Now we will commence with Part 2 of our Halloween day!
I now must go to the cemetery, Old Burying Point, and photograph the monsters that are passing through. My, I have found so many! Even the tombstones seem to be participating in their way with me and my photos. There’s the tour guide at the Salem Witch Walk. I think I’ll send him this photo. I think he will like it!
And there are the assorted buildings, the Witch Memorial, all being presented during the setting of the sun. Ah, the beautiful sunset in Salem settling so gracefully in the stormy sky here in a most ancient cemetery.
And then, the most wonderful thing! I was standing at the topmost corner of the Witches Memorial. I happily find that this is a fantastic vantage point for taking photos of the cemetery and it’s happenings. Someone asks to take my photo and I’m always happy to accommodate. But now, in a solitary moment, I turn around to face the sunset, and a gust of very cold wind blows across my face. I moved to face the wind and in that moment, the temperature must have dropped at least 30 degrees. Within a few moments I was freezing and longing to go back to my room. Salem weather … yes, you just never know when you will be caught in the enchanted moment of a sudden gust of cold wind in Salem. But shit! Now I’m frickin’ cold! I shall walk back to the Doom & Gloom Hotel and change into my Halloween best. It’s long about 7:00 or 8:00 pm now. Just enough time to wander through the streets of Salem in hopes of getting a photo or two on Halloween night!
Ah, all dressed for Halloween in Salem. I go outside with much expectation! It’s funny, this photographer-looking dude … I mean, he’s got all the bells and whistles … approaches me and asks if he can get a photo of me. Yes, I am that beautiful! (hee) Of course, I’m happy to oblige! So I stand there somewhat posing and he fiddles with this and fusses with that and finally, snap! No flash, so we try again. I stand there while he gets his hands going here, there and everywhere. He’s so confused! I realize he’s brand new at this and I KNOW how he feels! He tries again. Nope, didn’t work. Now he’s pretty much mortified and I feel badly for him. Maybe I should take it for him? Huh? Anyway, want to try one more time? Nope, it’s a bust but he thanks me and wanders off. Oh well, at least he is learning and man, have I ever been there!
I walk back around and see if the band that I saw a couple of years ago is playing and yup, there they are! From what I’ve heard from them, they are pretty much a Beatles cover band but they do it good! They’ve got a large crowd gathered before them …. and they are dancing and being quite rowdy! That’s a good sign!
And there he is, the blonde English guy. Now I don’t know if he’s English but he wears the English shirt with the Union Jack on it so he looks English. Hmmmm. I stand and watch for awhile and I move more toward the front and he seems to recognize me! From 2 years ago?! It’s got to be my hat! It is…. I watch him play for awhile longer as that gold wedding band flashes in my eyes as he plays his guitar. Nope, don’t want none of that! Did that once and I felt like the wicked witch of the west! Not pleasant!
So now, I’m on my way….
I continue walking through the Halloween streets of Salem taking a photo here and there while I go. Then I hear this guy say something about someone (probably me) taking pictures of people they don’t even know. Now how the “F” does he know if I know these people or not? Of course, that’s assuming he’s referring to me. Grrrr, just shut the fuck up! No one asked you! It made me feel really stupid there for a moment or two and then I thought, “Wow, that pretty much puts the media right out of business, doesn’t it?” That guy is a dumb ass. Just think how it would be if we all could only take pictures of people we know. If that’s the case, then I’m screwed! No more trips to Salem to catch photos of people in Halloween costumes! Moving on….
Soooo, I really would love to see the fireworks signaling the end of Haunted Happenings. I know that two years ago I had a beautiful view from the top floor of the Hawthorne Hotel but this year, I’m on the ground. I’m not staying at the Hawthorne but let me tell you, this is the last time that I won’t stay there! I’ll be staying there next year!
So, I make my way to the Salem Common and stand in a place where I think I can see the fireworks. I know where I can get a better vantage point but I’m staying here. Watching this crowd with the Salem Witch Museum in the background is fascinating.
And there they go! I can just see them over the roof of the castle which is the home of the Salem Witch Museum. Not such a good view. Most I can’t see but there’s always next year. Oh, and look! There’s those gorgeous horses that the Salem Police ride. Unfortunately, they signal the end of all the Halloween festivities for this year.
