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Post by skywalker on May 12, 2011 22:34:22 GMT -6
She would have had to take that picture through the windshield unless the car was parked sideways in the middle of the highway. If she is sure there are no rock chips in the windshield then I don't know what it could be.
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2011 2:10:35 GMT -6
Could be a bird...
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Post by lois on May 13, 2011 10:23:22 GMT -6
sky I mailed you other blue skies she took, there must be 60 photos from her mobile phone. There is no mark in any of them Just this one.. I would of notice it anyway as I looked at all of them and this was the only one.. No big deal . I thought I would show it to you. Just now she said she thinks they were taken through the glass. then she put lol.. yes she would of be riding up front seat. .. the way the road appears she is looing out the front. but some of them was taken through side window as you can see.
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Post by skywalker on May 13, 2011 22:10:07 GMT -6
Here is a super-duper close-up of the unidentified flying thingy. As you can see it is just a big blob. Notice how there seems to be a shadow at the bottom of it but that shadow (if it is one) does not match the angle of the sun which seems to be shining down almost directly from the left. Also notice how the air around the thingy seems to be disturbed. I don't think a bird or helicopter or plane would cause that. Could it be a camera defect? I don't really think the camera would only mess up once and no other times. It looks like something actually is there. My instinct keeps telling me it's a rock chip but if there are no chips in the windshield then I don't know what it is. Anybody else want to give it a try?
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Post by casper on May 18, 2011 18:54:06 GMT -6
I don't care about rock chips in the window. What happened to the ghost??
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Post by casper on May 24, 2011 12:31:30 GMT -6
Where is the ghost? Where is the ghost?? We want the ghost!!! Don't make me come down there... ;D
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Post by skywalker on May 24, 2011 13:43:56 GMT -6
Where is the ghost? Where is the ghost?? We want the ghost!!! Don't make me come down there... ;D Dude, calm down. Breath....breath...relax a little. I'll get to the ghost in a little while. I'm working on a secret project right now that should be unveiled to the public very soon. Then I'll get back to the ghost, I promise.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2011 14:44:15 GMT -6
Where is the ghost? Where is the ghost?? We want the ghost!!! Don't make me come down there... ;D Dude, calm down. Breath....breath...relax a little. I'll get to the ghost in a little while. I'm working on a secret project right now that should be unveiled to the public very soon. Then I'll get back to the ghost, I promise. Secret project? Does it involve... cookies? ;D
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2011 20:39:55 GMT -6
lol
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Post by casper on May 30, 2011 11:35:34 GMT -6
I still don't see any story about a ghost on here...
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Post by casper on Jun 1, 2011 14:19:42 GMT -6
My truck is broke down and its in the shop and I'm bored because skywalker won't write about the ghost so I have nothing to read.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2011 14:20:50 GMT -6
My truck is broke down and its in the shop and I'm bored because skywalker won't write about the ghost so I have nothing to read. Do you want to join me in the chat room on the forum then? I'll entertain you for awhile.
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Post by skywalker on Jun 1, 2011 21:32:56 GMT -6
My truck is broke down and its in the shop and I'm bored because skywalker won't write about the ghost so I have nothing to read.
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Post by casper on Jun 2, 2011 20:52:19 GMT -6
Is there a ghost story here yet?
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Post by skywalker on Jun 2, 2011 21:30:37 GMT -6
I'm working on it now, dude. I'm finally done with my secret project so I'm going to be investigating the ghost all weekend long.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2011 23:09:58 GMT -6
I'm working on it now, dude. I'm finally done with my secret project so I'm going to be investigating the ghost all weekend long. Tell us about the secret project!!!
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Post by casper on Jun 3, 2011 23:07:21 GMT -6
Tell us about the ghost!
