through the lumber ceiling.

We make our way up to the Treaty Room, James Madison’s temporary Oval Office in 1814. I marvel at the curved walls and windows, the custom wooden blinds torn and hanging in slats in a few places. Everything bending together in a way I had never seen before.

“We have the original shutters,” my guide explains. “One of the things that we do when we come in the morning is we open up the shutters and then we close them again at night, which I love. It’s sort of like a ceremony. They just fold back into the wall.”

She looks out the curved windows that bend in sync with the stone walls, and she beams with pride. This house is brimming with history, much of it heavy. It was bought, paid for, and maintained by the free labor of enslaved people from Colonel Tayloe’s tobacco plantation. It was a refuge for the president, an Executive Mansion when the White House burned. It was a home for sixty years. A Catholic School. And now a deeply treasured artifact that is shared with all of us. Above all, it has been loved.

Shout-outs:

* A massive thank you to The Octagon and the Architects Foundation for the amazing private tour! Thank you for catering to my interests and including all the ghost stories for me.

* Also this week, I’d like to shout out my dear friend Robin Blackburn McBride, who is launching her new book River of Dreams in October. See her post on Substack for more information about the book as well as her gorgeous cover reveal:

I just read this description and am encouraging us to all go pre-order it now!

“River of Dreams is a captivating work of metaphysical fiction. If you like feminist themes, historical settings, and elements of the supernatural, then you’ll treasure Robin Blackburn McBride’s enchanting story.”

- robinblackburnmcbride.com

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:

Next week, we get the rest of the story from The Bell in the Fog in Part II. It’s a little long, so I might split it up into two episodes. Meaning, The Bell in the Fog story has two parts but might have three Spook Lit episodes, if that makes sense.

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Credits:

* Special thanks to the The Octagon and the Architects Foundation for a very educational tour of the haunted Octagon Museum.

* Audiobook: The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories by Gertrude Atherton

* Chapter: “The Bell in the Fog Part I”

* Music: Horror Spooky Piano by Nikita Kondrashev on Pixabay

* Artwork: Jeff Bent

* Photography: Lyns McCracken

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Thank you and hauntingly yours, dreary dendrophile

dreary dendrophile is a haunted museum full of spooky stories. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

You can also make a donation if the spirit moves you.

Hello everyone,

I’m just popping by for a minute to let you know the votes are in for our next Spook Lit read, and the winner is The Bell in the Fog by Gertrude Atherton. A humungous THANK YOU to everyone who voted! I really appreciate you all.

I’m really excited about this one. It’s creepy, delightfully dreary and overall just perfect for Season 2. We’ll officially begin the new season in April after the Oregon Ghost Conference.

For those who are local to the Pacific Northwest, I hope you can join me at the conference this year! I’ve been attending the past few years, and it is one of my favorite events. This year I will be hosting a vendor table for the first time - come by and say hi, and we can chat ghost stories and all things Spook Lit!

Oregon Ghost ConferenceSeaside Civic & Convention Center - Seaside, OregonMarch 27-29, 2026General Admission: $20

Thank you again for listening to Spook Lit and for helping me choose our next book. I really hope you enjoy it.

Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and the happiest of hauntings!

Credits:

* Music: Horror Spooky Piano by Nikita Kondrashev on Pixabay

* Artwork: Jeff Bent

* Photography: Lyns McCracken

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

dreary dendrophile is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Or you can make a one-time donation if the spirit moves you.

“The terror of that night was never spoken of again; but I have often thought that silence was worse than any confession.”

-Elizabeth Gaskell, Gothic Tales

Hello and welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoy.

Previously on Spook Lit…

Last time, we read a stand-alone story called Death and the Woman, by Gertrude Atherton, originally published in Vanity Fair, London, in 1892.

We also released Season 1 of Spook Lit onto Apple Podcast and Spotify platforms. Feel free to go binge all the stories from Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe.

This week’s stor(ies)….

This week, we are voting on our next book for Spook Lit Season 2! I’ve searched far and wide for spooky stories that do not have much (if any) presence in the audiobook space. Below, I’ve curated a list of my favorites including their descriptions from Thriftbooks and Goodreads. I’m also including some general info about the authors.

Please let me know your top choice in the comments, and we’ll announce the winner in the dreary substack chat. Thank you so much for helping me choose! It’s a group effort.

*Note that regardless of page count, all stories will be broken into digestible episodes, typically 20-30 minutes each.

Gothic Tales — Elizabeth Gaskell

Stories: 9Page Count: 340

“Gothic Tales is an anthology of all of Elizabeth Gaskell’s stories of mystery, gothic, and horror written between 1851 and 1861 — including old legends, ghastly ghostly tales, sympathetic takes on witchcraft, tragic novellas, and bizarre narratives.”— Goodreads

“Elizabeth Gaskell's chilling Gothic tales blend the real and the supernatural to eerie, compelling effect. 'Disappearances', inspired by local legends of mysterious vanishings, mixes gossip and fact; 'Lois the Witch', a novella based on an account of the Salem witch hunts, shows how sexual desire and jealousy lead to hysteria; while in 'The Old Nurse's Story' a mysterious child roams the freezing Northumberland moors. Whether darkly surreal, such as 'The Poor Clare', where an evil doppelgänger is formed by a woman's bitter curse, or mischievous like 'Curious, if True', a playful reworking of fairy tales, all the stories in this volume form a stark contrast to the social realism of Gaskell's novels, revealing a darker and more unsettling style of writing.”—Thriftbooks

Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865)

Known for: Victorian realism, social novels, gothic short fiction

"Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, née Stevenson (29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature.”—Goodreads

Strange Stories by a Nervous Gentleman — Washington Irving

Stories: 9Page Count: 112

“Years before Edgar Allan Poe began his literary career, Irving was already in the business of scaring readers silly. Read them... if you dare!”— Thriftbooks