I am reluctant to leave. I feel sadness knowing that it’s over until next year. I look around. A sea of people are pouring out of the Common. The horses and the cops astride them are going in to police out the Common. I stand and watch the activities around me for awhile. I’m supposed to leave tomorrow and go home. Hmmmm….
I think of having that experience at the Boston airport a few days ago. God, it seems like years ago when that happened. I was stranded! And now I think about having to leave. Well, shit. Of course, I don’t want to go. Hmmmm, thinking, pondering, arguing with my inner guidance.
Ooops, I said it. Program interruption here. Join me for a general discourse about my spirit, Essence (and you don’t have to read this if you don’t want but it may shed some light for you)! She’s actually a spirit and I call her “Essence.” Or should I say she told me who she is. During a quiet moment in my bedroom, I heard her say, “Hello, I’m Essence!” I said, “Well, hello Essence!” I was glad to hear from her and I finally knew her name! And now it’s like she’s always with me. “Oh, so you’re the one that I argue with internally all the time! Sometimes things will happen in my life and I feel her absence. I’m not pleased and I tell her so. I ask her where she was when I needed her. Essence says, “I am here, you just only have to listen, or be aware of the impressions.” Most times she speaks but sometimes it’s a feeling or words or a song repeating over and over in my head. Sometimes she’s a nag! Nag, nag, nag! I cover my ears and tell her to shut up! You can imagine the reaction from the people who are around me … or maybe they just think I’m talking on my phone. Sometimes Essence literally takes matters into her hands and completely goes over me when I’ve really got myself into a fix. On several occasions she literally puts words in my mouth. If I’m really doing something that is WRONG, I speak words that I had no intentions of saying to correct the situation. I don’t even know I’m going to say them and boy, am I surprised when I do! But it’s always the right thing to do, always. I know Essence is with me, bless her. She is a God-send in the truest sense of the word!
Okay, back to the program. My how I do run on! So, I decide not to leave tomorrow. I’ll leave on Friday instead! Strange how everything has brightened! Two more nights in Salem (and Essence is as quiet as a mouse). Well, alrighty then, I’m going to take some photos tomorrow!
At this point, I begin to make my way back to the hotel. Halloween is over. Such a letdown. Man, I hate that. It has been an interesting trip though – even if at my expense!
Luvs and Happy Halloween!
Janet
You can just sit back and let me entertain you! Here’s the link in Transylvania: http://halloweensunseen.com if you need it but you can access it by clicking on the orange or blue links right here in this post. That’s the ticket! You can start there on the first page and read my entries for my essays and then bop on down to the middle of the page for the links. You can also look for the little “next” buttons on each page and just drive around the whole site. It’s really more fun that way because you won’t miss a thing. It’s a big old trip so hop on my broom with me and let’s take a ride! Oh and mustn’t forget, turn up the sound! The music and sound effects are a very important part of each page!
And it dawns another new day in Salem, Massachusetts. The day before Halloween and all seems to be well. As I look out the window, everything is unchanged although that bright sunlight is clearly not necessary. I shield my eyes and walk away from that window. It looks like the tail-end of the storm out there. The sun is trying to break through the clouds. At this point I feel like Bela Lugosi throwing his arm up to shield his eyes to protect himself from either the sun or a crucifix. It just dawned on me that I don’t think I’ve ever actually written the word “crucifix.” Hmm, idle minds, busy fingers . . . oh hell, I don’t know.
Very nice to be walking outside today. I don’t see any storm damage at all. The beautiful Friendship is right where she was and looks simply splendid. This shot here, well, I’ve literally seen hundreds of these. For photographers this building is perfectly placed for beautiful photos. Perfect angles, rule of thirds! And here’s one of mine! On second thought, there does seem to be some new wood on this building. Damage indeed? Oh and here, this lady told me to take a picture of her dog. She didn’t ask me, she told me. “Here, take a picture of my dog.” Alrighty.
