I'm Liz Sauer 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, you all have done it again. Head over to ghosts in the burbs dot com and click on distractions for an extensive list of spooky podcasts there. You'll find enough audio dramas, scripted fests and true ghostly tales to fill the hours of 1000 quarantines.
Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Last night I did something really fun. I participated in the inaugural episode of televised table reads for a reading of If you go out in the woods today, The script written by the very talented Stephanie Kelly was based on ghosts in the Burbs story # eight. I was so honored to participate in such a cool creative event and I put a link in the show notes in case you missed the live reading.
I got to read Vanessa's lines and she's my very favorite resting bitch face, which be sure to subscribe to the televised table reads. Youtube channel. The producer drew Devore has some great stuff up his sleeve. And as synchronicity would have it. Our next ghost stories about witches to some of whom we've already met. Here's ghost story # 53 curses. Mm hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We found the place on Zillow. It popped up out of the blue. We've been watching rentals in Wellesley for months.
Michaela added, her mother nodded. It was a little over what we were hoping to spend, but we figured it was worth a look. It wasn't that much above our limit. Mhm. Their eyes slid towards each other then back to me. The house was very sweet. It looked like two adjoining cottages. Ours was the one on the left, Ryan continued, I'm sure you've driven by it 1000 times. Text in brackets.
The interviewees asked that I leave out all further descriptive details about the exterior of the house and its location and brackets. Since Michaela is father passed three years ago we talked about the idea of living together. Michaela laughed, renting was a chance to try it out for a year without too heavy of a commitment. I sold my house and needed a place by the end of the summer and Michaela situation had changed to. It seemed like the perfect time to be roomies.
Ryan put an arm around her daughter and pulled her in for a quick hug. Michaela grimaced. I had just gotten a divorce. Good riddance, Ryan and toned. Wellesley was the logical choice. I just found a new job as a baker at text in brackets, bakery name omitted and brackets and Michaela's offices right on Lyndon Street. We could both walk to work. What do you do? I asked Mikayla. I'm a shrink, she replied with a grin. Oh, don't worry, I don't think you're crazy. I believe you.
I tilted my head in confusion. The voices, she clarified, I believe you. If we hadn't lived in that house, I would be concerned. But after everything that happened, we learned, there's more to life than what you can see with your eyes. Ryan confirmed. I laughed nervously. Well that's a relief. Actually. One of my clients told me about your blog. He said he'd been having trouble sleeping and that your stories were part of the problem. Oh, yep. Michaela grinned. You totally freaked him out.
I smiled anyhow. I was intrigued. I googled you and started listening. Part of me couldn't believe what I was hearing, but the other part knew that it was exactly right. You know, my office building is right next door to that office. The one in the story about Sarah and paxton. Geez I breathe. That's a blast from the past. I used to see those two all the time. Really? Yeah. Control issues there for sure and not a little bit of gaslighting 100% I agreed.
Was that the story about the poor girl in the home office? Ryan asked Michaela and I nodded in confirmation that girl needed a friend, Ryan said sadly and he needed some serious counseling. Michaela agreed anyhow. Reading your stories was truly validating this town, gives me the creeps. I take it you didn't decide to put roots down here. I laughed. Hell no. Ryan exclaimed, I bought a place in Natick a couple months ago and I found a cute fixed rapper in Dover. Michaela added no more roommates.
I asked this time. It was Michaela who put her arm around her mother distance makes the heart grow fonder. Ryan elbowed Michaela softly on the side. This one found herself a new boyfriend, but we had a blast living together. I don't know if I'd say the experience was a blast. Michaela said, taking her arm back. We got along great, but the situation was a mess. True. If it weren't for that coven would have had a great year though. I laughed nervously. Oh boy, that interview you did way back.
The one with the man whose family lived next door to those witches text in brackets, see ghost story number 20 in which there are witches and brackets. Well, we moved in next door to one of their friends. We found the listing on. Zillow, Ryan nodded. We've been watching Wellesley for a time. The listing popped up out of nowhere. Deja vu. I thought we were right back at the beginning of our conversation. The women were truly adorable, finishing each other's sentences and thoughts.