“A collection of Gothic tales by Washington Irving that brings together a series of weird and thrilling narratives told by a retired traveler and his friends… Among the tales are eerie adventures such as the German Student, the Mysterious Picture and the Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger, which deliver suspense, supernatural moments, and outright strangeness.”— Goodreads (based on Tales of a Traveller, first published 1824)

Washington Irving (1783–1859)

Known for: Early American short fiction, gothic folklore, satire

“People remember American writer Washington Irving for the stories “ Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ,” contained in The Sketch Book (1820). This author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century wrote newspaper articles under the pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle to begin his literary career at the age of nineteen years. In 1809, he published The History of New York under his most popular public persona, Diedrich Knickerbocker.”— Goodreads

Night Shivers: The Ghost Stories of J.H. Riddell — J.H. Riddell

Stories: 15Page Count: 449

“Moving, his candle was instantly extinguished, and in the very moment of being left in the darkness he saw, standing in the doorway, a woman, resembling her who had haunted his dream overnight. He rushed with outstretched hands to seize her, but clutched only air. Night Shivers presents a treasure trove of the stories of Mrs J. H. Riddell, one of the greatest Victorian writers of ghost stories. These tales, many of which have been out of print for years, take the reader on fearful journeys into the gloomy haunts of old neglected houses, into a world of prophetic dreams, out onto the wild terrain of Ireland to encounter a frightful banshee and even down into Hell itself. In these fourteen short stories and one novella, The Uninhabited House, there is the distillation of the best and most effective of Riddell s spine-tingling supernatural fiction. This description may be from another edition of this product.”— Thriftbooks

J. H. Riddell (Charlotte Riddell) (1832–1906)

Known for: Victorian ghost stories, haunted houses, supernatural, economic stress

“Charlotte Riddell aka Mrs J.H. Riddell (30 September 1832 – 24 September 1906) was one of the most popular and influential writers of the Victorian period. The author of 56 books, novels and short stories, she was also part owner and editor of the St. James's Magazine, one of the most prestigious literary magazines of the 1860s….…She was the author of many ghost stories, six of which were published as Weird Stories in 1882.”— Goodreads

The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories — Gertrude Atherton

Stories: 10Page Count: 78

“The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories is a collection that includes tales of mystery and the supernatural by Gertrude Atherton… The title story features a haunted country estate and eerie paintings that begin to haunt the protagonist, alongside other chilling narratives.”— Goodreads

Gertrude Atherton (1857–1948)

Known for: Psychological fiction, supernatural tales, strong female characters

“Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton (October 30, 1857 – June 14, 1948) was a prominent and prolific American author. Many of her novels are set in her home state of California. Her bestseller Black Oxen (1923) was made into a silent movie of the same name. In addition to novels, she wrote short stories, essays, and articles for magazines and newspapers on such issues as feminism, politics, and war. She was strong-willed, independent-minded, and sometimes controversial.She wrote using the pen names Asmodeus and Frank Lin, a play on her middle name.”—Goodreads

“Gertrude Atherton was born in San Francisco in 1857, and died in 1948. She eloped at the age of nineteen, took up writing against her husband's wishes, and after his death became a protegee of Ambrose Bierce, whose influence can be seen here in those stories, The Dead and the Countess, Death and the Woman and The Striding Place, which have an overtly supernatural element. The Striding Place was rejected by one editor as 'far too gruesome', but was in Atherton's view 'the best short story I ever wrote'. Elsewhere, The Greatest Good of the Greatest Number, The Tragedy of a Snob, and A Monarch of a Small Survey the psychological takes precedence over the supernatural. And in The Bell in the Fog (reminiscent of The Turn of the Screw, and dedicated to Henry James) the supernatural and psychological combine to brilliant effect: an angelic child bears a striking resemblance to an old portrait. Is she a reincarnation of her ancestor? And will she turn out as unangelic in adulthood as that distant ancestor turned out before her?”— Goodreads

Thank you for considering these options for our next book. Again, please let me know your preference in the comments, and I’ll send an update in the dreary dendrophile substack chat with our final choice.

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit?

I am still working on releasing Ghosts and Family Legends as a stand-alone audiobook. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know once it’s available.

Why is everything free now? Paid subscriber updates:

When I first launched Spook Lit, I only made full episodes available to paid subscribers. It was a way to honor the dedication of this community and the immense effort that goes into this project.

That said, I’ve done a lot of thinking on the old model, and I really don’t love it, for a variety of reasons:

* The whole purpose of this project is to bring forgotten stories into the spotlight. Gatekeeping them seems like the opposite of that objective.

* My personal anecdotes are always available for free on paid posts, but Substack forces me to paywall the comments regardless. I hate not being able to interact with all readers in the comments. It feels stuffy and gross.

* Keeping these episodes free and more widely available to the public makes me feel lighter and brings me more joy.

If you support my work as a paid subscriber, that support still means the world to me. I will never take it for granted. Please know that I’ll continue offering personal perks like free tarot readings, channeled poems, blackout poetry, merch discounts, and occasional collaborative features. Paid subscribers will receive these offers in their thank you email and occasionally at other times throughout the year.

Whether you are a free or paid subscriber, I love you all to the moon and appreciate your support.

Shout Outs

Speaking of paid subscribers, thank you so much to the following readers for your financial support:

* New paid subscriber Amanda Royal

* New paid subscriber Catherine Davis

* My parents for their incredibly generous donation in response to my post let the bodies hit the floor about the ICE raids in Minnesota.

*Note: If you would like to support organizations that are helping Minnesota on the front lines, please consider donating to Stand With Minnesota.

Thank you all for being part of Spook Lit. I hope you are able to vote in the comments. I really appreciate your contributions to this next chapter!

Credits:

* Book and author descriptions by Goodreads and Thriftbooks

* Music: Horror Spooky Piano by Nikita Kondrashev on Pixabay

* Artwork: Jeff Bent

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

dreary dendrophile is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

You can also make a (very much appreciated) one-time donation if the spirit moves you.

