Roswell, Georgia has a long history of paranormal activity. There is a walking ghost tour that takes you all over the downtown and tells you about a ghost here, a ghost there. I must admit it is interesting at the least. This one house in particular, The Creepy House is the last stop on the tour because of the amount of activity that has been witnessed there.
The Creepy House had been the residence of the city’s hangman. It’s told that on days he worked, he would have big parties that night, celebrating the success of his task that day.
He was not a nice man and there were many accounts of all manners of abuse upon his wife and children. The creepy house has had more of its share of paranormal activity, not only sightings, but also instances of things flying at a lady who rented the house and opened a business selling souvenirs.
My wife had arranged a private tour for my sister-in-law, Margaret, her three children and a few more friends. Valerie and I stayed home since we had taken the tour just a few weeks before. But as we were talking about the Creepy House Val said we should do something at the house to freak out our people. She wanted to put this big Grinch doll we had at the gallery on the porch, but I said “no that would be too obvious.”
I thought for a minute then asked her if she had any fishing line at the shop. She said yeah. We headed off to the gallery’s frame shop and I got a reel of heavy fishing line.
She dropped me off on Main Street. The Creepy House was just behind a restaurant that has also had its share of activity. The tour takes about two hours more or less so I had time to accomplish my plan.
I knew where the group would gather as the guide told about the house. I tied the fishing line around the middle branches of a boxwood bush. I then reeled the line around the front of the house and sat down behind a bush that would be out of sight to the tour. I tightened the line and adjusted the tension so all I had to do was kind of pluck on the line with one finger and the middle of the bush would shake.
When the folks arrived, I waited a few minutes as the guide told about the house, it was hard to wait, but I did. About halfway through his talk I moved the bush, not very hard, just a shake. I heard one of the girls say, “did you see that?” I heard a “no,” so I waited a bit and shook the bush again, a bit harder this time. Then I heard, “yeah, I saw that, oh shit.” Again I shook the bush. This time they were all freaking out, even the tour guide, who began talking to the spirit and asking it to come forth.
I gave the bush several really hard tugs. The bush shook violently and the fishing line untied itself and came loose. I reeled it in and left the scene toward Main Street. I circled around and came up behind the group. I told them Valerie dropped me off and I had just caught up.
They were still freaking out telling me about the bush and it was all I could do to keep a straight face. The tour ended there and as we were walking the half block to our cars I had to tell the guide that it was me so he wouldn’t tell other tours about the bush. I could tell by the look on his face he didn’t see as much humor in my practical joke as I did.
The relatives were staying with us this evening and all the way home all they could talk about was the shaking bush. When we got home they were still so excited they just had to tell Valerie about seeing a ghost shaking a bush. Again, it was hard for me to keep a straight face.
After we went to bed Valerie and I were laughing really hard and talking about the whole night. Then, still laughing, I told her about telling the tour guide. This was overheard by our nephew, who then texted both his sisters what he had heard. We were so busted. A few seconds later Megan, the redhead and the youngest, came bursting into the bedroom and all she could say was, “YOU ASSHOLES!” She left loudly closing the door. The next morning I really caught all manner of grief but mostly in fun.
This was the best practical joke I have ever played that got a lot of people at once. Even though we were busted, this is a story that they will remember and talk about the rest of their lives. Only it didn’t turn out exactly like Valerie and I wanted. If I hadn’t been overheard we would have let it play out never having told them the truth. Life can be so much fun at times.
The Creepy House
