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Come on and join author Melissa Bradley as she sets off on her latest adventure...

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If you are not 18, please exit stage left. While there is normally nothing naughty here, I do write and review erotica so there are links to spicy stuff and the occasional heated excerpt.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

I Do Believe In Ghosts, I Do Believe In Ghosts...MOMMY!!!!!

LOL, love that title? It's Halloween and not only is it time for scary movies, monsters, serial killers and of course Trick R Treating, it's also time for ghosts. Chicago is one hell of a haunted town. We have so many ghosts running around, we're also known as Undead Central. Our ghosts even vote. Just ask former Mayor Daley. ;)

Before I get started with my post, let me share my You Should Know person for this week. Because it's Halloween and his blog centers around zombies, I think you should get to know Jeremy at iZombieLover.

Jeremy is a talented graphic artist with a hellagood, slightly skewed sense of humor. His artwork is incredible. It's creepy, it's intense and it's definitely unique. He'll turn you into a zombie, too, if you dare...Imagine that Christmas card going out to family. As if being an incredible artist isn't creative enough, the guy is also an amazing writer with a graphic novel out called Chatterbox.

Now on to my ghostly post. We have some very cool haunted places here in Chicago and places that are just plain notorious and infamous for grisly happenings. These sites have been known to have some residual spiritual activity or outright ghosts and phantoms. I've had some eerie encounters at these places and no, not full-bodied ghosts and stuff, but things. Here's a couple that creeped the hell out of me and made me want my mommy.

Mt. Carmel Cemetery is located in suburban Hillside, not far from Queen of Heaven where my grandparents are buried. This is where Julia Buccola Petta, the Italian Bride, has her permanent resting place. Julia died in childbirth in 1921 and within a few months her mother began having dreams that her daughter was still amongst the living and needed her help. For six years the dreams continued and in all that time, her mother tried to get Julia's grave opened. Finally, she succeeded and when the coffin was exhumed and opened, Julia's body was found to be entirely in tact, no decay whatsoever. Take a gander.

The picture was taken when they opened her casket and you can see the perfect condition of her body while the coffin is muddy and looks the worse for wear. Now, they say you see a woman in white near her grave, but I didn't see anything when I was there with my friends. HOWEVER, I did feel something when I got a few feet from her grave. Something took my right hand. Seriously. It was like someone slipped their hand in mine, but it was as if that hand were made of ice. I sucked in all the oxygen around me in a slow, hard breath. Every hair was on end. Now granted it was winter, but I had my gloves on and it was only my right hand. I choose to believe that I had a haunted encounter and you won't convince me otherwise anytime soon.
Another time, I attempted to go into Bachelor Grove, one of the most haunted cemeteries in America. The activity here ranges from mysterious balls of light to disappearing car and a strange woman. The picture at the left is purported Madonna of Bachelor Grove. She's been photographed dozens of times over the decades. A few years ago I went by myself, during the day, of course, to see what I could see. I never made it past the No Trespassing sign as dread froze me in my tracks. I tried walking, but my legs would not move. I was overwhelmed with fear. I don't know how long I stood there until I was able to run back to the car. I am planning to go with some friends this time and we'll see what we see. Call me a nut job, but I want to face this dread and see if I encounter anything inside the place.

18 comments:

  1. I love haunted places and haunted people. Sometime we will have to compare ghost notes. :)
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  2. AAAAHHHH!!!
    what's with all you crazies SEEKING OUT the ghosts!?!??!!
    be careful lady, no pulling a zak bagan on me!

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  3. careful what you wish for, haven't you learn nothing from horror movies? :)

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  4. You'll have to go back!
    And Jeremy is one awesome dude. Chatterbox was a cool read.

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  5. I got a little chill. I don't want to see a ghost. I don't, I don't, I don't.

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  6. Hello! (((((hugs)))))

    It’s so awesome to visit your lovely blog today on this Halloween blog hop. I think this is an awesome opportunity to meet other authors! I’m joining your blog and I hope you’ll join mine, too, so we can learn more about one another.
    My favorite monster movie is Night of the Living Dead and I’m dressing up as a mime. Mime is one of the most ancient forms of theatre, appearing around the time of the Greek tragedies. I hope to perfect the art and technique of portraying a mood, idea, or narration by gestures and bodily movements. The only problem is…that I have a big mouth! LOL. It’s so nice to meet you!

    Chrissy

    P.S. I’d love to connect with you online! My blog link is http://chrissypeebles.blogspot.com/. My Facebook link is: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrissy.peebles1 My twitter link is: http://twitter.com/#!/ChrissyPeebles1

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  7. I love haunted places. The atmosphere is always so amazing. Though I do get genuinely creeped out sometimes! :-)

