I'm Liz sour. And this is ghost 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. We've arrived at our high holy season and with it comes our next batch of spooky stories. The walls are closing in on all of us. Things are strange. The water seems to have gone bad in every possible way. It's poisonous.
It's either flooding out towns or it's completely absent, causing widespread drought. It's trying to kill us or maybe we killed it and this is its revenge. Um, unsurprisingly considering the typical apocalyptic obsession upon which my anxiety so often lands. I've landed myself on prophetic dream Tiktok and I'll just say things aren't looking good. So we need distraction now more than ever. And as usual, my neighbors have provided, We're on a ghost story #67 tunnels. That child is long gone.
I just talked to Jamie, she got a quote from a liable fence and they're just waiting for the materials to come in. She's doing everything she can. It's too late, Judith countered. She said herself that the kid wasn't the same after spending so much time in the woods. That's not her child anymore. How? So it's a changeling. My hand stopped halfway to my face. I've been about to shove the rest of the homemade peanut butter cookie in my mouth. That's really a thing. That's really a thing now.
Please to the best of your ability. Miss Liz tell me exactly how that thing presented the promise to you and exactly what you said back to it. Um Well she said I had to make a promise to listen to this. She she even when things got really loud that I was supposed to only listen to her even when it was really noisy. And I think I said I can do that. Huh? Judith looked both relieved and maybe even a little impressed. You may have managed to sidestep a serious issue.
You thanked her to Clara chimed in. Don't forget that. Oh right. I said thank you when I was leaving and I like gave a little bow while I said it, Judith's head dropped to our chest, jesus christ. How I consistently underestimate your ability to step right into a huge pile of ship is beyond me. Wait, how is thanking the thing a problem if you were to ask anyone And I mean anyone who knew an infant is minimal amount of information about the fe.
The first thing, the very first thing they would tell you is never thank the fae. Just the act of thanking that Banshee opened up an energetic agreement between the two of you. Well, all I have to do is listen to it right? It's not like I agreed to do anything to them. A thank you is a promise. An energetic bond. So yeah, you have to listen to her and now you're going to have to do her a favor in return for restoring your abilities. Oops, Claire muttered shit.
I said you're indebted judas said matter of factly. Well then she can take a goddamn number. I can't open my eyes in the morning without someone wanting something from me. The kids, the dogs, the PTO, the neighbors, strangers on the internet. Fuck Judith and Claire remain silent after my little outburst. Sorry, I apologized. How much trouble am I in? Only time will tell what that thing wants from you. But I'd be willing to bet it's more than just listening.
No use worrying about it now, Judith suggested sensibly. What was it you want to talk to me about though. Something with tunnels. Yeah. Actually not just tunnels. Something's brewing. I've known Hannah Brinson from working at the library. She was a volunteer for a time. Re shelving books. We hadn't kept in touch too well but would see each other occasionally around town and always fell back into easy conversation. We've been at Starbucks to discuss what she described as an issue on her property.
It took me two months to get up the nerve to reach out. She admitted. That's silly. I replied, breaking a tiny glazed vanilla scone apart to make it last longer. I know it's just if I tell you about this and if you come to my house and if you notice the same thing or you say it's worse than I think it is then we'll have to move or something and they're like only seven houses on the market right now and I swear to God, they're either all crap or over $3 million, it'll be a nightmare. I chuckled.
What? I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing because you sound like my own inner monologue of doom. Let's not jump the gun. I'm sure there's a quick fix to whatever spooking you. What's going on at the house? We have a monster. I made the mistake of laughing again. Hannah stared at me. Sorry, what kind of monster do you think you have? How the hell should I know what it is? She snapped, then rubbed at her eyes roughly. Sorry, I guess it's an outdoor monster.