“Death —where was he? What a curious experience: to be sitting alone in a big house… waiting for Death to come and snatch her husband from her. No; he would not snatch, he would steal upon his prey as noiselessly as the approach of Sin to Innocence-an invisible, unfair, sneaking enemy, with whom no man’s strength could grapple. If he would only come like a man, and take his chances like a man! Women had been known to reach the hearts of giants with the dagger’s point. But he would creep upon her.”

- Gertrude Atherton, Death and the Woman

Hello and welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoy.

Previously on Spook Lit…

Last time, we literally closed the chapter on our book Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe, the first recorded paranormal investigator in history.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be releasing the entire first season of Spook Lit on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. I will also be knitting together a stand-alone audiobook in case you want to listen without all the podcast extras. More on that later.

A huge heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who engaged with our first book of Spook Lit! Thank you for listening and reading and interacting in the comments. Thank you for your feedback and suggestions. Your insight and your ghost stories. What more could I possibly ask from you except for more! Thank you for dipping your toes into this new obsession of mine. It has truly been a blast.

This week’s story…

I’m still cleaning up the first book and preparing some options for the second. In the meantime, I like the idea of popping in these bite-sized short stories to tie us over between books.

I chose Death and the Woman, by Gertrude Atherton, originally published in Vanity Fair, London, in 1892.

In a raw twist of letting your imagination run away with you, Gertrude Atherton succeeded in keeping me glued to the page (a rare feat). Many of her stories have that in common.

This story is a mix of psychological and existential feminine Gothic horror. The way the author personifies death is extremely important to me. She boldly embraces a story about death and dying in a way that was presumably quite unremarkable in her time, regardless of how extraordinary it seems in ours. Indeed, I was on the fence about even choosing this story due to my fear of offending your sensibilities with my dreaded death talk. (I tend to do that.)

However, this week I am also listening to the audiobook Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons From the Crematory, by Caitlin Doughty. One of the best (and surprisingly most relatable) books I’ve read in a long time. I was literally shoveling wet bones out of the aquamation chamber when I heard Caitlin Doughty explain:

“Prior to the Civil War, death and dying were strongly associated with the home… Since corpses were a domestic affair, the duty to care for them fell to women. Women baked the meat pies, did the laundry, washed the corpses. In many ways, women are death’s natural companions. Every time a woman gives birth, she is creating not only a life, but also a death.” - Caitlin Doughty, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Doughty posits that during and following the Civil War, the rise in practices of embalming (practical for masses of deaths on a battlefield) and cremation (more affordable), may have resulted in our culture being entirely resistant to death. We are terrified of decomposition and decay. And we have completely lost our relationship to death and dying, avoiding it at all costs.

“If decomposing bodies have disappeared from culture (which they have), but those same decomposing bodies are needed to alleviate the fear of death (which they are), what happens to a culture where all decomposition is removed? We don’t need to hypothesize: we live in just such a culture. A culture of death denial.

This denial takes many forms. Our obsession with youth, the creams and chemicals and detoxifying diets pushed by those who would sell the idea that the natural aging of our bodies is grotesque. Spending over $100 billion a year on anti-aging products as 3.1 million children under five starve to death.” - Caitlin Doughty, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

This blew my mind. The idea that our rituals surrounding and treatment of the dead could influence our society’s attitudes towards death, and vice versa. I truly believe, and aspire to validate, that the subject of death and dying was far less objectionable and wholly unremarkable in Gertrude Atherton’s time. At the very least, concepts such as dying in the home and characterizing Death as a monstrous entity are fascinating themes reminiscent of the time period. I’m officially intrigued.

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit?

In the next episode, I hope to provide you with a list of options for our next serialized book. A few of you have even sent me some of your favorites - please keep them coming!

My main criteria is that the book should match our vibes (I’ll leave that up to interpretation), and it must be public domain. I’m also prioritizing books and stories that do not yet have audiobook versions widely available, since we will be creating them. I have to admit, researching creepy historical books has been a cozy way to spend my free time this winter.

Along with the next book, there are some other changes and improvements in the works. I’ll save those for next time.

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this story, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Credits:

* Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons From the Crematory, by Caitlin Doughty

* Audiobook: Death and the Woman by Gertrude Atherton

* Music: Horror Spooky Piano by Nikita Kondrashev on Pixabay

* Artwork: Jeff Bent

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

dreary dendrophile is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

“We’ll never find a ghost in this bar - it’s too loud,” Marty whispers to me, not trying to attract the bartender. Our group has already drawn enough attention with our K2 EMF meters, flashing green-yellow-red in response to any enigmas.

“I know where we can find one!” I breathe excitedly. “Come with me!” We brush swiftly past the bustling bar and through the wooden door in the back of the pub.

We emerge into a dim hallway and the energy immediately shifts. It’s quiet back here. Liminal.

We creep slowly down the hallway, our anticipation building in tandem with the blinking lights on the K2’s. We reach the ancient bathrooms and peek our head in to make sure they aren’t occupied by the living.

Heaviness settles over the tiny room despite the cheerful glowing lights. We step into the darkest biggest stall and feel the unmistakable melancholy of another presence. We place our meters in between us as we take a seat on the somber floor.

“Is anybody here with us?”

Hello and welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoy.

This week, in Ghosts and Family Legends, we’re reading “My Friend’s Story.” Our very last chapter of the book!

Our haunting heroine this week is a powerful manifestation of a woman spirit with her faithful greyhounds, loyal even in death. There are several reasons why a spirit might linger, but often heavy emotion seems to be a contributing factor. These could be negative or positive emotions. I believe that we ourselves can engage with the hauntings in times of overwhelming feelings and nostalgia.

On a cold, rainy weekend, I was invited to join a ghost hunting collaboration in Seaview, Washington, only 10 miles up the coast from Oregon. We rented out the Shelburne hotel, allegedly the oldest hotel in the state of Washington.

