Halloween

Ghost Girl 5 (A Poem)

/ Katie / 4 Comments

I write a “Ghost Girl” poem every year, and this year, it’s a little different. See, one of Lucy’s favorite things to do right now (spooky season or not) is to throw a sheet or blanket or towel over her head – probably one that she stole from the laundry basket or out of the cabinet while I wasn’t looking – and pretend to be a ghost. She walks around going “Boo!” and “OOOoooOOO,” and says, “I’m a ghost!” So, here you go, my sweet girl. This year’s poem is all yours. I hope you like it, you know, one day when you can read.

Blink and you’ll miss me.
I’m fast and I’m sneaky,
and I know what I want you to see.
Some call me the Goddess of Thieves.
I sometimes call myself a ghost.
Mostly, I’m whatever I want to be,
and you better believe it –
I can get away with anything!

Ghost Girl 1

Ghost Girl 2

Ghost Girl 3

Ghost Girl 4

EVP 5 (A Poem)

/ Katie / 26 Comments

It scares you, doesn’t it?
Here in the dark,
hemmed in by the damp, whole smell of earth and air
and the endless lapping of the water,
the spindly fingers of the trees crawling their way up into the night,
you feel it, I know,
that you’re not alone.
Yes, I’m here, and I’ll talk,
if only because you want to,
though you won’t like what I say.
You’d do well to remember, my curious friend,
to look beyond your lens and listen past your recordings
and truly see –
there are worse things haunting this place,
terrors more frightening and damned creeping in
the shadows of this world,
than me.

EVP 1

EVP 2

EVP 3

EVP 4

Happy Halloween!

/ Katie / 20 Comments

From our family to yours. 😊

May you always believe in magic…and in friends, frolicking, harmless mischief, and the utterly restorative power of candy.

(We’re the Belcher kids from Bob’s Burgers. It’s okay if you didn’t know. No one else did either. Lol.)

October Eve (A Poem)

/ Katie / 4 Comments

Welcome to the ghoulies and the ghosties
and the spirits
of ancestors long since dead,
and welcome to those who remember them as if they are still here.
Welcome to oranges and golds
and to wood smoke and sunsets and the chill in the air
that reaches your bones and your toes.
Welcome to October,
to the darkening of the year,
to traditions and tales to tell and moments of reflection.
Welcome, welcome, to the ancient
Month of Stories.
Sit for a spell and take your share.

Loudoun’s (Possibly) Most Haunted House in 2024

/ Katie / 11 Comments

Another year, another visit to Loudoun County’s (maybe) most haunted house! And this one might be my last, for reasons that I’ll talk about in an upcoming post. (Are you curious? I hope so!)

Anyway…

Here she is, in all her crumbling glory, as of October 2024:

And here’s last year’s post, for comparison: https://myvirginiadiary.com/2023/10/30/this-years-visit-to-the-maybe-most-haunted-house-in-loudoun/

They say nothing lasts forever, and this house certainly won’t. In the years that I’ve been visiting, I’ve watched the old girl deteriorate a little more each season.  

And who knows if the house’s story will outlast it. I hope I’ve done my part, at least, to capture some of the mystery. It will never be anyone’s home again, but perhaps it can be someone’s memory. Even if it’s only mine.

P.S. As I do every year, I’ll add this disclaimer:  This house is on private property, and there are no trespassing signs posted, so please don’t go poking around where you’re not welcome. It’s easy enough to take a picture from the road.

This year’s visit to the (maybe) most haunted house in Loudoun…

/ Katie / 7 Comments

In what is becoming one of my favorite traditions for the spooky season, I stopped by the (maybe) most haunted house in Loudoun County again this year.

I’ve posted about it since 2020. Is it the most haunted in Loudoun County? I don’t know. But I do know, as of now, it’s still standing, though for how long is anyone’s guess.

Here it is, just yesterday:

Not much change, I think, from last year.

It’s little more than a ruin now, and has been for some time. I don’t think it’s been inhabited since the 1980s, possibly before, and it’s fascinating and sad to watch it crumble. You can see signs that it was once a beloved, well-kept home – the delicate dental molding at the front, what was once a fireplace on the second floor, remnants of bright white paint on the exterior bricks.

It’s certainly not a home anymore. But whether it’s empty? Well, who can say for sure?

P.S. As I did last year and the years before, I’ll add this disclaimer:  This house is on private property, and there are no trespassing signs posted, so please don’t go poking around where you’re not welcome. It’s easy enough to take a picture from the road.

*And one more quick note: October’s short story will be posted one day late, on November 1st. I think it’s going to be a good one, so check back if you’re interested!*

Is my house haunted?

/ Katie / 22 Comments

When Graham and I decided to buy an old house, and in the process of looking for just the right one, a surprising number of people asked us if we were worried about ghosts. And the short answer is, no, not especially.

I believe in ghosts. I always have. And I’ve been to a few places I’m certain are really, truly haunted. But I’m not particularly afraid of ghosts, and as we toured historic homes, I wasn’t concerned that we might be walking into our own ghost story.

We did look at one home – it was our second choice, actually – that I felt pretty certain had a ghost or two.

But our house? No, I don’t think it’s haunted.

It’s a question we get a lot. Every time someone comes to visit for the first time, they usually ask. And I can’t blame them! This is, after all, a very old house in a very old village with a cavalry battle in its history. There’s certainly been a lot of opportunity for this house to acquire a spirit or two.

And sometimes, I wonder if I might be wrong.

Often, people will suggest we do a ghost hunt. They’ll offer, and talk about how exciting it would be, and how their friends are really into that kind of thing. And…just no. Y’all, I have to live here. Why would I want to invite the possibility of being frightened in my own home?

This house is cozy. It’s happy. I’ve always felt like it’s a happy space. And so, even if there is a ghost or two roaming around, I don’t think they have any intention of bothering us. I feel lucky to live here, and grateful. A house doesn’t have to have a ghost story to have a story. I’m fortunate to be part of this one.