Not like a werewolf or a dragon, but sometimes it does seem like an animal. Sometimes it's a dark mass, like a shadow, but solid ish. And then when it takes form it's very solid. But then it doesn't stay outside. We know it's been in the house and it's big. It's had just about touches the doorframe. You're serious. Yes, I'm serious. Sorry, I thought you were here to talk about the ghost. No, we don't have a weight. She leaned forward. What? Ghost.
My eyes slid involuntarily over her shoulder and she spun around. Who's there? She demanded, causing the barista to glance at us suspiciously quite quickly after I recovered my claire audience thanks to the banshee, my ability to see the dead had returned and though it was subtle. The fact that both abilities had been strengthened was unmistakable. The experience of hearing and seeing ghosts was pretty much the same, but it was like their ability to hear and see me had improved.
They were quick to ask for help, thank me and leave. Claire said that the fae had left some sort of a shine on me, alerting the dead and everything else creeping around that I was the real deal. I did not like the sound of that. It sounded a lot as if I'd been marked, it sounded a lot like it would call unnecessary attention to me. Claire waved off my concerns.
You're calling attention anyway, but now the dead know you've been accepted by the fai it made me feel like I was in a sookie stackhouse novel and I remember quite well what happened to her when the wrong magical creatures got ahold of her all this to say. There was someone with Hannah and me in Starbucks, it's a gray haired man. He's a little stooped over with light brown eyes and dark skin.
I told her he actually looks just like you, Do you wanna talk to him, Hannah scrubbed at her eyes again, jesus christ almighty, you don't have to, I can ask him to leave you alone. No, it's fine, is it? My father? The ghost moved to stand right beside us chattering the whole way, yep, it's your dad. I relayed, he's worried about you. The pain in your back is only a tight muscle. You need to stretch when you get off the treadmill.
He wants you to go to a yoga class, but not one of those preposterous competitive classes go to a session that will calm you. Tim should have his blood pressure checked, charlotte needs glasses. Jack is having a problem with a boy in his class but he feels like it would be tattling to speak up about it and Poppy ate a bunch of q tips this morning. She'll be fine but it's going to be a rough couple of nights. Hannah wiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. Ask him if tim is okay?
He can hear you, I said distractedly, trying to listen to her chatty father, he will be fine. But they are going to want to put him on medication. He should do yoga to or walk outside something to calm himself. You should walk together as a family actually. You spend too much time cooped up. It's not good for you. It's no wonder why you're also stressed. Hannah held up a hand, Okay? I get it. We'll walk. But what about our monster? What does he say about that?
Her dad put up his hands in protest. Not my department. He insisted I've got my hands full with the family. Looks like the monster is a me problem. I side scrounging for scone crumbs is my dad with us all the time. Um No, he tries to split his time between you and your siblings and I listened and did my best to keep up. Your little sister never should have married Jason. But what's done is done, carries board again.
He's probably going to quit his job and William is oh, are you sure you want me to say? Okay? Yeah. William is having an affair with his business partner. Your dad is trying to intervene, but there's only so much he can do. Williams business partner is like 25 years older than him, Hannah said doubtfully. Her father let out a deep sigh. He shouldn't have gotten married either. I blame myself As I relayed all of this, Harper began giggling as she wiped away tears. I'm the easy one.
You always were. Her dad said lovingly, but you're in quite a mess now, aren't you? And I can't get you out of it before I could repeat it, Hannah whispered, you should just let us figure things out for ourselves. For once dad, get some rest and what then the ghost demanded, float away into the blazing light, boring, I need to check on carrie, make sure he doesn't get himself kicked out of another apartment. Tell her to the moon and back. And you, he pointed a finger at me.
You figure out how to get rid of that thing. They're not safe there much longer. It's figuring them out. There's nothing I can do. You have to help them and with that he was gone. It took some time for Hannah to pull herself together again. But eventually we got back on the topic of her home. So your monster I prompted, it's outside but it can get inside. Not an animal, not a human, not vapor, but solid and almost as tall as your doorframe. That's right weird.
