Nonfictíon

GHOSTS

From creepy stories told around* "̂'

tí>e campfire to the latest scary

ivie, ghosts have an enduring

.ip on our imaginations—even

lough there is no proof that í

ghosts even exist. As you readl

bout why we are so

ted by ghosts.

ey're coming to kilLyou."rah Wincliester stared in

teri)r at Adam Coons, trying toiprehend the chilling words

he had just uttered.i "Who is coming?" Sarah

-whispered, gripping the arms of- chair. Outside, rain lashed

jly at the windows.

"They re c tor you. Coonsreplied in a raspy voice.

Just then, the windows flew openwith a gust of wind and a crack ofthunder. Coons seemed to vibrate,his eyes rolling back in his head.

"I'm so scared! Make themstop!" Sarah cried.

SCHOLASnC SCOPE ««OCTOBER 31, 2011

• ËRRIFIÉC|^MAN, A HAUNTED HOUSE,"iND THE MYSTERY OF ONE OF AMERICA'? MOST

FAMOUS GHOST STORIES BY KATiABACHKo •

"They wilMürStepWftíl youare rotting in the earth!" (kjoiisshrieked.

Suddenly, the lights, ¡n theroom went out, plunging Sarahand Coons into total darkness.

Out for VengeanceThe year was 1882, and Coons

was a famous medium. A mediur

IS apej:|on who claims to he ahle to^^l^i |Pnicate with the dead. That

fateful afternoon in Sarah's homein New Haven, Connecticut, Coons

*̂ was attempting to summon theghost of Sarah's dead husband. '

"%i^ was a tragic^iirn of eventsnifrled Sarah to seek Coons's

lelp. Not long hefoie, Sarah hadheen a hright young woman with

o ^ a promising future and no reasonto wprra about gliosts. She wasmarried to a wealthy man named

> William Winchester. They weredeeply in love. They had a hahy --girl, and their fortune was vast:William's father had made millionswhen he invented the Winchesterrifle—a famous gun used inthe Civil War. i

SCH0LASnC.COM/SC0PE • OCTOBER 31, 2011 5

Life was grand.But Sarah's happiness was

short-lived. Just 42 days aftershe was born, Sarah's daughtersuddenly died. Sarah was stillmourning her child 10 years later,when William died of tuberculosis.

Utterly brokenhearted, Sarahwas haunted by her grief. Shefelt she was being pursued by amenacing presence, some evilspirit that wanted to do her harm.She had hoped that Coons wouldsoothe her rattled nerves and helpconnect her with the man she sodesperately missed. Instead, he didquite the opposite. According tolore, he told her that the ghosts ofmen killed by Winchester rifles wereafter her. These vengeful spirits,said Coons, had murdered herdaughter and husband, and now

they wanted to kill her as well. Theonly way Sarah would be safe wasif she built a house—a place wherethe spirits of these dead men couldgo to find peace. But if Sarah everstopped construction on the house,she would die.

Sarah, vulnerable anddepressed, completely acceptedwhat Coons told her. In 1884, shemoved to San Jose, California,where she knew no one, andimmediately began constructionon what would become one of themost bizarre homes in America.For the next 38 years, carpentersworked on the house 24 hours a

day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.So goes the legend of Sarah

Winchester.

Hunting for GhostsIn Sarah's day—before movies

or television—visiting a mediumwas an extremely popular form ofentertainment. Many Americansthought it was possible tocommunicate vdth the spirits ofthose who had died. Mediums likeAdam Coons were thought to bebridges to the "other side"—thatis, the unknov»m world beyond thegrave. They often achieved celebritystatus. Imagine being able to have aconversation with a loved one who

SCHOLASnC SCOPE • OaOBER 31, 2011

had passed av̂ ray! People wouldwait in line for hours for the chanceto consult the latest medium—inthe same way fans today mightwait in line to get tickets to a JustinBieber concert.

Of course, not everyone wasconvinced; many mediums wereexposed as liars who tricked theirgrief-stricken customers for money.Yet reports of ghost encountersbecame so vddespread that in1854, the Senate debated whetherto create a scientific commissionto investigate paranormal activity.(In the end, it decided not to doso.) Soon, "ghost hunters" wereexploring haunted houses andlooking for paranormal activity allover America.

Things haven't changed muchin the past 100 years. Today, ghostsare as fascinating (and sometimesas terrifying) to us as ever. Manybest-selling novels and blockbustermovies center around thesupernatural. And currently, morethan 10 reality shows on TV areabout the real-life search for ghosts.

One ofthe most popular isGhost Hunters. Each week, some3 million viewers tune in to the SyFyChannel to watch cast membersinvestigate haunted houses aroundthe country. Often, the ghosts theypursue are not the punishing,menacing spirits of Hollywoodhorror flicks or the vengeful ghoststhat allegedly frightened Sarah.They tend to be gentle spiritsthat linger because of unfinishedbusiness, something that must beresolved before they can move on.