The group was led by Signe and Nat of Ghostoria. Ghostoria is a ghost hunting team in Astoria, Oregon who frequently lead public investigations. But this time, Signe was inviting ghost hunters from all over the PNW to investigate together, a savvy and generous way to build community and share the expense.

On several occasions throughout the night, we felt a heavy feminine presence throughout the hotel. I was certain someone was with us in the restroom each time we went back there. Dead bells chimed regularly, as did the standard concierge bell at the checkin desk. EMF readings skyrocketed in the antique phone booth, but I couldn’t locate any source of electricity.

The woman finally made herself known through spirit box sessions and through our medium as the entire group gathered in a circle around the massive dining room table. She was the prominent spirit of the house, rightfully insisting on patience and respect.

Flashlights blinked on and off as one by one additional spirits made themselves known. We ramped up additional spirit box sessions and at one point the spirits started talking to each other during an Estes method session, using our voices and the radio frequencies through noise cancelling headphones.

“Hold onto me,” our medium said, blindfolded and unable to hear anything but her headphones and static, repeating whatever voices she hears.

“I’ve got you,” I responded eerily, also oblivious to what she had said, also deprived of all ability to see or hear my surroundings.

Towards the end of the night, exhaustion led to emotions running high and the spirits running quiet. I went outside to the courtyard to get some air and a few moments of solitude. I sat down in one of the lawn chairs and looked up at the dark glossy magnolia leaves glinting in the sparkling patio lights. I marveled at the snowy white blossoms cascading over the porch, overflowing into the night.

I felt an inexplicable sense of pride wash over me, mixed with overwhelming tranquility. I knew I wasn’t alone under the stars. I sat in comfortable silence with my hidden companion, closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Right there, just for that moment, we were comrades. In that moment we were kindred.

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:

When I started the first season of SpookLit, my objective was to read more books and establish audiobooks that don’t exist but are desperately needed, all while building community and telling ghost stories. I got to learn how to edit audio and more importantly, to choose books with shorter chapters and a little less French. Thank you for your patience during this craggy sharp learning curve. I’ve been having a blast exploring these new methods of media.

Over the next month, I’ll be releasing the episodes of Ghosts and Family Legends on Spotify and other podcast platforms. I may also release stand-alone recordings of the book for those who just want to read the audiobook without all the extras.

I’ll be reaching out sometime in January with options for book two. Feel free to send me any suggestions - the only requirement is public domain.

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Want to join the book club?

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Can’t swing a paid subscription?Recommend dreary dendrophile on Substack or send a one-time donation to support the podcast and join the club!

Credits:

* Special thanks to the Shelburne Hotel for opening up your beautiful inn to a gaggle of ghost hunters. I will absolutely be back.

* As always, a gigantic thank you to Ghostoria for coordinating and hosting an awesome investigation and for always being so collaborative and supportive of fellow investigators in the PNW.

* To Ghostoria and 6Point Paranormal: I truly appreciate you inviting me to this event, and for always welcoming me into your investigations and treating me like a part of the team.

Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine CroweChapter: “My Friend’s Story”Music: “Horror Spooky Piano” by Nikita Kondrashev on PixabayArtwork: Jeff BentLinktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

I hear a faint whimper as I start to run a bath for my dog’s swim therapy. I pause, listening, shutting off the water and holding my breath.

Silence.

I turn the handle once more. The water flows warm and steamy against the foggy rain spattering the windows. I fumble for a towel and shove it into the dryer to warm up. Just as I turn the knob, I hear it.

Loud, high-pitched moaning. A dog whimpering at the top of their lungs. It sounds just like Parker when he’s anxious for dinner. But when I came in here, he was snoring away.

I leave the water running as I race down the hall, alarmed, kicking myself for not rushing to his side the first time. He must be really upset.

I cross the threshold into my room and kneel on the bed beside him, worried and prepared to soothe him and pick him up. But he’s laying there safe and sound, snoozing away. No whining. No grunting. Not even those little playful yips he makes in his sleep sometimes, or the twitching of his massive eyebrows. He’s breathing heavy and deep, as if he hasn’t moved in hours.

I head back to the bathroom, flummoxed, and hear the crying once more. There are no other dogs in my apartment. No one else is here. Where is it coming from? Who could it be?

Hello and welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoy.

This week, in Ghosts and Family Legends, we’re reading The Sheep-Farmer’s Story. After this, only one more chapter to go!!

You guys, I’ve been racking my brain since I read this story three weeks ago, and I am embarrassed to admit I have zero stories about pets seeing ghosts. I’ve got countless stories about ghost pets, or ghosts talking about living pets, but somehow, I do not recall any situation where a pet brought a ghost to my attention.

This seems ridiculous to me, as our pets’ odd behavior is usually the first clue that a haunting is afoot—dogs staring off into strange corners, avoiding certain areas of the house, or straight-up barking at the haunted doll you just brought home. (No? Just me?)

I literally just read this post by Chris Stanton about how his dog’s reaction was the only sign that indicated ghostly activity:

Alas, I have no such stories. Parker did used to stare up at nothing in my apartment, but it was easy to debunk as he was going deaf and blind. We just assumed he was confused about our exact location.

That said, even though this week’s story is about a living dog staying loyal to a human ghost, it reminded me of the ghost dog who lives in my apartment.

We found our apartment after putting down a security deposit somewhere else and then getting hit with a series of synchronicities that eventually led to our current home. It was special and magical. It was definitely haunted.

But the best part was our landlord’s dog, Rockie. Rockie was a pug who had spent most of his life in our apartment and had passed years ago. The landlord showed me pictures after we told him about Parker.

After moving in, I started hearing the phantom whimpers over and over, especially near the giant bathtub when the water was running. Every time without fail, I would rush to check on Parker only to find him peacefully fast asleep.

