Haunted Destinations: Satan’s Tunnel, Hawk Point, Missouri

Posted on 01/06/2021 by mapoll

In the tiny, rural town of Hawk Point (population around 700) stands an innocuous tunnel. To get there from Warrenton, take Highway 47 to the four-way crossing and turn left. Take this curvy road until you see a vast cornfield and a sign on the left saying, “Tunnel Road.” Follow this road to the end. And, you have arrived at Satan’s Tunnel with many supernatural tales.  The name alone gives one a reason for pause.

Unlike many of the spots rife with paranormal activity throughout the state, this haunted tunnel in Missouri sits on private property. Of course, that hasn’t stopped people from investigating in years past.

The legend goes that devil worshippers owned the land the road is on. That alone can cause significant hauntings and supernatural activity.

There are numerous supernatural tales around this tunnel.

One such story tells of a gentleman, just over a century ago, who went to explore the tunnel. As had others, he heard horrific sounds emanating from the area around the tunnel, and he decided to check those noises out. Except he never returned. He crossed the railroad tracks and was hit by a train, thrown to the bottom of the tunnel, and died. Townspeople found his body at the entrance to the tunnel. His ghost is known to haunt the area still.

Apparently, several people who attempted to enter this passageway, where the “feeling of death” reportedly lingers in the air, were found dead inside or never seen again. If you attempt to take a peek inside this terrifying underpass, some say you may be able to hear the sound of the whistle from the train that killed the doomed man.

In the seventies, some kids were exploring the tunnel and found a homeless man taking shelter inside. (He told the story of a man’s ghost in the place, and if a person walks through the tunnel quietly, he or she can hear the whistle of the train, even though the train tracks no longer exist.) He warned the kids to leave and never to return, for evil enveloped the place. The next day police found the man dead inside the passage, his face frozen with fear and cause of death unknown. Purportedly, the caution tape was not taken down and is still visible.  

Legend says there are a haunted graveyard and a witch’s house in the woods. Lots of evil activity reported here. There is also another house with a big window. Supposedly, the ghost of a lady in a red dress, sitting in a rocking chair, is seen in that big window.

Are you up to this haunted tunnel and the surrounding areas? I get goosebumps just thinking about traveling there.

Until Next Time,

Sources: Haunts of Missouri, https://hauntsofmissouri.wordpress.com/2019/06/03/satans-tunnel/ ;

www.onlyinyourstate.com; The Hartford Extra Mile

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Of Black Helicopters and Shadow Figures

Posted on 12/29/2020 by mapoll

As a novelist, researcher and lover of all things supernatural, I've always enjoyed hearing other people's experiences.

Earlier this year, I started a podcast entitled Real Ghost Chatter where others could join me and discuss their encounters. I never realized how many great stories I would hear.

I received one unique narrative. I found it both exciting and a bit scary.  

This account is from Graham. Graham is a regular guy. He has always been a hobby artist but he says, sadly, he has never made a career from it. He now works for a small company that catches wildlife and repairs damage they cause to homes.

Graham spends most of his free time crafting antler and Beachwood carvings. He is married to Joy and, I quote, "Is reaching my amazing 1st anniversary with her."

Now you know a little about who Graham is, the following is the account of what has happened to him:

Graham writes:

Late in 1996/early 1997, I was in my last year of high school. We lived in a newer subdivision, built in the desert. Luke Air force base, and its shooting range, were very close to my neighborhood. The desert land next to our subdivision had "Federal Land -no trespassing" signs in large letters.

Well, as with any teenager, that didn't stop me. I used to explore the desert quite a bit. In my explorations, I had found a rock alcove. It wasn't a full cave, but more of a rounded area recessed in a cliffside.  

 I thought the area was fascinating. I even had my friend come along a few times and hang out in the alcove with me. We'd use my slingshot and ricochet rocks off of bigger rocks and roll large stones down the peaks. Typical teenage boy stupidity. 

One day everything changed. I went by myself and dug up a couple of small ears of jumping cactus to plant in our yard. About 20 minutes later, I heard a voice in my head say," Get out of here now!" Right then, I could see a black helicopter in the distance.

