Scary Stories Treasury – The Haunted House

Read Time:12 Minute, 46 Second

The Haunted House Kitty: ⭐⭐⭐ Winterjoy: ⭐⭐⭐

Hello! This time on our Scary Stories book club thing, we are looking at The Haunted House. If you’d like to start from the beginning, you can start here. This will be the tenth month in our journey. Let’s dive right into this month’s story.

The Haunted House

One time a preacher went to see if he could put a haunt to rest at a house in his settlement. The house had been haunted for about ten years. Several people had tried to stay there all night, but they always would get scared out by the haunt.

So this preacher took his Bible and went to the house — went on in, built himself a good fire, and lit a lamp. Sat there reading the Bible. Then just before midnight he heard something start up in the cellar — walking back and forth, back and forth. Then it sounded like somebody was trying to scream and got choked off. Then there was a lot of thrashing around and struggling, and finally everything got quiet.

The old preacher took up his Bible again, but before he could start reading, he heard footsteps coming up the cellar stairs. He sat watching the door to the cellar, and the footsteps kept coming closer and closer. He saw the doorknob turn, and when the door began to open, he jumped up and hollered, “What do you want?”

The door shut back easy-like, and there wasn’t a sound. The preacher was trembling a little, but he finally opened the Bible and read awhile. Then he got up and laid the book on the chair and went to mending the fire.

Then the haunt started walking again and—step!—step!—step—step!—up the cellar stairs. The old preacher sat watching the door, saw the doorknob turn and teh door open. It looked like a young woman. He backed up and said, “Who are you? What do you want?”

The haunt sort of swayed like she didn’t know what to do — then she just faded out. The old preacher waited, waited, and when he didn’t hear any more noises, he went over and shut the door. He was sweating and trembling all over, but he was a brave man and he thought he’d be able to see it through. So he turned his chair to where he could watch, and he sat down and waited.

It wasn’t long before he heard the haunt start up again, slowly—step!—step!—step!—step!—closer, and closer—step!—step!—and it was right at the door.

The preacher stood up and held his Bible out before him. Then the knob slowly turned, and the door opened wide. This time the preacher spoke quiet-like. He said, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost — who are you and what do you want?”

The haunt came right across the room, straight to him, and took hold of his coat. IT was a young woman about twenty years old. Her hair was torn and tangled, and the flesh was dropping off her face so he could see the bones and part of her teeth. She had no eyeballs, but there was a sort of blue light way back in her eye sockets. And she had no nose to her face.

Then she started talking. It sounded like her voice was coming and going with the wind blowing it. She told how her lover had killed her for her money and buried her in the cellar. She said if the preacher would dig up her bones and bury her properly, she could rest. Then she told him to take the end joint of the little finger from her left hand, and to lay it in the collection plate at the next church meeting — and he’d find out who had murdered her.

And she said, “If you come back here once more after that — you’ll hear my voice at midnight, and I’ll tell you where my money is hid, and you can give it to the church.”

The haunt sobbed like she was tired, and she sunk down toward the floor and was gone. The preacher found her bones and buried them in the graveyard.

The next Sunday the preacher put the finger bone in the collection plate, and when a certain man happened to touch it, it stuck to his hand. The man jumped up and rubbed and scraped and tore at that bone, trying to get it off. Then he went to screaming, like he was going crazy. Well, he confessed to the murder, and they took him on to jail.

After the man was hung, the preacher went back to that house one midnight, and the haunt’s voice told him to dig under the hearthrock. He did, and he found a big sack of money. And where that haunt had held on to his coat, the print of those bony fingers was burned right into the cloth. It never did come out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The following story is Schwartz’s source of the above tale. It’s the same story, but told in a more folksy way. It is found in American Folk Tales and Songs (1956) which was compiled by Richard Chase. (1) He collected it in Wise County, Virginia.

The Haunted House

There is only one ha’nt tale and this is it. Often it ends (see below) as a “jump” tale. There are many variants but this is the basic form. In an anthology of ghost tales, once, I ran across a story set down in Roman times, 300 A.D. or earlier, which presented substantially the same situation. This is from Wise County, Virginia.

One time a preacher went to see could he lay a ha’nt at a house there in his settlement. The house had been ha’nted about ten years — and several had tried to stay there all night, but ‘fore midnight they ‘uld get scared out by the ha’nt.

So this preacher he took his Bible and went to the house. Went on in; built him up a good fire, and lit a lamp. Sat there readin’ the Bible. Then all at once, just before midnight, he heard somethin’ start up in the cellar: walking back and forth, back and forth; and then it sounded like somebody tried to scream and got choked off. Then there was a lot of thrashin’ around and strugglin’ — and fin’lly everything got quiet.

The old preacher took up his Bible again, but before he could start readin’ he heard steps comin’ up the cellar stairs. He watched the door to the cellar, and the steps kept comin’ closer and closer. He saw the doorknob turn, and when the door went to open he jumped up and hollered,

“What do you want?” Dropped his Bible.

The door shut back easy-like and there wasn’t a sound.

The preacher was tremblin’ a little but he fin’lly opened teh Bible and read a while, got up and laid the book on the chair and went to mendin’ the fire. Then the ha’nt started walkin’ again and—step!—step!—step!—up the cellar stairs. The old preacher froze, watchin’ the door. Saw the knob turn, and the door opened. Swung out enough for him to see — and it looked like a young woman. He backed up on the hearthrock, said, “Who are you? What do you want?”