It happened to Dave once, too, when he raced out to check on Parker, only to find him snuggling with me on the couch. This led to the two of us comparing notes and finally coming to the same conclusion…

We had a ghost dog.

We suspected it might be Rockie. He typically only made himself known when one of us was in the bath or shower. We would hear lots of crying and whining from another room, just like Parker whined when he wanted something.

It was always the same story—constant whining and crying, one of us would check on him, he would be fine, we would go back to the bathroom, and the crying would stop.

We often wondered if it was an old habit, like maybe Rockie didn’t like to be left alone when someone took a shower. Or maybe he was worried about us leaving Parker alone.

Whatever the case, it happened very frequently during our time at this apartment, and it happened to both of us.

I think it had more to do with Parker than we realized, though. Perhaps Parker was the reason Rockie stuck around. As many of you know, Parker ended up passing a few months ago, and surprisingly, I haven’t heard any phantom crying since.

Even though I don’t remember any pets acting strangely around spirits, it’s pretty common for animals to sense things that we cannot. They say to trust your pets—your pets will always know. I’m super curious if any of you have any spooky stories about your pets. Please share in the comments!!

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:

Send me your ghost stories!!

October is officially here, and it’s time to get creepy! Do you have a scary story? Let’s talk about it! Did you grow up in a haunted house? Maybe you had a monster under your bed, or a doll that liked to move around your room. Send me all your ghost encounters or scary stories, and I would love to share them on the podcast!

Email [email protected]. I’ll keep them anonymous unless you tell me otherwise. Happy Halloween!!

Next week: We continue Ghosts and Family Legends with our final chapter! I can’t believe we’re about to finish the book!

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Want to join the book club?

Support Spook Lit for just $2.50/month

* Get full access to all audiobook chapters

* Receive new episodes with original text photos

* Help keep independent media haunting

Can’t swing a paid subscription?Recommend dreary dendrophile on Substack or send a one-time donation to support the podcast and join the club!

Credits:

Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine CroweChapter: “The Sheep Farmer’s Story”Music: “Horror Spooky Piano” by Nikita Kondrashev on PixabayArtwork: Jeff BentLinktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

I pause in the stony entrance of a casemate in arguably the most haunted military fort in the country. It holds rumors of hauntings dating back to the 1700s.

I step tentatively through the powder magazine room, searching for shadows. They say this is the most common place for apparitions to appear.

This chamber is cold and musty, its ancient walls swallowed by vines. Its crumbling hearth lies flooded by marsh. On my way inside, I counted eight bird houses seeping into the swamp, but their carefree songs won't reach me here.

Suddenly, something darts past the corner of my eye, at the same time I hear muffled voices. I whip around, heart pounding, but see no one. I call out timidly, voice shaking.

"Is somebody here?"

Hello and welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoy.

This week in Ghosts and Family Legends, we're reading "The Swiss Lady's Story." In honor of our story's hero, the ghost soldier, let's talk about my favorite haunted military base: Fort Mifflin.

History Buffs: This one’s for you.

“Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is so historic that it even predates the Revolutionary War…

This makes the fort the oldest active military base in the U.S., and the only base on American soil to predate the Declaration of Independence.”

-Amy Bruni, Haunted Road podcast,

Episode “Faceless Entities Lurk in Darkened Corners”

An extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff member, Alex, tells us that "the fort sustained the largest bombardment of the revolution, including five weeks of siege preceding it."

“In 1777, the British attacked the revolutionary troops garrisoned at the fort, pummeling its walls with more than 10,000 cannonballs, making it the greatest bombardment of the American revolution…..

After five intense days, the Continental army had no choice but to retreat, fleeing the fort on Nov 15, 1777. Though the soldiers never officially surrendered, and counterintuitively, their fight was a pivotal moment in the American success in the war.”

-Amy Bruni, Haunted Road podcast,

Episode “Faceless Entities Lurk in Darkened Corners”

“The Siege of Fort Mifflin in 1777 has been called the forgotten battle of the American Revolution. Even the history books in Philadelphia schools contain no reference to the Fort or to its siege. Yet the stubborn defense of this hastily completed fortification, against hopeless odds, was one of the most courageous and inspiring actions of the entire Revolution-ary War.”

-How Fort Mifflin Saved America During the Revolutionary War,

Compiled by Fort Mifflin on the Delaware

“Moreover, the siege of Fort Mifflin, while an American defeat, was a significant event in America's War for Independence. In his effort to open the supply lines to Philadelphia, Howe spent considerable time, resources and materials trying to capture Fort Mifflin. This allowed Washington and the Continental Army sufficient time to withdraw to Valley Forge for the winter…

When battles resumed in 1778, the Americans engaged the British with renewed energy and discipline, a spirit that led to America's independence! In this way, Fort Mifflin was

‘The Fort that Saved America!’”

-How Fort Mifflin Saved America During the Revolutionary War

Compiled by Fort Mifflin on the Delaware

Definitely listen to Amy Bruni’s podcast Haunted Road for much more detailed information about the fort’s history plus additional stories about its hauntings as well.

When I visited, our skeptical staff member told us all about an endearing attention-seeking spirit named Edward. They believe his name is Edward because while another staff member was sleeping, he was briskly shaken awake by someone saying "my name is Edward!"

Edward likes to turn off electronics in the office. He also severed the cord of a pack hanging on a hook for several months before it fell while staff member Alex was falling asleep. Another time, during a heated argument between a staff member and a client who had rented the property for an event, a cannonball fell off a bookshelf and onto the floor.

My favorite story is about a revolutionary war spirit who tends to appear as a full-body apparition near powder magazine #12. During most weekdays, guests pay for their tickets in the office with instructions to explore on their own. There are no tour guides down in the fort, and the staff member stays up in the office selling tickets.

