Ghosts of the Carolina Coasts - Softcover

Zepke, Terrance

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1561641758 ISBN 13: 9781561641758

Publisher: Pineapple Press, 1990

Synopsis

Taken from real-life occurrences and from Carolina Lowcountry lore this collection introduces 32 ghost stories that will make your hair stand on end.

Why did Joe Baldwins headless body once roam Macos train tracks? What happened to grave robbers and curious kids when they came too close to the cursed crypt? Why do drops of blood continuously appear on the floorboards of the Cape Romain Lighthouse? Discover these tales, and many more.

About this title

About the Author

Award-winning travel writer/photographer Terrance Zepke loves the Carolinas, which is why she lives part-time in each. Terrance has lived in many places, including Hawaii, England, and several U.S. states. She received her master's degree from the University of South Carolina and has traveled all over the world, writing and photographing for such magazines as EcoTraveler, South America Explorer, and Photographer's Forum, as well as newspapers such as Greensboro (NC) News & Record and Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel. Visit the author's website at www.terrancezepke.com

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Lady in Blue...She was a sweet young girl, sixteen years of age. The child's big blue eyes and cherublike face were framed by a mane of golden hair. She lived with her father, her mother having passed away during childbirth. He was the sole keeper of Hilton Head Lighthouse, a rather large responsibility. The man was very conscientious, which was reflected by the many citation medals awarded him by the Light House Board. The channel and sound surrounding the uninhabitanted island made it a treacherous route for mariners on their way to other North and South Carolina ports, as well as those crossing by Georgia en route to Florida. To keep the light at optimum operating level, he spent his days making sure the lamp's wicks were cleaned and properly trimmed and the lamp and lantern room's windows were spotless. Every evening he faithfully hauled buckets of oil from the nearby shed and up the multitude of steps to the lantern room to keep the light burning brilliantly until daybreak. One night after supper he told his daughter he was going to check the light, just as he did every night. Within minutes, a storm had arrived at the island. The storm gave way to a hurricane, and rain pelted against the big glass panes of the watch room and lantern area. Wind accompanied it and circled the tower like an angry force unleashing itself. Thunder and lightening crashed and filled the sky while waves furiously slapped the shore. One of the windows shattered from the force of the gale, causing the lamp to flicker. The keeper covered the hole as best he could, and he then spent hours running up and down the stairs to relight the wick or bring more fuel, until he was out of breath and a deep pain filled his chest. By this time, his daughter had awakened and was frightened by the fierce storm and the absence of her father. She grabbed a dress out of her closet and put on her coat. As quickly as her feet would carry her she crosed the walkway that led from! the house to the beaon. There the girl found her father slumped over a step. Despite crying and begging, he didn't awaken. The storm had hit the area hard, and it was a couple of days before anyone came out to the island to check on the family. What they found was a tragic sight. Father and daughter were on the tower steps, both dead. She was wearing a pretty blue dress, and he was clutching a lantern and oil bucket. It was later determined the poor man had suffered a heart attack and the girl had died from shock and trauma. From that night on, whenever a terrible storm is approaching, a young woman wearing a blue dress has been seen warning others of the impending danger and signaling with her arms and hands to "go back...go back..." One couple even claims to have picked up a young blond-haired girl wearing a simple blue dress and worn coat soaked from the rain. As the man drove, his wife turned around to talk to the girl, but no one was there! The Lady in Blue had vanished into thin air. The woman was so upset that the man had to pull over to comfort her and look for the missing passenger. He never found the girl who had gotten into their car, but the back seat had to be wiped down from all the water left by the drenched stranger.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pineapple Press
• Publication date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1561641758
• ISBN 13: 9781561641758
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Rabun Julie
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160