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Post by skywalker on Jun 5, 2011 22:30:43 GMT -6
Tell us about the secret project!!! I would tell you but it's a secret. Besides, you already know about the secret project.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2011 0:48:52 GMT -6
I do? I... I... seem to have forgotten it... ;D
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Post by casper on Jun 6, 2011 18:56:30 GMT -6
Boooo. Did I just hear a ghost? I must have because I sure don't see one! Where's the ghost?
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Post by Morgan Sierra on Jun 17, 2011 19:57:27 GMT -6
I wrote this story about the town where I grew up to provide a historical background for the ghost story I am investigating. The history of the area is fascinating...much more so than the modern town is. I have had a lot of weird experiences out there though.
Saratoga of the South
Modern day Lampasas is a charming little town of about 7000 people nestled deep in the heart of the Texas hill country. It is the seat of Lampasas County and sports a beautiful French-style limestone courthouse. It also has a Walmart, a McDonald's and a main street business district. In the name of progress the people recently voted to increase their golf course from nine holes to eighteen. On the surface there is nothing about this unpretentious little community to suggest an illustrious past, but the fact is that Lampasas was once the most famous health resort west of the Mississippi.
The Town's claim to fame is based on a collection of natural mineral water springs that bubble up from deep within the earth. In the nineteenth century these springs were known far and wide for their incredible healing powers. Many miraculous cures were said to have originated from the cool mineral waters and over time thousands of people from all over the world journeyed to Lampasas to sample its medicinal properties. At the height of its popularity the city rivaled other major resorts such as Hot Springs, Arkansas and Saratoga Springs, New York, and it even garnered the nickname "Saratoga of the South." Its future as a major tourist attraction seemed assured.
People had actually been drawn to the springs in Central Texas since prehistoric times. Many native American tribes held annual pilgrimages to the mystical place of the life-giving waters where they would bathe in the spring and drink the mineral water to cure a variety of ills and insure future health. While in the vicinity of the springs all weapons would be laid down and all disputes set aside. The indians considered the place to be sacred and it was forbidden to spill blood on the ground. This would later prove to be their undoing when the European settlers moved into the area for the new arrivals did not share their reverence.
The Spaniards first discovered the springs in 1721 while on an expedition to East Texas. They named the place Lampasas which was supposedly based on the native word for "water lily," since at that time the clear pools were covered with them. From the indians the soldiers also learned of the health-giving properties of the water and they quickly spread the news throughout the land.
In 1853 a settler named Moses Hughes carried his ailing wife to the springs in the hopes that the stories might be true. They built a small house in the vicinity of one of the larger pools and took up residence there. Mrs. Hughes drank the sulfur water from the springs and quickly showed remarkable improvement. Within weeks she had regained her health entirely and news of the miracle spread. Travelers began camping by the springs and filling bottles with the wonderful water which was said the cure everything from arthritis to tuberculosis.
While most of the stories may have been exaggerated there is some scientific basis for the claim that some Texas mineral water does indeed have medicinal properties. Supposedly, minute amounts of the minerals in the water are absorbed through a person's skin and can help cure certain types of ailments. This is especially true of water with an extremely high sulfur content like that at the springs. Sulfur is used by many physicians today to treat many types of ailments such as arthritis, psoriasis, and even certain types of cancer. In addition, the therapeutic benefits of soaking in both hot and cold water are well documented. Bathing stimulates blood circulation which increases the body's oxygen intake as well as helping to remove waste products. This same effect can also be achieved by drinking the water, so it seems as if the claims of the early Lampasans may not have been so far-fetched after all. Regardless, the fame of the area's healing water attracted people by the hundreds and soon a tent community had sprung up around the springs.
By 1865 as many as 1500 people were camping in the area and many had built permanent houses of rough hewn logs or native limestone. Five years later the population had doubled and more continued to arrive to taste the magic of the springs. The growing population soon drew the attention of outside businesses.
