Self Care is Important I haven't written anything in the past couple days. Truth be told, I haven't been able to write. Hard as I try, the words just wouldn't come. Maybe it's just that I'm out of ideas. Maybe I just can't put into words half the things I want to write about. Perhaps I'm lacking inspiration. Or maybe it's the constant pain wracking through my head that's making things difficult. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get rid of this headache. I suppose I…
Macabre Museum It was the second week of October when the advertisement for Madame Vitas' Grand Opening was published in the local paper. Words like '**Amazing**!' '**Lifelike!**' and '**Never Before Seen!**' were written in bold for the express purpose of drawing people in to see the new attraction. It worked. Within a week, almost everyone in town had visited the wax museum and word was quickly spreading. The paper hadn't lied. The exhibits were indeed lifelike and…
The Voices I wake up to the sounds of whispering a lot for someone who lives alone. It sounds like I'm surrounded by people and it's been happening for as long as I can remember. I used to wake up screaming when I was little because of it. As I got older, I realized no one else could hear them so I stopped talking about it. I guess my parents figured it was just a bad dream that eventually went away. Or maybe they were just relieved that I wasn't crazy. I felt crazy. The…
Struggling to Write I admit, the inspiration to write has eluded me the past few days. It may be that I'm focusing my creativity elsewhere or that I'm simply too tired to come up with much. My mind is always working but sometimes it can be hard to get it to work the way I want it to. I mentioned in a pervious article that I have realized I need to put more time into self care and that I have started trying meditation for this reason. A part of me was also hoping maybe it…
Too Many Problems I have (or had been now I suppose) a loyal customer to an internet company (I won't say which one) for years. I had paid my bill on time every month in full. About a year and a half ago, I started having some problems with my internet. It started out pretty mildly, the internet would drop out now and then. After more than a week of this, I finally got a hold of them and told them. They informed me there was a service issue in the area. I was a bit…
Surrounded (Part 1 of the Haunted series) 'Abby?' I called out hesitantly into the shadows cast by the trees above me. The cold fall air whipped around me making me pull my jacket closer to my frame. She was beside me just a second ago, where could she have gone? 'Boo!' she shouted popping out from behind a tree a few feet ahead of me. 'Seriously?' I threw my hat at her but she dodged it with a laugh. 'Got you!' she yelled in victory as she came dancing up to walk beside me…
Bermuda Triangle Forest The Hoia-Baciu forest located in Romania is said to be one of the most haunted forests in the world. Known as the Bermuda Triangle of forests, separating fact from fiction when it comes to the history of this forest is no easy feat. Many locals believe the forest was where peasants were killed hundreds of years ago resulting in the majority of the hauntings. The twisted, skeletal limbs of it's trees do nothing to dispelled stories of hauntings or the…
A Reoccurring Lesson If there is one thing I have unfortunately learned over the years it's that you can't count on people. I know this sounds cynical but I do have my reasons, many in fact for feeling this way. Admittedly, I suffer from a lot of anxiety and asking for help is not an easy thing for me because of past experiences. Family is supposed to be there for you, they are supposed to love you, protect you and support you. A parents love particularly is supposed to be…
Island of Tortured Souls Between Venice and Lido lies a small island with a terrifyingly twisted past. Poveglia Island in Italy was a fortification built by the countries government and was used from about 1793-1814 as a quarantine zone for those unlucky enough to suffer from the plague, or showed even the slightest signs of possible sickness. Though far from the only one, it is probably the most well known. The island is thought to have been home to over 160,000 infected…
The White Room A bright light shone from beyond her eyelids waking her from her deep sleep. 'Why is it so bright?' she muttered sleepily. *And cold. Why is it cold? Did I forget to close the window last night? Why is my bed so hard? Where are my blankets?* Questions flooded her sleep addled brain as she slowly rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She sat up and let out a startled scream. This was not her bedroom. The room was white. Completely white. The floor which she was…
Haunted Hotel The Banff Springs Hotel located in the Canadian Rockies was originally built to encourage tourism and sell train tickets. Opening in 1888, the hotel has seen many colourful guests from tourists, to celebrities such as Marylin Monroe to the British Monarchy. The hotel was originally made of wood and largely stayed that way until a fire broke out in 1926. It wasn't until then that a hidden room was discovered. A contractor had apparently made an error and a room…
Cherry Hill Hauntings One of Canadas top haunted landmarks is known as Cherry Hill House. It was built in 1822 as a family home and it earned it's name from the grove of cherry trees located behind the house which the original owner planted. The house was home to it's builder, Joseph Silverthorn, his wife and their twelve children. They had 9 girls and 3 boys. In 1852, one of Josephs' sons was married in a small chapel and after the ceremony the celebration was moved to the…
The Green Lady of Caerphilly Castle Cearphilly Castle in Wales is one of the largest castles in Britain, being only slightly smaller than Windsor Castle. It was built in the late 13th century by Gilbert de Clare as a stronghold to prevent south Wales from falling into the hands of Welsh leader Llywelyn the Last. The castles main defense from attackers was the surrounding water which made it almost impossible for attackers to gain advantage. Caerphilly Castle was burnt in…
I'm asking this here because it's about an article I want to submit to this community. I tried submitting it to a different one but they suggested I post it here since it's travel related. The problem is, when I try to submit the article, it says 'An error has happened' but I get no more information to tell me what the problem is. I did email read.cash to see if they know but I figured I would also ask here to see if anyone has had this happen to them too.