On several occasions, when visitors go to leave, they'll mention a very helpful and interactive tour guide they met during their self-guided tour. They say he is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, dressed in uniform, and has details that even the staff doesn't know about the Revolutionary War. The guests are confused, having been told that no tour guides are available on weekdays. And the staff member is always equally flummoxed, knowing that no other personnel are present at the fort.

There are a variety of spirits from several wars, and they all seem to be friendly and respectful. When I visited the grounds, the energy felt very relaxed and peaceful. I heard stories of spirits who only retaliate if a bully is trying to scare someone, and spirits who lovingly help people down the stairs near the officer's quarters.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet any veteran spirits during my visit. If you decide to tour the fort, be on the lookout for the revolutionary soldier who gives detailed tours of the casemates. Please tell him hello for me!

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:

Next week: We continue Ghosts and Family Legends with “The Sheep-Farmer’s Story.” Only two chapters left!

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Want to join the book club?

Support Spook Lit for just $2.50/month

* Get full access to all audiobook chapters

* Receive new episodes with original text photos

* Help keep independent media haunting

Can’t swing a paid subscription?Recommend dreary dendrophile on Substack or send a one-time donation to support the podcast and join the club!

Credits:

Special thanks to Fort Mifflin on the Delaware, especially Alex who generously shared tons of stories.

Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine CroweChapter: "The Swiss Lady’s Story"Music: "Horror Spooky Piano" by Nikita Kondrashev on PixabayArtwork: Jeff BentLinktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

I step tentatively into a dark upstairs bedroom in what is known as America's most haunted house. The room closes in on me, heavily... waiting.

I'm alone in the dark, the only light filtering through the lacy curtains from the street lamps below. I feel a wave of melancholy wash over me as I sit down on the creaking wooden floorboards. I switch my recorder on and set it on the floor beside me.

"Violet, are you here?"

Hello and welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I really hope you enjoy.

Thank You & Updates

First, I want to thank you for all the feedback you've given me about this book and the podcast format. I really appreciate it. After today, we only have three chapters remaining in this book! That's bananas. I'll be reaching out soon with a list of potential options for our next book, and I'd love your opinions. If you have any ideas, feel free to share them in the comments or send me a DM.

This Week's Story

This week in Ghosts and Family Legends, we're reading "The Old French Gentleman's Story." I apologize in advance - even though I studied how to pronounce every French word, I most certainly butchered them all. Please don't come for me! Our author Catherine Crowe painstakingly gathered stories in several languages, and I'm trying to do her work justice. Thank you for your patience.

Family Curses & The Whaley House Investigation

Our story this week reminded me of family curses and the fascinating history of the Whaley House. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to investigate the Whaley House in Old Town, San Diego, California.

The Cursed Foundation

The house was built on land that had previously been used for executions, most notably that of Yankee Jim Robinson, who was hanged there in 1852. Thomas Whaley was present at the execution and later built the house on the same spot.

“Being built on the county’s execution grounds, people believed the house was cursed even before several deaths took place there. Time Magazine wrote, “Its earliest ghost was ‘Yankee’ Jim Robinson, who was hanged on the site in 1852.” It is said that people watched him struggle for more than half an hour before Robinson finally died, according to Whaley House Tour Guide Shep.” – UCHS Commander

The Whaley Family Tragedies

After the family moved in, they experienced a series of deaths and tragedies inside the house, including a child who died of scarlet fever and another who accidentally ingested poison. Multiple deaths and misfortunes plagued nearly every family member who lived there, leading to the theory that something malevolent was tied to the house.

The story that stuck out to me was that of Violet Whaley, who married a cheating con man attempting to use her for her family inheritance. She divorced him, but later died by suicide because of the scandal.

My Encounter with Violet

I heard that Violet's spirit is mostly felt in her room, but occasionally she wanders into the family theater. I felt a deep sense of sadness in her room and spent a lot of time sitting there quietly, speaking to her softly and listening for responses. Her story was very upsetting to me on a personal level, and I was hoping to make a deeper connection.

When I introduced myself, she (or somebody) sighed heavily into my recorder. A few minutes later, when I asked "Is anyone here?" she responded "Yes." (I'm including those EVPs in the podcast audio - let me know if you think I'm mistaken or if you hear anything else.)

The Theater Encounter

After a while, I moved to the theater at the end of the hallway. As the Whaley House museum explains:

“Besides being the Whaley family home, it was also San Diego’s first commercial theater, the second county courthouse, and a bilingual general store. The home became such an integral part of the community that it was later the focal point in a battle between Old Town residents and New Town residents.” - The Whaley House Museum

A few of my fellow investigators were setting up mag light flashlights for communication. We'd been having good luck getting responses through the lights on the stage. While I was instructing someone on how to set up the mag light, you can faintly hear a voice whisper "Thomas" in the background, presumably referring to Thomas Whaley or Thomas Whaley Jr. being present in the theater. I'll include this EVP audio as well.

Meeting the Whaley Family Spirits (including Dolly the Dog!!)

The best part came later in the dining room while we were talking to Mrs. Whaley via dowsing rods. Another investigator sitting on the floor in the doorway said she felt a nudge on her back. We asked Mrs. Whaley if their family dog, Dolly, was in the room, and the rods pointed to the same doorway. I was dying to meet the animal spirits in the house, and that night we got visits not only from Dolly but also from Winks the cat!

During our debrief, another investigator mentioned she'd been scratched. Right as that was happening, the Ovilus spit out the words "scratch" and "nails." Holy smokes! I was surprised by this encounter - all the spirits seemed super chill and friendly to me.

Final Thoughts on the Investigation

I honestly didn't know much about the history of the Whaley House before I came. I saw an episode long ago on Celebrity Ghost Stories with Regis Philbin about the house, and that's about it. I had a 5:00 AM flight the next morning, so I booked a last-minute late night ghost hunt at the Whaley House rather than booking a hotel for the night.

