May 22, 2023 • 40 mins
Psychic Vampires. Ghost Girls. Werecoyotes.
I'll meet you back here in our high holy season!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
I'm Liz.
So,
and this is Ghosts in The Burbs,
a podcast of ghost stories from Wellesley Massachusetts,
a warning adults who use adult language told me these frightening tales.
These ghost stories aren't for kids as we've all come to learn.
I have a batch of about 3 to 5 interviews in me every few months before I need to focus the time I have to write each week on one of my other projects.
(00:34):
And here we are on story number five in this particular batch summer approaches ominously.
So we're gonna call it right here.
Let's take the summer to reset.
I intend to finish the book for the fourth time or so and hope this is the version that finally makes it.
I'll be wrapping up my little Patreon drawings this week and we'll put the Patreon charges on pause again until fall.
(01:00):
Thank you so very much to all who've donated.
So let's meet back here for our High Holy season.
But before I go,
I have an interview to share,
there are always loose ends to be tied and leads to follow up on.
But as usual,
we're not going to do that right.
Now we're going to meet a group of marvelously quirky Wells lands who share our love for the strange and unusual.
(01:26):
We're on to ghost story number 72.
The Strange Phenomena Society.
There's a comment that I get once in a while on my Instagram posts or within a review of the podcast.
It's something along the lines of,
(01:47):
I'd like to have a glass of chardonnay and shoot the shit with Liz.
It's a very kind sentiment,
but I can say with absolute confidence that I would disappoint you.
Oh,
there may have been a time several years ago when I can let loose and gossip and connect.
But those days have passed me by,
I cannot get a handle on my anxiety.
(02:09):
I actually don't know if I can call it anxiety anymore.
It feels like it's morphed into something bigger no matter what,
it's always lurking in the periphery waiting to take center stage when I turn off the audio book or look up from tiktok or stop talking to the kids.
But then don't other people feel this way?
Doesn't everyone worry?
(02:30):
Doesn't everyone have to watch their Children physically walk into the school building and see the door close,
firmly behind them to be sure that they actually made it into the foyer and weren't snatched by a kidnapper between the car door and the school entrance.
Doesn't everyone back their car up in a parking lot with their windows down to be sure they could hear someone scream if they accidentally backed over them and then still anxiously eye the rear view mirror to make sure they haven't left a body in their wake.
(02:58):
Don't you sometimes bite your nails so badly that it's painful to hold a pen?
No,
the demon assigned to you tortures you in other ways.
Well,
whatever they're tormenting you about,
I hope you give them hell at any rate.
My point stands.
if you met me in person,
I would most likely disappoint you.
This thing we call anxiety makes me self absorbed,
(03:19):
self involved,
selfish,
unreliable,
the exhausting never ending loop of what ifs.
And maybe that did happen running constantly at the front,
back and sides of my mind.
I'm not really here.
I'm 10 steps ahead and 30 paces behind it.
Any given moment.
I just want to be home.
I just want my whole family to be there too safe and sound away from the world.
(03:44):
I just want to take a nap.
It's the only goddamn escape and yet kind extroverted community oriented people persist.
Thank God for them.
I met a group of sociable people yesterday and I simply must get down all my impressions before they fall out of my head.
I've been given full permission to share the details and all their beautiful,
(04:07):
bizarre glory with you.
As long as I keep the identities of all those involved hush hush,
they'd like to keep their little group a secret.
For now though,
they would be totally open and welcoming to new prospective members.
So long as said,
prospects adhere to the groups agreed upon values of open mindedness,
curiosity,
(04:28):
and love of all things paranormal.
I hemmed in before responding to their invitation to attend their next meeting.
I've agreed to similar invitations only a handful of times and have desperately regretted the decision to attend such events.
About 75% of the time miscommunication and my irritating bent towards people pleasing have been the most common reason for me to find myself in awkward situations in connection with this podcast.
(04:58):
But the proposed meeting appeared low stakes and interactive.
I wasn't being asked to give a talk or tell a story or anything like that.
I responded to the email invitation with a few clarifying questions and finally agreed to meet the group for tea at 1 30 at the home of Janice to be extra clear.
That's a fake name.
And we're gonna admit her last name too.
(05:20):
Even a fake one,
her house happened to be on my very favorite Spooky street in Wellesley again,
I must keep it all hush,
hush.
But if you were to pick the spookiest slash Coziest street with the highest chance of being haunted by something,
then this would be the street that you would pick.
In fact,
I've spoken to two other people who have lived on this street.
(05:43):
In additional fact,
you've listened to both of their interviews and the street is indeed haunted.
Now,
I am not a real fan of tea.
I drink it almost every night.
The sleepy time kind with Valerian root in it,
which helps me to sleep through the night.
It does make my dreams a little vivid but much less so than that devil's herbal remedy,
(06:04):
Melatonin and without the hangover of Advil PM.
But as a drink I find tea too.
I don't know,
leafy and it actually makes me thirsty.
For some reason.
I only bring it up to say that the tea Janice had on offer was the strongest leafiest,
most medicinal tasting tea I've ever had to.
(06:26):
The point that I wondered if I were being poisoned and that was even with the addition of five sugar cubes,
everyone else at the meeting raved about it,
praising our hosts,
good taste and superior selection.
As so often happens,
I was left wondering what I missed.
Did they mean what they were saying?
Had they all had the sort of upbringing in which one's taste buds were taught to enjoy tea from a young age?
(06:50):
Were they like me only being polite?
I didn't think so,
but I was the only one that didn't go for a refill.
So who was this tea loving group who asked me to join them for their monthly meeting?
They are the strange phenomena society.
A group of curious individuals with varying levels of enthusiasm for the paranormal who meet secretly to discuss their own spooky experiences.
(07:18):
They told me they'd had a lively debate over naming their group.
Janice felt that Haunted Friends Society excluded those members who are not affected by ghosts,
but by other creatures,
Arthur saw seekers of the paranormal as a misnomer.
They weren't actually seeking anything other than support.
While Isabelle and Carly took exception to the name Church of the paranormal experience.
(07:40):
They didn't want to give the impression that they were affiliated with any religion.
In the end,
they landed on strange phenomena.
Society.
SPS for short,
the five of us were arranged around a circular dining table in Janice's kitchen.
The table sat before a curved picture window overlooking a wild backyard beyond it,
lay the crosstown trail above us.
(08:03):
Hung a large black lantern light fixture.
A new addition to the room for which the group praised Janice while she hemmed and Hawed wondering if it was a mistake.
No snacks were provided,
but an agenda was distributed 1 p.m. meet and greet and tea.
1:15 p.m. introductions.
1 25 pm.
(08:24):
Arthur's story,
1 35 pm,
Isabelle and Carly's story 1:45 p.m. Janice's story,
1 55 pm to 2 30 pm questions and discussion.
It was 1 15 pm introduction time.
My heart raced as it always did in a group setting.
(08:44):
I was asked to go first.
Hi,
I offered with an awkward wave.
I'm Liz.
I live here in Wellesley and I interview our neighbors about their hauntings.
There was an expectant silence and your psychic abilities prompted Janice.
(09:05):
Oh,
no,
I said quickly,
I'm not psychic,
like at all.
But a while ago I began to hear ghosts and now I'm actually able to see them and talk to them.
Only ghosts.
The one man in the group prodded.
Well,
no,
I guess,
yeah,
I've seen other things,
creatures,
I suppose.
(09:26):
Another awkward silence.
I'll go next.
Janice finally declared her fine blonde hair was slipped back into a low ponytail and she wore a matching navy blue sweater set and cropped straight legged khakis.
Aside from a truly impressive diamond,
eternity wedding band,
she wore no other jewelry.
I'm Janice along with Arthur here,
(09:49):
she indicated the man sitting opposite her.