We sat at a back table in the bakery in which Ryan worked a sampling of miniature pastries before us. Hot cups of coffee too. She wore an apron, having just ended her early morning shift and Michaela wore a cashmere sweater in the softest pink and devastatingly chic wide leg, army green capris. They resembled each other. Of course. The mother wore her jet black hair short and a layered wavy shag. Her daughter were the same hair past her shoulders and pinned straight.
They both wore glasses over hazel eyes, Ryan's frameless Michaela's tortoiseshell with flux of pink. They radiated happiness, goodwill, a sort of impish pleasure at life. It would be a joy to share a bottle of wine or two with them. It was early april of last year and I just announced a hiatus from the podcast and blog. I had recently admitted to myself that I was incapable of writing a mystery.
I mean I could write one but only if readers were interested in knowing the entire time who the killer was and why he did it. I was in a bit of a panic. I didn't know how to create red herrings or point people in the wrong direction or drop subtle clues. I've been chipping away at the book for years and now that I'd stopped releasing interviews and buckled down to write the cozy mystery and I had always wanted to write, I was coming to the realization that I was not a mystery writer.
Michaela is email was a lifeline. I needed a distraction. I needed to do something. I was good at like listening to other people tell me a scary story while drinking coffee, eating pastries and interrupting them occasionally. It was the exact thing. I needed to get my mind off my failure as a mystery writer and soon after I spoke with Michaela and her mom, I realized that I indeed am not a cozy mystery writer. I'm a cozy horror writer and the story I was writing took a satisfyingly spooky turn.
Well back to their story. Ben showed us the apartment. Mm hmm. Ben Ryan agreed. Her brow furrowed. Who's then? I asked, smiling. Our next door neighbor. He lived in the adjoining cottage. Michaela explained our apartment, shared the inner wall, said Ryan. He seemed pleasant enough when we first met him. He was a weirdo. Well, yes, he was a little strange, but I assumed he was just a touch antisocial. I even thought he might have a little crush on Michaela Gross. Her mother laughed.
We didn't meet him until after we moved in, but the house was charming and it was the perfect location. The price was as close to right as we were going to get Michaela added. So we put in our application and crossed our fingers, concluded, Ryan who owned the apartments? I asked, Ryan and Michaela exchanged a knowing smile and replied. The deal dishes in unison. Get out of town! I came very close to yelling.
The dervishes were the witches who lived next door to Mitchell Wescott and his poor family, yep, You changed the name for your blog but we put two and two together when you describe her outfit. Michaela said proudly, the jean skirt and hunter boots. We didn't meet them until later. It was Ben who started all the trouble. Ryan's face, grew serious. A few days after he moved in, Ben came to the door with a welcome to the neighborhood gift some loose tea and scented candles.
You didn't drink the tea, did you? I asked quickly, knowing what kate did Elvis had put into the cookies she baked for her neighbors. Thank heavens no. Rihanna replied, not after what happened that night. He said he was having friends over that evening and invited us to drop by. It felt rude to decline his invitation. I told him we'd come for a short while as we both had to be at work early the next morning. She basically had to drag me out the door.
We made a deal to stay for 45 minutes, not a second longer. When we arrived there were three other people there, two women and one man in addition to Ben. We'd better not say their names though. Ryan said, looking over at her daughter, who nodded in agreement. It was pleasant enough. I suppose I got the feeling they didn't know each other very well. Yeah, it was like an awkward office party. Michaela agreed They were knocking it back though. They sure were.
Ben offered us some of his special homemade sangria, but we declined hard pass. Michaela intoned before popping a piece of scone in her mouth. Yes, well things began to loosen up and when they started gossiping about some of their shared acquaintances, we took the opportunity to bow out. Ben pressed us to stay and chill a little too forcefully for my taste, but we were firm that we both had early mornings. It was a relief to get out of there.
The vibe was like expectant or something like they were all anticipating an event, you know, Ryan raised her eyebrows. We didn't have to wait long to find out what they were looking forward to. Michaela giggled. We went back to our place to watch the Bachelorette. We're working on a puzzle. I laughed out loud, interrupting her. My God, you guys couldn't be more perfect. Ryan waved away the comment, we are as boring as it gets perfectly. So I agreed, smiling.
