Ghost story telling time.

[betsuni]

7. Jezebel has an annual Scary Story Contest.

http://jezebel.com/scary-story-contest-Halloween-1850886671

Some years are better than others, but I always read them!

My FIL haunted his house, beginning the night of his funeral. Next morning we told my MIL about noises, the light going on by itself in the bedroom. Lighting fixtures were large florescent things you turn on by yanking a string. I hate them and we never used it. MIL said she'd heard knocking and tapping noises that kept her awake, finally yelled at FIL to leave her alone, she was exhausted and had a lot to deal with.

Few weeks later MIL wakes up in the middle of the night, terrified to see the lights on in the adjacent room (the Death Room where the FIL's shrine is). Afraid it was an intruder, she lay there until morning. No sign of a break-in. It continued to happen, and loud crashes from upstairs but no evidence of anything having fallen. Only the lights in the Death Room and my husband's old bedroom went on by themselves. When we visited on weekends, things were scattered on the bedroom floor, things moved around.

In summer we slept in the living room where there was air conditioning and sometimes saw the light in the Death Room go on by itself (I was the ghostbuster awake at three in the morning to see it, woke up the husband to have another witness). It was taken for granted by other family members that FIL was haunting the place, we all felt it. He was a grumpy, stubborn curmudgeon in life, why not in death. Lots of other things happened too.

I don't want to know how much the family spent over the years having their Shinto priest come and do his prayer thing. After MIL's death, husband decided to tear down the Haunted House and build a small one. More money to the Shinto priest for blessing ceremonies. SIL was having bad dreams, went to a diviner or something who told her MIL was angry. More Shinto ceremonies. Finally even the priest was tired of it, said just go to your neighborhood Shinto shrine and pray.

Almost two years living in our new house, no ghosts. There's a tiny Death Closet where FIL and MIL's shrines are. The husband gives them treat offerings and a prayer every morning. I don't. Come on, man. Enough is enough.