I am one of the founding members of the SPS.
My interest leaned toward crypts though.
I do love a good haunted house story.
There were chuckles around the table today.
I intend to detail my findings regarding the ware creature living behind our home.
She motioned the picture windows beside us.
(10:11):
I couldn't help myself.
I peered out half expecting to see a werewolf standing there waiting at us.
I have a few photographs.
I'd like to share as well.
She concluded.
Oh,
great.
The woman beside her enthused.
I'll go next.
I'm Isabelle,
my daughter Carly.
She smiled at the young woman beside her who returned to grin and I lived in a haunted house for several years.
(10:38):
I'm going to talk about what happened when we were living there and Carly,
well,
she laughed.
I'll let Carly tell you what she wants to share.
Thanks,
mom.
The women had identical hair though,
Isabelle wore her deep brown curls just above the chin while her daughter's was well past her shoulders.
I'm Carly and I've kept in touch with a family who lives in our house.
(11:01):
I wanted to update the group and tell you all what's been happening in that house since we moved.
How interesting Janice remarked that leaves me the large man beside her in toned.
He was 40 ish with light brown hair and a messy beard.
He wore black rimmed glasses and a scotch plaid flannel.
(11:22):
I'm Arthur.
I've had several experiences throughout my life,
but today I'd like to share a situation that I am currently dealing with.
He cleared his throat.
My next door neighbor is a psychic vampire and I believe she has been targeting me since November of 2022.
I did my damnedest to arrange my features in a pleasant,
(11:44):
neutral expression because they were all staring at me.
Wow.
I managed,
I can't wait to hear everything.
Great.
Janice clapped her hands together.
We are right on target.
Arthur lead us off,
(12:05):
Arthur folded his hands on the table before him.
Are you familiar with the text and brackets?
Name of building omitted and brackets.
I indicated that I knew of the luxury building but had never been inside.
Well,
I've lived there for about three years now and six months ago.
(12:26):
Oh,
Janice exclaimed,
interrupting him.
The timer.
She retrieved a small cooking timer from the kitchen counter,
then sat back down cranking the turn and setting it to alarm to the 10 minute mark before placing it in the center of the table.
I laughed lightly though the rest of the table remained serious.
(12:47):
I apologize.
Arthur,
she offered,
continue.
Not at all.
He replied,
he started to go on with his story but seemed to change his mind if you don't mind my asking.
Are you seeing any spirits here with us right now?
Nope,
I can kind of turn off my antenna if that makes any sense though.
(13:08):
If there's someone or something persistent around,
they always manage to get through to me.
He nodded.
What about your guide Claire?
Um No,
she's not here with us right now.
Arthur stared thoughtfully at the table as though considering what I'd said.
Shall I restart the timer?
(13:29):
Janice asked the lightest edge in her voice.
We have scheduled time for questions and discussion after sharing our stories.
No,
no,
I apologize for veering off track.
He replied calmly as I was saying,
six months ago,
a new neighbor moved into the condo unit beside mine.
That particular unit had been empty for approximately three months.
(13:52):
Its previous owner having died unexpectedly of heart failure in the apartment.
I asked yes.
As a matter of fact,
it was a shock to everyone.
He was only 38 and he did not have any history of heart problems or disease.
From what I gather,
it took some time for his family to sort out his finances and such.
(14:13):
And well,
at any rate,
they sold his condominium to a woman who happened to be one of his former coworkers.
So your new neighbor worked with the guy that died in the condo and then bought the place from his family.
Yes,
Arthur replied tersely,
sorry.
Just trying to keep it all straight.
(14:34):
I pressed my lips determined not to continue interrupting the guy.
After all the clock was literally ticking.
I am not a nosy person,
Arthur went on,
but I couldn't help but notice how little this woman brought with her into the condo.
It is a two bedroom unit with a small office space.
(14:55):
She seemed to move in one evening with just the clothing on her back.
No movers,
no boxes.
I didn't see any furniture whatsoever.
Maybe you weren't there when everything arrived.
I suggested unable to help myself.
He shook his head.
I work from home and aside from these monthly meetings and an occasional family get together,
(15:15):
I seldom leave my home for more than an hour or so to go for a walk or run errands.
Besides,
I've been inside her condo.
She invited me over for a glass of wine about a month after she moved in it was completely bare.
I made the mistake of returning the invitation a couple weeks later feeling that it was the polite thing to do to reciprocate.
(15:35):
And I believe that's when she began to pray on me.
Oh,
you invited her in?
I said dramatically precisely.
I am not a heavy drinker.
The night she came to my apartment,
I had exactly one glass of sauvignon blanc and followed it with two large glasses of club soda.
(15:57):
The following morning,
I woke up with what felt like the worst hangover of my entire life.
It's a feeling that has become entirely too familiar.
I realized that he did actually look kind of hungover.
My first impression of him had been that he didn't put much effort into his appearance.
But now I realize the faint blue circles beneath bloodshot eyes,
(16:18):
scruffy beard and messy hair might be more of a sign of exhaustion.
That sick feeling persisted.
I wondered for a time if perhaps I was dealing with COVID or its aftereffects.
But when I began to notice signs of someone having been in my apartment,
I started to suspect that something sinister might be taking place for one thing.
(16:41):
I found the door to my unit unlocked several mornings as I left for my morning walk,
I do not leave my door unlocked ever again.
I worried that perhaps the brain fog that comes with long COVID might be to blame but dismissed the idea.
I've never tested positive for COVID.
I made an effort to be mindful of checking the door before bed and still the problem persisted.
(17:04):
Persists.
Actually,
additionally,
I have an armchair and ottoman situated in the corner of my bedroom.
On several occasions,
I have found them moved,
angled to face the bed rather than the window items on my desk have been moved slightly but enough for me to notice.
Then the nightmares began.
(17:26):
I have very specific dreams where I'm in the basement of my building.
It is not your stereotypical spooky basement.
The building is less than 10 years old and the space is well lit and brightly painted.
However,
like most below ground space,
it brings a feeling of claustrophobia in my dreams.
I'm being pursued by my neighbor.
(17:48):
She is following me in circles as I search for an exit that I can never seem to locate the whole time.
She's talking and talking telling me things that in the dream at least are incredibly disturbing,
but I never remember anything specific about what she said after I wake up in several instances,
there have been other people there.
(18:08):
They seem almost resigned to being there.
They just watch,
huh?
Have you heard anything about the building that was where your condo building is now?
I asked no,
why I've just heard that place was haunted.
Nothing specific.
Just that it had a reputation.
Oh,
how interesting.
(18:28):
Isabelle enthused.
But my neighbor only moved in a few months ago.
Right.
But I wonder if maybe those other people in your dream could have something to do with the previous haunting I explained.
He considered the idea.
Hm.
Feels like a stretch.
I can consider the implications of that at a later date.
(18:50):
The pressing issue is my neighbor starting 10 days ago,
she began visiting me every night standing over me while I lay helpless and frozen in my bed.
She just stares at me talking and talking telling me things horrible things again.
I don't remember the content of her words,
but I'm left with the feeling these sessions bring up revulsion,
(19:13):
fear and disgust.
Oh my God.
Have you called the police?
No,
I don't think she's there in her physical body.
So there's nothing they could do.
I am researching ways to protect myself,
but I'm concerned she'll kill me before I'm able to put anything effective in place.
Why do you think she's targeting you?
(19:34):
I asked I have a corner unit.
He replied simply.
So you think she's trying to kill you for your condo?
It is a south facing unit.
Does that appeal to vampires for some?
No,
he cut in south facing homes,
(19:54):
get the most sunlight.
It's a major selling point.
Oh,
right.
I said dumbly just before the timer went off with its shrill ring.
