Touched from Beyond

     It has been too long since John Dooly took a vacation away from his home and work. He decided to visit relatives in Colorado. There was his brother, uncle and their families. John’s older brother Burt allowed John to stay with them during his family vacation. John had a son and ex-wife, but they were not on this trip. Even being divorced, he did maintain good relations with his ex and son. This vacation, John wanted to visit family he doesn’t see daily, so here he is having fun being among those so far away.

     This was the next to the last day of his vacation, so his uncle, David decided it would be fun to visit an old historic house known to be haunted. John was not sure about this but wanted to see if there were any ghosts or simply enjoy seeing a historic place and learn its history.

     John and the small group of the family walked up to the tour guide, she told them how many people felt different things in the home and not to be frightened by any strange experience.

     “I do hope to see some ghost,” said Sally, John’s niece, “I heard of a female ghost walking the halls of this house.”

     “Sure, sure,” said David, “I think all we are going to experience is cold rooms and employees jumping out of the corners saying boo.”

     John and the group laughed as did the tour guide, “Oh sirs, trust me, no employee will scary any one here,” replied the tour guide, “We leave that part to the house.”

     Again, the group laughed. John felt excited that he never been in a haunted house. He was not sure what to expect. All he knew that he and his family were having fun. Not long from now, he will be heading back to home and work, so he hoped to get a story out of this to tell his son about.

     The tour guide leads the group of the family into the house, at first, it felt homely and not that scary. It was when they entered deep into the house, John could feel like something was watching them. The air felt thick and the place was dimly lighted, which he believed the tour people did on purpose to create an eerie mood.

     The few rooms the family group entered did leave chills or what John’s brother believes, the tour group leaving the air condition o high. It didn’t matter to John, he felt good and excited to be here with family, even if his older brother did tease him a little. John knew it was Burt’s way of showing he loved his little brother. Both would tease each other playfully and laugh about it later.

     In the hallway John did felt as if something were following the group, for he was the last one tailing the tour, he liked to be the one in the background, for his world was a tv show. Watching his family jump, scare each other or poke fun was John’s entertainment.

     “Man, this hallway feels spooky,” said John to the family, “I think we are being followed.”

     “If it is a mist,” said Burt, “Don’t worry, it’s my fart I left behind.”

     The group laughed as the tour guide said we were the most cheerful group she had. “I will tell you, you all are brave group,” said the tour guide, “I would have people looking nervous or even scared to go further into the house.”

     “Not us ma’am,” said David, “We as a family like to have fun, plus most of us don’t believe in ghost, just bumps in the night.”

     “Or daddy stumping his toe at night,” said Sally laughing.

     John could not help but laugh as his brother Burt just grunt as they entered a small room. The room was small that the whole group could not fit in, So, John stood in the hallway felling left out as the people started to leave the room for other rooms.

     As the group moved on, John wanted to go into the room for just a second. He entered the small room not as dark as the other rooms, but empty of furniture and just about everything else. There on the back to the room was just one picture of an older man looking stern staring back at John. He felt chills of the eerie look of the picture, so he decided to step out.

Before John could step out of the small room, he felt a presence there. He was not sure, but there was someone in the room with him. Looking around the room and at the eerie picture staring back at him, John felt it was time to move on as the rest of the group. As John started for the door, it felt like a waterfall of emotions just poured down on him. A mass of emotions so sad that he felt it was his own emotions.

     Tears formed in his eyes as he crossed his arms feeling such sadness. John soon realized these were not his emotions, but the emotions of a spirit sharing with him. He felt as if the whole world was weighing down on his shoulders, pushing John down to the ground.

     John looked at the picture seeing the old man expression changed as if his stern look disappeared and a look of sadness too affected the picture. Tears streamed down John’s face and he knew he had to get out of that room. He quickly stepped out of the room into the hallway and felt nothing.

     The waterfall of sad emotions disappeared. It was as if it never happened. Sally first noticed her uncle John looking worried and frightened. She walked over to John from the group just stepping out another room.

     “Uncle John,” said Sally as she touched his arm, “Are you ok?”

     “I am not sure,” responded John, “I felt, um, not sure, think something was in the room with me.”

     The family turned towards John hearing he might have encountered a ghost. The tour guide, she was excited by saying, “Oh I bet you met Lady Dorie, the broken-hearted lady of the house. Many people have seen her form in front of them, that very room she might appear or here in the hallway,” said the tour guide as she walked back to the room followed by everyone else, “As I said this room is best known for sadness, as it is called the forever broken heart room as people have broken up in this very room. There were two wedding proposals denied in this very room.”

     “John,” said Burt, “Did you see a lady ghostly here?” As Burt tried not to laugh, “Oh hope she didn’t scare too much.” The group laughed as they left the room. John feeling embarrassed was not sure what he felt as she too was back in the room with the group, but nothing happened.

     “Ok,” said the tour guide, we do need to move on, this other room down the hall is best known for….” as she faded away with the group further down the hallway. John wondered did he really feel those sad emotions or was it just a figment of his imagination. As he too turned to exit the room, John Felt a presence again, but this time the wind blew softly in the room and he felt a hand on his shoulder.

     He stopped and froze as he could not believe what was happening. He heard a voice, a soft voice, not menacing or evil, but a female voice whispering in his ear.

     “John, I choose you,” said Lady Dorie’s voice, “Understand.”

     John again felt the waterfall of emotions drown him in such sadness, that he could not take too much. John was sad he was divorced and feared his son would not still love him, but he forced himself out of the room. John suddenly felt the emotions fade fast as he stood in the hallway trying his best not to cry or gain any attention from his family.

     He looked back into the room and thought he saw a white gown moved out of sight from the doorway. He quickly rejoined the group finishing up the haunted house tour. Still feeling uneasy, John sat in the car with his family thinking why she said, “I choose you,” John sat there thinking he was not sad, but kind of sad. He knew his ex-wife was not married, but she still wanted to keep relations. They were best friends now and his son did love him, this he knew. John thought, perhaps deep inside his heart the ghost conjures up sad emotions within him and reminded him he not needed to be sad.

     Looking back at that experience in the small room, he understood that no matter what, there will be sadness in the world, even in the world beyond, just, for now, he was happy to be with his far away family. Next year, no more ghost adventures.

     “Hey, John,” said Burt, “I know this haunted forest near the Rocky’s, we got to go there next year.”

     John just sighed and said, “Oh no, here we go again.”



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