I live in a 100+ year-old house that is very close to a busy street. There was no thought about cars when this house was built. Years ago the horse-drawn coaches stopped here, and there were rooms for “entertainment” upstairs. Across the street on ten acres of land is a large abandoned brick building that looks very much like an old castle. It was originally built by The Knights of Pythias as a retirement home for members of the lodge. However, in later years it was a nursing home, and, of course, many people breathed their last breathes in that building. For several years the local high school students have decorated the building at Haloween and have used it as a haunted mansion. In past years thousands of young people from miles around have been led through these creepy halls, and they tell of cold spots in the building and “sightings”.
However, this year the area is quieter. The health department said that there are too many bats in the building. They were worried about bird flu or bat flu, I don’t know. So it is again “somewhat” quieter in the old building that for many years has been a spooky Haloween haunt for many.
As I said before, I live across the street, so, naturally, I use the area near the haunted mansion to walk and exercise. I have to tell you, though, that I have been hearing some strange sounds. I can’t quite make it out, but the sounds very much sound like whistle music, like someone is playing the whistle in the old building. In the evening, when the blackbirds have all settled to roost in the large oak trees in the front yard, I can hear it. It sounds like “Whiskey before Breakfast”, if I am not mistaking. And the player has talent. I try to conjure up a persona for the ghostly player. I want to know who he/she was and something about their life. If they still play the whistle as a ghost, then the whistle must have been an important part of their life, like many others who are reading this and are all destined, sooner or later, to be like the ghostly player.
This talk of ghostly music reminded me of a story told by a old friend of mine.At the time of the story he was working as a tower crane driver on the Humber Bridge-at the time it was the largest single span suspension bridge in the world.
One dark night ,the boss arrived on site to find the place deserted-not a soul to be seen.Looking around for his crew he heard a tinwhistle playing on the breeze so to speak and soon worked out that it was coming from the control booth of the tower crane.Bracing himself,he climbed all the way up this massive crane only to find my friend sitting there playing his whistle with only a bottle of Jamesons for company.
“Where’s all the boys then ?” the boss asked.
“Sure it’s friday night and they’ve all gone for a quick pint.They’ll be back soon enough” sez Paddy.
"Indeed " sez the boss,“How come you didn’t go with them ?”
Paddy takes the whistle from his mouth ,looks at the boss and replies “Jaysuz man,I’m far to drunk to be climbing all the way down there in this wind.”
OK, this isn’t a Halloween story, and it’s not about whistles, but it is a bit eerie (and it involves music)…
My grandfather (may he rest in peace) always swore that on the day his mother died, they heard a choir singing. It sounded as if the choir members were walking up the driveway toward their house, but they couldn’t see anyone. As the sound of the choir approached the house, the singing suddenly rose straight up into the air and faded away.
(This wasn’t my grandfather’s only paranormal story, but it’s the only one involving music.)
[quote=“dubhlinn” “Where’s all the boys then ?” the boss asked.
“Sure it’s friday night and they’ve all gone for a quick pint.They’ll be back soon enough” sez Paddy.
"Indeed " sez the boss,“How come you didn’t go with them ?”
Paddy takes the whistle from his mouth ,looks at the boss and replies “Jaysuz man,I’m far to drunk to be climbing all the way down there in this wind.”[/quote]
Wow, Dub…you CAN post in an Irish accent!!
