Haunted House Tales

by Riley Amitrani

  The terror and fright that filled Johann’s mind was that Herbert was talking to the poor animal as if it were in fact Michael. Johann had never seen such behavior outside of the madhouses he was well-familiar with back in Europe. Johann deftly stepped away before Herbert spotted him as he had no idea if Herbert might actually be dangerous in the condition he had found him in. He fled the mansion and contacted the proper authorities in Savannah who came with the police and medical personnel to have Herbert removed and placed in the Savannah Insane Asylum where he lived out his remaining days. Herbert sat in his room most days still mumbling to himself about Michael and the cure…

  The events of the von Kraken brother soon spread in Savannah and a combination of truth and fiction combined in the aftermath. The von Kraken Mansion went dark for many years which only fueled the development of what became known in town as The Legend of Herbert von Kraken. Herbert’s mental deterioration was about the only piece of truth that was part of the legend. Somehow, the idea that Herbert had actually transferred Michael’s soul to poor Spangles made its rounds and from there, loose talk among the locals went wild. It did not help that odd sounds and lights were occasionally reported from the crumbling mansion, and locals used that to add to a very creative legend that some used to bring in the curious in order to make a quick buck for those interested in haunted houses.

  The legend went on to specifically say that Herbert’s spell had actually made Spangles immortal, even if he had failed to do so for Michael. The tale went on to say that Spangles was still alive, even to this day, stalking and yowling in the corridors of the mansion, daring anyone to intervene. The final thread of the legend saying that if anyone should come calling to try and remove the immortal Spangles, that Herbert’s ghost would exact revenge as he still had a high degree of protection toward his brother, Michael, from his guilt and sense of responsibility for his brother’s death.

  To give this legend more credence, the acquisition of the old mansion in the mid-1900’s is worth mentioning briefly as well. After sitting in disrepair and neglect for many years, a wealthy man, Richard Drummond-Evans, bought the place to rehab the once stately house into a guest house for the occult-minded tourist traffic that Savannah was then attracting. Richard did, in fact, get the mansion redone for this purpose, renaming it The Drummond-Evans Mansion. This was due to hubris and his ego. For a bit his venture was successful, but if the legend is to be believed, Herbert and Michael (“ne-Spangles”) had the last word. Over time, more and more guests and even day visitors began to experience much more than just a mild touch of the paranormal at The Drummond-Evans Mansion. Overnight guests often fled in the dark of night leaving all their belongings behind and day visitors reported an unseen, but menacing cat that was so threatening that they found the legend itself to be 100% accurate. Word spread and soon the fear of The Drummond-Evans Mansion became greater than the curiosity to see it.

  Eventually one night, even Richard became the target of whatever it was, depending upon your own belief system, that was attached to the old von Kraken Mansion. One night he was jerked out of a deep sleep as inexplicable scratches, much like what one might incur from a cat, were raked across his bare arms and face. As Richard scrambled to his feet looking around for what had happened to him, cabinet doors and bedroom doors began to flap open and closed as the deafening sound of a cat filled the air. That was all Richard needed. Like his guests before him, he raced from the mansion, never looking back. It seems the name change to The Drummond-Evans Mansion had not been enough. Or perhaps Herbert was pissed that it had changed…who knows?

  Halloween Plans in Savannah

  Savannah, GA

  September, 2016

  Sally Joseph, Trent Ryder, and Josh Peterson were all freshman students at Troy University in Savannah. Sally was a local girl, but Trent was from Boston and Josh from Indiana. Despite their lack of acquaintance prior to their enrollment at Troy, Sally and Josh soon became friends as school began. They were both enrolled in a program that fell under the sociology department and found themselves drawn to each other beginning in a department mixer that was held as the semester began in order that the small group of students in the program could get to know each other better as well as their new professors. Sally seemed outgoing and quite extroverted, and Josh was smitten. However, as confident and assured as Sally was, Josh was just the opposite. He was seriously introverted and suffered a bit from a lack of self-confidence.

  Josh would have loved to have had a closer relationship with Sally, but his self-worth issues held him back. She was strikingly beautiful and in his mind, Josh was sure she was out of his league romantically. He did, though, enjoy her company and personality, and was satisfied to just be in her sphere. Days went by and on one fall evening, the pair found themselves at a film being offered by the university. Josh had made the acquaintance of Trent in another class and they had become friends as well. On this night, he had invited Trent along to the film. As soon as he introduced Trent to Sally, even Josh could sense the electricity in the air between the two of them.

  Josh was a bit crestfallen as Sally and Trent soon became much more than just friends, but he knew he would never have had the nerve or confidence to make a play for her anyway. The three often got together for various activities on and off campus and Josh finally just let his hidden feelings for Sally go, resolving to just enjoy her company as a friend. In fact, he and Trent were still good friends as well, regardless that Josh sometimes felt depressed at the idea of Trent and Sally as a couple, he was more than happy for the two of them.

  ……….

