Op/Ed

Seeking haunted stories

Oh, October. How I’ve missed you.

October is, in my opinion, the perfect month. Warm-ish days and chilly nights. The most beautiful colored leaves on (and off) trees. Fire pits, pumpkin everything and sweater and boots.

It’s also time for my favorite holiday — Halloween.

My love affair with Halloween and all things fall began at a young age. I credit my grandmother, known to all as Moo, for instilling in me an appreciation for a good scare.

She always dressed up as a haggard witch for Halloween, earning her other nickname, the Old Witch. She would sit outside on Halloween night as still as the darkness and as a trick-or-treater approached, she would let out a cackle that would send a chill up that poor kid’s spine.

I miss her.

I don’t go around scaring children, but I do enjoy being a little bit scared myself. Haunted attractions definitely attract me. The best one I’ve ever been to is in Sleepy Hollow, New York where a headless horseman rode through the outdoor haunting.

I also love the myths and legends and folklore that goes hand-in-hand with Halloween. I look forward to local graveyard tours every year. Westfield will not have an Old Burying Ground live action tour this year, but Southwick will host its Spirit Walk.

I have heard the stories of some haunted places – and experienced a few ghostly events myself in our former office – but I am curious about other haunted houses in Westfield and Southwick.

Have you experienced things that go bump in the night? Do the ghosts of relatives visit you? I want to hear your stories about any brushes with the supernatural!

Send me your stories at [email protected].

 

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