Is this a ghost peering from the window of an old post office in St. Bathans, New Zealand? Or is it merely a reflection of clouds?
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Taken by the Midwest/Minnesota Paranormal Society, this Colfax Cemetery ghost photo appears to feature an apparition of some sort. The original submitter told GhostVillage.com that disembodied screams and sobbing plague the area, as well as a pack of hell hounds with red eyes and ferocious barks (seems to be a common theme in cemeteries). Do you think the paranormal group captured a legitimate haunting?
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The strange tale of the Bell Witch is one of America’s most famous ghost stories. The spooky legend helped inspire The Blair Witch Project, and some say the Bell entity is still around today, lurking inside an old cave in Adams, TN. Could they be right?
The Legend of the Bell Witch
Legend has it that between 1817 and 1821 a malevolent spirit terrorized Adams’ prosperous Bell family. The incidents started when family members noticed strange animals roaming about their property. In one version, a creature with the head of a rabbit and the body of a dog scratched at the Bell’s door. When someone went to investigate, the creature scurried off into the night.
Not long after the sightings, the Bells began hearing eerie sounds in their cabin, sounds that resembled choking, gasping, chains dragging across the floor, and rats gnawing on the bedpost. The sounds quickly escalated to physical violence, with John Bell Sr. and daughter Betsy (right) suffering most of the abuse. Betsy complained of slaps and the sensation of pins piercing her skin, while John felt something poking the side of his throat. The witch also yelled, cursed, and threatened the family.
After enduring a year of horror, John confessed his troubles to church members who came to witness the strange events for themselves. Spectators soon flocked from miles around to see the Bell witch in action. The spirit reportedly belonged to a neighbor named Kate Batts and spoke of its desire to kill John Bell and stop Betsy from getting married. The witch eventually got her wish. Betsy and her suitor broke off their engagement and John Bell died of mysterious circumstances in 1820.
While the Bell Witch haunting is one of America’s most famous ghost stories, some say the tale is nothing more than Southern folklore. Critics point out that details of the alleged haunting stem from two sources, both written decades after the alleged events, and that neither provide evidence of the Bell family’s struggles. Regardless of the accuracy of the account, many believe a spirit lurks in a small cave on the former Bell property, and some claim it’s the Bell witch herself.
The Haunting of Bell Witch Cave
Today, paranormal enthusiasts can tour Bell Witch Cave and see a replica of the family’s cabin. Visitors frequently report camera malfunctions and trouble with their car. Some guests claim to hear whispered names and disembodied voices ordering them to leave, while others see strange lights around the cave. One woman claimed the spirit followed her home.
The cave also has a history of unnerving events,or so the stories go. In one tale, a group of college football players held a séance at the cave and were pinned to the ground by an unseen force. No amount of pushing and pulling could budge the terrified young men.
In another story, a boy sneaked into the cave and got stuck between two rocks. The “witch” pulled him out, yelling “I’ve got him!” before launching into a lecture about trespassing.
A third story is also humorous. A small waterfall runs through the cave, and Adams men reportedly bathed in the water before indoor plumbing was the norm in the area. Legend has it that a man forgot his bar of soap one day and hollered for a friend to fetch him something to wash with. Before the friend had a chance to reply, a pristine bar of soap tumbled out of the cave and landed in front of the baffled man.
Whether or not the Bell Witch legend is true, it’s safe to say the story will continue to capture the imagination of generations to come.
Books About the Bell Witch
Have a weird experience at the Bell Witch Cave? Tell me about it!
“After what I have learned to call The Lennox Haunting, a haunted house that I lived in terror in for 38 days total, we vacated the property and moved to a different home on the outskirts of Lennox.
I thought the hell was over, but I was dead wrong. Sometimes hell does not leave, it just lays dormant, waiting and watching for that exact slice in time when you’re vulnerable. That’s the moment it comes again and lets you know that you are human, and it is not. Here is part of my story.
I had walked upstairs to retrieve something from my bedroom when I heard a commotion in the bathroom. It was impossible. I was home alone. I had left the bathroom door open with the light out, but the door was now closed and I could see light filtering out from beneath it. I slowly approached the door.