Janice picked it up and cranked it back to the 10 minute mark.
Thank you,
Arthur Isabelle and Carly,
you're up.
It was such an abrupt shift.
(20:15):
I had so many more questions but I forced to smile and turned my attention to the mother and daughter.
Ours really isn't as exciting as Arthur's story,
but it frightened us all the same.
Isabelle explained almost apologetically.
We rented a home close to central Street.
I don't want to say the exact address,
(20:36):
but it was a really cute two bedroom house.
Carly was taking classes at Mass Bay and I work for text and brackets,
name of company omitted and brackets.
So the location was perfect for us.
Prior to that,
we'd been in an apartment building and having our own home was exciting.
It felt too good to be true and it was added,
(20:59):
Carly,
her mother nodded in agreement.
I didn't believe in ghosts until we moved into that house.
I didn't really even give them much thought.
Just figured people made up stories to frighten one another.
So I didn't want to believe what was happening until I really couldn't deny it any longer.
I mentioned that it was a two bedroom house.
The first floor had the kitchen,
(21:19):
a small full bathroom television room and one of the bedrooms,
the second floor was quite small,
just a bedroom and bathroom.
That was my space.
Carly took the first floor bedroom and there was a basement too.
Did I mention the house was very old.
It was built in 18 57 and it was in the historic district.
Actually,
most of the houses there were built around that time.
(21:41):
So well,
the basement had field stone walls,
very low ceilings.
I didn't like it down there.
From the second we moved into that house,
but with so little space upstairs,
it was the only place to put our Peloton.
We didn't want the thing sitting in the middle of the family room or taking up space in one of our bedrooms and it felt silly not to put it in the basement.
And yet we didn't like the idea at all.
(22:04):
That basement was super creepy.
Carly agreed the stairs went down and then like turned at a sharp angle.
So you couldn't see what was around the corner.
I was always convinced there would be someone standing right there.
When I went down to do the laundry,
I stopped using the bike when we lived there.
She shivered too creepy.
(22:25):
Our landlord kept some of her belongings in a corner of the basement.
Her mom went on several plastic storage bins and a big old wooden cabinet.
I suppose you might call it an armor.
It had room to hang clothing on the top and then four drawers at its base.
I didn't pay much attention to it until this one time I was riding the Peloton and well,
(22:46):
it was off to the other side of the basement to my right.
And something made me look over and I realized that its doors were open.
I was certain that it hadn't been the case before.
When I was done with my ride,
I went and shut them,
they closed firmly.
So there's no chance of them swinging open on their own.
I didn't think of it again until Carly mentioned the cabinet a day or two later.
(23:08):
Yeah,
I had been doing laundry and I know for a fact that those doors were closed when I got down there and then they were just all of a sudden open when I was headed back upstairs,
I just want to point out that you're at the five minute mark.
Janice interrupted.
Oh,
shoot.
Ok.
Isabelle shook her head as if to clear it,
(23:28):
the cabinet doors had a mind of their own.
But when things began to go missing and turned up in the cabinet,
Carly added,
right.
That's when we began to really feel as though something unexplained was happening.
Spooky,
I enthused,
what did you find in the cabinet?
Uh,
my lipstick,
(23:49):
a bracelet,
some magazines,
Carly listed.
Matter of factly,
what else?
My ipad,
my mom's reading glasses.
Not all at once.
This was like over a period of time.
Right.
Then once we saw the ghost,
it sort of all fell into place.
Isabelle said,
sadly the first time I encountered her,
(24:11):
I was having a cup of tea at the kitchen table and watching something on the ipad.
I was home alone.
There was a huge crash in the living room and I'm telling you,
it was so loud that I couldn't even imagine what had happened.
It sounded as though everything in the room,
furniture and all had been picked up and dropped at the same time.
But when I got into the room,
(24:32):
there was absolutely nothing out of place.
I was frightened.
I wondered if maybe the house was unstable,
if we were about to collapse.
I was about to go back and grab my purse and keys from the kitchen and leave when something moved by the couch.
Actually,
it was between the couch and the wall.
I thought maybe an animal had got inside or a dog or raccoon.
(24:55):
I didn't know.
It was also strange.
I inched further into the room so I could see what it was.
And there was a girl crouched down in between the side of the couch and the wall.
Not for a second.
Did I think,
Ghost?
I thought it was just a girl in trouble.
Maybe she'd run away from home or maybe she was mentally ill.
(25:15):
I tried talking to her but she wouldn't answer and she wouldn't look at me.
She just kept her head down.
You're not in trouble.
I told her and I started to crouch down to make her feel more comfortable.
When I heard Carly get home,
she came through the side door that led into the kitchen and I turned away for less than a second to call her into the family room and when I turned back,
(25:35):
the girl was gone,
disappeared.
We searched the whole house,
even the basement and the little attic,
you couldn't really get up there.
But we got a ladder from the basement and I stuck my head up through the hole in the ceiling to check.
Carly explained nothing.
You know what else was weird.
The ipad was gone from the kitchen table.
I didn't even want to look but we found it in that cabinet.
(25:59):
That's when we tied the two things together.
The girl in the cabinet,
I thought we had a ghost from the start,
but mom wouldn't hear of it.
The first time I saw her,
I was up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and on the way back to my room,
I saw who I thought was my mom walking through the kitchen.
Uh oh I said laughing nervously.
Carly smiled.
(26:19):
Yeah.
Not my mom.
I called out to her and she didn't answer but then I heard the basement door open and I don't know,
I just got a really bad feeling.
I went to the kitchen and the basement door was actually open,
but there weren't any lights on down there.
So I went right upstairs and woke my mom up.
We got up the nerve to check the basement.
It was either that or call the police and we both sort of knew they wouldn't find anyone.
(26:43):
We hadn't had a break in one minute,
Janice warned,
Carly sighed heavily,
obviously annoyed by the second interruption.
Her mother went on quickly.
Long story short,
we got in touch with the landlord.
We didn't say we thought we'd seen a ghost or anything.
We just asked where the cabinet in the basement came from.
(27:06):
She said it belonged to an old tenant,
a man and his daughter had lived in the apartment about five years prior the daughter went missing.
The police deemed her a runaway and the man moved out and he left a bunch of stuff behind the landlord,
got rid of everything.
But that cabinet she thought maybe she might have used for it at some point.
(27:26):
Wow,
that's incredible.
I said,
Carly and Isabelle exchanged a look.
Well,
we thought that maybe you might,
you know,
we're in touch with the new tenants there and she was cut off by the alarm shrill ringing.
Everyone at the table jumped except for Janice who picked up the device and turned the dial.
(27:49):
Thank you ladies.
She said,
looks like I'm up.
Wait,
I protested.
What's going on with the new tenant?
Isabelle opened her mouth to speak,
but Janice spoke over her.
Let's keep questions to the end so that we can stay on schedule.
She offered only a tight lipped smile before continuing.
(28:12):
Now,
I'm not sure if you're familiar with this neighborhood.
She began directing the comment towards me.
I'm very familiar.
I said,
trying to hide my irritation with a woman and her knack for killing a fun spooky vibe.
I acknowledge that what I'm about to share will seem highly unlikely,
(28:32):
but I assure you it is terrifyingly real and I believe it has major implications for our entire town.
If not the state,
I believe there is at least one possibly two where coyotes operating in Wellesley,
the crosstown trail appears to be their primary hunting trail and I believe they are testing their boundaries as we speak.
(28:55):
She sat back in her chair seemingly satisfied with what she presented.
But why do you think that I asked,
trying to hide my disappointment.
I wanted to hear more about the psychic vampire and the ghost girl wear coyotes and give me a break.
I have photos.
(29:16):
She snapped.
Look,
I'll admit it.