I had a strange feeling, and I booked it home on my bike. I was about 2-4 miles away from my house. I got home and went to the back to flush my face with water because I was heat exhausted from peddling so fast.

Seconds later, the helicopter was only a few hundred feet away from our roof and just hovered above our pool. I felt like it was watching me for a couple of minutes.

Again, a voice in my head said, "Do not look up at them!" So, I petted our dog and wholly ignored the helicopter.  It finally flew away.

I was just confused, but I didn't think much more of it.

Shortly after this event, I started having extraordinary things happen in my sleep. I would keep waking up and found myself attacking something above me with my pillow. When this happened, I would always see some kind of small human-shaped figure/mist, and it would dematerialize after I noticed it. This happened every few months.

I laughed it off. I decided it was sleepwalking or a waking dream. This happened every few months from 1997-2004.

After I graduated high school, I would travel to Tempe for a trade school. I left really early in the morning to avoid Phoenix traffic and when I arrived, I would sleep in my car until school opened.

One morning about 4 am I woke up and saw a small shadow figure staring in on me. I thought it was a vagabond. I tried to grab a knife I kept in my door slot for protection.  As soon as I reached for it, I discovered I was paralyzed. I was fully awake, yet my eyes would not open. After a couple of minutes, I could finally move. My first thought was, "I am having some major sleep issues."

After that, things were relatively quiet. Time moved on, and I got married. My now ex witnessed the same ghostly cloud I talked about earlier. She saw it at the same time I did. Things got worse.

I started sitting up in my sleep and staring at my ex with eyes wide open, talking an odd or ancient-sounding language. This happened quite a bit around 2001-2003. We both laughed it all off.

As you can imagine, by this time, I am entirely convinced I had a sleeping disorder, and I am sure most people would think the same. Until 2004 came when my thinking and my life changed forever. 

 One August night, I went to sleep at 9. My ex-wife worked late shifts at an airline. She probably got home around 2:30, or 3 am. She told me dogs were growling and barking all around our cabin, but she couldn't see them. She had such an ominous feeling; she quickly got into the house.  As she got inside, she heard an even louder growl.

She came into our bedroom. In the dark, she saw me standing on the bed. She said my stance looked a bit contorted, and my eyes were black. She came close, thinking I was sleepwalking.  She said I jumped on her like an animal and began choking her. She described slapping and punching me as hard as she could to getaway. Her cries for help let my consciousness break free, and as I was breaking free, I could hear this demonic whaling or shrieking sound. It terrified me. There is no way I could imitate that noise. My heart sank. I realized something terrible happened. I tried to comfort her and noticed my voice sounded completely different. If you've seen Mothman, with Richard Gere, the voice was similar to the Indred Cold phone call voice. It was really creepy.

I kept telling my ex-wife it was ok. I remember her saying, "No! It's not. It's not you!" We both sat there crying and confused and scared.

Somehow the door shut itself while all this was going on. My cat, who adored and trusted me like a best friend, was circling the room in terror and trying to get out.

I had to work in the morning and needed to get ready. I was distracted because I felt a frighteningly sinister presence still watching me, waiting to attack. 

My ex and I said prayers. We got loads of holy water and blessed the house. Things quieted down.

Two weeks later, I was again asleep but by myself this time. I awoke to see a statue of Apollo's, which I bought from Wal-Mart, eyes where glowing bright blue. I moved it into the shadow of the room to see if it was moonlight. The eyes still glowed in the dark. And, no, this wasn't a glow in the dark statue. I guess after what I'd been through, I wasn't scared by this new incident. Instead of being scared, I put the figure on the floor, tossed a blanket over it and went back to sleep.

 After this last incident, I haven't had any further sleeping issues. No clouds or figures, no talking in my sleep or sitting up with eyes open. Nothing! That was in 2004. Now it's 2020. 

 I did, however, make a very mysterious friend a few years ago that claimed to be angelic and described destroying the thing that apparently possessed me.  I know this seems pretty silly, and I would have thought so, too, except this person literally knew everything about me and predicted several things that came true.

Many thanks to Graham and all those who trust me enough to share their supernatural stories.

