True Ghost Tales

Root Cellar

I don't know if youwould like to use this story, this is my very first story, so ifyou like to read though it and correct any errors or rewordanything to make it better please be my guest. This is a truestory.

This is the first story I ever wrote, so please take that intoconsideration.

I have lived in New England all my life, my mother was born inCanada and my father in New York State. Like old Northern NewEngland houses, they were built with root cellars. These cellarswere used for storing food and other perishable goods throughoutthe year. Usually the only way to the cellar was inside the homethough a trap door or a stair case, so animals could get in. Thisparticular home the only way to the root cellar was though astair case. Like most New England families from up north we had alarge family. I had four sisters and two brothers. With a largefamily like that my parents had to do odd jobs after dinner forextra money to help with the finances. My parents would workthree times a week for another family about 5 miles down the roadhouse cleaning and other odd jobs.

Well this hot and stormy July night they had to leave a littlebit earlier to get things done before the storms start moving in.My oldest brother would be in charge of us, he was about 16 and Ithe second youngest was 6. Well we were sitting around the radiolistening to our favorite radio broad cast when a knock startedon the cellar door, for a moment we though it was coming from thefront door, but who would be visiting at 7:00 in the evening withsuch bad storms in the area. Joe got up and went straight to thecellar door and put is ear to the door, I guess to make sure thatit was coming from there. Just as he put his ear to the door, itstarted to get louder and louder and we ran to the door to bracedour self against it to make sure nobody gets in. with six orseven of us screaming and crying as the knock was getting louderand louder and the door is starting to crack as if their was alarge person banging at the door.

It really took all of us to stop the door from opening with thepounding that went on it seems for about five minutes. Then therewas load thunder sound that was like a bomb going off and lightsflickering and my sister and myself screaming, it was just tomuch to handle, I started to run to the front door and as I reachthe door my parents walked in, and to their surprise to see usleaning up against the door, my father couldn't hesitate to askwhat the hell is going on. As we all started to tell how we hearda knocking sound from the root cellar, my father would did notwant to hear the nonsense. As my father started to raise hisvoice to all of us , my mother raised her hands for my father tobe quiet. As every one started to settle down we started to hearfoot steps coming from the cellar stair case and we all startedscreaming again. just like all fathers do just with the raise ofthe hand you knew he wanted silence. As he listened to the soundof the foot steps coming closer to the door, he braced himselfagainst the door like he expected someone to shove the door open,then suddenly with another crack of thunder something pushed onthe door and almost knocking my father to the floor. Aseverything is taking place, like a mother would do, my motherstarted to gather her children in a corner of the room away fromthe door. My father screamed saying get the kids outside, as mymother pushing one by one outside there was another crack ofthunder and then another, as the cellar door flew open and myfather fell to the floor grabbing something for defense. As thelightning flashed and lite the room, the open door way was empty.

As my father grabbed a hammer and a flesh light out of thecabinet, he started down the stairs with caution. With my motherand us kids in the corner of the room with a candle burning forus to see, my mother reach on the wall and pulled down the crossshe had hanging on the wall since we moved there two yearsearlier. She was a strong Catholic and she started praying alltypes of prayers and I got more frightened by just knowing thatmy mother was afraid. It felt that my father was down there foralong time and I started to think that something could havehappened to him, especially with my mother starting to praylouder. With another flash of lightning and a loud crack ofthunder again we spotted a figure in the door way of the cellar.with another flash of lighting we could see it was our fatherreturning from the cellar. as we all started to ask what wastrying to get in, my mother told us quiet down and lite some morecandles. My mother walked over to my father and asked, are youall right and my father said yes. My mother said what was it,what was down there, and he said nothing I couldn't find anything.I couldn't believe what I was hearing because I knew I heard andseen with my own eyes and ears the terrible sounds that wascoming from that cellar door. My father stood there stunned andunable to say any thing else except for the words , there wasnothing down there with total surprise.

My mother knowing that she knew that someone or something brokethe door and scared our family half to death, she just grabbedthe hammer and a nail and hung the cross over the cellar door.Nobody ever went down there except for my father when he broughtevery thing up that we needed and nailed the door closed. Wenever talked about it again, because my mother told us all thatwith the cross hanging over the door no one or nothing will harmus. We moved out of that house within six months, my parentsnever left us a lone again in the house, and every day we wouldkneel down and say prayers. Was there some thing in the cellarand was it evil ? or was it used as a hiding place during theunderground railroad and a slave was locked in the cellar anddied trying to get out. I went by the house one time about fiveyears ago, it is still standing, but unlivable any more. Thevegetation is almost covering the old home.