I was triggered.
I was a late seventies baby.
So I squeaked in on the tail end of Gen X.
So a woman of Janice's generation snapping at me after I asked a perfectly reasonable question,
it pushes the wrong buttons for me or maybe the right ones.
(29:39):
I didn't even need to force myself to remain silent.
This time.
I sat quietly expectantly refusing to create comfort around her outburst.
Why don't you tell Liz how you came to believe that where coyote lived in your backyard?
Isabelle prompted gently.
(29:59):
Of course,
Janice replied hotly,
I'm an avid gardener.
I'm sure you noticed the yard I had it was gorgeous.
She must have planted over 100 tulip bulbs last fall,
but I was annoyed and feeling petty.
So I offered only a slight nod.
Yes.
Well,
I spent a great deal of time out of doors and I'm in the process of a complete overhaul in the backyard.
(30:25):
Part of the plan is to create a privacy screen of sorts with flowering shrubbery along the back line of the property.
Something to shield the yard from the cross town trail.
It's gotten extremely busy in the past few years and I'm not sure what these new parents are attempting,
but it seems there are zero limits placed on Children today.
I slow blinked at her.
(30:47):
So in order to create the privacy screen,
I had to pull up a line of scraggly evergreen shrubs.
That's where I found the first set of remains.
Arthur shifted in his seat.
A look of disgust on his face.
It was a group of rabbits,
seven of them.
They hadn't been eaten.
It looked to me as if something had simply drained them gross.
(31:12):
I muttered,
yes,
she agreed.
But what are you gonna do?
I buried them.
My boys created a pet cemetery in a corner of the yard when they were young.
So sweet.
Isabelle commented.
Right.
Well,
over the past 2.5 months,
I found five additional piles of rabbit carcasses.
(31:33):
Good lord.
I muttered.
Did you call animal control?
She shook her head.
But what if it was some sick person doing it.
That's absurd.
She snapped.
I disagreed.
Wouldn't wear coyote,
just eat them.
Who could say what these creatures motivations might be?
(31:56):
Janice pressed on.
I decided to set up trap cameras in three different areas,
one on the side yard and two in the back.
She stood and maneuvered around the kitchen island to retrieve a stack of photos from a drawer.
This is the first image I caught.
She said sliding a black and white grainy photo across the table.
(32:16):
Arthur Carly Isabelle and I all leaned forward to get a closer look.
I wasn't completely sure what I was looking at behind the ferns.
Janice instructed,
see kind of.
I hedged this thing here.
Yes,
that's its shoulder.
Oh,
ok.
(32:37):
She picked the photo up and replaced it with another granny shot its tail.
She stated,
then put down two more photos and here are two more angles.
I could definitely make out what appeared to be a furry animal,
a large one at that at the far corner of her yard.
And admittedly,
it looked a little weird,
(32:58):
but it just looked like an animal,
maybe a coyote,
probably a coyote,
but I had no idea how she came to the conclusion.
It was a rare animal.
Interesting.
I offered diplomatically,
isn't it?
For the first time?
I sensed excitement in her voice.
(33:18):
I've seen them lurking in the culvert.
I've warned the neighbors last Saturday night.
I was sitting here at the kitchen table having my tea and reading.
When something hit the window,
there was a dark smear on the window pane and I went out to see what it could have been at night.
I said incredulous by yourself.
(33:40):
Yes.
The following morning I took these photos,
she put down three pictures,
one of a blood streaked window,
a wide shot of a dead bunny lying beneath that window and then a close up of the animal yikes.
I muttered,
disgusted.
They are brutal creatures.
I believe they're trying to run me off the property.
(34:01):
She stated matter of factly why I just know the sound of footsteps overhead caused everyone to look up at the ceiling,
everyone.
But Janice,
when an explanation wasn't offered up,
I asked,
is someone else here?
No,
just us.
The house is settling.
(34:23):
She looked,
I wouldn't say worried but kind of cagey.
Isabelle caught my eye for the briefest moment and her eyebrow twitched.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in and out.
It was so quick.
I didn't think anyone would notice,
but of course they did.
Are you picking up on something?
(34:44):
Carly?
Asked excitedly.
Reel it in Claire advised it's not what you think.
And there's no point in interacting with what it actually is.
Uh I'm not sure.
I said addressing Carly,
I'm definitely catching a vibe,
but I think we all are.
(35:04):
It's the weird creatures.
Janice insisted they're stalking my home,
stalking me.
Do they get inside.
I asked.
No,
never.
I considered,
it's weird.
I don't know why they'd be draining animals of their blood.
It sounds more like a vampire chupacabra or I was interrupted by the shrill ringing of the timer Isabel reached out and turned it off.
(35:33):
Q and a time Janice declared I needed a break.
Sorry,
I said before we do that,
may I please use your bathroom?
Of course,
it's right down that hallway.
A second door on your right.
I was attempting to dry my hands on a towel that had been way over fabric softened but also carried a tang of mildew when a thump sounded over my head,
(35:57):
followed quickly by another on the wall behind me.
Then three quick taps seemingly beneath the vanity.
Where are coyotes?
I whispered,
earning a chuckle from Claire.
I dropped the towel and scurried out of the powder room to the kitchen walking into a tense silence.
So,
(36:18):
do you have any questions for us?
Challenge Janice.
Oh,
sure.
Yes,
I stammered,
but I couldn't think clearly.
Um Actually Carly cut in.
I wondered if we might ask you a few questions about your clear audience.
Sure.
Shoot.
I replied gratefully,
(36:39):
we filled the allotted 20 minutes talking about what it's like to hear and see ghosts and I was incredibly relieved to say my goodbyes and offer good wishes and leave the increasingly spooky house pretty fucked up.
Right.
Claire commented once I'd fasten my seat belt I'll say what kind of cryptic drains rabbits and leaves them in piles all over the place.
(37:04):
It's not a we coyote or whatever the hell she called it.
So then what is that Claire Tusk?
Obviously disgusted.
What?
It's her?
Oh my God.
She's a werewolf.
This made Claire laugh so hard that it took her a moment to pull herself together.
(37:26):
No,
she said finally she's not a werewolf.
She just wants attention.
But those photos that was her in an old fur coat.
She staged them Jesus Christ.
She's just killing all those bunnies to make people think they are crypts in her backyard.
Fucking sicko.
(37:48):
What she should be worried about is that hat man,
Claire said it hasn't gone anywhere and they're always looking for a target.
Oh,
so that's what's lurking around.
Mhm.
We drove in silence for a time.
She actually threw a dead bunny at her own window.
(38:09):
Yeah.
At least that's what the old woman who used to live next door told me she sticks around because her daughter inherited the house and she's pissed.
She let the garden go anyway.
Janice trapped all those rabbits and then stop.
I insisted.
I don't want to hear another word.
(38:33):
If you haven't yet,
please follow me on Instagram at Ghosts and the Burbs.
It's the best place to find updates about the show.
I'm getting my act together to make some more spooky book movie and podcast recommendations during this hiatus and you'll find those on Instagram too.
Actually,
I have a recommendation for you right now.
I just finished listening to the Exorcist on Audible.
(38:56):
It's read by the author William Peter Blatty and it is true perfection.
His writing is so utterly gorgeous and subtle and terrifying that it makes me want to give up horror writing and leave it to the pros.
I can't recommend it enough.
Head over to ghost in the burbs dot com for all the links.
(39:16):
And I'll meet you back here in the fall.
So,
until our high holy season.
Good night.
Sleep tight.
And don't forget your nightly.
So you think she's trying to kill you for your condo?
What?
(39:38):
Those are fireworks?
Oh,
Wellesley.
Wonderful weekend.
And the fair this morning.
No,
the parade this morning.