I hope you enjoyed reading Graham's story as much as I did.

Until next time, 

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A Christmas to Remember

Posted on 12/23/2020 by mapoll

I am writing this article on December 21st, 2020. Looking back over 2020, it has been, well, a memorable year.

I heard Pastor Dana Coverstone call 2020 "The Dumpster Fire” Year. Yep. That sums it up. I mean, who started the fire? Is the fire department ever coming? All good questions. I do believe the fire department has been with us all along.

As I write, I think about the true meaning of Christmas. This year has allowed me to think about that even more than I have other times. We are celebrating the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. As John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but would have eternal life."God’s gift to this world is a huge reason to celebrate. Not only celebrate but shout it from the rooftops. No matter what happens on this earth, it is only temporary. We have heaven waiting, and it is eternal.

Still, reminders of the greatest gift of Love ever witnessed are always encouraging. So, if you’ve been looking for something to make you smile amid the 2020 chaos, here’s something:

The Star of Bethlehem is visible from December 21st to December 25th, 2020.

Technically, it isn’t actually a star, but It is the aligning of two planets: Jupiter and Saturn. The alignment of these two planets is a rare occurrence. It was last recorded in 1226 AD. And YOU, my friends, are here to witness it. I am reminded that 2000 years ago, a baby was born under such a star. And this event tells me that Jesus is not only still here. He is active. 

Of all the years for this remarkable occurrence, 2020 is the one I’d choose. So many need hope and encouragement during these dark and uncertain days.

If you don’t quite have the Christmas Spirit, maybe walking outside, about 45 minutes after dark and looking to the Southwest sky will encourage you and remind you miracles happen all the time, and usually just when we need them.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

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Haunted Destinations: St. Augustine Lighthouse, St. Augustine, Florida

Posted on 12/16/2020 by mapoll

Dear Reader, I suggest every day, and especially when visiting haunted sites, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)

Lighthouse fans know it’s not unusual for these beacons of light to come with dark stories. St. Augustine, Florida, has one such place.

The current St. Augustine Lighthouse is a private navigation aid and an active, working lighthouse. It stands at the north end of Anastasia Island. Built between 1871 and 1874, the tower is the second lighthouse tower in St. Augustine. The American territorial government officially lit the first tower in May 1824.

The history of St. Augustine Lighthouse goes back hundreds of years. Both the Spanish and the British governments operated a significant help to navigation here, including a series of wooden watchtowers and beacons dating back to 1565.

Maps from 1589 detail Sir Francis Drake’s raid of the coast. The 1589 chart mentions the wooden watchtower.

Built to support the nearby Castillo de Marcos, this observation tower survived numerous changes of hands; each new conqueror had their particular idea of not only how the tower should function, but of its design. So, different owners added to, took away, then added back building parts.

Throughout this constant re-design, the watchtower also saw its share of epic sinkings. An example is the HMS Industry, which sank in 1763, taking all of the iron, axes, and grindstones Britain sent to build the new American colonies. Then, there were the 16 ships that wrecked, fleeing the aftermath of the American victory in the Revolutionary War one raucous New Year’s Eve.

Other historic maritime stories include pirate invaders and a Spanish captain who cut off an accused smuggler’s ear.

The current St. Augustine Lighthouse was built after the South’s fall in the Civil War when fears grew over the tower’s state. The lighthouse was structurally unsound, probably due to being remodeled numerous times, so concerns were that it would fall into the ocean.

Luckily, funding was granted, and a new lighthouse was built near the original site in 1874, solving the old one’s structural problems. The new tower saw its share of woes, such as the World War II-era, when the waters were rife with German U-Boats prowling the coastline.

Several untimely deaths occurred at the lighthouse and its grounds, including those of two different keepers.

One of the most famous ghosts is that of lighthouse keeper Peter Rasmussen. Mr. Rasmussen was known for his careful watch over the tower. He also adored the finer things in life. Keeping up with modern luxuries was of utmost importance to him, so he installed bathtubs, closets, and lavatories in the keeper’s house. Even more than the ‘modern’ luxuries, Peter loved cigars. And it is rumored his desire for the finer things continued into the next life. Some visitors to the St. Augustine Lighthouse keeper’s quarters get whiffs of the scent of cigar smoke.