Anyway, we heard Ben turn on, some music are living room, shared a wall and the music was bumping. It was obnoxious, but we figured the party would die out soon enough. Little did we know it was just getting started, giggled Michaela. I don't know exactly when we realized what was going on, I do Ryan cut in. I heard a man grown and I turned down the television thinking someone was injured.
But then we heard a woman grown louder and mom turned to me and goes, oh Benjamin, we shouldn't have been eavesdropping, Ryan said, her cheeks flaming Oh whatever they had to have known how loud they were being all, oh yeah, we heard all four of them going at it for at least another hour. It got to the point where we thought it would never end. I wondered if Ben had put something in that Sangria.
Michaela suggested initially we just laughed ourselves and thought, you know, good for Ben, Ryan explained. But it got to the point where it was just ridiculous the theatrics of it. I did have to get up early the next morning and between the techno music and all the grunting and groaning. It was all just too much for too long. Maybe I overstepped but I'd had enough so I pounded on the wall. Oh no, I laughed certain that my own cheeks were burning. What happened? Did they stop?
No, Michaela exclaimed. Someone pounded on the wall right back at us and they turned the music up. Stop it. No, I breathed. Michaela nodded enthusiastically, yep. So then I pounded the wall even harder. Next thing you know the music gets turned down and we hear Ben's door open and slam shut Next 2nd he's pounding on our front door. Uh huh.
We were frightened at that point, Ryan admitted it was all in good fun when we thought he was just having a key party over there, mom, that's not what a key party is. Well, whatever you call it, he can do what he wants in the privacy of his own home within reason but his party was obnoxious and too darn loud. He was pissed. He sure was scary, mad, banging on the door, yelling for us to mind our own business. Did you open the door? Absolutely not. The women said in unison. He was far too angry.
We hoped he would peter out and go back to his guests, Ryan explained, but he didn't. He just kept at it. I thought he was going to break the door down. Michaela shuttered. I called through the door for him to cut it out to leave us alone. Ryan said a catch in her voice and I yelled the same only in much more detail and that really set him off. Michaela made a face of disgust.
That jerk picked up one of our plants in my favorite blue 12 pot Ryan clarified, scandalized, yep and smashed it on the front step. Now that was the last straw we called the police. Oh dear. I said Ryan side. It was a real mess. But there was no putting it all back in the box. He must have known what we're up to because his guests left before the police arrived, an officer came to hear our side of things while another tried to calm bend down in the driveway. I didn't envy the poor man.
Ben was wound up tighter than anyone I've ever seen. I'm certain he was on drugs. Michaela added. Mm hmm. Or too much homemade sangria. At any rate, we didn't want to press charges. We just wanted to be on record that he'd frightened us. What a nightmare. I groaned knowing that an antagonistic relationship with one's next door neighbors is one of the suburbs. True horrors. It was a debacle. We've been there for such a short time and things had already escalated beyond repair.
The man was obviously troubled. Any rational person would have simply turned the music down and felt at least a touch of embarrassment, but not then Michaela said seriously after that night. He had opened his door at the exact same time. We did in the morning when we left for work and just stand there behind the screen, glaring at us as we walked away and he listened to everything we were doing.
It was spooky if we made so much as a peep, he'd bang on the wall as if we were the ones having a raging techno orgy dance party. I hoped he would cool down after some time had passed, but he didn't. Instead, he seemed to get more and more upset with us. I reached out to the landlord and explained what happened. I asked if we could get out of our lease, Ryan said, but they insisted that Ben was a family friend and that it must have all been a misunderstanding. They refused to discuss the lease.
We never should have contacted them. Michaela said in a low voice, Ryanne closed her eyes and drew in a breath when it was Ben harassing us. It was manageable, laughable. Even looking back at it now. But once he involved his coven, Holy hell! I breathed. So he actually was involved with the dervishes. Oh yeah, big time. Michaela replied, glancing over at her mother before they came to the house. Ben was just doing every childish thing he could think of to annoy us.