Then the fair and now,
yeah,
definitely picking that up.
(40:02):
Pause recording.
I'm Liz.
So,
and this is Ghosts in The Burbs,
a podcast of ghost stories from Wellesley Massachusetts,
a warning adults who use adult language told me these frightening tales.
These ghost stories aren't for kids as we've all come to learn.
I have a batch of about 3 to 5 interviews in me every few months before I need to focus the time I have to write each week on one of my other projects.
(00:34):
And here we are on story number five in this particular batch summer approaches ominously.
So we're gonna call it right here.
Let's take the summer to reset.
I intend to finish the book for the fourth time or so and hope this is the version that finally makes it.
I'll be wrapping up my little Patreon drawings this week and we'll put the Patreon charges on pause again until fall.
(01:00):
Thank you so very much to all who've donated.
So let's meet back here for our High Holy season.
But before I go,
I have an interview to share,
there are always loose ends to be tied and leads to follow up on.
But as usual,
we're not going to do that right.
Now we're going to meet a group of marvelously quirky Wells lands who share our love for the strange and unusual.
(01:26):
We're on to ghost story number 72.
The Strange Phenomena Society.
There's a comment that I get once in a while on my Instagram posts or within a review of the podcast.
It's something along the lines of,
(01:47):
I'd like to have a glass of chardonnay and shoot the shit with Liz.
It's a very kind sentiment,
but I can say with absolute confidence that I would disappoint you.
Oh,
there may have been a time several years ago when I can let loose and gossip and connect.
But those days have passed me by,
I cannot get a handle on my anxiety.
(02:09):
I actually don't know if I can call it anxiety anymore.
It feels like it's morphed into something bigger no matter what,
it's always lurking in the periphery waiting to take center stage when I turn off the audio book or look up from tiktok or stop talking to the kids.
But then don't other people feel this way?
Doesn't everyone worry?
(02:30):
Doesn't everyone have to watch their Children physically walk into the school building and see the door close,
firmly behind them to be sure that they actually made it into the foyer and weren't snatched by a kidnapper between the car door and the school entrance.
Doesn't everyone back their car up in a parking lot with their windows down to be sure they could hear someone scream if they accidentally backed over them and then still anxiously eye the rear view mirror to make sure they haven't left a body in their wake.
(02:58):
Don't you sometimes bite your nails so badly that it's painful to hold a pen?
No,
the demon assigned to you tortures you in other ways.
Well,
whatever they're tormenting you about,
I hope you give them hell at any rate.
My point stands.
if you met me in person,
I would most likely disappoint you.
This thing we call anxiety makes me self absorbed,
(03:19):
self involved,
selfish,
unreliable,
the exhausting never ending loop of what ifs.
And maybe that did happen running constantly at the front,
back and sides of my mind.
I'm not really here.
I'm 10 steps ahead and 30 paces behind it.
Any given moment.
I just want to be home.
I just want my whole family to be there too safe and sound away from the world.
(03:44):
I just want to take a nap.
It's the only goddamn escape and yet kind extroverted community oriented people persist.
Thank God for them.
I met a group of sociable people yesterday and I simply must get down all my impressions before they fall out of my head.
I've been given full permission to share the details and all their beautiful,
(04:07):
bizarre glory with you.
As long as I keep the identities of all those involved hush hush,
they'd like to keep their little group a secret.
For now though,
they would be totally open and welcoming to new prospective members.
So long as said,
prospects adhere to the groups agreed upon values of open mindedness,
curiosity,
(04:28):
and love of all things paranormal.
I hemmed in before responding to their invitation to attend their next meeting.
I've agreed to similar invitations only a handful of times and have desperately regretted the decision to attend such events.
About 75% of the time miscommunication and my irritating bent towards people pleasing have been the most common reason for me to find myself in awkward situations in connection with this podcast.
(04:58):
But the proposed meeting appeared low stakes and interactive.
I wasn't being asked to give a talk or tell a story or anything like that.
I responded to the email invitation with a few clarifying questions and finally agreed to meet the group for tea at 1 30 at the home of Janice to be extra clear.
That's a fake name.
And we're gonna admit her last name too.
(05:20):
Even a fake one,
her house happened to be on my very favorite Spooky street in Wellesley again,
I must keep it all hush,
hush.
But if you were to pick the spookiest slash Coziest street with the highest chance of being haunted by something,
then this would be the street that you would pick.
In fact,
I've spoken to two other people who have lived on this street.
(05:43):
In additional fact,
you've listened to both of their interviews and the street is indeed haunted.
Now,
I am not a real fan of tea.
I drink it almost every night.
The sleepy time kind with Valerian root in it,
which helps me to sleep through the night.
It does make my dreams a little vivid but much less so than that devil's herbal remedy,
(06:04):
Melatonin and without the hangover of Advil PM.
But as a drink I find tea too.
I don't know,
leafy and it actually makes me thirsty.
For some reason.
I only bring it up to say that the tea Janice had on offer was the strongest leafiest,
most medicinal tasting tea I've ever had to.
(06:26):
The point that I wondered if I were being poisoned and that was even with the addition of five sugar cubes,
everyone else at the meeting raved about it,
praising our hosts,
good taste and superior selection.
As so often happens,
I was left wondering what I missed.
Did they mean what they were saying?
Had they all had the sort of upbringing in which one's taste buds were taught to enjoy tea from a young age?
(06:50):
Were they like me only being polite?
I didn't think so,
but I was the only one that didn't go for a refill.
So who was this tea loving group who asked me to join them for their monthly meeting?
They are the strange phenomena society.
A group of curious individuals with varying levels of enthusiasm for the paranormal who meet secretly to discuss their own spooky experiences.
(07:18):
They told me they'd had a lively debate over naming their group.
Janice felt that Haunted Friends Society excluded those members who are not affected by ghosts,
but by other creatures,
Arthur saw seekers of the paranormal as a misnomer.
They weren't actually seeking anything other than support.
While Isabelle and Carly took exception to the name Church of the paranormal experience.
(07:40):
They didn't want to give the impression that they were affiliated with any religion.
In the end,
they landed on strange phenomena.
Society.
SPS for short,
the five of us were arranged around a circular dining table in Janice's kitchen.
The table sat before a curved picture window overlooking a wild backyard beyond it,
lay the crosstown trail above us.
(08:03):
Hung a large black lantern light fixture.
A new addition to the room for which the group praised Janice while she hemmed and Hawed wondering if it was a mistake.
No snacks were provided,
but an agenda was distributed 1 p.m. meet and greet and tea.
1:15 p.m. introductions.
1 25 pm.
(08:24):
Arthur's story,
1 35 pm,
Isabelle and Carly's story 1:45 p.m. Janice's story,
1 55 pm to 2 30 pm questions and discussion.
It was 1 15 pm introduction time.
My heart raced as it always did in a group setting.
(08:44):
I was asked to go first.
Hi,
I offered with an awkward wave.
I'm Liz.
I live here in Wellesley and I interview our neighbors about their hauntings.
There was an expectant silence and your psychic abilities prompted Janice.
(09:05):
Oh,
no,
I said quickly,
I'm not psychic,
like at all.
But a while ago I began to hear ghosts and now I'm actually able to see them and talk to them.
Only ghosts.
The one man in the group prodded.
Well,
no,
I guess,
yeah,
I've seen other things,
creatures,
I suppose.
(09:26):
Another awkward silence.
I'll go next.
Janice finally declared her fine blonde hair was slipped back into a low ponytail and she wore a matching navy blue sweater set and cropped straight legged khakis.
Aside from a truly impressive diamond,
eternity wedding band,
she wore no other jewelry.
I'm Janice along with Arthur here,
(09:49):
she indicated the man sitting opposite her.
I am one of the founding members of the SPS.