I said, sipping my pumpkin spice latte, that's all you have to say. What is it? I shrugged. I don't know. Could be a shadow figure. Maybe I looked those up. They look like people. This thing doesn't, what does it look like when it's not slithering around in the shadows or looking like a hooded figure down by the lake. It has a short body, long, thin legs, thin, short arms, tiny wings and uh long curved horns, jesus christ. I muttered, just as claire chimed in. Oh what?
Oh I asked what Hannah said as I listened to my guide. What does it sound like to you? Claire said matter of factly. Well sure. But it hanging out outside. What is she saying? Hannah demanded. Where do you live now? I asked, ignoring the question. We're right on Sabrina Lake, close to the Needham line. I froze. Shit. Claire muttered. I live over on text and brackets. Name of ST omitted and brackets. Oh sure. That's kind of in the area right across the lake. Is something wrong.
There's just been a lot of strange in the neighborhood lately. I explained vaguely explain. Strange. I hesitated. Well, lost time, sinkholes filled with creatures. Weird stones in the woods. Time warps. What in the world? I shrugged. I know it sounds crazy Hannah considered. It does, but it makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one. I mean I've read your blog over the years, but until things started happening at our own house, I never really thought, you know, I get it.
But I thought you guys were in poets corners. I must have mixed you up with someone else. Oh no, we were. But we snagged this place just before the market went absolutely insane with Covid. We'd never be able to afford it right now. We weren't even looking. That's what's so ridiculous about the whole thing then. How'd you end up there? We went to an open house. She trailed off and one thing led to another I guess. You know how it goes better than anyone.
Yeah. We've been in our place for two years and it is the first time we've been in a house this long without putting it back on the market. Do you think you'll stay put. Yes, I said, knocking on the wooden table. For luck. The space is a little tight, but we'll make it work for sure. Actually. The size of this house is one of the things that made it attractive. Hannah confided. It was smaller than our last place. We had. Too much. Damn room. And I was sick of keeping it up.
I was sick of our neighbors too. The lake house is a little cape with an extension and a good sized yard that goes down to the lake. It's got tons of privacy, which is what gave us the idea to try and put in a pool. I think that's what caught the things attention. The digging. Oh no, that's bad. Huh? In our neighborhood? Yes. Well we didn't finish the pool. The pool company made it sound like it would be no problem to get through the bedrock but it was a nightmare.
They tried drilling down then realized that it was more involved and when they started talking about blasting, I just put the brakes on the whole thing and told them to stop and refill what they dug out. It would have been about twice the cost. We anticipated yada yada yada. At any rate. The spa was already done. Not that we ever used the damn thing. Oh really? I giggled, Hannah managed to smile. It sounds absurd. I know.
I just, sorry, I don't mean to minimize just the thought of a demon splashing around in your hot tub made me laugh. Hannah's face fell So you do think it's a demon. I nodded and apologized again, Hannah side. I was just hoping maybe it was one of those weird elemental things you're always writing about on the blog. It doesn't sound like it. Tell me what it does. Well, I first noticed it at night, I was sitting in our living room and through the window I saw something moving down by the lake.
It was a little after dusk so I didn't have a great view, but it looked like there was a tall hooded figure pacing back and forth at the edge of the water. I went out to the back porch and called out to what I thought was a person and it just stopped pacing and then like sort of melted down into the ground. Yeah, I've been home alone and the kids were at sports and tim wasn't home from work yet. It freaked me out, but it was dark ish out. I convinced myself it was a trick of the water, you know.
But then charlotte, my oldest saw the guy or whatever it was the following afternoon when I sent her out to get the mail before dinner, she came running inside.
All worked up, she said some guy in a costume was watching her from the trees beside the driveway And then tim saw when he left for work early one morning we parked the cars facing the woods and when he turned on his headlights he saw a man in a hooded robe standing about 15 or so feet back in the woods just staring at him, scared the hell out of him. He got out and went looking, but again the guy just disappeared. He didn't want to leave us.