He'd scatter our mail over the flowerbeds and one day I came out and found what we determined to be Crisco, all over the windows of our cars. Now that was a hell of a time, Ryan added, right, but it was just pranks. It was concerning though and we wanted it to stop. We woke up one morning and all of our new Patio furniture was gone. That did it stealing. Uh, Ryan said seriously.
I told one of the bakers here about what was happening and she suggested that we put a camera at the back door, but neither of us are at all tech savvy. Michaela said and they both nodded. Oh, even the thought of it made me feel exhausted. But one of the girls who worked the counter had a great idea. She didn't need her baby monitor any longer. And she suggested that we pointed out one of our back windows. The camera worked in the dark.
So if we heard something outside in the middle of the night, we could check the monitor. And if we saw anyone, if we saw Ben Michaela corrected, right? We bought new chairs and a little table for the backyard and if we saw him stealing those, then we could call the police. Ryan shrugged. It wasn't the best plan, but we were spooked. We kept that monitor with us while we watch television every night and traded off keeping it on our bed stands.
It only took three nights before we caught that little creep. Michaela growled. Yeah, I was up too late reading a jodi Picoult that I just couldn't put down. Ryan said my light was off and I was using my book light. I'll bet he thought we were both fast asleep. The monitor was right by my head and by some stroke of luck I glanced over at it. When I reached my glass of water on the nightstand, I saw movement at the edge of the screen.
I picked up the device and saw Ben creeping along the backyard near the fence. That little camera was quite a thing. It showed him clear as day. I didn't think twice. I just threw on my robe and stopped that back door. I was up reading too and got up right away when I heard her leave her room. I got there just in time to hear her ream him out. She was like Benjamin. What in the world are you doing slinking around back there. What in the world are these barbie dolls?
I was behind mom and could see two dolls sitting on the back step in front of her. Michaela began to laugh and took a moment to compose herself before continuing in her mother's voice. Young man kept back in your house right now. You'd better go home and think long and hard about finding a hobby before we call the police. I'll tell you what I was. Diane pursed her lips before blurting out, pissed Amazing!
I said through my laughter, I watched him slink over to his own back door and I shook those dolls at him when he glanced back at us. Oh, those dolls, Michaela shivered. They were little versions of us. He even made them little pairs of glasses out of paperclips. He drawn smile lines and crow's feet on mine. Michaela patted her mother's hand. Oh, I don't mind that. It was the care he'd so obviously taken to create the resemblance that felt so creepy.
We didn't know what the hell he was playing at and that's when everything took a turn. Michaela said seriously, looking at her mother. It was that next morning that Kate and Harry did. Elvis showed up. We were having coffee. It was a saturday and neither of us had to work so we were taking it easy and discussing those dolls. Ryan said, that's right. Michaela agreed. They knocked at the door around 9:00 and introduced themselves.
I came very close to a major faux pas, I thought she was his daughter, Ryan admitted, but thank God, he referred to her as his wife. We invited them in and offered them coffee. They apologized for not coming to meet us sooner and said the apartment looked great. It was such a nice morning that Harry actually suggested we sit out on the patio to talk. It was strange as though we were their guests and I suppose we were, it was their house after all.
So we went outside to chat then, wouldn't you know it? Ben popped his head out the back door and the dervishes called him over. Kate stood and gave him the biggest hug. Then Harry told him to pull over a chair and have a seat. We hate the thought of you not getting along, he said once Ben sat down, how can we fix this? Michaela sniffed. I told him we'd get on just fine if Ben would stop harassing us immediately and pointed out the fact that the furniture we're all sitting on was brand new.
A replacement after ours had mysteriously disappeared. That creepy man was like, now I've known Ben a long time and he has no thief. Isn't that right? Ben? Ben looked absolutely terrified in that moment. Yes sir, he said, The guy stared him down for a second too long then turned to us with a huge smile. See it must have been some teenagers just playing pranks. The whole thing was a setup. Michaela fumed. We felt, I don't know like we'd better play along though, you know, it was unsettling.