My interest leaned toward crypts though.
I do love a good haunted house story.
There were chuckles around the table today.
I intend to detail my findings regarding the ware creature living behind our home.
She motioned the picture windows beside us.
(10:11):
I couldn't help myself.
I peered out half expecting to see a werewolf standing there waiting at us.
I have a few photographs.
I'd like to share as well.
She concluded.
Oh,
great.
The woman beside her enthused.
I'll go next.
I'm Isabelle,
my daughter Carly.
She smiled at the young woman beside her who returned to grin and I lived in a haunted house for several years.
(10:38):
I'm going to talk about what happened when we were living there and Carly,
well,
she laughed.
I'll let Carly tell you what she wants to share.
Thanks,
mom.
The women had identical hair though,
Isabelle wore her deep brown curls just above the chin while her daughter's was well past her shoulders.
I'm Carly and I've kept in touch with a family who lives in our house.
(11:01):
I wanted to update the group and tell you all what's been happening in that house since we moved.
How interesting Janice remarked that leaves me the large man beside her in toned.
He was 40 ish with light brown hair and a messy beard.
He wore black rimmed glasses and a scotch plaid flannel.
(11:22):
I'm Arthur.
I've had several experiences throughout my life,
but today I'd like to share a situation that I am currently dealing with.
He cleared his throat.
My next door neighbor is a psychic vampire and I believe she has been targeting me since November of 2022.
I did my damnedest to arrange my features in a pleasant,
(11:44):
neutral expression because they were all staring at me.
Wow.
I managed,
I can't wait to hear everything.
Great.
Janice clapped her hands together.
We are right on target.
Arthur lead us off,
(12:05):
Arthur folded his hands on the table before him.
Are you familiar with the text and brackets?
Name of building omitted and brackets.
I indicated that I knew of the luxury building but had never been inside.
Well,
I've lived there for about three years now and six months ago.
(12:26):
Oh,
Janice exclaimed,
interrupting him.
The timer.
She retrieved a small cooking timer from the kitchen counter,
then sat back down cranking the turn and setting it to alarm to the 10 minute mark before placing it in the center of the table.
I laughed lightly though the rest of the table remained serious.
(12:47):
I apologize.
Arthur,
she offered,
continue.
Not at all.
He replied,
he started to go on with his story but seemed to change his mind if you don't mind my asking.
Are you seeing any spirits here with us right now?
Nope,
I can kind of turn off my antenna if that makes any sense though.
(13:08):
If there's someone or something persistent around,
they always manage to get through to me.
He nodded.
What about your guide Claire?
Um No,
she's not here with us right now.
Arthur stared thoughtfully at the table as though considering what I'd said.
Shall I restart the timer?
(13:29):
Janice asked the lightest edge in her voice.
We have scheduled time for questions and discussion after sharing our stories.
No,
no,
I apologize for veering off track.
He replied calmly as I was saying,
six months ago,
a new neighbor moved into the condo unit beside mine.
That particular unit had been empty for approximately three months.
(13:52):
Its previous owner having died unexpectedly of heart failure in the apartment.
I asked yes.
As a matter of fact,
it was a shock to everyone.
He was only 38 and he did not have any history of heart problems or disease.
From what I gather,
it took some time for his family to sort out his finances and such.
(14:13):
And well,
at any rate,
they sold his condominium to a woman who happened to be one of his former coworkers.
So your new neighbor worked with the guy that died in the condo and then bought the place from his family.
Yes,
Arthur replied tersely,
sorry.
Just trying to keep it all straight.
(14:34):
I pressed my lips determined not to continue interrupting the guy.
After all the clock was literally ticking.
I am not a nosy person,
Arthur went on,
but I couldn't help but notice how little this woman brought with her into the condo.
It is a two bedroom unit with a small office space.
(14:55):
She seemed to move in one evening with just the clothing on her back.
No movers,
no boxes.
I didn't see any furniture whatsoever.
Maybe you weren't there when everything arrived.
I suggested unable to help myself.
He shook his head.
I work from home and aside from these monthly meetings and an occasional family get together,
(15:15):
I seldom leave my home for more than an hour or so to go for a walk or run errands.
Besides,
I've been inside her condo.
She invited me over for a glass of wine about a month after she moved in it was completely bare.
I made the mistake of returning the invitation a couple weeks later feeling that it was the polite thing to do to reciprocate.
(15:35):
And I believe that's when she began to pray on me.
Oh,
you invited her in?
I said dramatically precisely.
I am not a heavy drinker.
The night she came to my apartment,
I had exactly one glass of sauvignon blanc and followed it with two large glasses of club soda.
(15:57):
The following morning,
I woke up with what felt like the worst hangover of my entire life.
It's a feeling that has become entirely too familiar.
I realized that he did actually look kind of hungover.
My first impression of him had been that he didn't put much effort into his appearance.
But now I realize the faint blue circles beneath bloodshot eyes,
(16:18):
scruffy beard and messy hair might be more of a sign of exhaustion.
That sick feeling persisted.
I wondered for a time if perhaps I was dealing with COVID or its aftereffects.
But when I began to notice signs of someone having been in my apartment,
I started to suspect that something sinister might be taking place for one thing.
(16:41):
I found the door to my unit unlocked several mornings as I left for my morning walk,
I do not leave my door unlocked ever again.
I worried that perhaps the brain fog that comes with long COVID might be to blame but dismissed the idea.
I've never tested positive for COVID.
I made an effort to be mindful of checking the door before bed and still the problem persisted.
(17:04):
Persists.
Actually,
additionally,
I have an armchair and ottoman situated in the corner of my bedroom.
On several occasions,
I have found them moved,
angled to face the bed rather than the window items on my desk have been moved slightly but enough for me to notice.
Then the nightmares began.
(17:26):
I have very specific dreams where I'm in the basement of my building.
It is not your stereotypical spooky basement.
The building is less than 10 years old and the space is well lit and brightly painted.
However,
like most below ground space,
it brings a feeling of claustrophobia in my dreams.
I'm being pursued by my neighbor.
(17:48):
She is following me in circles as I search for an exit that I can never seem to locate the whole time.
She's talking and talking telling me things that in the dream at least are incredibly disturbing,
but I never remember anything specific about what she said after I wake up in several instances,
there have been other people there.
(18:08):
They seem almost resigned to being there.
They just watch,
huh?
Have you heard anything about the building that was where your condo building is now?
I asked no,
why I've just heard that place was haunted.
Nothing specific.
Just that it had a reputation.
Oh,
how interesting.
(18:28):
Isabelle enthused.
But my neighbor only moved in a few months ago.
Right.
But I wonder if maybe those other people in your dream could have something to do with the previous haunting I explained.
He considered the idea.
Hm.
Feels like a stretch.
I can consider the implications of that at a later date.
(18:50):
The pressing issue is my neighbor starting 10 days ago,
she began visiting me every night standing over me while I lay helpless and frozen in my bed.
She just stares at me talking and talking telling me things horrible things again.
I don't remember the content of her words,
but I'm left with the feeling these sessions bring up revulsion,
(19:13):
fear and disgust.
Oh my God.
Have you called the police?
No,
I don't think she's there in her physical body.
So there's nothing they could do.
I am researching ways to protect myself,
but I'm concerned she'll kill me before I'm able to put anything effective in place.
Why do you think she's targeting you?
(19:34):
I asked I have a corner unit.
He replied simply.
So you think she's trying to kill you for your condo?
It is a south facing unit.
Does that appeal to vampires for some?
No,
he cut in south facing homes,
(19:54):
get the most sunlight.
It's a major selling point.
Oh,
right.
I said dumbly just before the timer went off with its shrill ring.
Janice picked it up and cranked it back to the 10 minute mark.