I'm not sure if I would have gone had I done more research on the history, but I definitely don't regret it. I really enjoyed meeting everyone at the Whaley House, and the investigation was perfect. The host was incredibly respectful and knew the spirits well, including their preferred tools and methods. The other investigators were all strangers to me, but they all seemed to have a lot of integrity, and I enjoyed meeting them.

The spirits were incredibly active and the house felt very much loved and cherished, despite its infamous past. I was so grateful they took the time to talk to us. I'd be more than happy to spend another night in that house, preferably solo.

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:

Next week: We continue Ghosts and Family Legends with "The Swiss Lady's Story." Only three chapters left!

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Want to join the book club?

Support Spook Lit for just $2.50/month

* Get full access to all audiobook chapters

* Receive new episodes with original text photos

* Help keep independent media haunting

Can’t swing a paid subscription?Recommend dreary dendrophile on Substack or send a one-time donation to support the podcast and join the club!

Credits:

Special thanks to: The Whaley House and Derby-Pendleton House for hosting this after-hours paranormal investigation

Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine CroweChapter: "The Old French Gentleman's Story"Music: "Horror Spooky Piano" by Nikita Kondrashev on PixabayArtwork: Jeff BentLinktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

Spirits wander in the woods behind the Conjuring House. A group of us are hiking out to meet them on a humid Summer night, just before midnight.

A black creek burbles and splashes ominously, drowned out by an orchestra of buzzing and chirping - crickets singing the world to sleep. The night has come alive.

Our boots squelch through mud and thump softly onto a wooden bridge. We spread out against the timber railings, making room down the center for a pathway. We leave a flashlight down at one end of the bridge. A K2 meter in the center.

We are told to listen for faint drumming in the distance. Knocking on trees. Owls hooting. Orbs that look like green flashes of light against the dense forest.

We stand silently in the moonlight, listening to the wind through the trees, the insects screaming, gurgles from beneath the stream. Slowly, softly, a light rain begins to fall.

“Hello,” our guide says. “We come here tonight to talk to The Student. He comes here often with his dog. I know it’s raining.”

She introduces us to the spirits and explains the equipment we’ve brought.

“You could make some noise out in the water to let us know that you're here, and we're gonna wait peacefully for a moment for you to decide to come forward.”

We all fall silent and defer to the crickets and frogs harmonizing into the soggy air.

“At the very end is that mag light - you call it a torch sometimes. I would like it if you'd turn it on, if you feel like communicating.”

Nothing happens, at first. And then…

The K2 meter ratchets from green to yellow, landing on orange, and back again. It spikes a few times as we hear branches snapping on the trail. We hear a creak or two on the bridge, followed by faint footsteps. We gasp and look at each other with wide eyes. Our guide gestures for us to be patient and wait.

And then… in the darkness.. at the end of the bridge….

The flashlight stutters once, twice, then glows brightly on.

Welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile.

I’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I really hope you enjoy.

This week, in Ghosts and Family Legends, we’re reading “The Dutch Officer’s Story,” the second chapter in part two of the book.

I’m not gonna lie, part one was getting a little dry for me. A lot of the older language is over my head. I love Catherine Crowe, but I wasn’t getting sucked into the stories… until now.

So far, part two is getting better and better! I thought “The Italian’s Story” was the best I had read until I got to this week’s story, which I devoured in a few minutes before work! And then proceeded to repeat the whole thing to my coworker. I’m in love with this week’s chapter. I hope you are too.

So in honor of this wonderful story about a very good boi - nothing beats a story about a ghost dog - I’m including one of my favorite personal ghost hunting anecdotes that involves animals.

Again, we are going back to my favorite place… the Conjuring House.

Animal Spirits of the Conjuring House

When I pulled into the Conjuring House parking lot, the General Manager Tara met me at my car, wearing a rain slicker in the middle of a downpour. Before I could even set foot on the property, I had to sign a liability waiver. I knew it was going to be a good night.

She led me into the house where I was greeted by a very sweet Shepherd-looking dog. (A living dog.) It can’t be that scary if the dogs are here, right?

After everyone arrived and we toured the home, we settled in the living room to start a dowsing rod session. Along with finding water, dowsing rods are very useful for divination and spirit communication, dating back to ancient times when it was referred to as “water witching.” We were told Abigail Arnold, the resident matron ghost of the house, prefers using the rods.

She confirms there are three spirits present - we confirm it’s her and her little grandson Henry very quickly. We stumble on the third spirit for awhile until our guide asks if it’s a human spirit? (No.) Is it Reeses the cat? (Yes.) Apparently Reeses (nicknamed after Henry’s favorite treat) is a Maine Coon cat who used to live on the property. The little boy Henry likes to talk about him a lot.

Reeses came up several times in our spirit box session with Henry. As did a rocking horse which he called “so creepy,” before adding “I like it!” (I’m obsessed with Henry.)

We told Henry we were going outside to visit the pet cemetery near Perron’s Purgatory, to which Henry responded “It’s raining!” We giggled and told him we’d be back, before we scurried outside to the murky woods.

We communicated at length with “The Student” - the spirit who turned on the flashlight on the bridge. He liked to answer yes or no questions using the mag light.

Our guide told us that an owl usually comes to the bridge most nights whenever she talked to The Student. She hadn’t seen it in awhile, so she asked The Student if they knew where it was and if they could bring it forward.

“Can you please ask the owl to come out? We'll wait a minute. Go ahead, turn the light off and see if you can communicate with the owl.”

We waited for a moment in silence. And then we started to hear a loud dog barking in the distance.

“Can you hear a dog barking? Is the dog waking up the owl for us??” I looked at her incredulously. Had she lost her mind?

She radioed the house to see if the sweet dog who greeted me at the door was the one barking. She wasn’t.