The ha’nt sort of swayed like it didn’t know what to do — and then it just faded out. The old preacher waited, waited, and when he didn’t hear any more noises he fin’lly went and shut the door. He was sweatin’ and tremblin’ all over, but he was a brave man and thought he’d just see it over with. So he took hold of the Bible and turned his chair where he could watch. Sat down and waited.

And it wasn’t long till he heard the ha’nt start up again, slow—step!—step!—step!—step!—closer, and closer—step!—step!—step!—and it was right at the door. (The following appears as a footnote, but I will put it here for clarity: “Jump” ending: The knob turned right slow and — E-e-e-e-e-e! The story is printed with alternate ending, which is as follows.)

The preacher he stood up and held his Bible out before him. Then the knob turned right slow, and the door opened wide. And that time he spoke quiet-like, says, “In the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost — who are you and what is it you want?”

And the ha’nt came right across the room, straight to him; took hold on his coat lapels. It was a young woman about twenty years old. She smelled earthy. Her hair was torn and tangled, and the flesh was droppin’ off her face so he could see bones and part of her teeth. She had no eyeballs but there was a sort of blue light ‘way back in her eyesockets. And she had no nose to her face.

Then she started talkin’: sounded like her voice was comin’ and goin’ with the wind blowin’ it. She told him how her lover had killed her for her money, and had buried her in the cellar there. She said if he’d dig up her bones and give her a Christian burial she could rest.

Then she told him this: said for him to keep the end-joint of the little finger of her left hand, and lay it in the collection plate next Church meetin’ — and he’d find out who it was had murdered her.

“And if you come back here once more, after that — you’ll hear my voice at midnight, and I’ll tell you where my money is hid, and you can give it to the church.”

Then the ha’nt sobbed like it was tired and sunk down toward the floor and was gone.

That preacher found her bones and buried ’em in the graveyard. And he prayed over her grave.

Then the next Sunday he put that fingerbone in the collection plate, and when a certain man happened to touch it — it stuck to his hand. That man jumped up, and rubbed and scraped and tore at that bone tryin’ to get it off, and then he went to screamin’ like he was goin’ crazy. Well, they took hold on him and he confessed to the murder — and they took him on to jail.

And after he was hung, the preacher went to that house again one midnight and the ha’nt’s voice told him to dig under the hearthrock. He did, and found a big sack of money. And where that ha’nt had taken hold on his coat, it looked like the print of them bony fingers was burnt right into the cloth. It never did come out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I thought it was kind of interesting that it sometimes was told as a jump tale (a weird one, at that!), and so consequently the rest of the tale isn’t told. I like that the whole tale is told here, since it’s really pointless without the rest of it. Now for review time.

Kitty

In what environment did you read the story?Sitting in my computer chair!
Do you remember having read this story as a kid? Yes. This was one of the longer ones, and I always thought the preacher was weird.
Analyze the actions of the characters in the story. Did they make sense? Would you have done anything differently? There are three main characters in the story. First, we have the ghost girl. If I were her, I’d have snitched on my killer long, long ago, instead of waiting ten years. I wouldn’t have let him live an extra decade thinking he got away with his terrible deed. I’d at least call him on the phone and make his life a living hell. Second, we have the preacher. The preacher is just doing his side job, ghost hunting, so I guess if I were a preacher with a passion for ghost hunting on the side, I’d have done things a little more efficiently than screaming at her the first couple times she tried to talk to him. Third, we have the killer boyfriend. Either I’d have made sure that I found that money, or I would have skipped town pretty quickly.
Which was your favorite and least favorite characters and why? My favorite character was the finger bone, since it had unexpected superglue powers. My least favorite character is the ghost girl, because she took way too long to turn her man in. That guy could have gotten away with it! What if he’d have died in that ten years, and no one would have ever known about her murder? Also, wasn’t anyone looking for her? I assume she lived in that house ten years ago. Did they think she just disappeared? They had to have known about her money, too, so I’d think the family would at least be tearing that house apart looking for it. So many questions!
What did you think of the storytelling style? I liked this storytelling style. I don’t usually mention the source story in the review section, but I will this time. Schwarz should have emulated the storytelling style of the second one — it would have given it that much more character.
Examine the art for the story. What are your thoughts on it? Classic ghost drawing, it would be gross to see in person —- but why is her ghost rotten?
Your overall rating and why: ⭐⭐⭐ I like this one. It’s got a full story to it, and the girl gets her revenge.

Winterjoy

In what environment did you read the story? In my room, petting my cats and drinking coffee
Do you remember having read this story as a kid? I don’t really remember the story much but I remember the illustration.
Analyze the actions of the characters in the story. Did they make sense? Would you have done anything differently? I would not willingly sit in a haunted house as the preacher did. Maybe for $1,000,000. But speaking of money, I absolutely would put some dead lady’s finger in a collection plate for her fortune cause I’m broke.
Which was your favorite and least favorite character and why? My favorite character is the ghost (or haunt). She just wanted justice for her killer. My least favorite character is the killer husband. How rude!
What did you think of the storytelling style? This one was a little faster paced than the others. There were more elements happening within the story as well. But the shock was not having a surprise ending! Actually disappointing. Goes to show that you can have a more dull story with a surprise ending and it turns out great.
Examine the art for the story. What are your thoughts on it? It’s very spooky! Close up and horrifying. I wonder how long it took to draw each hair strand.
Your overall rating and why: ⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed the story but was disappointed with the ending.