Thank you,
Arthur Isabelle and Carly,
you're up.
It was such an abrupt shift.
(20:15):
I had so many more questions but I forced to smile and turned my attention to the mother and daughter.
Ours really isn't as exciting as Arthur's story,
but it frightened us all the same.
Isabelle explained almost apologetically.
We rented a home close to central Street.
I don't want to say the exact address,
(20:36):
but it was a really cute two bedroom house.
Carly was taking classes at Mass Bay and I work for text and brackets,
name of company omitted and brackets.
So the location was perfect for us.
Prior to that,
we'd been in an apartment building and having our own home was exciting.
It felt too good to be true and it was added,
(20:59):
Carly,
her mother nodded in agreement.
I didn't believe in ghosts until we moved into that house.
I didn't really even give them much thought.
Just figured people made up stories to frighten one another.
So I didn't want to believe what was happening until I really couldn't deny it any longer.
I mentioned that it was a two bedroom house.
The first floor had the kitchen,
(21:19):
a small full bathroom television room and one of the bedrooms,
the second floor was quite small,
just a bedroom and bathroom.
That was my space.
Carly took the first floor bedroom and there was a basement too.
Did I mention the house was very old.
It was built in 18 57 and it was in the historic district.
Actually,
most of the houses there were built around that time.
(21:41):
So well,
the basement had field stone walls,
very low ceilings.
I didn't like it down there.
From the second we moved into that house,
but with so little space upstairs,
it was the only place to put our Peloton.
We didn't want the thing sitting in the middle of the family room or taking up space in one of our bedrooms and it felt silly not to put it in the basement.
And yet we didn't like the idea at all.
(22:04):
That basement was super creepy.
Carly agreed the stairs went down and then like turned at a sharp angle.
So you couldn't see what was around the corner.
I was always convinced there would be someone standing right there.
When I went down to do the laundry,
I stopped using the bike when we lived there.
She shivered too creepy.
(22:25):
Our landlord kept some of her belongings in a corner of the basement.
Her mom went on several plastic storage bins and a big old wooden cabinet.
I suppose you might call it an armor.
It had room to hang clothing on the top and then four drawers at its base.
I didn't pay much attention to it until this one time I was riding the Peloton and well,
(22:46):
it was off to the other side of the basement to my right.
And something made me look over and I realized that its doors were open.
I was certain that it hadn't been the case before.
When I was done with my ride,
I went and shut them,
they closed firmly.
So there's no chance of them swinging open on their own.
I didn't think of it again until Carly mentioned the cabinet a day or two later.
(23:08):
Yeah,
I had been doing laundry and I know for a fact that those doors were closed when I got down there and then they were just all of a sudden open when I was headed back upstairs,
I just want to point out that you're at the five minute mark.
Janice interrupted.
Oh,
shoot.
Ok.
Isabelle shook her head as if to clear it,
(23:28):
the cabinet doors had a mind of their own.
But when things began to go missing and turned up in the cabinet,
Carly added,
right.
That's when we began to really feel as though something unexplained was happening.
Spooky,
I enthused,
what did you find in the cabinet?
Uh,
my lipstick,
(23:49):
a bracelet,
some magazines,
Carly listed.
Matter of factly,
what else?
My ipad,
my mom's reading glasses.
Not all at once.
This was like over a period of time.
Right.
Then once we saw the ghost,
it sort of all fell into place.
Isabelle said,
sadly the first time I encountered her,
(24:11):
I was having a cup of tea at the kitchen table and watching something on the ipad.
I was home alone.
There was a huge crash in the living room and I'm telling you,
it was so loud that I couldn't even imagine what had happened.
It sounded as though everything in the room,
furniture and all had been picked up and dropped at the same time.
But when I got into the room,
(24:32):
there was absolutely nothing out of place.
I was frightened.
I wondered if maybe the house was unstable,
if we were about to collapse.
I was about to go back and grab my purse and keys from the kitchen and leave when something moved by the couch.
Actually,
it was between the couch and the wall.
I thought maybe an animal had got inside or a dog or raccoon.
(24:55):
I didn't know.
It was also strange.
I inched further into the room so I could see what it was.
And there was a girl crouched down in between the side of the couch and the wall.
Not for a second.
Did I think,
Ghost?
I thought it was just a girl in trouble.
Maybe she'd run away from home or maybe she was mentally ill.
(25:15):
I tried talking to her but she wouldn't answer and she wouldn't look at me.
She just kept her head down.
You're not in trouble.
I told her and I started to crouch down to make her feel more comfortable.
When I heard Carly get home,
she came through the side door that led into the kitchen and I turned away for less than a second to call her into the family room and when I turned back,
(25:35):
the girl was gone,
disappeared.
We searched the whole house,
even the basement and the little attic,
you couldn't really get up there.
But we got a ladder from the basement and I stuck my head up through the hole in the ceiling to check.
Carly explained nothing.
You know what else was weird.
The ipad was gone from the kitchen table.
I didn't even want to look but we found it in that cabinet.
(25:59):
That's when we tied the two things together.
The girl in the cabinet,
I thought we had a ghost from the start,
but mom wouldn't hear of it.
The first time I saw her,
I was up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and on the way back to my room,
I saw who I thought was my mom walking through the kitchen.
Uh oh I said laughing nervously.
Carly smiled.
(26:19):
Yeah.
Not my mom.
I called out to her and she didn't answer but then I heard the basement door open and I don't know,
I just got a really bad feeling.
I went to the kitchen and the basement door was actually open,
but there weren't any lights on down there.
So I went right upstairs and woke my mom up.
We got up the nerve to check the basement.
It was either that or call the police and we both sort of knew they wouldn't find anyone.
(26:43):
We hadn't had a break in one minute,
Janice warned,
Carly sighed heavily,
obviously annoyed by the second interruption.
Her mother went on quickly.
Long story short,
we got in touch with the landlord.
We didn't say we thought we'd seen a ghost or anything.
We just asked where the cabinet in the basement came from.
(27:06):
She said it belonged to an old tenant,
a man and his daughter had lived in the apartment about five years prior the daughter went missing.
The police deemed her a runaway and the man moved out and he left a bunch of stuff behind the landlord,
got rid of everything.
But that cabinet she thought maybe she might have used for it at some point.
(27:26):
Wow,
that's incredible.
I said,
Carly and Isabelle exchanged a look.
Well,
we thought that maybe you might,
you know,
we're in touch with the new tenants there and she was cut off by the alarm shrill ringing.
Everyone at the table jumped except for Janice who picked up the device and turned the dial.
(27:49):
Thank you ladies.
She said,
looks like I'm up.
Wait,
I protested.
What's going on with the new tenant?
Isabelle opened her mouth to speak,
but Janice spoke over her.
Let's keep questions to the end so that we can stay on schedule.
She offered only a tight lipped smile before continuing.
(28:12):
Now,
I'm not sure if you're familiar with this neighborhood.
She began directing the comment towards me.
I'm very familiar.
I said,
trying to hide my irritation with a woman and her knack for killing a fun spooky vibe.
I acknowledge that what I'm about to share will seem highly unlikely,
(28:32):
but I assure you it is terrifyingly real and I believe it has major implications for our entire town.
If not the state,
I believe there is at least one possibly two where coyotes operating in Wellesley,
the crosstown trail appears to be their primary hunting trail and I believe they are testing their boundaries as we speak.
(28:55):
She sat back in her chair seemingly satisfied with what she presented.
But why do you think that I asked,
trying to hide my disappointment.
I wanted to hear more about the psychic vampire and the ghost girl wear coyotes and give me a break.
I have photos.
(29:16):
She snapped.
Look,
I'll admit it.
I was triggered.
I was a late seventies baby.
So I squeaked in on the tail end of Gen X.