Another report is about the ghost of another lighthouse keeper, Joseph Andreu, who fell to his death from the top of the tower when the scaffolding used to complete paint repairs collapsed. Those who hear the screams of a man falling to his death can undoubtedly attest to the chilling nature of the specter.

Others report seeing a large, dark male figure in the basement. Legend says it is possibly the spirit of a former caretaker who hung himself in the lighthouse.

People report the voice of the 12-year-old daughter of the lighthouse’s builder, who drowned near the building, can sometimes be heard. Some say they hear footsteps shuffling on the gravel and the steps outside the lighthouse.

The most famous lighthouse legend centers on two young sisters, Eliza and Mary, the daughters of Hezekiah Pity. Hezekiah was hired to complete construction work and repairs on the St. Augustine Lighthouse.  He used a cart to tote his equipment back and forth.

While preoccupied with his work, Mr. Pity did not notice a group of children, including his daughters, using the cart like a toy. The wagon, unsecured, tumbled down the hill and into the bay. While several of the other children were rescued, Eliza and Mary plunged to a watery grave. People claim to see their spirits and hear laughing and playing on the property and in the lighthouse’s halls.

Current lighthouse staff lock the tower door at night only to find it unlocked in the morning.

St. Augustine Lighthouse is alive—but not just with humans. It seems the ghosts of this place don’t want to leave, and they want to be remembered.

Source: Nightlyspirits.com; Wikipedia; The Hartford Extra Mile; Liveabout.com

Until Next Time,

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Haunted Destinations: Gold Brook Covered Bridge (Emily’s Bridge) Vermont

Posted on 12/09/2020 by mapoll

Dear Reader, I suggest every day, and especially when visiting haunted sites, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)

I think we can all agree that New England has some beautiful structures and fantastic scenery. The leaves in autumn are breathtaking. The covered bridges evoke thoughts of times past. Times that maybe were just a bit more innocent and relaxed.

There’s another side to the beautiful scenery and historic structures in New England. Sometimes, the older designs lend themselves to hauntings. Take the Gold Brook Covered Bridge in Vermont, for example.

Located in Stowe, Vermont, Gold Brook Covered Bridge sits on Covered Bridge Road (appropriate, right?). The locals call it “Emily’s Bridge.” The 49-foot structure was built in 1844 by John W. Smith to connect Covered Bridge Road over Gold Brook.

Gold Brook Bridge became known as “Emily’s Bridge” because of local tales of a young girl who had died due to a broken heart. There is no historical proof that Emily ever existed. Still, there are several tales.

In terms of hauntings, the encounters here are relatively recent. The first known story comes from a high school student around 1968, who purportedly encountered Emily’s spirit while using a Ouija board on the bridge. There are at least two versions of Emily’s story.

In one tale, Emily and her lover were supposed to elope. When the groom didn’t show, her grief and disappointment were so deep she tied a rope to the bridge’s rafters and hung herself.

Another tale has Emily arriving at church to marry her beloved. The groom was a no show. The jilted bride was so distraught that she leaped into the family wagon and drove off. Blinded by grief, she took the team of horses to an incredible speed. When trying to navigate the turn before the bridge, the horses, wagon, and Emily crashed over the bank and into the rocky brook with no survivors.

No matter the story, there are disturbing reports of paranormal activity here. People who parked under the bridge claim to have heard banging noises on the sides of their cars, sounds of something being dragged across their car roofs, and report deep scratches on the sides of their vehicles. Others report being scratched or touched. Still others say they saw a female apparition in white.  Strange noises such as footsteps, banging, ropes tightening, and a woman screaming are heard.

Interestingly, photos taken have displayed unexplained floating balls of light. Some paranormal investigators claim these types of orbs are spirits. Most paranormal activity seems to occur between the hours of 9:30 pm and 3:30 am.

So, are you up for a midnight/early morning jaunt across a rumored-to-be-haunted bridge in Vermont? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

Sources: Long Island Paranormal Investigators www.liparanormalinvestigators.com; onlyinyourstate.com

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