Attracted by the continuous torrent of health seekers and the fact that Lampasas had long been known as "the only watering place in Texas," the Gulf Central and Santa Fe Railroad extended its line to the growing community. Their eventual goal was transcontinental but the popularity of the springs convinced the rail-builders to take a short hiatus of a few years and make Lampasas the westward terminus of the line. The town's population responded by exploding to upwards of 20,000 people, most of whom were migrant workers or travelers heading further west. A few enterprising businessmen saw potential in the little health resort and plans were drawn up to begin promoting it as a major spa, equal in reputation to the most famous resorts in the world.
In 1883 a syndicate of wealthy man from Galveston, all employees of the GC&SF Railroad, began construction of a large motel and resort to serve the tourists. The end result was a palatial structure called the Park Hotel. This magnificent building was 331 feet long and two stories high with broad, bannistered porches surrounding each floor. It contained 200 guest rooms, and was well furnished with electric lighting and call bells in each room. At the time it was built it was the largest and most elegant wood-frame hotel in Texas.
Surrounding the hotel were 200 acres of wooded parkland complete with guest cottages and a bandstand with covered pavilion. A beautiful creek tranquilly whirled and eddied its way through the tall oaks and provided a picturesque backdrop for carriage rides through the park. A small dam created a shallow lake for boating and fishing, and many nights couples would gather along the banks to dance or waltz to the tune of a gold-braided orchestra, which was available to perform almost every night.
Daylight hours were usually spent in the mineral water baths. The bathhouses were built of native stone, one for ladies, another for gentlemen, each with a pool measuring forty by sixty feet wide and three to five feet deep. In addition there were smaller tubs and private pools which could be heated to any desired temperature, and there was another small pool for children. All in an idealistically romantic setting. Add in the healing powers of the sulfur water and the place must have been a veritable Utopia.
On the other side of town and about a mile from the Park Hotel was another resort area called the Hannah Springs Convention Center. This spa was built more for the needs of the general public rather than the upper crust Park Hotel patrons, but it was still extremely elegant. Its centerpiece was a massive bathhouse with reception room, dance hall and orchestra pit, plus a cavernous central hall measuring 60 by 120 feet. Built from huge timbers without any central support beams, the hall was ideal for weddings, dances, theater productions and religious revivals. One year it even hosted the Democratic State Convention chiefly because it was the only building in the state of Texas that was large enough to hold the congregation while still providing an unobstructed view for the audience.
The convention center maintained a number of bathing rooms as well, each of which could be heated by a portable boiler, or the townspeople could frolic in one of several large pools. In addition, the Hannah Springs area served as a camping place for transitional residents who were waiting for houses to be built, or who had just come to visit the springs. Always there was a line of people filling bottles and jugs with the magical healing waters.
As people continued to be lured to the area by the springs, numerous other attractions were built to greet them. A swank opera house complete with leather chairs and a Victorian stage was built for first class entertainment, and a race track and horse stable provided for the rest. There were also numerous hotels, dance halls, a roller skating rink, and a mule-drawn streetcar to provide scenic rides through the center of town.
The town also supported two colleges and several smaller schools, and provided a scenic location for weekend field trips from Baylor College in Belton, as well as other area schools. With the influx of students came a reputation as "the education center of Texas."
By the late 1880s adds were being run in papers across the country inviting people to "come to Lampasas to drink the health giving mineral waters and meet the socially correct." The Santa Fe Railroad ran weekend excursion trains up from Galveston, and during the summer months they offered special rates from points all over the country for anyone wanting to journey to Lampasas....and the people kept coming. It seemed as if everybody in the world wanted a taste of the "Saratoga of the South."
The steady torrent of people surprised even the GC&SF and the Park Hotel syndicate, who had profited beyond their wildest dreams, but somehow they seemed to know that the good times could not go on forever.
In 1885 the Hotel syndicate sold the fabulous Park Hotel and a few months later the railroad began construction on a line further west towards Brownwood. Along with the railroad went the migrant workers and speculators, and the population of Lampasas began to subside. The decline in population caused a decline in business and a local depression began. What normally would only have been a minor financial crises quickly turned catastrophic.