Ryan agreed. Then that Kate asked to use our bathroom Michaela said incredulously. I didn't want her in that house alone, but what we're going to say, no, it would have been so awkward. We're pretty sure that's when she did it. Ryan added angrily, Did what I asked, Text us or whatever. Michaela said quickly, just because you caught that Ben creeping around.
What I think happened was he tried to put a curse on us with those dolls, but he botched it so they stepped in and they definitely knew what they were doing. Michaela shuttered. I would have scraped Crisco off the car every day for a month rather than deal with their twisted crap. What did they do? Well when they finally left that morning and we went back into the house, it smelled like smoke sort of like pot, but more accurate. At first.
We just thought she had smoked marijuana in our bathroom and we're disgusted. But then Michaela noticed the dolls, they were covered in ashes and what looked like dried herbs and oil right on our coffee table. It was a mess. I didn't even want to touch it. My mom grabbed a set of salad tongs from the kitchen to pick them up and throw them in the garbage and then I bleached down the table. We even opened the windows to air that smell out of the house. Ryan said seriously, but it was too late.
Michaela nodded grimly. The bad luck kicked in right away. Seriously right after we opened all the windows, it started pouring rain, absolutely pouring. We couldn't close them fast enough. All the books on a shelf beneath the window and my mom's bedroom got soaked. Absolutely ruined Ryan side. Most of them were my husband's. He was an avid reader, but that was just the beginning. As I was rinsing the coffee mugs from that morning in the sink, I dropped one on the floor, cleaning it up.
I cut myself so badly that we had to go to the emergency room for stitches. She held up her right hand to display a nasty scar that ran from the base of her pointer finger to the padded area beneath her thumb. Geez, that must have hurt it sure did. And I missed two weeks of work waiting for it to heal up. Even then I could only work the counter for a time. I lost the keys to this ancient filing cabinet at work where I keep all of my client notes.
I don't like to put client information on the computer. It feels precarious. So I write everything down in notebooks. It was a nightmare. Then out of nowhere the building got closed for a week due to a bedbug infestation which you brought home with you, Ryan pointed out. Michaela grimaced. We didn't dare bring a thing with us when we left that apartment. So you just moved. I asked. Oh no, it wasn't that easy, Ryan replied, I wish we had. But it took us too long to really catch on.
We were both stuck at home for a while while my hand healed and Michaela's office was being fumigated and the annoyances continued, okay. We joked that we've been cursed and tried to make light of it, but we both knew all the bad luck. Wasn't a coincidence. One of those mornings I got out of the shower and noticed that the edges of the mirror were steamed up. It looked like there were markings on it.
I turned the shower back on full blast to really steam it up and saw that someone had drawn symbols on the mirror like witchy satanic e spooky symbols with their finger. We Windex it off right away when Kate came in to supposedly use the bathroom, she must have done some sort of ritual with the dolls and then drawn those symbols on the mirror. She hadn't been inside very long. But we worried about what else she might have done. Well as luck would have it.
We stripped our beds to inspect the mattresses for any sign of those bedbugs. Michaela shivered and we found them Ryan made a face disgusting but they did lead us to find more of that women's heck stuff. I saw a string poking out from beneath my mattress and thought it was just a loose bit of seem. But when I pulled it out, popped the small cloth bag. Hence I were bits of herbs and it smelled awful. Mm hmm.
But it was the tiny bones that had me worried, we found one under my kayla's mattress to after that we tore up the house to look for any more of the woman's witch paraphernalia. Did you find anything else? I asked. The women exchanged a glance. Only one other thing. Well, two things but they were the same above the front and back doors perched on top of the frames were tiny bones, each wrapped in a single piece of hair that was sealed onto it with what looked like wax.
The spookiest thing was that we were pretty sure the hairs were ours. Oh you guys? I groaned. What did you do with this stuff? We threw it in an empty amazon box and put that box on Ben's back doorstep. Michaela said angrily. We wanted him to know that. We knew what was up. Then we wipe down every single surface in the apartment and mop the floors just in case that woman had drawn any other symbols or whatever. And I called a locksmith to change the locks.