So he came in and we called the police they couldn't find anything. And poor Jack sat out his window at bedtime. He said it was standing right in the yard just staring at his window. Good grief! I muttered. Yeah. Soon after that strange things began happening in the house. We were laying in bed one night and tim and I heard footsteps on the roof. Again we called the police and again they found absolutely nothing.
We have a security system which gave us some comfort but it was incredibly frightening. Our laundry's in the basement and that's where I first noticed something moving in the shadows. Hannah closed her eyes and shook her head. Since then I've been washing our clothes at the laundromat on route 1 35. There's strange noises at the house. She went on bangs and taps with no cause um what about that thing with wings? I interrupted, when did it show up? Oh I woke up in the middle of the night.
I don't know what woke me up. I looked over and that thing was standing over tim just staring down at him, jesus! Was he awake? No at least not until I screamed. The thing just melted away like that hooded figure I saw by the lake. I'm so sorry. That is truly terrifying. Is anybody in your family acting weird weird? Yeah. Like do the kids and tim seem like themselves? Oh well sure. I mean we're all a little on edge but no one's heads are spinning around if that's what you mean. I smiled good.
So it sounds like you're in the infestation stage headed for oppression. Not sure what that means. Demonic possession doesn't just happen. I explained there are stages first. It's an infestation like all the haunted house stuff you're describing, then comes oppression, you might be physically attacked and you'll definitely have nightmares and then wait, tim is having bad nightmares. He won't tell me what they're about but I know they're really bothering him.
Okay, well let's get someone in there to clear the house. Toute suite and we'll put some protections around the property. It should help if it doesn't, we'll keep trying things until it sticks. Hannah smiled, wow, okay, so easy as that. Well, I mean not that easy but yeah, there are people who can help you. Oh I feel so relieved. There's something else said Claire.
Oh come on, I said without thinking what is it, Hannah demanded there's something hidden in her home, I don't know where but you've got to get it out of there, Claire explained there's something in your house. I relayed like what? Whispered Hannah, you should go there. Claire insisted you're supposed to go and look you're coming though right, Claire shook her head, coming. Where?
Asked Hannah, We need to go look, I explained trying to hide my skyrocketing anxiety if Claire didn't want to go, It only meant one thing that demon had made itself right at home now, asked Hannah. Yes, we have to get it out of there. It's gorgeous. I told her as I shut my car door and approached the house. The home sat at the top of a rolling lawn lined by mostly pine trees at the far edge like the lake.
We've been in a pretty severe drought for months and you could see just how far the water level had dropped on the way in dock pilings. Hannah invited me inside and offered me a bubbly water. She showed me around the small home and we ended up in the living room overlooking the water to say I was tense would be an understatement. It felt like we were in for a jump scare at any moment.
The house had adorable, cozy cottage vibes, it had a lot of personality, it should have been comfortable on top of that, the views were perfect, but I found myself not wanting to look out any of the windows, afraid of what might pop up. Well, Hannah said anxiously, Yeah, it's spooky here, sorry, but I haven't pinpointed anything in particular. I understood why Claire didn't want to tag along but I felt like I was flying blind.
There were no dead people around none, so I couldn't try and dig around for any information. I closed my eyes and tried to focus. Are you ok? Yes, just give me a minute. I said as patiently as I could. There was silence and then a huge bang rang out through the house like a door slamming shut. I nearly jumped out of my skin. What the hell was that, Hannah whispered. It sounded like it came from your kitchen. We stared at each other for a long moment.
Then I reluctantly led the way out of the room. Does everything look okay in here? Is there anything out of place? Hannah studied the kitchen and didn't find anything unexpected. That's the kind of thing that happens all the time. These loud noises with no explanation. The mud room. What about it? I don't know, I replied, trying to keep the edge out of my voice on a scale of 1 to 10. I was at about a 12 in terms of terror. I just had the thought mud room pop into my mind. Where is it?