The rash of construction begun during the "boomtown" days left many new buildings standing empty and unused. With fewer and fewer customers to serve them businesses faltered and the economy quickly collapsed. A bank failed, new companies went bankrupt, and once thriving hotels closed their doors because of a lack of customers. Then the fires started.
The Globe Hotel, a three-story cathedral-like structure with the only elevator in the county mysteriously caught fire and burned to the ground. That blaze was quickly followed by several others, including a men's furnishing store, a newspaper office, a candy store and a vacant building. Another newly-built hotel was reduced to ashes, and the plush opera house with its leather chairs and painted stage belched smoke so thickly that firefighters could not even find the building until it was too late to do anything to save it.
In one year there were at least seven major fires and in most cases the buildings were heavily insured. The blazes always seemed to ignite in the wee hours of the morning, and in one instance, before one of the more destructive infernos, a shadowy figure was witnessed running away from the scene. This prompted the local people to demand an end to the madness, and with the aid of the authorities a group of lawless characters were rounded up and escorted out of town. The destruction slowed but the damage had already been done.
The downtown area was nothing but a mess of charred and blackened wreckage with only empty frame skeletons where once thriving businesses had stood. The economy had collapsed completely and people began leaving the city in droves. Lampasas' days as a health resort were numbered.
The famous Park Hotel, once the most popular place in Texas, struggled to eke out an existence. It remained open on a seasonal basis for a few years but eventually it also was forced to close its doors permanently. The building was leased for a time to one of the local colleges until one cold winter night in 1895, when the ground was covered with snow and all of the water pipes were frozen, when it too started burning.
The fire quickly spread throughout the wooden structure, and with no water available, the beleaguered fire department could do little more than watch as one of the largest, most elegant hotels in the country went up in a blaze of glory. The fire lit up the countryside for miles around and could be seen from towns as far as thirty miles away. As the black smoke rose up into the darkened night it carried all of the hopes and dreams of the people with it...and with that, the "Saratoga of the South" was no more.
Still, the town continued to struggle on. Buildings were rebuilt, the economy revived and life continued. Even after more fires in later years, and several catastrophic floods, the town still managed to survive. Perhaps the springs had something to do with it.
Since the very beginning people had been attracted to Lampasas by the miraculous properties attributed to its health-giving waters. Maybe one of those properties was the gift of strength and fortitude to withstand the greatest of adversities. It may have been fire that almost destroyed the town but it was water that gave it life, and which originally attracted the people whose descendants are still there today.
The springs are still there also, bubbling quietly up from the ground just like they were when Lampasas was the greatest health resort west of the Mississippi. A subtle reminder of what was once the Saratoga of the South.
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Post by skywalker on Jun 17, 2011 20:11:33 GMT -6
The ghost is reported to haunt the area around one of the old springs. People have heard strange screams and voices, and have seen mysterious lights and ghostly apparitions wandering around in the darkness. I've been investigating this for the past month now but haven't had time to post anything because I was working on another project that was taking up a lot of my time. That project is now at a point where I can get back to having some fun sneaking around in the dark. ;D So far I have interviewed several people who have reported seeing the ghost and I have visited the area several times (and seen some unusual things, but nothing definitive). I have done quite a bit of historical research on this case also and have turned up some interesting little tidbits. Among other things, this case may involve murder, a possible suicide, and even a haunted house. Now if the ghost will turn up and pose for a photo we will really be in business. ;D
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Post by casper on Jun 18, 2011 12:40:53 GMT -6
Yesss!!! Now we are talking. What did the ghsot look like? How many people have seen it? Did you see it yet? Where does it show up? Where is this haunted house? I've been to Lampasas a few times in my truck. There is a meat plant there that I deliver to sometimes. Do you know where that is?? I think its downtown somewhere. That town isn't very big. It is just a little place in the middle of nowhere. there's not even a truckstop nearby.