Fact or Fiction?Why does the idea of a ghost—

real or fictioneil—resonate? Afterall, the existence of ghosts hasnever been proved.

In part, ghost stories are a good

source of harmless entertainment.Most viewers watch shows likeGhost Hunters with the sameskepticism that they bring toJersey Shore or any other realityshow. In each episode, producersuse scary sounds, dark lighting,and shaky camera effects tocreate an air of excitement andsuspense—even when nothingis happening. Part ofthe fun isguessing how it might be faked.

But there is also somethingalluring about the idea of a ghost,something that plays to ourdeepest curiosity about life afterdeath. It's common for peoplein mourning to talk out loud tosomeone who has died—notbecause they expect ananswer, but because they

Ghosts by the NumbersWhat do we think about ghosts?

of Americans^^ , believe that ahouse can be haunted j

¡Americans.tieve in ghosts

of Americans'7 believe it's

possible to communicatewith someone who has die

of Americans believeit's possible to be

possessed by a ghostSOURCE; 2005 GALLUP POLL

SCH0LASnC.COM/SC0PE • OaOBER 31, 2011 7

One way Ghost Hunters' Gra

Hawes look for paranormaltemperature changes in supposedly haunte

think that person is watching overthem and can hear them. Believingthat the ghost of a lost friend orrelative is with you is a way to hangon to them,

"People want to know what'shappening to their loved ones, andwhat they themselves are going togo through when they pass away,"says Adam Berry, an investigatoron Ghost Hunters. "They are alwayslooking for hope that there issomething beyond this,"

Still, not everyone is convincedthat trying to communicate withghosts is a good idea, "Everyperson is going to deal with grief atsome point in their lives," AndrewGetzfeld, a psychology professor inNew Jersey, points out, "If you saysomeone's ghost is still here, youmay not he dealing vdth reality,"

That seems to be what

happened to Sarali Winchester, Ather most vulnerable, Sarah was seton a bizarre path that would cometo rule her entire life.

A Cursed ObsessionThere are many theories about

what really happened when Sarahmoved to San Jose, Accordingto some, the rumors about herobsession with the spirit worldwere just that—rumors.

Other accounts claim that shespent the rest of her days alonev»âth her sadness, tormented byfear of angry spirits. She was saidto spend her nights shut up inher room, speaking to her deadhusband. Each morning, she woulddraw up a new blueprint for thecarpenters based—she said—onwhat William's ghost had toldher. She built whole floors, then

demolished them. She orderedcarpenters to construct roomswith 13 walls and staircases thatled nowhere. Some thought thesedizzying floor plans were meant toconfuse the ghosts that pursuedher through the dark hallwaysof her cursed mansion. Othersspeculated that Sarah simply mademistakes in her designs that shenever bothered to fix.

As Sarah's mansion grew, so didher eccentricity. She became arecluse. It seemed she had moreinterest in the dead than in theliving. The only people allowedinside her home were workersemd her closest friends andrelatives. Wild reports circulatedaround town of strange noisescoming from the estate. It waswidely believed that the WinchesterHouse was, indeed, haunted.

8 SCHOLASnC SCOPE • OCTOBER 31, 2011

A Tragic LegacyConstruction on the Winchester

House did not cease until Sarah'sdeath in 1922. By then, thehouse had more than 150 rooms,including 40 bedrooms andtwo ballrooms, 47 fireplaces, 17chimneys, two basements, andthree elevators. In the end, Sarahspent $5.5 million on the estate.

Soon after Sarah's death, theWinchester House was declareda landmark. Today it is a touristdestination that attracts thousandsof curious visitors every year. Manyof them report hearing voices andfeeling the touch of ghostly hands.It is rumored that the ghost of SarahWinchester herself can be seendrifting through the corridors.

Numerous psychics havedeclared that the Winchester Houseis haunted. However, when the castof Ghost Hunters investigated theestate, they found no evidence ofanything supernatural.

No matter what you chooseto believe, though, one thing iscertain: The Winchester Housestands as a haunting monumentto a broken heart. •

CONTEST

Write About Ghost StonesYou just read a story about one of the most famous ghost legendsin America. Why do you think ghost stories have an enduring gripon our imaginations? Write a paragraph answering this question.Be sure to use the poem, details from the article, and thephotographs and captions to support your opinion. Sendit to HAUNTED HOUSE CONTEST. Five winners will eachreceive Dark Waters by Catherine MacPhail.

cnviONLINE

CATHERINE MACPHAIL

SCHOLASTICCOM/SCOPE • OCTOBER 31, 2011

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