He gives me this, “if I smile, my face will crack” sort of look as I gently lay my treasures before him. I am now full on staring at him, looking for some sign of life and look … yes, there it is! A full on bona fide glance up in my direction! Oh, I feel so special, so, so lucky! He rings me up in silence and then actually tells me how much I owe him. And, and could it be? A shadow of a smile plays across his mouth. Oh, I just shiver all over at this . . . and hand him a bill or two. He makes my change, places my treasures in a little Halloween bag and almost, what? He, yes, I can almost see it! And with great effort put forth, the man mumbles, “Thank you,” with just the touch of a smile again playing around his lips. And that’s it. That’s all I get. I can actually see the curtain close across his eyes. I’m so out of here, after-life kid!
I look up to see where the cash register is. I don’t see it. I can’t see out of the aisle I’m in so I step over into what looks like the main aisle and I still don’t see it. I only see the door leading out. I figure I’ll find it soon enough and I continue to marvel at the actual condition of this place. It’s really filthy in here and suddenly this odor assails me. I noticed it when I entered. I figured it would just go away like all good odors do but this one? No dice. It’s not going anywhere. It’s staying right here and it’s getting bigger. I mean bigger, bigger and bigger. Not sure I can take this but I continue on looking at book titles stacked all the way to the ceiling, way over my head. There’s a few pathetic paper signs hanging here and there telling subjects and such but what a pitiful effort it is indeed. And now whilst dealing with all this, I suddenly hear very loudly a “Jesus-freak” outside on the Mall with his bullhorn full-on telling me that I’m going to fry if I don’t accept Jesus as my Savior. Oh must I deal with this too right here, right now? How much more can I take at this moment? This guy’s horn sounds like he’s standing right in the doorway of this freaky-ass bookstore! I retreat back more toward the back of the store and put a few thousand books between me and the religious, yelling man outside. I look for the proprietor of this place to see his reaction to the unrest but this dude is old, I mean very old. Not much help there! So I continue to fall back more toward the back of the store to get away from that horrid noise! But then, now the odor has become a full-on stench! There’s a back room back there and the stench is very strong the closer you get to it. At this point, I look down and to my surprise (hee!), the floor looks like it hasn’t been swept in probably 30 years or so. Lots and lots of dust-bunnies but not your normal dust-bunnies these! No, no, no, no, no! These are full-grown little evil looking sons-of-bitches. These are not cute! They’re full grown and looking for some ass to kick. Yup, and do you want to know another little unpleasantry about dust-bunnies? Well, do you know what dust-bunnies really are? They are not dust, they are human skin! We shed our skin and it collects into dust-bunnies! Truth! But now, as I draw near to the mysterious back room, I stop dead in my tracks. The stench, the stench has now become so strong! Let me tell you about how it smells. Ok kiddies? It smells like must, yes, there’s that. Must, must, musty old must. 80-year old must, coupled with just pure on, hell ya, stinky, stanky ass smell! Ass that has not been washed in, well, ever. Let me say, it just ass stinks. Mixed with musty, must and it’s strong! As I really hope it’s not coming from their bathroom, I shrink away, moving back toward the front. Whoops, wrong turn but I found where you check out, I think. It’s this tiny opening in stacks and stacks of ceiling-high books. Just a small slit of an opening. You peek through it to see the clerk taking your money but you can’t see him because the slit is so thin. You just have enough room to shove your money through and wait for your change and receipt to be shoved back at you. Now I only observe this because I did not buy anything in the store. Try though as I may, I never saw a single book I wanted. I didn’t want to ask for a book that was tied down up in the stacks. I figured it’s just too much bother, too much trouble. And the stench, well, I just have to go. I am the hell out of here. I wave and wink at the Jesus-freak as I go by. Ah, hell, I don’t know why. I’m sure he gets tired of people hating on him just like he hates on people. Somehow that 80s song “Round and Round” by Ratt comes to mind. “Round and round, what comes around goes around, I’ll tell you why, dig . . . .” Okay out, thank the Lord that sits atop this madhouse, I’m out.
On to the wine-tasting . . . and I missed it by a few minutes but the girl is still there and tells me about the wine that she’s pedaling of which I might add, is still sitting right in front of her … still open. Now you’d think she would have snuck a thimble-full to me but no, nada, nothing. I browse around for awhile but damn it I wanted that little taste of wine. I wanted it bad. Funny, I don’t even hardly drink but I guess my ego still wants it. I mustn’t ever be told no, I can’t have something because you can bet your sweet ass that I will want it! So I buy a bottle of wine for myself. So there, see?