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Post by skywalker on Jun 18, 2011 20:11:56 GMT -6
Calm down, dude. ;D All of your questions will soon be answered. That meat packing plant you were talking about is right next to the spring where the ghost supposedly shows up. The next time you go there you can walk over to it...or in your case you can run like a madman over to it.
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Post by casper on Jun 19, 2011 19:51:44 GMT -6
No way! Are you serious? That is so cool. I'm gonna check that out for sure.
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Post by casper on Jun 19, 2011 19:53:20 GMT -6
Will I be able to see it from the meat plant? Where does the ghost hang out? Does it come out in the day time or only at night?
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Post by skywalker on Jun 20, 2011 20:42:22 GMT -6
If you are backed up the loading docks just look straight ahead and you can see the spring. It's only a couple hundred yards away. If you walk over to it take a right and go across the street. That is where the ghost has been reported...back in where all of the trees are. All of the reports I heard say it comes out after dark. I haven't seen anything really unusual yet but I'm still looking.
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Post by Morgan Sierra on Jun 25, 2011 0:19:34 GMT -6
The Ghost of Hannah SpringsLampasas is a charming little town nestled amongst the rolling hills of Central Texas. It's population is made up mainly of farmers and ranchers, and ordinary people going about their ordinary lives. There is nothing about this unassuming little place to give the impression of grandeur, but back in the late 1800s Lampasas was one of the most famous vacation destinations in the United States. It's claim to fame was a collection of mineral springs that bubbled up out of the ground providing cool, clear water for hot, weary travelers to drink and bathe. These springs once attracted people from all over the world who came to sample the health-giving benefits of the mineral water. Now it seems they attract something else....a ghost! There are a total of seven different springs in the area. The two largest are on opposite sides of town. Hancock Springs is to the southeast and was where the more affluent travelers visited. This is where the magnificent Park Hotel once stood. A mule-drawn street car brought travelers from the railroad depot across town. On the northern side of town was Hannah Springs, which was the hangout of the ordinary average folk who couldn't afford the extravagances of the Hotel. Located within a few blocks of the rail depot it was a very convenient gathering place for new arrivals. A huge wood-beamed building that was used as a Convention Center and theater once towered over the spring, and several bath houses and swimming pools dotted the grounds outside. Many travelers who were just passing through would set up tents or temporary shelters in the vicinity of Hannah. With so many transients in the area there were undoubtedly more than a few incidents of lawlessness, and in fact several deaths are reported to have occurred in the general vicinity of the spring. This is the area where the ghost is said to call home. Hannah Spring today is just a shadow of what it once was. The Convention Center and bath houses that used to exist in the area are long gone. The spring itself is still there and is now enclosed by a circular limestone wall that creates a pool about fifty feet wide and six to eight feet deep. A small stream of mineral water pours through an opening in the side and curls its way through the wooded area to the east. The water is crystal clear and cold, and contains a heavy concentration of either sodium or sulfur, depending on which mineral happens to be flowing out at the time. It varies throughout the year. On days when the sulfur content is strong it is accompanied by a strong odor similar to that of rotten eggs. It almost smells like death. Very fitting for a ghost story. The WitnessesI have spoken with several local residents who claim to have seen spooky, spectral activity in the area near the spring. Most of this activity occurs across the street in the heavily wooded area just a few hundred feet from where the spring is (although one person claimed to have seen a ghostly light rise up directly from the spring itself and float across the road). * Witness 1* The first witness was a young Hispanic male who was heading home after a hard day's work at the Ralston-Purina meat-packing plant which is just a few hundred yards from the spring. A dimly lit street passes in between the spring and the wooded area to the east. The rail line from the depot used to run parallel to this road but the tracks were removed many years ago. The time was approximately 09:30 at night and was very dark. As the witness was walking down the road passing by the spring he heard what sounded like a woman screaming off in the wooded area to his right. He immediately went to investigate and while stumbling through the darkness he saw a bluish-colored light that