Photo courtesy of Free Stock Image Pictures – Pexels
It’s no secret that Newnan has a unique relationship with the supernatural.
Depending on how long you’ve lived here, you’ve experienced anywhere from 1 to 230 ghosts. Your experiences range from adorable to horrifying. Your out-of-state friends range from doubtful to fearing for your safety. Your interest in hunting them ranges from having already caught a ghost or having a dozen ghost roommates, and you all are pals about it.
But all ghosts and their stories are NOT apparated equal.
There are thousands of stories about ghosts in Newnan, Senoia, Turin (I think Turin is exclusively ghosts), and our nearby neighbors. In this new blog series, we will grade the most bonkers, believable, and sp-sp-spooky ghosts and their tales.
When a friend and I decided to rent out a home, we were very excited to find an affordable little home that wasn’t far from work. The house had three bedrooms and 1 and 1/2 bathrooms. You could tell that the half bath located in the master bedroom had once been a full bath. For some reason the bath tub had been removed and a closet installed instead. You could see that the hole that once held the water hookups had been taped over, but we didn’t care the thought of an extra closet only added interest.
One day before we moved into the house, we met with the landlord to sign a lease and get our keys. We were so excited that we went into the home right away to look around and decide on paint colors. As soon as we entered the living room we heard a noise in the back of the house; it sounded as if something fell off of the wall. We called out but heard no answer so we searched the home opening every door, every closet and finally met back up in the living room each of us finding nothing. It was only then we noticed the closet in the living room, the only closet we hadn’t checked yet. My friend grabbed the handle, she found herself struggling to open the door it would crack and then slam itself back. Finally the door gave way we quickly looked inside, only to find one line written on the wall. “In 1859 Gilbert was here.:) ” So, we all know that Sharpies weren’t around in 1859 so we decided a previous renter must have had an imaginary friend.
Later that day another friend of ours came over to lend us a hand in painting, we told him what had happened and that it shook us up a bit. He told us not to worry, he was sure we were hearing things. As he was painting the laundry room I jokingly told him to call out the name Gilbert. As soon as he did the water heater kicked on, which was spooky because the power was not yet turned on.
After several bad dreams, strange noises, breaking glass, and lights turning off and on we finally decided that enough was enough. We called an old friend that instructed us to use salt to cleanse the home; this method worked for about a month or so. Finally we braved up and bought a pendulum. We sat in the middle of the living room floor and started asking questions. We asked for a name and age. We found out the spirit was a little girl at the age of two. We drew out the alphabet so she could spell out her name. Annabelle. We drew out a diagram of the home and asked if she had died there. Yes. We asked her if she was able to leave the home. No. She thought that she had drown in the bath tub in the back of the house. After more questions and responses we decided to do a little researching of our own.
We found that there is a two year old little girl buried in a local cemetary named Ann Eliza Gilbert. Before we left the house when our lease was up we asked if there was something she would like. Yes. She wanted us to leave her a doll and some candy in one of the drawers in the kitchen. I asked her to come with me when I left the home, I don’t believe she did.
We’ve read a GREAT ghost story with the types of elements that you need to be adequately spooked:
- You’ve got new residents.
- You’ve got a spot of death.
- You’ve got creepy noises.
- You’ve got character.
- You’ve got surprises.
- You’ve got an open-ended ending.
This is a genuinely spook-cellent ghost story, and the writer understands the assignment: spook my pants off and spank me with a translucent belt. I like to think the ghost girl is haunting Summer Grove and slowly making her way through resident after resident who moves in and thinks they’re better than us non-neighborhood-livers.
So, what’s wrong? The name Annabelle is cringe and almost guarantees this is a story by a giant fake artist trying to lure us in with promises of dead people and ghosty-boos. We also have a problem with the “we later discovered there was a child buried named…” as this realization is void of explanation and comes across as a simple coincidence. Ghosts don’t deal in coincidence! They deal in horrifying spooks and surprise! The word is “Boo!” not “Chance!”
Here is another reason some of the story sucks so bad: “After more questions and responses, we decided to do a little researching of our own.” Wait. What?! Isn’t asking questions to a GHOST considered “a little researching”?!? And also, what questions? Were they relevant questions and responses, or did they ask the ghost how much she’d bet on the Atlanta Braves winning another World Series in the next three years?
New Renters, Old Home, is a story filled with some probability, confusing narrative, and many potential spooks. We like it. Get Boo’d, nerds.
Grading System
The letter indicates how convinced I am
The + / – indicates how believable the storyteller is
F – FAKE!
D – Doubtful
C – Casper (probably a ghost, but not in the typical sense of the word)
B – BOO! (Scared me!)
A – All of my life is now questionable. I shall go forward as a ghost hunter and abandon all other responsibilities. If I die on this hunt, give my belongings to Clothes Less Traveled. Tell my child I love her and that I shall return one day to haunt her (not in a scary way–I’m a great shadow dad).
Newnan Time with Harold 