Ultimate Horror!

In honor of Halloween, I have saved my most terrifying story for last. The story is.....

I turned 40 this month! AHHHH!!!!!!!!!

In honor of my October birthday, my dear friends remembered my love of Halloween and made me the ultimate cake. It was a tombstone, and it had dry ice set in cups in the corner so that it SMOKED. I'm pretty sure they did it because of Halloween, not about my advanced age....right guys? Guys????!???

I'll share a picture of the masterpiece, so you can all admire the artistry. Happy Halloween!

A Halloween Party to DIE for.....

One of my sister's best friends invited her to a Halloween party. Her friend, Angel, had recently married Tim, a Mortician. They lived behind a funeral home. It was Tim's job to be on call to pick up bodies. It was the perfect setting for a Halloween party.

When Janel arrived at the party, Tim was late. He'd been on call all day and had not only a pick up, but other work requirements. Everyone had arrived by the time Tim made an appearance. The party went as scheduled with food, and talking, and some games. Before long, someone mentioned that it sure would be nice to tour the funeral home as part of the Halloween party. Tim, however, shook his head, "I had a pick up today, and I can't let you near the body." People tried to convince him that maybe they could see everything BUT the room where the body was kept. At first, Tim would have nothing to do with it, but finally, he agreed.

The funeral home was dark, and everyone insisted that it stay that way. There were small security lights that allowed enough light to see. Everyone inched their way through the funeral home, looking at the coffins, at the nice parlors, and so on. Finally, in one of the back rooms, Tim stopped them, "The body is in there. I can't let you go in." That's when the phone rang. Tim had to go answer the phone, and left the entire group out in front of the "forbidden" door.

It didn't take long before someone said, "Maybe we could just stand here in the hallway and take a peek...." The door had been left partially open, so a small foot nudge gave them a look inside the dark room. It wasn't much longer before someone was daring someone else just to go in a little way. And not much longer after that before everyone was sneaking in to take a look at the body while Tim was gone.

They approached the table where the body of a young man was laid out, covered in a sheet up to his chest. Everyone was whispering, prodding each other on until they were around the table, looking at the body solemnly.

That's when the young man sat up suddenly with a shriek, arms reaching out to grab anyone close by! Everyone screamed, ran from the room, and didn't stop until they were out of the funeral home. Tim met them a short time later, laughing hysterically. He was joined not long after by the "dead" man, who turned out to be his cousin. The whole thing had been a setup from the very beginning.

Once everyone's heart rate returned to normal, they had to agree that it was the perfect Halloween prank. One my sister tells stories about to this day....

Utah Ghost Tours

For the last two years, my husband and I have taken the Salt Lake City Ghost Tour. This is a WONDERFUL experience that I highly recommend to anybody who wants a good SHIVER on Halloween. Beginning at the Denver Rio Grande in downtown Salt Lake, we boarded a tour bus that took us to many haunted locations throughout downtown Salt Lake including the Masonic Lodge, Every Blooming Thing, the Salt Lake Cemetery, and Fort Douglas. The tour guides are storytellers who recount the frightening tales of haunted Salt Lake in perfect chilling fashion. Stops are made at the cemetery and Fort Douglas so that the tourists can wander around the location in the dark.

Our first year, as we came to Fort Douglas, our tour guide told the story of the ghost, Clem, who haunts the location in full civil war uniform. She told us of the tricks he'd play, and of the many times tourist would come into the office to ask if they could get a picture with the "guy in the civil war costume" only to find that he was gone when they went back with their camera. We all got off the bus, hoping for a look at the civil war spook. As we were talking, and waiting to board the bus again, a man approached our group to ask what we were doing. He was wearing a civil war cap, and had a granddaughter in tow. He was interested in civil war history, and was intrigued at the idea of a ghost tour. We pointed out the tour guide, and told him that she could answer any questions he might have. Nodding a farewell, he approached the tour guide, and tapped her on the shoulder.

Our tour guide turned around, saw the civil war cap, and her eyes widened in surprise and fear. Her jaw dropped open, and she took a step backward. It was the ghost of Clem! Her reaction was brief, as she quickly realized her mistake. When we were back on the bus, she sheepishly continued the tour with, "Now that you've all had a good laugh at my expense...."

She had the last laugh in the end. As we finished our tour, she managed to wrap up her stories with a final parting thought that I will not give away here. It was enough to give me a few goosebumps, and my husband and I stayed REALLY close to one another as we made our way through the dark parking lot to our car. I cannot think of the ghost tour experience without experiencing a good shudder.

Next time I go, I want to take the kids.....

If you are interested, you can find more information on the ghost tours at: http://www.storytours.com/