We said goodbye to “The Student” and continued on our way to Perron’s Purgatory and the pet cemetery. Apparently one of the groundskeepers had come across a jar or two in the earth with names of pets written on paper inside. They dug them up and made a proper headstone and memorial for all of the pets who were buried there. They made one symbolic headstone to memorialize the entire cemetery - they didn’t want to disturb their graves too much by adding a headstone for each pet.

After touring the woods and tents around the property, we slowly made our way back to the bridge. We were distracted, taking headcount - apparently it is easy to get lost back there - when we heard someone say “Hey, is than an owl?”

“What?” We all looked around frantically.

“Where?”

“Right there!” he exclaimed, pointing. “It’s on the rock. Holy cow!”

We held our breath, shocked.

It was stunning. Snowy white under the full bright moon. It perched, frozen on a rock at the bank of the stream. Glancing our way, staring us down like it knew who we were, before it looked away and flew off into the night.

We exhaled, loudly, gasping in surprise and delight. This is what the paranormal is all about. Unexplainable wonder. Supernatural.

Never repeatable. Never what you expect.

I ask her “Does he always wake up the dogs and then send them to wake up the owl?”

“No, the dogs were a new touch, but I didn't see the owl last night. I haven't seen him in a day or two. And I was kind of worried that something might have happened to it, but that's awesome. It's always that spot.”

“Does it always wait for you right there?

That same exact spot?” I ask, dumbfounded.

“Yeah,” she responds. “And I can't explain.

I know it sounds crazy, but when I ask them, can you bring that owl to us? It's there. I'm sure it's sitting there probably fishing, waiting by the pond for little baby trout or catfish.”

“Good catch!” We all congratulate the hero who spotted the owl.

“Okay, it's kind of hard to debunk that,” someone else speaks up. “You asked for him to bring an owl out, and then there's an owl… It's not like you have trained owls in the wild.”

“We do not have trained owls in the wild, Tara responds, before leading us back towards the house.

Whether it’s the spirit of a sweet Maine Coon, a giant snowy owl, or the cherished friends laid to rest in the pet cemetery, the Conjuring House is a welcoming place for spirits of all kinds.

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:

Next week, we continue The Spirits of the Earthbound with “The Old Frenchman’s Story.” Pray I don’t butcher the language.

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Want to join the book club?

Support Spook Lit for just $2.50/month

* Get full access to all audiobook chapters

* Receive new episodes with original text photos

* Help keep independent media haunting

Can’t swing a paid subscription?Recommend dreary dendrophile on Substack or send a one-time donation to support the podcast and join the club!

Credits:

*Special thanks again and again to Tara the former Conjuring House GM and my tour guide during this investigation. I have said it many times, but that night at the Conjuring House was by far my favorite investigation ever, thanks to Tara. She is absolutely amazing!!

* Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe

* Chapter: The Dutch Officer’s Story

* Music: Horror Spooky Piano by Nikita Kondrashev on Pixabay

* Artwork: Jeff Bent

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile

My friends and I creep cautiously around the dimly lit basement, EMF detectors at the ready. We slip past an armory of multifarious antiques, an ancient treadmill, a foggy old mirror. Readings are negligible. No evidence of ghosts here, much to my chagrin.

We climb the stairs to the main floor of the hundred-year-old house, into the kitchen and down the hallway toward the bedrooms. Lights flicker near the attic entrance, drawing us further down the hall.

Once we finally reach the office, the equipment goes nuts. K2 meters flare in synchrony from steady green to erratic red. My Mel Meter spikes up to 50 and back down to baseline before spiking up again, over and over, throughout the room. My knockoff spirit chat box starts spitting out words like it’s possessed.

Someone else is present. Someone we can’t see.

Welcome to your weekend haunt

with Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile.

This week, we move into Part Two of Ghosts and Family Legends, called “Legends of the Earth Bound.” “The Italian’s Story” is about a spirit who seeks justice from beyond the grave, ultimately helping his descendant find closure. This leads to the uncovering of long-hidden treasure through a compelling synchronicity.

This story reminds me of my first official ghost hunt ever at my friend’s house. I had dog-sat for her many times and insisted that her old, beautiful house was haunted. She generously allowed me to come over for my birthday and investigate.

After one particularly creepy night, I was certain that the basement would be the spookiest offender. But after we roamed around the house taking baseline readings, we clearly found a hotspot in the office.

We dimmed the lights, gathered in a small circle on the floor, pulled a few tarot cards for guidance, and began to communicate. We asked a series of questions and interpreted responses using a pendulum, cat balls, flashlights, and a spirit chat box (a more affordable Etsy version of the Ovilus).

The room was decorated with mementos and keepsakes from friends and family who had passed, so it made perfect sense that it was the most active room. The spirits lined up, and we spoke to them one by one.

At one point, we were having an emotional conversation with a deceased family friend. Her dog nosed the door open and scattered the gear. The chat box stated “the dogs.” We talked some more about this person’s relationships, his history, his death. It was very meaningful.

Before we moved on to the next spirit, his responses seemed a bit frustrated, and we kept getting the word “picture” and “painting.” We looked tentatively around the room and focused on a giant, dark, and glamorous painting of my friend’s grandmother. My friend marveled that his obituary used to sit in front of her grandmother’s picture, but it had gone missing a while back.

We all moved the picture and shifted the dresser to reach behind it. Nestled in the carpet was his picture from his memorial with his obituary on the back. Turns out he just wanted to bring it to our attention and didn’t want to be forgotten. Understandable.

What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:

Next week, we continue with “The Dutch Officer’s Story,” a harrowing tale about grief and honoring a fallen soldier.

Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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Credits:

*Special thanks to my friend Katherine for hosting my first ever ghost hunt at her home. She is endlessly putting up with me and my haunted shenanigans with nothing but pure encouragement and enthusiasm. She is the absolute best.

* Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe

* Chapter: The Italian’s Story

* Music: Horror Spooky Piano by Nikita Kondrashev on Pixabay

* Artwork: Jeff Bent

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophile

All Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.

Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile