My wife, Cassie Reynolds forgot our camera at work again , so these are pictures from last year. But, most of it looks pretty much the same this year, so at least you get an idea of what our front porch and yard looks like around Halloween.

Starting with the front porch…

Dracula. This was one of my first creations. I made our friend Drac’s head from a Styrofoam wig stand and stuffed his body with fiberfoam. The coffin was cut from a single 4x8 sheet of plywood and Cassie Reynolds and I painted it, lined it with quilted fabric, and added trim and handles.

I figured the front room and the dining room would take most of my time. The butler’s and cook’s quarters would be the easiest and the parlor wouldn’t be so bad. The kitchen, I thought, is always the hardest, and this one is no exception. It needs new tile and the pantry with all the shelves need painting, not to mention pulling out the stove and refrigerator and replacing the kitchen sink.

After my new curtains were hung, I got back over to the main house at about one-thirty and started cleaning and patching holes in the walls. I took down the doors and removed all the switch and plug plates. While I was working, I made a mental list of other tasks that would come next.

The windows on the first floor were a bit bigger than the ones upstairs but still had sixteen panes of glass in each one. Painting each of the little wood pieces between the glass is always a chore in itself. So far the window putty looked good, not cracked or missing, but that would have to wait until I was working outside.

All of the rest of the trim was stained wood and varnish except for the windows themselves, they were white. The floor in the front room was nice, needing just some light sanding and the only part that was going to take any time was around the fireplace. Ash has a way of staining about anything, even with a large hearth.

The dark oak trim that went up to meet the mantle was nice. I wondered if it was a mirror or a painting that hung above it at one time. I could see the ouline that was left by something.

The bathroom that was off the front room would be simple. Its floor was tile and had tile up the walls halfway. The toilet, pedestal sink, glass towel bar and the mirror with lights on either side were fine but there was some patching needed. They must have been big believers in pictures.

I decided to come back the next day and start sanding. I guessed that the front rooms were more for show since they were kept in much better condition than the upstairs rooms had been. It might not take as long as I thought.

It was starting to get late and I was tired, probably because I hadn’t had enough sleep because of that dang haint. Oh well, I’ll just clean up my tools and come back tomorrow for another day. I decided to leave the lights on where I’d been working but shut them off in the kitchen. First, though, I used the kitchen sink to clean my tools, after all I had to replace that sink anyway. I figured I'd just go out the back door when I was ready to leave.

While I was there in the kitchen, I had an idea. Tomorrow I’ll bring my radio over here and turn it on while I’m working. The background noise will help me to keep my mind on what I’m doing instead of thinking about some haint. Why didn’t I think of that before? I decided that the next time I went to town, I’d get me a new radio to use in the garage apartment and keep my old Philco over at the main house to use. Now I feel better about the whole thing.

Back at the apartment, I turned the radio on and read my newspaper while I ate, then went directly to bed. No haint-watching tonight, I’m too tired. It was around nine-thirty.

As soon as I laid down, I couldn’t help it, I started thinking about the haint. Dangit, I couldn’t go to sleep until I at least looked – curtains or not.

...To be continued...
 

“I decided not to go over to the house, but I sat back in my chair and fumed for a while.

Great, just great. All I need is her back again. I wonder if it’s just me. Maybe it is. Maybe I’m just too relaxed tonight and my mind is playing tricks. I know I saw her before. Maybe I’m just wanting her to come back, wanting somebody to keep me company. That’s it, I’ve just been missing having folks around. Then again, why would I want some haint for company?

Nope, it ain’t that, because there goes the shadow again.

She’s back, that’s all there is to it. It just means I’m stuck with this dang haint and I have to work harder to try and get the rest of the house done inside so I can just let her have it. That’s it, as I get things done, I’ll let her do the inspection. I’ll only leave lights on where I’m working so she can look it over. Maybe that’s what it’s all about, she just wants to see what I’m doing here to her house.

As long as she doesn’t do anything to my or my work, like messing up my varnishing or painting or whatever. That’s fine with me.

I’ll just work and let her do whatever at night. I’m not going to let it bother me anymore.
In fact, I’m buying me some dark curtains tomorrow first thing, that way I won’t have to be staying up and all. Like right now it’s ten-thirty, I haven’t seen any shadows pass in a while. She’s probably gone so I should go to bed.

I thought this job was too good to be true. There’s always something. I just wonder if the Campbells know anything about her or if she’s somehow related to them. I’m just wondering, I’m surely not going to say anything. They might not know anything about her and I wouldn’t want them thinking I’m some kind of a nut.

Enough of that thinking, I just need to get to bed.

“I picked up my newspaper and my bowl and did just that.

“The next morning I went over to the house and checked my varnish job. No footprints, no sign of anyone being there. That’s fine.

“I put another coat of varnish down then went to town to buy me those curtains, bringing the window measurements with me. While I was in town, I went ahead and had lunch at the five-and-dime where I bought the curtains.

“I figured by the time I got the curtains hung up, the floor and steps should be dry enough. Anyway, I didn’t need to be going back upstairs, most of the work that was left was on the first floor.”

...To be continued...

 

“After I got home from town I went straight to bed. The next morning I got up early and headed over to the house to get started. It took me almost three hours just to get that carpet off the steps, they sure had put it down good. It was worn in the middle but still wouldn’t come up without a fight.

“After that was out of my way, I started sanding. I stopped long enough to have lunch and went back to it. It took me ‘til five-thirty to get all those stairs sanded and cleaned and after that I started varnishing. I turned on the fan in the attic and applied a first coat to the attic stairs, then worked my way down the hall and down the main stairs. That took me until nine that night.

“When I got back over to my place, I read the paper, ate dinner, and went to bed. I was going fishing as early as I could.

“I got up before daybreak, grabbed a bite to eat, and loaded my fishing gear in the truck. Then I got to thinking about it and decided to put another coat of varnish down. I left the house about nine-thirty, so that wasn’t so bad. I figured by the time I stopped to get some ice, bait, and drinks, I’d get to the lake around ten or ten-thirty.

“I found a nice shady spot. I could see a few out in boats but where I was, I had it all to myself. I caught quite a few fish but only three were keepers or eating size. I started packing up around five to head back.

“Once I reached the house I cleaned my catch and got it ready to fry. Then I figured before I got myself cleaned up, I might as well see if I could put another coat of varnish down.

“The varnish was dry enough to put another coat on, so I started again up in the attic and worked my way down. It was dark by the time I reached the bottom step. I plugged in bulbs in all the wall sockets to help dry the floor and stairs, then went over to my place and took a nice long bath.

“After I was all clean it was time to fry the fish. There ain’t nothin’ more tastier than fresh rainbow trout in bacon grease. I coated the fillets with butter then rolled them in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper, threw some onions into the pan to fry with the fish and fixed myself a baked potato with sour cream. I’d even picked me up some ice cream on the way back earlier. When I finally sat down for my feast, I got to thinking to myself, I wonder when if ever was the last time this place had a fish smell in it.

“After I was done, I cleaned up and put the leftover fish in the refrigerator and got the ice cream out of the freezer. I fixed me a bowl of that and went over to sit by the windows and read the newspaper while I ate my dessert. There was a nice cool breeze blowing in. What a nice day it was, I thought. Still got some work done but I feel totally relaxed.

“I was reading the newspaper when something caught my eye over at the house. I set my paper down with my bowl and watched. There it was again, a shadow passed the window. That dang haint’s back. Now what? I was sure I locked all the doors and I’d left all those lights on to help dry the floors and steps. Oh great, now she can’t get out again. No, wait a minute, I left the bathroom doors open and I didn’t leave the lights on in there, so she can use that darkness to do her little disappearing act.

“I considered going over there, but I would hate to have to step on the wet varnish. Wet varnish. You don’t suppose a haint leaves footprints? Dang, that means I might have to sand or rub like hell with steel wool to get them smooth again. What in tarnation is she looking for now? She just comin’ back to see what I’ve done? It’s been over a month and a half since I thought I had gotten rid of her. Now what’s she want?

“Dangit, I was so mad I could’ve spit fire, messing up an almost perfect day. Now here I go again, dang blasted haint.“

...To be continued...
 

There she goes.

“As she walked toward the darkness, she looked happier, I guess as happy as a haint can? She’s gone, hopefully for good. It was time for bed, I figured I’d find out the next day whether she was really gone or not.

“I woke up about seven-thirty and felt really good. Now I can get some work done. I thought it would probably be a lot easier without worrying about running into her again. The day went without a hitch, nothing, no sound, no sight, just nothing but working. I even worked later that day. After I put my tools away and cleaned up I decided to go back to town for a bite to eat again. I came back to the house around eight-thirty, fixed my coffee, and waited to see if the haint was going to come back. I had all the lights on and the back door open, and I felt like a kid with a box of Cracker Jacks and the prize was on top. I waited up ‘til ten-thirty and saw not a sign of her anywhere.

“Yes, sir, I felt proud of myself. I figured I had made a happy haint.

“I went over to the main house and turned off all the inside lights, locked all the doors then headed for bed. The next day I did the same thing, working all day, watching all evening, and saw nothing. Not a single moving shadow.

“This went on for about a month, with me only occasionally turning the lights on and watching to see if she would come back. It was nice being able to work without looking over my shoulder to see if something or someone was there. The only other people I saw there at the house were Charlie Jenkins and his son when they would make a delivery of stuff I needed from the hardware. Other than that, I just kept busy working slowly but surely, getting one room done at a time.

“I would still go to town and I got to know quite a few people there. Once in a while somebody would ask me, “Aren’t you a little nervous about working in that big old place?” That would get me to thinking about the haint again, mostly wondering what it was that she was looking for. Then when I would go back, I’d turn on all the lights just to see if she would appear.

“She didn’t, so I reckoned she found what she was looking for.

“I had the whole upper floor and the attic mostly done: the walls all painted, holes patched, wood floors sanded and varnished, bathrooms cleaned, new fixtures put in, fireplaces swept, mantles revarnished, and window screens all taken down to the garage to be repaired, rescreened, and replaced. I gave the windows themselves a good cleaning and painted the frames, painted all the ceiling fixtures and cleaned the glass, and had hung the doors back up. All that was left to do was to pull up the carpet that ran down the center of the stairs to the main floor and restain and varnish the steps, the staircase to the attic, and the hall floor.

“I had been working most weekends, but this one weekend I decided to take Sunday off. I had heard tell of a good fishing spot from some of the locals and that’s just what I was gonna do, find me a shady spot and fish. I went to town that Friday evening and called Dad to let him know that everything was going well and that I was fine, and to warn him that I’d be needing his help when it was time to do the outside work on the house. Every window had shutters and large overhanging eaves and trim. He said to let him know when and he would be there and told me to ask to see if Harold could help.

“I called Dad every Friday night to check in with him, but that night it felt good to hear a familiar voice. I guess I was feeling a little homesick.”

...To be continued...

 

Hi everybody, this is Cassie Reynolds

I'm giving my husband two gifts, though he doesn't know it at the moment. I'm giving him: 1.) blissful, uninterrupted sleep, and 2.) a blue day by posting this.

He came home today and went straight to bed. I got home at six and let him sleep and he's still sleeping! I'm thinking he needed the rest.

I'm sure he'll be back to working on the Uncle Hayes story tomorrow.


 

Sorry folks, no time tonight for the next episode of Uncle Hayes at the Campbell Mansion. Last night an event came up but didn’t take so long. It was Eric’s last concert. The one I didn’t know about until last minute, as in Eric coming out dressed in his tux, getting ready to leave and telling me about it and asking me if I would come to it. Yep, that one.

Then tonight was the dinner in which the tickets were already paid for ahead of time, but again I’m left asking What dinner?

The menu consisted of things I don’t eat and things the doctor told me not to eat. But they did have great carrot cake, dinner rolls, and coffee.

So here I go again. Just came home from work and a busy hot day at that, Eric informs me he needs new dress clothes. So I have time enough to get something to drink, then it’s off to shopping. An hour and fifteen minutes later we’re back at home with a total new outfit including shoes for Eric. So I sit back down again for a moment, then go inside to start getting ready.

But no. Eric’s getting ready, taking a shower, the whole nine yards. Gee, he gets home around one-thirty, I don’t get home until after three. So back I went to set down and my snookums calls. She’s on her way home, left work early. Dumb me, the more I sit, the more tired I get, the more pain I feel.

Then again another surprise, Eric’s buddy needs a ride too. Again I start for the bathroom and Paige is in there. Back out, sit down. I figure Okay, and say, “Next!” That was dumb, now Eric’s buddy is in there. That’s it, out I went, sat down again.

My wife pulls in, comes inside, gives the cat a hug and tells me, “You need to be ready by five-thirty.” Finally I at least get a smoochie from her, I drag myself into the house, grab my clothes, and head for the bathroom. I have a whole twenty minutes to shower, shave, and get dressed. Okay, I was twenty-five minutes ‘cause I had to tie my dang shoes.

Anyhow, we made it. And enough of me whining and trying to blame someone else. The whole thing is, it was also an award ceremony dinner for the high school band. Eric was recognized for being a graduating senior but was also given the award for “Best Brass.” That means top over twenty or more that play a brass instrument. We were so very proud of him and all the other band members cheered for him.

Ya know, as I sit here writing this, I’ve been up since four Thursday morning, I’m about brain dead, yep, my legs hurt, my arm hurts. But, damn, it is worth seeing your kid get something he deserves, and my wife and I are very proud of him.

P.S. I just wish they'd let me know ahead of time.

Mike

 

"As I pulled into the driveway, I looked at the house and smiled. I drove rather quickly to the back, parked my truck and went upstairs to the apartment I was staying in. I had bought three lawn chairs while I was in town earlier. Better than sitting on crates. I pulled one of them up to the windows that faced the main house. With my coffee sitting on my new end-table-made-from-a-crate, I put my feet on the window sill and began to watch.

"I just sat there, waiting. Occasionally I checked the time.

Nine o’clock, no sign of the haint.

Nine-fifteen, nothing.

Nine-thirty, maybe I was wrong, it wasn’t going to show up.

Nine-thirty-five, a shadow went by the window.

"I jumped up and made myself more coffee, then sat down to watch the show. There it was, moving past one window after the other. It had to be the haint, all the doors and windows were locked up tighter than a drum.

"I had turned on every light in the house, even put lamps where needed. If I’m right, the haint will find whatever it’s looking for, or maybe just realize that what it’s seeking isn’t there and just leave and never come back.

"I continued watching.

"The haint was moving from room to room, upstairs, downstairs, I could see her pass by the kitchen door then back again. I just couldn’t help but think, What the heck is she looking for? A couple times when the shadow was upstairs, it would disappear for a while. I figured it must have gone into the attic where I had no view from this angle. But in a few moments, I saw it again in one of the bedroom windows as it just kept going from one window to the next.

"I sat there for over two and a half hours, just watching. Then I noticed that its movement had started to become more hurried, like it was almost running from room to room, up and down stairs, faster and faster.

"Then a thought occurred to me. With every light on in the house, maybe it couldn’t leave. When I watched it before, it used the darkness to disappear. Shucks, I done trapped the thing! I jumped up, grabbed the keys and took off, taking the stairs two at a time. Rushing out the door, I looked up and could see it was moving frantically about. I hurried over to the back door, unlocked it, and opened it wide. I ran back across the yard to my place and looked up once again. The shadow was still upstairs, so I went inside, back up to my lawn chair in front of the window to watch.

"Again the shadow passed from one bedroom to the other, then finally I could see it downstairs in the dining area, passing back and forth between the windows. I saw it pass the open doorway, heading for the cook and butler’s rooms. This time when it came back, it hesitated in the kitchen.

"I could see the figure standing in the doorway as if it was puzzled by its new find. After a moment or two, the haint came outside.

"I could clearly see that it was the same woman. I watched her move around, looking around the back of the house. She looked happy, even clapping her hands as if she was joyful. Her clapping didn’t make any sound, but it was as if she was satisfied with the fact that she had finally seen the whole house. Maybe that’s why she never came back here to this apartment, because she had seen it? Come to think of it, the moon had been full and the moonlight had lit up the stairway but she stopped before the top step because it was dark. Until I turned the light on, she couldn’t come in any further.

"I just hoped that now she was satisfied and would go away."

...To be continued...

“The man reached out to shake my hand. ‘I’m Edgar Heiskell the Third. What part of the house did you say this came from?’

“‘The attic,’ I told him.

“‘Well, this is probably going to take a while, my grandpa fitted this all by hand. I might even have to replace part of the frame in order to get the glass out.’ I told him I was in no hurry, that I had plenty to keep me busy.

“He smiled and said, ‘I bet. That old house sat empty for quite some time. It will be nice to see it back to its glory again.’

“‘I’m hoping for that myself,’ I said, ‘it’s just going to take some time.’

“We took the window out of the back of the truck and carried it into the shop. I noticed he had stacks of windows, window parts, panes of glass and such sitting around.

“I said to him, ‘You look pretty busy yourself.’

“‘Yeah, I have quite a few repairs needing my attention,’ he said. ‘That’s why my grandpa put the shop way over here near the border of three townships, We get business from all three, we’re the only shop like this around these parts.’ He set the window down flat on the countertop. ‘My son helps me when he gets out of school.’

“I told him again, ‘There’s no hurry on this at all.’

“He smiled and ran a hand over the wooden window frame. ‘I’d like to show my dad this. He’s kind of semi-retired and comes in once in a while or if I have too much to handle, he helps out. He will mind the store when I’m out putting windows in for people or my wife will. He’ll get a kick out of this, seeing his dad’s handiwork and all. As far as I know he may have helped him back then.’

“We said our goodbyes and I left. As I got back into town I figured I should have a look around and let some of the locals know who I was and why I was there. I wandered around for a while then headed back to the house. When I got there, I opened the garage, mixed some spackling compound in a bucket, then headed back upstairs to start working.