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  8. Oh, Ms. B! Great link to Jeremy's blog - that guy's like the Wolgang Puck of Zombie art! And fantastic graveyard stories! Brush Harbor is local haunted cemetary near my hometown - you drive off the main highway a mile or so - then off the side road into a field - you drive up the side of it, then angle off to the right, eventually coming to a clearing. Then you have to walk across a footbridge to get into the graveyard. The footbridge goes over a dry creekbed about 6-8 feet deep - just deep enough to hide ANYTHING in its inky blackness as you walk over - even the car headlights don't light up that darkness...(shudder)...in the graveyard are two haunted graves and one that is just creepy and cool - the creepy cool one is is a gravestone with a piano keyboard carved in - and it also has something built in that catches the wind...producing an eerie tone when you're out in the place at night...as for haunted - one gravestone is often seen with a glow near it on certain nights - I've only made it into the place twice - I did not see the glow - but I know people who swear they did...the other is a headstone with one of those etched stone portraits on it - but not of the occupant below - no, this etching is a picture of the man's beloved car - one of those old Dusselberg type rolling yachts. Well, one night a good friend and some of his school chums ended up in Brush Harbor...and one of the drunken pals relieved himself on that tombstone with the car pic...well, as short time later, they left, and as they came around the angled curve onto the side of the field - HEADLIGHTS popped on behind them back up the side of the field. They freaked and tore out of there. The other car followed rapidly. A state trooper or county sheriff's deputy, maybe? Oh no - my friend looked back when they were back on the side road - the pursuing car went under a street light mounted at the edge of the field and it was an OLD DUSSELBERG STYLE AUTOMOBILE, ALL BLACK...they really freaked out then. The car chased them towards town - but suddenly stopped the pursuit when they crossed a creek a few miles from the cemetary. The lights didn't turn off - they just winked out...what is they say about spirits crossing running water...?

    Great Halloween post, MB! Superb!

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  9. iZombie's blog is sensational, no doubt about that! :)

    Undead Central? Really?:) I had no idea that Chicago is such a ghostly city. So cool.

    OMG, both stories are so creepy and so spooky. I believe ghosts exist, though I've never experienced a ghost encounter in my life. Not sure if I want to. LOL.

    Great post, hon. Just great!

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  10. Ooo, definitely freaky creepy! I can't believe her body was so preserved like that! I'm getting the heebie jeebies, which is why I tend to avoid haunted places. Lol, I'm kind of a wimp. Just stopping by from the Halloween Hop. My favorite spooky movie is The Nightmare Before Christmas, and I'll be dressing as a devil this year with little clip on horns and everything!

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  11. @Jules We will indeed have to compare. I cannot get enough of haunted places, the stories are always so compelling.

    @Vics I know, I'm a nut job with this haunted stuff, but i can't help myself. ;)

    @Dezz You know, you'd think I would learn a lesson from those horror film fools, but...;)

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  12. @Alex You'll be the first to know when I go back. I have ghost-hunting adventure I'm planning for next year.

    @L.G. The feelings were enough for me. I think I'd faint if I ever saw a real apparition. Or have an accident . LOL

    @Chrissy Hi!! It' very nice to meet you as well. Welcome to the Imaginarium. I will certainly be heading over to your blog ASAP. Mimes are cool, it takes a lot of talent to wordlessly express yourself. I hope you post video or a picture. And we have something in common already, I LOVE Night of the Living Dead.

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  13. @Sangu I agree, there is just something compelling about haunted places. I'm drawn to them like a mosquito to those backyard bug killer lights. :)

    @Craig Oh my God!!! That is one wicked awesome ghost story. I think I might have to come to your town and check that out. I'm planning a huge ghost-hunting trip next year with a friend of mine. I want to do a live blog when we go. Maybe I can figure out a webcast or something.

    @Free Hi there and welcome to the Imaginarium. Thanks for the follow, I appreciate that very much. Your costume sounds wicked cool as I love dragons.

    Hellraiser is an awesome horror click and Pinhead is certainly a fave villain. I'll be checking out your blog ASAP. Looking forward to your future visits. :)

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  14. @Nebular Hey there! Chi town is haunted up the wazoo. I've got lots of tales I think you;d enjoy and I'll have to share them with you. I'm so happy you enjoyed the post. I'm going a real ghost-hunting trip with a friend next year and I'll have to tell you all about it.

    @lynnhubbard Hi!! It's very nice to meet you. IT was an incredible story that terrified me the first time I read it. An Elmo snuggy sounds like the perfect costume. I wonder if I can find a werewolf one. :)

    @Cortney Hi there!! Jack Skellington rules as far as I'm concerned. I love that devil costume. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going as. I went as an inflatable 8 ball one year. What a hoot that was.

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  15. Happy Halloween Hop, Melissa! Good to *meet* you and thanks so much for the haunted history tour of Chicago - reminds me of all the spooky stories I heard when I lived in New Orleans ;)

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  16. @Shelley Hi and welcome to my corner of the blogosphere. New Orleans is an intriguing and dashing city that I just love. Glad you liked my Chitown ghost stories. It's great to meet you as well. :)

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  17. Dropping by for the Halloween hop :-)

    My favourite scary movie or book...erm well i'm not really a fan of anything scary as well to be honest lol! A total wimp!
    This year i won't be dressing up until next month when i go and visit my sister in Scotland. Not a clue what i'm going to wear yet...lol.

    New follower here :-)

    TToria
    xo
    http://ttoria.blogspot.com

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  18. @TToria Hi there and welcome! It's great to see your here and to meet you. I'm glad you decided to drop in on the fun. My costume this is up in there until the end. No planning on my part this time. :(

    Scotland sounds like it will be a blast.

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