Adventures Of An Amateur Ghost Hunter: Riverhaven Sanatorium

08 October - Fieldwork: Location One - Calloway Cemetery

A typical Friday consisted of sleeping until mid-afternoon followed by a trip to IHOP for a late breakfast. A night full of movies, pizzas, and drinking games with the roommates always proceeded. On occasion, last minute reading and the completion of procrastinated assignments were thrown into the mix. An easy day, relaxed and uneventful. Never any worries. Typically. But today . . . wasn't typical.

Past the edge of town, across two derelict railroad tracks, and down a lone dirt road, the iron gates of Calloway Cemetery loomed. Jackson and I sat inside his parked car, following the twenty minute drive, lost for words as we gazed at our destination. Nervous tension resonated among us, sharper than a knife.

Out the windshield and beyond the hood, seen between the bars of the rusted fence, massive blocks of cement and marble littered the landscape. They sprung from the soil, twisted skyward into gnarly distorted shapes, to tower about five feet high. Shadows of scattered trees stretched across the queerly crafted headstones, the wisp-like tendrils resembling jagged claws. Their onyx shade mirrored the timber's blackened bark. No leaves. No flowers. No life. Riverhaven threatened as a ghost in the far off distance.

Crows existed as the sole source of external influence. Wicked cackles rang throughout the cemetery and into the car's open windows, echoing against the only two structures residing for miles around. A dilapidated farmhouse lingered right of the iron fence while scaffolding and a half formed, skeletal building lurked left, shivering slightly beneath every gentle breeze. One a relic of time and the other a modern affair, a jarred mix of past and present. A single comparison connected the two. Not a soul was in sight. Both remained abandoned. Empty.

Skin crawling and teeth chattering, I exited Jackson's car and neared the gate. My stomach bubbled. Dread gnawed at my heart and desire begged me to flee, to return home and bury myself beneath my freshly washed comforter. But I couldn't. I knew I had to see this through to the end, if I truly wanted to break the attachment. One small miracle, at least. I'd gotten restful sleep, thanks to the amethyst pendant Jackson gifted to me. Though fear caused tossing and turning most of the night, no nightmares played in my mind. Momentary freedom and a few hours of uninterrupted bliss. Of course, there would be no taking on the world today but . . . it was a start.

Jackson stood beside me, seemingly appearing from thin air. The iconic messenger bag dangled from his shoulder as he snapped a few pictures of the entrance with a digital camera. He squinted at the screen before glancing towards the left structure. Arching a brow, he rubbed his chin.

"Mmm, wonder what that's about." He mused, "You can tell it's been here for a while, due to the pools of water and the beginnings of rust. But . . . definitely newer than everything else."

I shrugged, not entirely caring of the happenings next door. We were here to investigate the cemetery, nothing else.

"I dunno, maybe they were going to put in office buildings or something and ran out of money."

Jackson's scrutinizing gaze scalded my skin as I released a nervous laugh.

"I don't believe money is what drove them away," he mumbled.

The statement instantly chilled the burn from his eyes. I gulped, realizing Jackson implied supernatural sources were at play.

"You don't think . . . that whatever is in the sanatorium is here, do you? I mean, I thought we were just coming here to see if we could find some sort of explanation for what's been going on. Simple research and stuff. I didn't actually think we'd . . . , you know, see anything."

Jackson licked his lips and shook his head, irises glossing as he thought to himself.

"Well, it followed you home, didn't it?" he muttered, speaking after a moment. "It would make sense if the energy stretched here, also, especially being so much closer to Riverhaven and given the history of both locations. Besides, we're in a cemetery. You can't take a trip to a cemetery and not expect to see a few ghosts."