We decided we'd move as soon as we could get plans in place and find out what our options were with the least. But in the meantime we had to make sure we were safe. Michaela explained. We hadn't seen much of Ben those days after the dervishes came over. But after we put that box on his doorstep, he started creeping around again, glaring at us when we left the house and if we tried to sit out on our patio, he'd come out and just stand there staring at us.
He was the most disturbed young man I'd ever encountered, Ryan muttered. I spoke with a friend of a friend, a real estate attorney who told me that we had a case for harassment, but that it would be hard to prove. We did not want to bring the dervishes to court. All we did was pound on a wall to get Ben to quiet down and look what happened. We couldn't imagine what they would do if we tried to sue them. Mikayla said the lawyer said another option would be to sublet the pace to someone else.
But how could we do that in? Good conscience, Ryan continued, We had no choice. We had to move out and pay off the lease. That sucks I ground it did. Michaela said we considered living there and just putting up with strange men, but then then they pulled out the big guns, said Ryan and we knew we had to get the hell out of there fast. We came home from a walk one afternoon and found the dolls back on the coffee table. The same exact dolls.
Ryan emphasized they must have dug them out of the garbage when we threw them away. This time they were each wrapped in black fabric, tied and twine at the neck and ankles and there were little pieces of black tape over their eyes and mouths good. Low hurt. But you changed the locks. I pointed out apparently that didn't matter, Ryan replied. Did you call the police? Know what could they do to help us? We just had to get out of there.
We decided to pack up only the things we absolutely had to keep. We had the place treated for bedbugs, but we weren't taking any chances. So there wasn't too much to load up basically. Just the kitchen and our clothing and some toiletries. Michaela explained. That's right. And we loaded any important change keys and such and plastic bins and hauled them to the storage space where I'd stash all of my belongings from my old home.
We figured we'd leave them in the bins for a year to be sure any damn bugs died out if they tried to catch a ride. We were so exhausted by the time we packed up that we decided we'd stay one more night and clear up for good in the morning. Michaela said, glancing over at her mother. It was a terrible mistake. Ryan admitted I knew we should get out of there, but it was all just so overwhelming.
My real estate agent was doing her best for us, but I knew we'd have to be in a hotel for a time and it was also disheartening the apartment was supposed to be a nice respite a time for us to be roomies and reconnect. It wasn't easy. After Michael passed, I was so looking forward to brian's voice broke and Michaela put an arm around her mother, squeezing her tight. She sighed. We went to bed early, planning to get out of there first thing in the morning Something woke me up around three. Me too.
There must have been a noise but neither of us remember hearing anything specific. When I realized what I was looking at, Michaela trailed off. Rhea nodded. I thought I was still dreaming. They weren't very tall, right, just enough to see over the foot of the bed like Children. Mm Ryan agreed. What the hell was standing at the end of your beds? I asked, horrified. I don't know what you would call them, Ryan said slowly, but they certainly weren't human.
I couldn't see their faces under their hoods. They had on these long black robes and they were swaying back and forth as one Michaela shivered when they began whispering, I screamed and that broke me out of my own trance. I was so frightened before I heard her that I couldn't even move. I just stared at them. But when I heard Mikayla scream, I leapt up and ran past them out of the room. But the second I opened her door, they disappeared.
Michaela breathe, They were gone from my room too And that was the end of it, Ryan said sitting up taller in her seat. we grabbed what we could and threw it in our cars and got the hell out of there. He watched us go. Mikayla said, leaning forward from his front door behind the screen just stood there and watched as we packed up the cars and left. Unbelievable.
I said we wrote a check to settle the lease and sent it along with a letter stating we would no longer be living in the home and would like to terminate our lease agreement. What did they say to that? The women looked at one another and smiled. We never heard from them again. Thank you so very much to everyone who has left a review for the podcast. And if you enjoy any of the podcasts on the distractions page at ghosts in the burbs dot com, be sure to write and review them too.
It's the best way to raise shows, visibility and encourage podcasters to keep creating great content. An enormous thank you as well to all of my supporters on Patreon. A special thanks to my newest supporters.
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