I laid my hand on the door knob, not sure if I had the guts to actually open it. My heart was beating so hard by then I could hear it echoing in my ears. I paused there a moment. I slowly took my hand back off of the door knob and crept back to the hall closet.
My ex-husband had left his old set of golf clubs in the closet for our son, Dominick, to use. I opened the closet door as slowly and as quietly as I could. I reached in and quietly pulled out the first club I felt. I was still watching the bathroom door, never taking my eyes off of it, fearing it would suddenly open and some stranger would come charging at me.
I retrieved the club and quietly closed the door. I felt so much better from the feel of the cold metal of in my hand. I headed back down the hall to the bathroom door. I stood beside it, listening for any movement.
I could not hear anything in there, not so much as a breath. I was actually starting to get angry. I felt I had been through enough of this shit. I took a deep breath and turned the handle, pushing with enough force that I knew the handle would dent the wall. The door banged loudly as it did precisely that, leaving a round imprint. The pressure was so great from the door that the shower curtain blew away from the tub; its movement startled me.
“Who’s in here?” I asked in a very unfriendly tone, raising the golf club into the air, ready to strike if I had to.
My voice echoed loudly throughout the bathroom. I heard a bit of a sound, like wind escaping or maybe it seemed more like a long, deep breath. I held mine. I wanted to hear everything. I was getting tired of the fear, of the seemingly endless games. I just knew in my heart that something was there, and whatever it was, it was definitely messing with me.
I saw the shower curtain flutter again, as though there was a breeze passing through it, even though there were no windows in the bathroom. I stood my ground even though my heart was thumping so hard I could feel it moving my chest with each beat.
I walked over to shower curtain. It was almost completely drawn closed. I slowly reached for it, grabbed the edge of the curtain, and then quickly pulled it completely open. The tub was empty. I let out a long sigh of relief and then took a couple more long, deep breaths, exhaling very slowly. It helped to slow my heartbeat down to a more comfortable level.
I stepped in front of the vanity to look into the mirror. My eyes looked like those of a crazed maniac holding a golf club in the air. I stared at myself, just shaking my head.
“What is your deal today, Jolene?” I said sternly to my reflection as if it could actually answer me.
Then I heard a raspy, very loud whisper directly into left my ear as though someone was standing very close, right next to me.
“ARE YOU SCARED?”
The voice came from seemingly nowhere. I could see from my reflection in the mirror that no one was standing beside me. It startled me so much my knees buckled. Had I not grabbed the edge of the vanity to steady myself, I would have certainly fallen to the floor. The voice I heard had such a mean tone that it had chilled me to the bone. I felt a cold rush of air on the side of my head, as though someone was breathing icy breaths on my cheek. I could even feel the pause between breaths. The suddenness of it had startled me so much I had dropped my golf club. I quickly bent down to retrieve my precious weapon even though I could not see anyone to use it on. The club still felt very good in my hand.
I straightened back up and saw myself in the mirror. I knew my reflection was telling me that I was standing there by myself, but I still couldn’t help glancing directly beside me and all around the room. I was alone. I laid my hand to my cheek where I had felt the breaths. My cheek was very cold to the touch.
I glanced back at my reflection one more time and for a moment, just for a thousandth of a second, I thought I saw another face looking back at me. It was not the face of a normal person. It was distorted, as if I were looking into one of those weird mirrors in the fun house at a carnival, and then it was gone again.
It was so quick I could not be absolutely sure if it had been there at all. I continued staring into the mirror. I was in too much shock to move right at that moment. It finally dawned on me to move my feet and get myself away from the mirror. I really did not want to see anymore if I could prevent it. I was shook up enough.
I ran out of the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind me. I headed for the stairs. I didn’t know where I was running to at that moment; all I remember was that I needed to get some distance between myself and that bathroom.”
Note from original poster, Jules V Ness: If you would like to read more, check out the “look inside” section of BEYOND THE LENNOX HAUNTING, The Haunting of Me (Volume 2)on Amazon. This is based on a true story that began in a home I had lived in a few years beforehand in the town of Lennox.
Have you had a brush with the paranormal? Share your story here!