Creepy Catacombs The Paris Catacombs were created at the beginning of the 18th century out of necessity due to overcrowded cemeteries. They decided to use old quarries which had been in use during the 15th century and then abandoned. The quarries were however only a small part of what would later become the Catacombs. The site was filled with bones from overcrowded cemeteries which were transported at night to avoid the protests of the people who would not agree with the…
Gone (Part 2 of the Haunted Series) 'We need to leave. Now.' I told Abby in a low whisper, hoping she could hear the urgency in my voice. My brain screamed at me to move but I was frozen to the spot in fear, my phone pointing uselessly at the floor. 'Take a look scaredy cat.' she told me with a laugh as she grabbed it from me, waving it around the room. I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding as I studied the scene around us, my heart rate slowly calming as I…
Headaches, Tears and Shopping I haven't posted anything in a few days and I am sorry for that. I've been having a lot of headaches again. They're easier to handle than the migraines but only by a small amount. There's always the fear that it will turn into one as they sometimes do. I've also been busy helping my daughter with her schooling and taking care of things around here. I'm doing my best to make some extra money by doing online surveys so I can start putting more…
New challenges Online schooling is a new thing for a lot of families and it comes with a new set of challenges. Children learning from home often means the parent will have to fill in for the teacher at times when they can't be there to help during assignments. In my case it means at least four times a day, dropping whatever I am doing to walk through assignments that are due before her next class starts. This means I must be more flexible with anything of mine I am doing.…
Hallowville There are certain things that leave a mark in this world. Events, especially tragedies that can taint a person, or even a place for the rest it's existence and sometimes it infects things around it as well. Hallowville School is one of those places. The old building had long since been left to decay, being reclaimed by nature while simultaneously run down by the elements. The most charming part of the building was the north wall which was mostly hidden by a thick…
Homemade Tomato Soup Last night I wanted something fairly simple but still homemade for supper. Since It's been cold and rainy I decided a bowl of soup would be a good idea but I didn't want the usual chicken soup. I haven't had a tomato soup in years since most of them seem to have celery so I decided to try my hand at making my own. I minced four cloves of garlic and put them in a pot with some dried Oregano, parsley, basil and thyme. I don't generally measure spices so I…
Interrogation 'I already told you what I know.' 'You told us nothing.' I nod my head in agreement but don't say anything more. I just sit and watch the man standing with his arms crossed in front of me. I know he doesn't believe me. I know he's waiting for me to break. I won't. 'You were *reading*.' He spits the last word out like it's the most disgusting thing in the world. I hold up my book which I'm surprised they didn't take from me. As if the presence of the book in my…
Don't Look Behind You Whatever you do, don't look behind you. No matter what you hear or feel, never look back. That's the only time they can get you. They like to play tricks. They'll make you think there's someone you love, they'll use their voice and make them beg, plead, even cry or scream so you'll turn around. They'll make you feel like something is behind you, breathing down your neck. Don't do it. If you can just get through without looking back, you'll be safe. The…
Imaginary *'She's ignoring me.'* *'No,'* I startled as the man appeared beside me. He wasn't there a minute ago, I know he wasn't. I looked around. Everything seemed hazy. Disconnected in a way I couldn't quite figure out. I wanted to know where he had come from but there was a more pressing matter at hand. *Why won't she talk to me?* The man looked back at me, impassive save for the slight twinkle of emotion in his blue green eyes. Strange colour really. Almost like they…
Birthday Boredom Led Me to This... The other day (October 26th) was my birthday. I rarely do much for it anyway but normally my husband will take me out for dinner to celebrate. For a few reasons, it was not possible to do that this year. Mainly it's because we live in a hotspot and I didn't think it was worth risking my family or myself. As a result, my birthday this year was pretty uneventful. My daughter had her school work and then after spent most of the day in her room…
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