“That was one of the best things about that job, I got paid eight hours whether I worked them all at once or split it up. I did work the eight one way or another. I took my spackling, putty knives, and sandpaper into the master bedroom, then went back downstairs for dropcloths and a ladder. Starting on the wall behind where the bed was at one time, I thought to myself, It’s funny how when you take down a picture or move a piece of furniture, you can still see the traces of what was there. I patched holes where pictures had hung, a few cracks around the windows, and the molding that went around the entire ceiling. Then I removed the switch and plug plates, scraped the loose paint from the window frames, and sanded the areas that needed it.

“After I had the room completely ready for painting, I took all of my equipment into the next bedroom. Again I started patching holes from pictures and such, stopping every now and then, listening to hear if anything was about. Nothing, that’s a good sign. No haint.

“I noticed my spackling was running low but thought I had just enough to finish that room. I made a few more trips around the room, looking for anyplace I might have missed. I was pleased with myself. I had it all done except for sanding and doing the windows. It was getting late, so I headed back over to the garage with my bucket and tools so I could get everything cleaned and ready for the next day. I cleaned my stuff up and put everything away, then headed back over to the house to set my plan in motion.

“I went from room to room getting each one ready, then headed back out. It was five thirty in the afternoon. I figured I would head to town where I had seen a restaurant that stayed open ‘til ten and have a sit-down dinner, so I got myself cleaned up to go to town. I went out and got in the truck, looked up at the house, smiled, and drove off.

“Boy-howdy, that was the best dinner I had had in a long time. I was stuffed. I sat there and had two more cups of coffee, then looked at the time, it was almost eight.

“It was time to go back and see if my plan would work or not.“

...To be continued...

 

"There was another large room off from the boiler room. I turned the light on in there and saw that there were small high windows around one side facing east. Each window was about a foot tall, two-and-a-half feet wide, and opened outward. There were shelves all around and pipes heading up and vanishing into the floors above. There was a door over on one wall so I opened it and found that there were steps that led out behind the house with double doors that opened outward at an angle. The room itself was massive and could easily be used for a living space.

"The walls were stone all around but I thought to myself, A person could sheetrock over them and paint if they had a hinkling to. The floor was concrete and I wondered if the original floor might have been hand-laid brick or even dirt before that. I was surprised to notice it wasn’t very damp down there at all. That might have been because of the thickness of the stone walls and who knows how thick the floor was.

"After my tour of rest of the basement, I went back into the room where the boiler was and read the temperature gauge. One hundred and sixty and holding. It seemed to me it was working fine. The maximum on the gauge was six hundred degrees. Why would anybody want to go higher than one eighty? I turned and saw that the fuse panel for the house was on the wall behind me, so I opened it up. Wow. There were a lot of fuses, there was even a space to keep extras. I pulled out my pocket tester and checked each one. All were working, no pennies behind any of them.

"I heard the boiler switch off, so I went back over to look at the gauge. The water temperature was one-sixty-five. That’s good. Now to go back upstairs to check all the faucets. The first one I checked was the bathroom off the livingroom. I turned the hot water on and after some air and some rust-colored water came out, the water became hot. I got the same results in the kitchen, the upstairs bathrooms and the sinks in the attic. That’s one less thing I would have had to fix.

"As I was coming out of the attic bathroom, I saw the window with the cracked glass. I looked at my watch and it was lunch time, so I figured I would eat and then come back and remove the window so I could drop it off at the glass repair place that Charlie Jenkins had told me about.

"Heading back over to where I was staying, I thought, So far, so good, no haints. I’ll know tonight if my plan will work or not. As soon as I finished eating, I went directly back to the attic. That window probably hadn’t been touched in decades, I had a time removing it. After I’d removed the whole window frame from its opening, I tacked plastic over the hole to keep the weather (and critters) out.

"I took the window downstairs and out to my truck and placed it in the back with a blanket wrapped around it. I opened the truck door and found the paper that Mr. Jenkins had given me. It said, Edgar Heiskell, Glass Repair and listed the address. Shucks, that’s clean over on the other side of town. So I hopped in and headed out.

"As I drove down the road, I looked to see where the police officer had pointed to and saw that it was another big house. I chuckled to myself, thinking how most of the houses around there were whoppers and that the folks who live in them must be pretty well off. It’s funny that rich folks only want to live where others are the same financially. Being a person who works on houses, I could tell by their design and the materials that were used to build those homes, about what time period they were constructed. Most were not as old as the Campbell house.

"Soon I could see the sign up ahead, Heiskell’s Glass Repair and Custom Windows. I pulled up front and went on inside. The fellow at the counter was about the same age as me. He asked what he could do for me so I told him how I was working over at the old Campbell place, that only one window needed new glass in it and it was out in the truck.

"He came around the counter and said, ‘Let’s go and take a look at it.’ We went out to the truck and he pulled back the blanket and shook his head.

"I asked, ‘Is there a problem?’

"‘No, no problem,’ he said, ‘I’m just admiring my grandfather’s work. He was the one that put all the windows in the Campbells’ house.’"

...To be continued...

 

"I quickly went down the stairs and watched as she looked around the carport area. I stepped back into the shadows as she went up the side steps as if she could get back in, but she just stood there. Just as I’d thought, she couldn’t go through the door.

"She looked through the window of the door and again there seemed to be a look of disappointment on her face when she saw that it was dark inside.

"I was fascinated by the haint and wondered if she would or could open a door if it was unlocked. I hurried to the back door and unlocked it, but left the light off in the kitchen. The outside light next to the door was still on. When I stepped back to where I could see the carport, she was still there, still looking around, seeking something, only she knew what. After she’d examined what seemed like every detail to be examined, she noticed the light in the back.

"There was one small place where the light from the back door didn’t quite meet with the light from the side door. She stopped just at that point, backed off a bit, then stepped forward and quickly walked through. How strange, that this ghostly apparition had to be in the light. Then why didn’t she show herself during the day more? Just that one time I saw her in the house, just for a brief moment. When she’d shown up where I was staying, she’d vanished as soon as she stepped into the darkness.

"I followed her so I could watch what she’d do next. She was looking around in the back yard, being careful not to step into the shadows. She looked up at the garage, yet didn’t seem interested, maybe because she’d already been there. After a while, she finally made it over to the kitchen door.

"She looked into the window and then walked back and forth in front of the door, but didn’t attempt to open it. Eventually she moved away from the door so I ran over, opened the door, reached in and flipped on the light, then closed the door again and moved away. It didn’t take her long to see the light had come on in the kitchen. In the next moment, she was at the door, looking in the window. Leaning in close, she craned to see as far right as possible, then as far left. As she turned her head, I could see that she was smiling.

"But yet she did not open the door. She just stood there in front of it and slowly her smile faded into a look of frustration.

"She came back down the steps, glanced back at the house, then stepped into the darkness and vanished.

"I knew then what I needed. Tomorrow maybe I can put a stop to this, but for right now I got to go to bed and sleep on it.

"The next morning, I got up, ate breakfast, and headed to the main house. First things first, I checked all the gas lines and gas heaters, and even checked the boiler for leaks. I turned the water back on for the boiler then went back up to the first floor. I figured I might was well start checking each room there for what needed repair.

"I found an old lamp in the garage, put a bulb in it, and placed it in the parlor, the room with the side door and no ceiling fixture. I flipped the switch and was relieved to see that the light came on. I checked the room again and nothing major needed to be repaired.

"Next I went into the living room. All in all, nothing much, new paint, a little patching here and there, and a lot of cleaning. Then in the kitchen, the tiles on the floor needed replaced, and again, new paint. The stove and refrigerator were both pretty old but still in working condition. No leaks from the pipes or spigot. The sink itself had seen better days. I would have to ask the Campbells if they wanted me to replace these things.

"The back rooms where the butler and cook lived had one window each. The lights worked but they too needed a good cleaning and a paint job. As I came back out, there were two smaller doors, one was for the ironing board, the other was the pantry. The pantry would take the most time to paint because of all the shelves.

"I went back down to the basement to check and see if the boiler was full of water yet. I checked the gauge and the tank was full, then checked all the controls. Everything seemed to be working, so I lit the pilot light and burner. There was a smell at first from some of the dust that was up in there, burning off. I stayed with it for a few minutes to make sure the flame didn’t go out, then turned it to automatic so it would go off and on by itself.

"While I was waiting for the water to heat, I decided to have a look around the basement. The boiler room was lit by a single bulb, the corners in shadow. As with most basements, it was a bit spooky down there, and it brought to mind my experience with the haint the night before.

"I did have a plan, but work would have to come first."

...To be continued...

 

“I went up to the front door and unlocked it. I remembered that at this entrance there were three light switches just inside the door, one for the hall, one for the top of the stairs, and one for the outside light. I flipped all three of the switches and was grateful to see that all three lights came on. I was especially glad the one on the outside came on, since the fixture was about twelve feet off the ground, hanging from the underside of the second floor balcony and inside of an iron and glass fixture. I looked up at it and noticed a wasp nest was right on one of the two bulbs. They won’t be there for long. I guessed the exterminator hadn’t thought to look up there.

“I had just turned around when I heard a noise from the driveway. With the light on above me, and having just looked up at it, I couldn’t see out into the darkness very far. Suddenly I was blinded by a bright light shining right into my eyes. I put my hand up to try and block it and heard someone yell, “Don’t move!”

“I liked to die. It was a police officer and I knew he had his gun drawn. Moving closer, he asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I told him I was hired to work here and offered him proof of who I was. He lowered the light and asked for my driver’s license. I was feeling edgy, but thought to myself, At least he’s a real person.

“He told me someone over a ways had seen lights going on and off over here and wondered what was going on, so they called the police. I would normally have thought of such people as busybodies, but in a way I guess I was glad they were watching and was happy to hear someone nearby had a phone. I was also a little glad to have the officer there, I even offered him a cold drink and said if he wanted, I could put on a pot of coffee. I was a little disappointed when he said, no, he had to go.

“He must’ve seen it in my face, that I really hated to see him go, because he asked if it bothered me to be here by myself.

“I said, ‘Yeah, just a little.’ I didn’t tell him about the haint. He just said, ‘Good luck with your work,’ and then he left.

“I headed back over to the garage and went on upstairs. I did feel a little calmer. I fixed a bite to eat and sat down at my makeshift table to go over my list. I wanted to get started on some of the projects I’d already listed but figured the following day I might as well go on ahead and finish my checklist, after all I still had the downstairs and the basement to go through. If I could just quit being distracted, I might actually get something done.

“Oh well, I didn’t want to start thinking about that again.

“I finished eating and decided to go to bed, this time in the bedroom. Who knows what else I might run into tomorrow that will take more of my time? I shut the light off in the front room, went into the bedroom, undressed, and laid down to read the newspaper. Before long I was starting to feel sleepy, so I put the newspaper up and turned out the light. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the dark, and that’s when I saw that there was light shining through the front room window. Oh yeah, I turned on all those outside lights. With no curtains or blinds, even the morning sun was blinding as it shone through those windows. I turned over and was just closing my eyes when a thought occurred to me.

Wait a minute. I’m up higher than those lights. They would only be shining on the ceiling, not the whole room.

“I got up and went into the front room and looked out the windows that faced the main house. In that small room off the master bedroom, the one I’d figured they’d used for a nursery, a light was on.

Yes, I was in that room. And yes, I remember turning that light on. Funny, I didn’t notice that it was on when I looked over and thought how dark the house was.

“As I stood there, puzzled, a shadow passed across the lighted window.”


 

“I thought to myself, I know, I bet it’s the water pipes to the bathroom. I had turned the water back on before coming into the house, so the noise I heard was probably just air in the pipes. I went into the bathroom there in the attic and turned on the faucet to the sink. Only a little air came through as muddy-looking water flowed from the tap. The same for the tub and toilet, I had to flush it about six times to get the water to run clear.

“Something wasn’t right. The attic bath was at the opposite end from where I’d been standing in the second floor bedroom when I’d heard the noise. I thought, I hope there aren’t any rats in between the attic floor boards and the ceiling below. They had said something about having an exterminator here at the house. Just then I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

“I only caught a glimpse, but I swear I saw someone or something heading down the steps. I hurried over to the staircase and looked down just in time to see it going around the corner. I took off down the steps and just as I turned the corner at the bottom, again I caught sight of it turning to go down the second set of steps. This time I knew I had it, I could catch up because the stairs were longer before they reached the landing just above the front door. I took off down the narrow hallway and lunged around the corner to look down the staircase. Nothing. Taking two steps at a time and using my arms to swing by on the banister, I looked down at the other set of steps that went down to the foyer. Again, nothing. No person, no critter, no one.

“Now I was thinking, Folks might just be wrong about haints. This one seemed to be able to come and go as she pleases, at any time she pleases. I ain’t gonna keep chasing this thing around. Let her do whatever she wants to, I’ve got better things to do. So I went back upstairs from room to room, writing my list of things that needed to be done.

“I stopped long enough to eat lunch and then went back. I figured I might as well run the muck out of all the bathroom water lines, and the kitchen too. Luckily, they had drained the hot water boiler and shut the supply off to it, because that would have taken me most of the day by itself. Still, I had to check it and all the gas lines for leaks, too.

“By late afternoon, I’d already compiled a partial list of supplies I’d need, so I got in my truck and headed for the hardware store. When I got there, I told the clerk who I was and he just smiled and asked me for my list. He started retrieving the items, most of which he had in stock. There were a few things he had to order for me, but he had plenty of what I needed to get started. I asked him where I could get replacement glass for the cracked window in the attic and he made a note and wrote down my name and the address of the house.

“He said the rest of the items I needed would take three or four days to arrive and asked if I’d like them delivered. “Sure,” I said, thinking to myself, Why not, I don’t have to pay for it. By then I should have another list for him, too.

“The young fellow that worked there with him helped me to carry everything out to my truck. He told me that the clerk inside was Charlie Jenkins, Sr., the store owner and he was his son, also named Charlie. He also told me that his mom works there too, helping out his dad while he was in school. I offered him a tip but he refused, so I thanked him and left. I like a family-owned store, they’re always so much more friendly than the employees of big company-owned ones. They do things with more pride, more personal-like.

“I drove back to the house and it was plenty dark there. After unloading the supplies from the truck into the garage, I looked over at the main house and realized how dark it looked. It’s hard to keep an eye on something you can’t see. So I decided to go over and turn on some of the outside lights.

“I got the keys and a flashlight and went over to the back door. Just inside the kitchen by the door frame were two light switches, one for the kitchen and one for the light just beside the door on the outside. I flipped both switches on and both lights came on, then chose one switch to flip back off and got it right the first try. I looked up at the bulb that now lit the back entrance and thought, I should have checked the lights during the day instead of waiting until dark, not a good time to find out if a new bulb is needed. I had found a whole case of bulbs in the garage, so at least I knew where to find them if I needed one.

“I locked the back door, then went around the side to that door, the one under the master bedroom addition. Again there were two switches just inside the door so I flipped them both on. The outside light came on but nothing came on in the room. I turned my flashlight on and pointed it toward the ceiling. Oh, no light fixture. I didn’t notice that before, but then I had been busy with the water pipes and hadn’t thought to check such things. I figured the switch by the door probably controlled one of the wall plugs for lamps.

“I locked the door and headed around toward the front. I know, I could have just walked through the house, but why take a chance on falling over something in the dark in a place that’s unfamiliar?

“Who am I kiddin’, I just didn’t want to run across that dang haint.“

...To be continued...

 

“The outside of the main house was nice, but the inside was beautiful. On the first floor was the kitchen, cook and butler’s quarters, a bathroom, living room and a huge dining room. A fireplace was in the middle of the living room and dining room. The house itself was well-built, but strangely made, well, at least it wasn’t the way I would have made it.

There were three entrances, the front door, side door, and back door, but only one set of stairs to go up to the second floor. That’s not unheard of, but the stairway was badly located right in the middle of the house.

“Just inside the front door, there was a small foyer about ten feet wide and eight feet deep and that is where the stairs started. They went up, turned right with a small landing, then turned right again before continuing up to reach the second floor. I could imagine what a time a person would have trying to get furniture up and down those stairs, especially since in those days most furniture was quite large in size. The staircase wasn’t centered either, it was to the right against a wall that was part of the living room. The area below the upper half of the staircase had been walled in and a door had been installed to create a closet of sorts. That too made the entrance area smaller.

“I figured I might start in the attic to see if there were any signs of roof leaks. I went up the oddly-designed stairs and took a quick tour of the second floor. At the top of the stairs and immediately to the left was the entrance to the master bedroom. Built over the driveway, it was a long room with a fireplace, a huge bathroom, and a large area for the bed itself with windows all around. Toward the back of the suite was a smaller room, I guess where they kept their kids when they were still babies. Further down the hall was a linen closet and beyond that were two more big bedrooms, both with their own baths. Any of these rooms would have been big enough to make into nice-sized apartments.

“I turned right again and found another staircase that led up to the attic. At the top of the stairs was a door which was unlocked, so I stepped in. Man, it was hot up there. To my surprise, the attic area had been used as the upstairs maid’s living quarters. With a private bathroom, living area, and a wall divider for the bed, the space was the same size of the entire house. Shucks, this area alone was bigger than most houses.

“The windows all opened inwardly and one on the back wall had been replaced by an exhaust fan. I went around and opened all the windows, then turned the fan on. In no time at all, it cooled down from the cross breeze as the outside air was being sucked in through three different directions.

“I checked the roof area and there were no signs of leaks anywhere. All I found was that one of the windows had a crack, probably from the heat and being closed up so long. I wrote that down. Fix window glass, attic.

“I went back down the steps and into the first bedroom on my right. Again it was large and had a fireplace. I found everything in good shape, nothing a new coat of paint wouldn’t take care of. One wall would take more paint to cover because it was pink. I was thinking, Must have been the daughter’s room when I heard noises above me like something moving around.

“My first thought was the haint from the night before. But it’s broad daylight, they don’t usually come out in the daytime, or that’s what most folks say. I heard another noise and thought, Shucks, I know what it is. I left the windows open and the fan on. I bet a bird or squirrel might have come through that old rotten screen and can’t find its way out. So I went back up the stairs to the attic and looked around.

"I didn’t find anything, not even a broken screen."

...To be continued...


 

“I got up off the floor and put my pants on. I couldn’t find a single thing to use as a weapon, the dang place had nothing in it. All I could think of was my pocket knife. Whoever it was had stopped at the first landing, so I made my way into the front room. I had one hand on the light switch and in the other was my opened pocket knife.

“I heard footsteps coming up the next set of stairs. I was about five feet from the top step. I waited quietly, considered the advantages I had. The pocket knife, the sudden blinding light, and my ability to take the person by surprise and knock him down the stairs.

“In the shadows I could see a figure slowly moving up towards me, slightly backlit by the moonlight coming through the window above the first landing. As soon as the person reached the second step from the top, I flipped the switch, ready to make my move.

“I caught myself. There was standing in front of me – a woman.

“I yelled, ‘What in sam hell are you doing here?!’ She didn’t say a word, she just smiled and looked around the room.

“I asked again, ‘Who are you and what do you want?’ Still no reply or acknowledgement from the woman. It was as if she hadn’t even heard me.

"That’s when it hit me. She’s a haint.

"I could see her just as clearly as I can see the three of you. She came further into the room and I kept my distance and watched. She looked all around the place, then turned and headed back down the stairs. I followed her, staying a few steps behind. She stopped on the landing and looked out the window and I took notice that she didn’t cast a reflection in the glass, yet I could see my legs in it, reflected from where I was still standing on the steps.

"She went down the next flight and before I got around the corner, she was gone. I checked the door and it was still locked from the inside, even with a barrel bolt. The only thing down there by the door was a cabinet next to the stairs built right into the wall. I flung open the door and there was nothing inside but shelves. I even made sure none of those would move, like it was some kind of entrance to an underground passageway to the outside or something.

"I opened the front door. Nothing. She was not to be seen anywhere. That’s when I realized I was barefooted and the ground was like ice. I turned around and headed back in, making sure the door was locked. I went back upstairs, sat down on one of the crates, and rolled a cigarette.

"I tried to think of a way to explain what had just happened. I thought, Maybe it was the old house that got my mind thinking things and I must have gone to bed too soon after I had just eaten. But I’d seen the woman with my own eyes and I’d seen her lack of reflection in the glass. I made my mind up that if it was a haint, well, as long as I can do my work and it doesn’t bother me, I won’t bother it.

If it keeps bothering me at night, though, it’s gonna make me mad. And I’ll just... and I’ll... and hmmm. I’ll just have to move over into the big house, I guess. If this here is the haint’s stompin’ ground, it can have it. I’ll still stay here for a while, though, just to see first. Maybe it won’t come back at all. At least it was smiling, that’s a good sign, I reckon. Dad got me this job and I’m gonna make him proud, haints or not.

"I put my cigarette out and went to look at my watch. Eleven thirty! Dag burn haint, keeping me up and all. I turned off the lights and went back to bed. It was a little while before I could go back to sleep because I was hopping mad.

"I woke up the next morning at half past seven and thought for a moment it had been a dream. Nope, I went back to bed with my pants still on and my knife next to my wallet. I got up, ate breakfast, cleaned up, and headed over to the main house with pencil and paper in hand, to write down what needed fixing in each room."

...To be continued...

 

For this story, I’ll have to give credit to my Uncle Hayes. He was a great person to be around, always good for a joke or to teach how to hunt, fish, or to survive the land. But most of all, he too had his stories – and what yarns he could tell.

He told us this one while we were on a fishing trip at the Kinnikinick River. We had just finished eating. Tents were up. The fire was blazing in the cool night air. We were sitting back drinking coffee when Uncle Hayes asked my brothers and me, “Did I ever tell you boys about the time I worked in the old Campbell mansion?”

We shook our heads no, and Uncle Hayes began.

“Yes, sir, I did. That was one of the best jobs I had, in a way. Let me see here, the Campbells, they were the original Campbells who founded a lot of these here counties, becoming rich along the way. The mansion was originally built in the eighteen hundreds, then through the years and generations, they kept adding on or modernizing it with electricity, indoor plumbing, and so on.

“As their kids grew and left to find their own places in life, the Campbells started traveling around, hardly ever coming back. They had other homes all over the states and some even overseas, I heard. About the only ones who were there most of the time were their help. Butler, maids, even a chauffeur. Eventually, the time came to pass that they took some of their hired help with them and the house just sat empty. It was after that when they finally decided they would sell the old place, after all, they never used it anyhow. That’s where I came in.

“It had sat empty for a long time with no one to take care of it, so I got hired to do the repairs to get it ready to sell. The Campbells said I could stay anywhere I wanted there and they would have tabs set up at the local hardware and grocery stores for anything I needed. Now this was in 1954. Just think of it, it wouldn’t cost me a dime. I didn’t have to pay for food or a place to stay, not even a nail, and I got paid 75 cents an hour to boot. I was in hog heaven.

“When I got there, I had a look around, to gauge whether I might need some extra help. I knew I could call on Dad or my brother if I did. Shucks, they could stay there free and all I would have to do is share some of my pay with them. Just from that first look around, I seen plenty that I could do by myself first.

“I decided I would stay in the old chauffeur’s place in the back, since most of my work was on the main house anyway. Boy, I tell ya, that chauffeur fella had it made. I guess you would call it a garage apartment. There was space to park three cars underneath and had a carport as well. There was a door to the left of the carport and that door led upstairs to his living quarters. Once I got up there, I was amazed at just how big it was.

“There was a small flight of stairs that led up to the first landing and a window that looked out the back where deliveries came in. I turned right and there was the second flight of stairs that went up to the living space. Wow, was it nice. I stopped in the living room area which was large, then turned around and saw there was a small kitchen. Next to that was a small bathroom and a bedroom with a closet. This place was bigger than most folks’ houses that I knew. It was in better shape than the main house was, there were just a few things in the garage that needed tending to, but that was pretty much it. I was planning on using the garage part as my workshop and storage for lumber that I was going to need.

“I got myself settled in, turned the refrigerator on, let the water run ‘til the rust came out of the pipes, dusted around, and washed down the counter where I was going to eat. Then I put my bedroll on the floor and checked the refrigerator and it was cooling down just fine. I then headed back downstairs and opened the garage, backed my truck in and unloaded my tools, then got back into my truck and left to get groceries .

“When I returned back to the house, after I put the groceries away, I went back downstairs, set up my saw horses and checked to see that I had all the tools I might need. I went and got out my pencil and pad and started looking around the outside of the main house, taking notes about the house itself and looking to see what might need replacing.

Panting like we’re out of breath.

Well, here ya have it folks. My wife and I have been working 16+ hours on my port, putting everything together, adding pictures, editing, more editing. Trying to make it all come together (without all the cliffhangers) for easier reading.

Man. Cut, paste, clip, edit, center, edit, on and on and on...

I now have all 10 stories about life in the hills posted in my port, including a folder with the long one about Christmas with Grandpa, "Heaven on Earth" . Each story has a header sig and each chapter of "Heaven on Earth"  has a picture to go with it, too.

Cassie Reynolds and I think it came out well, and we hope y’all do, too.

Here they are:

         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Invalid Item" 
         "Heaven on Earth" 

Oh yeah, and here's the main folder:

ID: 1077876   (Rated: 18+) Ten Thousand Yesterdays Ago  Remembering Life in the Hills of Kentucky by TeflonMike

“First I checked out the bushes where I had flung the water the night before. I saw that the ground had been rutted out and cleared of leaves, just as if something had been pacing back and forth. A lot of the branches were bent and broken and some seemed to have had the leaves pulled off of them, all signs to confirm that there had been something there. But what?

“Which way did it run? Dang, it took off so fast, that at the time it had been hard to tell. I started looking around for more clues and eventually found more broken branches. Following such traces, I was moving uphill at a slight angle. Then I found something else.

“Four trees total, ranging from an inch and a half to a full two inches around, snapped clean off with their tops about three feet away from their bases. The exposed inner wood of each tree was still fresh, still damp with sap. I had never seen anything like that, not even after a storm had come through. There was no explanation for it other than... The thing that came through here wasn’t only fast, it was also extremely powerful. I kept tracking its progress but once I reached the top of the hill, I lost it. I searched all around and found nothing, even down the other side of the hill.

“It was as if it just vanished or flew off.

“I finally just gave up and went back home. I told my wife the whole story of what had happened the night before and where I had gone that day.

“She looked at me and said, ‘I figured there was something more wrong with you last night, other than just being overworked, and I was praying you would tell me.’

“I asked her what she thought it was. She thought for a moment and said, ‘There’s been a lot of sickness going around, maybe it was whatever brought it. I’ve been praying for you everyday as you leave for work and again at night for your safe return. Maybe that voice inside of you was your guardian angel warning you.’

“Maybe she was right. Whatever it was, it was gone. Why it chose me, I don’t know. I still can’t say a hundred percent what it was, but maybe it could have been some kind of demon of sickness like my wife thought.

My brothers and I were by this time, totally mesmerized by the story. As Grandpa sang and played his fiddle, he increased and slowed the tempo with the tale and startled us with each resounding thump.

We sat perfectly still as he continued.

“That’s when I noticed that there was something in the bushes across from me, just where the light ended so I couldn’t make out what it was. But I could see the movement and could hear the rustling; it sounded as if something was pacing back and forth. I looked at the well and read the sign that was hanging above it. It said, ‘Welcome traveler, may this water bless you and give you strength on your journey. May God be with you, keep you, and guide you.’

“Again, an inner voice spoke to me as I leaned against that well. Drink to find your strength. There was a dipping gourd hanging on the side and the bucket had already been lowered. I leaned my stick up against the well, never losing sight from where the sound came from the bushes. I cranked the handle to bring the bucket up and whatever it was just across from me seemed to get more restless with each turn. The bucket made its way to the top so I reached in and pulled it to one side and set it down on the stone wall that surrounded the well.

“Still I kept my eye on that now totally dark area where the sounds could still be heard.

“I unhooked the dipping gourd from its peg and dipped it into the bucket, then drank deeply of the water I drew out.

“The thing began to thrash the bushes, even more so when I filled the gourd again and drank more. This time, before I was finished, I flung what was left in the gourd in the direction of the sound.

“All I can tell you is, the moment I flung that water, whatever it was ran fast and hard, faster than anything I had ever seen or heard of. I could easily follow the sound of its movements and it was over the crest of the hill in seconds.

“It occurred to me that I should fill my canteen and my carbide lights with the water from that well. After doing so, I lit my lantern and I don’t know, but it seemed to me that it was much brighter than it ever had been before. I picked up my stick and returned to the road. I paused there in the dark, but heard nothing and saw nothing. I even backtracked a little way to see if I could see any footprints left by the creature when it came up onto the road.

“I found them. They were not foot prints, not paw prints. They looked more like hoof prints. That wasn’t the strangest part about them though. They were made by something that had only two legs. The other thing I wondered about was why it didn’t come up on the road sooner.

“That voice inside of me said It walks only in the shadows.

It hadn’t been quite dark earlier. I was relieved that the source of light on that lonely road happened to be a house of God.

“I never saw the thing, so I can’t tell you whether it was a devil, demon, or just some kind of freak of nature. All I know is, the next day, which was my day off like I mentioned, I came back in broad daylight and I couldn’t find any prints. The dirt road was clear with no traces whatsoever to be found anywhere. Now don’t get me wrong, I know folks had been through there, probably in wagons, but that still doesn’t account for not even finding one. You would think at least at the road’s edge there’d be some trace of the prints I’d seen the night before, but they were well and truly gone.