Something is in the house!!!

One bright, autumn afternoon I went with my dad and brothers to do chores on my dad's family's farm.  We went after finishing chores at our house, so it was late afternoon.  I think I was 10.

My dad took our beagles along to let them run in the woods (practice chasing rabbits).  When we were ready to go home, we called the dogs .  But they were not ready to go--they ignored us.  In a move that completely shocked me, my dad decided to leave them there.  Leaving a son, sure (I joke).  But leaving his hunting dogs???  We went home, had dinner, and then headed back for the dogs.  It was well after dark

After arriving back at the farm we walked into the woods, listening for the dogs.  Before long we could hear them on the trail of a rabbit, howling as they ran.  We picked a spot we thought would be along their path, turned off the flashlights and waited.  Almost magically, they (thanks to the rabbit) ran towards us.  When they got close, we turned on the lights.  That startled the two dogs and they came over to us, wagging their tails. 

Within minutes we had them in the very back of my mom's station wagon, which was parked right next to the old farm house.  The ancient (Civil War-era) two-story house on the farm was abandoned at that point.  Local kids shot holes in the roof years before and the house was beyond saving.  It stood there, completely dark and eerie looking.

Guess what?  The station wagon wouldn't start.  The battery suddenly was very dead.

My dad decided to walk to our uncle's house for help.  We (my brother, me, and the beagles) stayed in the car.  I'm not sure if we waited there a long time or if time was just passing slowly. But it seemed as if our dad was gone a very long time.

As we sat there, I thought I heard something familiar.  It was the faint sound of sawing.  Where could it be coming from?  My brother asked if I heard it.  Then we agreed the sound was coming from the house.  The abandoned house!!!  It got louder.  We pretended it was nothing, but we were getting more creeped out the louder it got. 

Next we could hear hammering along with the sawing.  Something frightening was going on inside that house.  I told my brother we needed to do something (not sure if I meant investigate or run).  He did something.  He jumped into the back of the station wagon with the beagles.  They would save him!

Suddenly, all was quiet.  But soon the sounds started up again.  This time my brother could tell the sounds were being caused by the dogs--wagging their tails.  A slight wag made a "sawing" sound across the carpet and an excited wag made the dogs' tails thump against the side of the wagon--making a "hammering" sound.

I shared the story with my dad that night, which upset my brother.  Since he was older and tried to hide behind the dogs, I suppose he was embarrassed.  But not me!!!  I'm happy to share an almost-ghost story to go along with my real ones.

Have a great weekend!