11 - Ghosts and Family Legends: The Italian’s Story

My friends and I creep cautiously around the dimly lit basement, EMF detectors at the ready. We slip past an armory of multifarious antiques, an ancient treadmill, a foggy old mirror. Readings are negligible. No evidence of ghosts here, much to my chagrin.We climb the stairs to the main floor of the hundred-year-old house, into the kitchen and down the hallway toward the bedrooms. Lights flicker near the attic entrance, drawing us further down the hall.Once we finally reach the office, the equipment goes nuts. K2 meters flare in synchrony from steady green to erratic red. My Mel Meter spikes up to 50 and back down to baseline before spiking up again, over and over, throughout the room. My knockoff spirit chat box starts spitting out words like it’s possessed.Someone else is present. Someone we can’t see.Welcome to your weekend hauntwith Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophile.This week, we move into Part Two of Ghosts and Family Legends, called “Legends of the Earth Bound.” “The Italian’s Story” is about a spirit who seeks justice from beyond the grave, ultimately helping his descendant find closure. This leads to the uncovering of long-hidden treasure through a compelling synchronicity.This story reminds me of my first official ghost hunt ever at my friend’s house. I had dog-sat for her many times and insisted that her old, beautiful house was haunted. She generously allowed me to come over for my birthday and investigate.After one particularly creepy night, I was certain that the basement would be the spookiest offender. But after we roamed around the house taking baseline readings, we clearly found a hotspot in the office.We dimmed the lights, gathered in a small circle on the floor, pulled a few tarot cards for guidance, and began to communicate. We asked a series of questions and interpreted responses using a pendulum, cat balls, flashlights, and a spirit chat box (a more affordable Etsy version of the Ovilus).The room was decorated with mementos and keepsakes from friends and family who had passed, so it made perfect sense that it was the most active room. The spirits lined up, and we spoke to them one by one.At one point, we were having an emotional conversation with a deceased family friend. Her dog nosed the door open and scattered the gear. The chat box stated “the dogs.” We talked some more about this person’s relationships, his history, his death. It was very meaningful.Before we moved on to the next spirit, his responses seemed a bit frustrated, and we kept getting the word “picture” and “painting.” We looked tentatively around the room and focused on a giant, dark, and glamorous painting of my friend’s grandmother. My friend marveled that his obituary used to sit in front of her grandmother’s picture, but it had gone missing a while back.We all moved the picture and shifted the dresser to reach behind it. Nestled in the carpet was his picture from his memorial with his obituary on the back. Turns out he just wanted to bring it to our attention and didn’t want to be forgotten. Understandable.What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:Next week, we continue with “The Dutch Officer’s Story,” a harrowing tale about grief and honoring a fallen soldier.Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.Want to join the book club?Support Spook Lit for just $2.50/month* Get full access to all audiobook chapters* Receive weekly episodes with original text photos* Help keep independent media hauntingCan’t swing a paid subscription?Recommend dreary dendrophile on Substack or send a one-time donation to support the podcast and join the club!Credits:*Special thanks to my friend Katherine for hosting my first ever ghost hunt at her home. She is endlessly putting up with me and my haunted shenanigans with nothing but pure encouragement and enthusiasm. She is the absolute best. * Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe* Chapter: The Italian’s Story* Music: Horror Spooky Piano by Nikita Kondrashev on Pixabay* Artwork: Jeff Bent* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophileAll Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile Get full access to dreary dendrophile at drearydendrophile.substack.com/subscribe