Hannah pointed to a French panel door in the corner towards the front of the house. I opened it tentatively and peered into a cramped room. One wall held hooks, the other two sliding doors that I assumed belonged to a coat closet. I took a step inside. Well, Hannah pressed the rug, I replied, pointing down. I know it's ridiculous to have a rug in a mud room. It'll only get ruined. I keep meaning to have it replaced with tile. It looks like it's in good shape though, I pointed out.
Yeah, I think they probably replaced it right before we bought the house. It needs to come up, Hannah scoffed, There's something under there. We have to look. It didn't take long to pull the rug out by an edge. We stared down at a two by two hinged but handle this door in the floor set squarely in the center of the room. You're kidding me, Hannah breathed.
I jammed the same knife we'd used to pry up the corner of the rug underneath the door the whole while Hannah insisting that we wait until her husband got home flinging the hatch up and open. I gazed down into a dark space. This is how it gets inside, I said, but that doesn't make any sense. It's been sealed off. None of this makes any sense really, I countered. I mean we're talking about demons and ghosts and extrasensory perception. It's all completely and totally unbelievable. But here we are.
I used the flashlight on my phone to peer into the darkness on the cement floor of a cement line room, said a bundle of what appeared to be sticks, dried flowers and something gooey. I gazed around the subterranean space as best I could. There was a ladder I side don't even think about it, Hannah nearly yelled. We have to get that creepy little bundle out of here. Do you have a dust pan? She did. I took it and a real flashlight down the six ft ladder and realized that the space was in a room.
It was the end of the tunnel and the flashlight didn't reach the other end. I took a few steps forward. What are you doing, Hannah hissed. It's a long tunnel. I said I'm just going to see where it leads. I think it might go down to the lake. What in the hell has gotten into? You, grab that weird bundle of weeds and get back up here? I stopped. She was right. What was I thinking? It was completely out of character.
I put that disgusting bundle into the dust pan and struggled back up the ladder with it. You're shaking, Hannah said once I'd made it back up to the mud room. Do you have someplace else you can stay until we figure out what's going on here, I replied. So then we went outside and I was telling Hannah, I touched base with you and Betty and try to come up with a plan to protect the house. When who happens to pass by on a walk kate Del Vish guessed Judith. I stared at her. Don't look so shocked.
You know she's lurking around right. Well she came over and introduced herself. She was like, your name sounds so familiar so Hannah mentioned my blog and she goes, oh sure that must be it. The woman absolutely gives me the willies and get this. She's Hannah's next door neighbor. That sucks. What should we tell her? I mean, what can she do to protect her family from that thing? Move Judith replied simply, I don't think she can. We both fell silent.
I was thinking about salt and sage and ST Benedict medals. Eventually I asked, what are you thinking? Do you think kate pulled that demon up, Judith shook her head maybe? I don't know, sorry, my mind wandered. I was thinking about the fe do you think it has something to do with Hannah's house? No, no, I just Well, the thing you made a deal with was a banshee, right, that's what Claire called it, Judith tisk. What? Well, what do banshees typically do scream? I guessed that earned me a look.
They do scream, said Judith and when they do it's because they're warning of impending death. I've made a commitment to keep our space ad free. But if you are interested in doing something priceless to help the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen and follow me at ghosts in the burbs on instagram and tiktok. Those things are incredibly valuable.
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Tis the season to read clown in a cornfield by adam caesar. Listen to the Country Club mystery series by julie Mulhern on audible or wherever you listen to audiobooks, audiobooks, it is peak cozy. And finally wait until nighttime when it's nice and dark and quiet and watch the Blair Witch project without looking at your phone.
Then the next morning take a long walk in the woods and relish the horribly terrifyingly spooky feelings that come up oh and set your cell phone ringer to something spooky. The witches of Eastwick theme song is currently alerting me to calls and texts. All right until next time. Good night. Sleep tight. And don't forget your nightlight.