So a woman of Janice's generation snapping at me after I asked a perfectly reasonable question,
it pushes the wrong buttons for me or maybe the right ones.
(29:39):
I didn't even need to force myself to remain silent.
This time.
I sat quietly expectantly refusing to create comfort around her outburst.
Why don't you tell Liz how you came to believe that where coyote lived in your backyard?
Isabelle prompted gently.
(29:59):
Of course,
Janice replied hotly,
I'm an avid gardener.
I'm sure you noticed the yard I had it was gorgeous.
She must have planted over 100 tulip bulbs last fall,
but I was annoyed and feeling petty.
So I offered only a slight nod.
Yes.
Well,
I spent a great deal of time out of doors and I'm in the process of a complete overhaul in the backyard.
(30:25):
Part of the plan is to create a privacy screen of sorts with flowering shrubbery along the back line of the property.
Something to shield the yard from the cross town trail.
It's gotten extremely busy in the past few years and I'm not sure what these new parents are attempting,
but it seems there are zero limits placed on Children today.
I slow blinked at her.
(30:47):
So in order to create the privacy screen,
I had to pull up a line of scraggly evergreen shrubs.
That's where I found the first set of remains.
Arthur shifted in his seat.
A look of disgust on his face.
It was a group of rabbits,
seven of them.
They hadn't been eaten.
It looked to me as if something had simply drained them gross.
(31:12):
I muttered,
yes,
she agreed.
But what are you gonna do?
I buried them.
My boys created a pet cemetery in a corner of the yard when they were young.
So sweet.
Isabelle commented.
Right.
Well,
over the past 2.5 months,
I found five additional piles of rabbit carcasses.
(31:33):
Good lord.
I muttered.
Did you call animal control?
She shook her head.
But what if it was some sick person doing it.
That's absurd.
She snapped.
I disagreed.
Wouldn't wear coyote,
just eat them.
Who could say what these creatures motivations might be?
(31:56):
Janice pressed on.
I decided to set up trap cameras in three different areas,
one on the side yard and two in the back.
She stood and maneuvered around the kitchen island to retrieve a stack of photos from a drawer.
This is the first image I caught.
She said sliding a black and white grainy photo across the table.
(32:16):
Arthur Carly Isabelle and I all leaned forward to get a closer look.
I wasn't completely sure what I was looking at behind the ferns.
Janice instructed,
see kind of.
I hedged this thing here.
Yes,
that's its shoulder.
Oh,
ok.
(32:37):
She picked the photo up and replaced it with another granny shot its tail.
She stated,
then put down two more photos and here are two more angles.
I could definitely make out what appeared to be a furry animal,
a large one at that at the far corner of her yard.
And admittedly,
it looked a little weird,
(32:58):
but it just looked like an animal,
maybe a coyote,
probably a coyote,
but I had no idea how she came to the conclusion.
It was a rare animal.
Interesting.
I offered diplomatically,
isn't it?
For the first time?
I sensed excitement in her voice.
(33:18):
I've seen them lurking in the culvert.
I've warned the neighbors last Saturday night.
I was sitting here at the kitchen table having my tea and reading.
When something hit the window,
there was a dark smear on the window pane and I went out to see what it could have been at night.
I said incredulous by yourself.
(33:40):
Yes.
The following morning I took these photos,
she put down three pictures,
one of a blood streaked window,
a wide shot of a dead bunny lying beneath that window and then a close up of the animal yikes.
I muttered,
disgusted.
They are brutal creatures.
I believe they're trying to run me off the property.
(34:01):
She stated matter of factly why I just know the sound of footsteps overhead caused everyone to look up at the ceiling,
everyone.
But Janice,
when an explanation wasn't offered up,
I asked,
is someone else here?
No,
just us.
The house is settling.
(34:23):
She looked,
I wouldn't say worried but kind of cagey.
Isabelle caught my eye for the briefest moment and her eyebrow twitched.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in and out.
It was so quick.
I didn't think anyone would notice,
but of course they did.
Are you picking up on something?
(34:44):
Carly?
Asked excitedly.
Reel it in Claire advised it's not what you think.
And there's no point in interacting with what it actually is.
Uh I'm not sure.
I said addressing Carly,
I'm definitely catching a vibe,
but I think we all are.
(35:04):
It's the weird creatures.
Janice insisted they're stalking my home,
stalking me.
Do they get inside.
I asked.
No,
never.
I considered,
it's weird.
I don't know why they'd be draining animals of their blood.
It sounds more like a vampire chupacabra or I was interrupted by the shrill ringing of the timer Isabel reached out and turned it off.
(35:33):
Q and a time Janice declared I needed a break.
Sorry,
I said before we do that,
may I please use your bathroom?
Of course,
it's right down that hallway.
A second door on your right.
I was attempting to dry my hands on a towel that had been way over fabric softened but also carried a tang of mildew when a thump sounded over my head,
(35:57):
followed quickly by another on the wall behind me.
Then three quick taps seemingly beneath the vanity.
Where are coyotes?
I whispered,
earning a chuckle from Claire.
I dropped the towel and scurried out of the powder room to the kitchen walking into a tense silence.
So,
(36:18):
do you have any questions for us?
Challenge Janice.
Oh,
sure.
Yes,
I stammered,
but I couldn't think clearly.
Um Actually Carly cut in.
I wondered if we might ask you a few questions about your clear audience.
Sure.
Shoot.
I replied gratefully,
(36:39):
we filled the allotted 20 minutes talking about what it's like to hear and see ghosts and I was incredibly relieved to say my goodbyes and offer good wishes and leave the increasingly spooky house pretty fucked up.
Right.
Claire commented once I'd fasten my seat belt I'll say what kind of cryptic drains rabbits and leaves them in piles all over the place.
(37:04):
It's not a we coyote or whatever the hell she called it.
So then what is that Claire Tusk?
Obviously disgusted.
What?
It's her?
Oh my God.
She's a werewolf.
This made Claire laugh so hard that it took her a moment to pull herself together.
(37:26):
No,
she said finally she's not a werewolf.
She just wants attention.
But those photos that was her in an old fur coat.
She staged them Jesus Christ.
She's just killing all those bunnies to make people think they are crypts in her backyard.
Fucking sicko.
(37:48):
What she should be worried about is that hat man,
Claire said it hasn't gone anywhere and they're always looking for a target.
Oh,
so that's what's lurking around.
Mhm.
We drove in silence for a time.
She actually threw a dead bunny at her own window.
(38:09):
Yeah.
At least that's what the old woman who used to live next door told me she sticks around because her daughter inherited the house and she's pissed.
She let the garden go anyway.
Janice trapped all those rabbits and then stop.
I insisted.
I don't want to hear another word.
(38:33):
If you haven't yet,
please follow me on Instagram at Ghosts and the Burbs.
It's the best place to find updates about the show.
I'm getting my act together to make some more spooky book movie and podcast recommendations during this hiatus and you'll find those on Instagram too.
Actually,
I have a recommendation for you right now.
I just finished listening to the Exorcist on Audible.
(38:56):
It's read by the author William Peter Blatty and it is true perfection.
His writing is so utterly gorgeous and subtle and terrifying that it makes me want to give up horror writing and leave it to the pros.
I can't recommend it enough.
Head over to ghost in the burbs dot com for all the links.
(39:16):
And I'll meet you back here in the fall.
So,
until our high holy season.
Good night.
Sleep tight.
And don't forget your nightly.
So you think she's trying to kill you for your condo?
What?
(39:38):
Those are fireworks?
Oh,
Wellesley.
Wonderful weekend.
And the fair this morning.
No,
the parade this morning.
Then the fair and now,
yeah,
definitely picking that up.
(40:02):
Pause recording.
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