  October 23, 2016

  As October progressed, the weather changed accordingly and for whatever reasons, the atmosphere and culture around campus seemed to be embracing Halloween in high fashion as it was approaching. To Josh this was intriguing. Back in his hometown Indiana, Halloween was observed, of course, but not to the degree it seemed to be here. He knew well of Sally’s very serious and strong interest in all things paranormal, including ghosts, haunted houses, and seemingly inexplicable phenomenon. Since Halloween seemed to be such a big deal in Savannah, Josh did some research to see if he could find something in this realm that might appeal to Sally for the three of them to take in that night. Josh himself did not know about all this stuff; he supposed it might be real, as Sally felt, but he was just not sure. The idea of ghosts and all that did not scare him nor attract him; like many things in his life, Josh was a bit agnostic or maybe just skeptical would be a better descriptor, relying more on what he could definitely prove with his five senses before buying into it. He just wanted to find something he thought Sally might like…if they were not going to be a couple, he at least wanted to try and find stuff to do with her as a friend.

  So, Josh pulled up a few searches on his laptop for something that might be appropriate for Halloween for the three of them. The more he looked and the more he read, it became obvious to Josh that Savannah certainly had no shortage of supposedly haunted houses, hotels, and other locales. He had always known that the very deep south and even New England were well-known for such things, but somehow Savannah had never been on his radar for such offerings. Sure, he knew of the Mercer-Williams House from the Clint Eastwood-directed film, but this felt to Josh as too mainstream, and besides, he was sure the place would be overrun with people based on its well-known status. He was looking for something maybe just as alluring, but a bit lesser known…

  Search after search did not give Josh just exactly what he was looking for until he came across a blog from this organization in town promoting relatively obscure hauntings in Savannah. The background on the Drummond-Evans Mansion, formerly the von Kraken Mansion caught his eye. Most of the places that Josh had come across seemed to be just repetitions of the same: multiple entities from the Civil War, suicides in houses, murderous family members, and on and on. Not that they were not of interest intrinsically, but to Josh, they all just seemed boring and uninteresting after reading about them. The Dr
ummond-Evans Mansion though felt unique. Not only did it seem to have little recent interest, but the supposed entities there: a possessed cat and a long-dead mad scientist stood out.

  The more he read, the more Josh was sure this was the place. The three of them were getting together for some drinks after class that evening, so Josh printed off everything he could find about the mansion so he could take it along and pitch the idea of making at least a visit to Drummond-Evans Mansion for Halloween for the three of them. He had no idea what Trent’s reaction would be…and quite frankly he as not all that concerned. He was sure Sally would be thrilled…that was his goal anyway. Because in the far back recesses of his mind, Josh had not totally given up on the possibility, no matter how far-fetched and impossible it might seem, that somehow, someway, he and Sally might yet be more than just friends someday.

  Sally and Trent were waiting for Josh as he made his way inside The Barley House and Sally waved him over. Josh weaved his way through the packed pub and plopped into the empty seat across from them and smiled at Sally.

  “You said you have an idea for Halloween?” Sally asked as Josh took the mug of beer that Trent poured for him from the pitcher on the table.

  Josh took a healthy draw on the draft.

  “Maybe…maybe. We’ll see what you two think.” he replied.

  “Let me guess?” Trent asked as he scooted closer to Sally. “Kegger? Maybe some lame costume party?”

  Josh just ignored his friend’s jab.

  “Better,” Josh replied. “I know how much Sally is into the paranormal and ghosts and all of that, so I was thinking maybe we could take a look at one of Savannah’s supposedly haunted houses on Halloween night. Just go poking around on our own and see if all the stories and tales of one of these places are for real?”

  “That sounds so cool, Josh!” Sally gushed.

  Trent did not comment, but there was a perceptible change in his body language as he took in Josh’s suggestion. On the outside, Trent had this façade of the big, tough guy for which nothing would faze him. It was a mask he had adopted early on in his life to fit in and maybe even stand out in the neighborhoods where he had grown up in south Boston. It was still a big part of his shtick, one that had served him well and he felt had been a big part in winning over Sally. It had always worked on girls as long as he could remember. However, deep down, although Trent would always insist outwardly that paranormal things are just bullshit, he did have a rather squeamish and guarded response to it all.

  He had seen and heard of things that seemed to have no rational explanation, but his skepticism on ghosts and hauntings, etc. remained high, even though to be honest with himself, it all sort of gave him the shivers. But to maintain his credibility and preserve what he saw as his true masculinity, Trent refused to ever let this secret out. He did not exactly see himself as a bully, knowing these types were often some of the most insecure people on the planet, thus their bullying behavior, but all the same, he felt the need to maintain the tough-guy exterior. He grimaced inwardly as Sally expressed her interest in Josh’s proposal.

  “Like where?” Trent asked just to keep the conversation moving.

  “OK. As you may or may not know, Savannah is a hotbed for this stuff.” Josh went on.

  “Really?” Sally asked. “I had no idea.”

  “You mean like all those places the tourists flock to downtown?” Trent asked.

  “Yes and no,” Josh said as he placed the folder of material he had printed out from his computer on the table between them. “You remember the house in that Kevin Spacey movie a few years back?”