appeared to be moving amongst the trees close to ground level. He stated that it was about a hundred feet away from him. The light was described as being round like an orb. As the man tried to work his way closer towards the light he accidentally fell into the stream of water that was flowing from the spring. It was about two feet deep where he landed and made a huge splash when he went in. Upon dragging himself out of the creek he once again looked for the light but it had vanished. No other unusual sights or sounds were noted by the witness afterward so he proceeded home. He stated that he has not noticed anything unusual since then but he sometimes gets an "odd feeling" when walking down that particular section of the road. * Witness 2* The second incident is said to have occurred about five years ago, also involving a young Hispanic male who was about ten years old at the time. He stated that he was riding a bicycle home at night following a Little League baseball game and as he was passing by the spring he claims that he saw a bright blue light rise up out of the spring and float directly across the road in front of him. He then heard what sounded like a woman's voice whispering to him from the bushes along the road and he felt a "hand like ice" clutching at his throat. At that point he panicked and proceeded to pedal as fast as he could away from the area. The witness states that he was scared "bleepless" by this incident and he refuses to go back by "that bleeping spring" late at night. He has since traveled by it in the day time but never again at night. ( I bleeped out some of the words to keep the forum PG-rated ) * Witness 3* (This may be the best sighting of them all) This witness was a young woman who reported that while a senior in high school many years ago she accompanied her boyfriend late one night to an old, reportedly "haunted" house that used to exist in the area. The two teenagers were engaged in what teenagers often engage in while alone in dark, isolated areas when they heard what sounded like laughter coming from outside the house. Thinking that somebody else was about to enter the house they quickly grabbed their clothes and snuck out the back door to wait. As they were crouched down hiding in back of the house they heard what sounded like screaming coming from the forest. She said that to her it sounded like somebody was torturing a cat, while her boyfriend thought it sounded human. Afraid to move from their location they watched and waited and a few minutes later they saw what appeared to be a ghostly woman walking through the backyard behind the house. She said that it passed withing about twenty feet of their location and glowed with a faint, ghostly bluish light. The female spirit was dressed in old-style clothes, possibly from the 1800s, and had long hair flowing behind her. Upon seeing this spooky vision the two watched in horror until the ghost turned and looked directly at them, at which point they ran as fast as they could. As they were running, they once again heard the screaming sound, which caused them to move even quicker. She said the boy she was with was so afraid that he ran off and left her and did not stop to wait for her until they were well away from the house, the spring...and the ghost! She claimed that she stopped seeing the boy shortly after that, and did not know where he lived, so I was unable to contact him about the incident. * Other witnesses* I have spoken with many other people who claim that the area around the spring is haunted but most of them have never actually had a ghostly encounter there. The few who have spoke mainly of strange lights and voices. Others claim that they heard stories from other people and were more than happy to share them with me but I don't consider second-hand testimony to be particularly reliable. I do like to listen to the stories though. What these stories do is establish that many people actually do believe that the area around Hannah Spring really is haunted. This coincides with many other stories that I heard while I was growing up in Lampasas. I lived there most of my life and heard a lot of spooky tales about ghosts and goblins but at the time I thought they were just silly stories and didn't pay much attention to them. It's kind of strange that as a boy I did not believe in ghost stories while many decades later as a grown man I actually take these things seriously.
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Post by casper on Jun 26, 2011 18:41:03 GMT -6
WOW! Those were some spooky stories. I like the one where the two teens were having hanky-panky and the ghost scared them. I bet that would have been fun to see. ;D That one with the kid riding his bicycle home was good too and so was the one where the guy stepped in the crreek. Who said ghosts are not dangerous? ;D ;D I have to go check this place out. Have you seen the ghost yet?
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Post by skywalker on Jun 28, 2011 17:57:20 GMT -6
Haven't seen the ghost yet. I did see something weird but it wasn't a ghost.
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