  “Something about a garden of evil?” Sally asked.

  “Yeah…Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” Josh replied.

  “You want to go there?” Trent asked, relieved that it might be a place he actually had some familiarity with.

  “No…no…,” Josh answered. “I am sure it will be flooded with people on Halloween based on its notoriety. In fact, it might even be sponsoring some sort of private function for Halloween anyway.”

  “So where?” Sally asked.

  Josh undid the clasp on the folder and emptied the contents onto the table.

  “I did some poking around and found this place that is hardly known outside of some long-time residents here. It was repaired following the Civil War by some emigres from Austria, upon which it became known as The von Kraken Mansion, named after the family. You can look through all the stuff here and get the details. Basically, one of the von Kraken sons went a little crazy thinking he could conquer death in mortal man.”

  “Like a Frankenstein thing?” Trent asked as he rolled his eyes.

  “Sort of.” Josh replied, “but its way more than what you’ve seen in a movie about Frankenstein. Anyway, he got committed to an asylum when they found him with the decomposing corpse of his brother and talking to the household cat like it was his brother.”

  “Ewww…gross!” Sally exclaimed as she latched onto Trent’s arm.

  “You can read through this stuff to get all the gory details,” Josh said as he motioned to the pile of papers. “It was bought up years later and renamed the Drummond-Evans Mansion, but not for long. Legend claims it is still haunted by the von Kraken clan.”

  “Wicked awesome, Josh!” Sally said as she began to look through some of the printouts. “Think we might actually see something there?”

  Josh shrugged.

  “Beats me. You interested in taking a look?”

  “Absolutely!” she replied. “Trent?”

  Trent pawed through the papers and after glancing at some of the highlights, he felt conflicted. There were the diametrically opposed emotions he had over not believing in any of this stuff vs. how deep down it gave him some chills, especially in this case after reading some details. However, he also knew that Sally seemed to be thrilled at the opportunity and he did not want to let her go alone with Josh. He figured it would amount to nothing, really, but might give him an opportunity to be there for Sally if something should happen. Nothing better, in his opinion, than a girl who gets scared and needs a protector…

  “Sure…why not,” Trent replied. “Count me in, too!”

  “Great,” Josh replied as he slid his mug across the table for a refill. “Sally, how about Trent and I swing by your dorm around six or seven on Halloween night and we can run over there and see what there is to see?”

  The three of them clinked their mugs together. Sally was tingling with excitement, Josh was happy his proposal to spend more time with Sally had gone over well, and Trent, the perennial “hound dog” was looking forward to the evening possibly leading to more action with Sally later on in the evening…

  ……….

  October 31, 2016, 7 PM

  After stopping by to pick up Josh, Trent wheeled his car back around to backtrack to Sally’s dorm to pick her up and then get them on the road to the old mansion which resided on the western outskirts of Savannah, about a fifteen to twenty-minute drive from campus. Josh and Trent had little to say on the short drive over to pick up Sally. Josh was nervous as to what might actually happen and how he would react if it did, while Trent continued his display of it being nothing at all—that he was just going along as a favor to Sally. Trent skidded to a stop outside the dorm and Sally came bounding down the steps and slid into the front seat with Trent as Josh moved to the back.

  She slid in close to Trent and gave him a long and lingering kiss that made Josh look away. He knew his place in this relationship, but still, every time the two of them made a showy display of affection when he was around, it gave him a painful feeling in his stomach and chest. Trent swung the car forward and they were off to the site of The Drummond-Evans Mansion.

  “You know how to get there, Josh?” Sally asked as she turned in her seat to talk to him.

  “I’ve got it on the GPS on my phone. Just stay on route 204 toward Georgetown. Then turn left on Grove Point Road. I’ll give you more from there, as it seems to be a serie
s of turns on unpaved roads from that point on.”

  “Roger…,” Trent replied.

  “How about I refamiliarize everyone with the history and background while we drive?” Sally asked as she unfolded the papers that Josh had left with her.

  “Fine by me…” Josh said as he sat back in his seat.

  Trent just rolled his eyes as the two of them quickly became fully engaged in the sordid story that overlay the von Kraken family and historic mansion. The sun was setting but was still providing them good illumination as Trent headed down Grove Point Road and the pavement went to dirt. Josh glanced at the GPS.

  “OK, Trent…slow down here. You’ll pass a right-hand turn onto Wild Heron Road and then you will see it again on the left. Turn there and when the road dead ends, we should see the place just off to the right over toward a river.”

  Trent followed Josh’s directions and sure enough, just off to the right was a large, but obviously rundown mansion. He eased the car off the dirt road onto a field where the tall grass had been worn down over the years and killed the engine. They all sat quietly and just looked at had once most likely been a magnificent structure.

  “Wow…” Sally said in an almost whisper, “it must have been something in its’ prime.”

  “From the old photos I’ve seen, it was,” Josh replied. “Too bad it has been neglected for so long.”

  “From the legend, though,” Sally said, “I guess we know why.”