Okay, tomorrow is Halloween and what a Halloween treat is this house! It’s actually quite hard to believe that I’m in Salem, Mass, the Halloween capital of the world! But there it is and I suppose I should get some rest this evening. I’ve walked a lot today, as always in Salem. That’s half the fun, right? I go to the cemetery to hug my tree and tell it good night. I love my tree.
I talked straight away with Jason. He’s still very perturbed with me and is absolutely convinced that this day will be my last on this planet. Silly goose, I ain’t going nowhere. I attempt to calm him, after all, I am immortal, right? Being a witch, I will simply grab my broom and ride above the super storm until it abates and then, I will land gently back down on the blessed earth and continue on my blissful way here in Salem. Right? Well, Jason is not convinced knowing that I would never be able to get my fat ass off the ground. Broom or no broom, this ass ain’t going nowhere. I then assure Jason that nothing will be amiss as this day goes forward. I am sure of it. I then call my bestie, Dash, and leave an assuring message and now I will be on my way.
No one will look at me. No one will acknowledge my presence. I try to meet someone’s eyes and they seem to be looking at a spot in the middle of my forehead. They look but they aren’t looking at me like meeting my eyes. Still no one comes forward to wait on me. Odd. I know I’m not invisible, at least not yet! This goes on for some minutes and by now I’m feeling uncomfortable. I look around and the restaurant is pretty much empty. Now that’s a clue. There is a couple of people over there eating and talking with their waitress about being stranded in Salem. Well, good gawd almighty, I’m stranded here too . . . and being totally ignored at Red’s? At Red’s? As I’m sure you must surmise by now, I have had this same experience before on this crazy trip. So, finally one good-hearted lady comes over to me and moves me over to her section and my every wish is her desire. Bless her heart. She is so nice to me. She knows what all those bitches are doing to me. It is now a game to me so I try several times to catch the eyes of the Cashier and she just won’t do it. She knows I’m trying to catch her eyes but the silly bitch absolutely refuses! Fire the bitch! I don’t know why I’m surprised at this turn of events. My personal waitress brings everything I want and need, even fussing over me and making sure my leftovers are wrapped up nice and snug. She tells me that I might need it later when the storm rolls in. Oh how I love the sound of that. I’m so excited! She pats me and sends me on my merry way and she got one hell of a big tip from me! And no, in case you are wondering, the Cashier never looked at me. Even while taking my money, not one glimpse. Crazy, silly bitch. People like me pay your fucking salary! Not a very bright bitch indeed….
Okay, get real. Here I am, utterly alone, 1,600 miles from home. Do you know how far that is? I’m almost in Canada and I live in Texas on the Gulf Coast! That’s one hell of a long way! And I got this monster storm on its way. I should be scared. And somewhere inside me, I am scared as hell! But I don’t own it. If I did, I would lose my mind. Don’t you just love these predicaments I get myself into? Makes me feel like Lucy! But really, look at that storm. This is what Jason is freaking out over. It does look like I’m under the thick middle of it up here doesn’t it? Yup, I’m right under the thick middle of it.
So now I make my way on over to CVS. This CVS has been my safe haven many times during my past trips to Salem. I remember one Halloween here in Salem, I was so friggin’ cold that I stepped into CVS just to get warm. I wasn’t staying in Salem at the time and I had nowhere to get warm. I walked around and acted like I was shopping. Oh the warmth felt so good, like a warm blankie being wrapped around me. Anyway, I go on in and pick up a few more things. The employees are complaining because they can’t leave early because of the storm and all. And the mystery of why I was treated so badly at Red’s is solved. They were trying to leave! If they didn’t want any customers in there, why didn’t they just lock the door? They close at 3:00 pm anyway! They were just being bad ass bitches. Not a very nice way to treat people that are stranded in their city a long way from home with no where to go.
Oh dear, I’m not acting right. Why is the Weather Channel suddenly pissing me off? I believe it’s called an absence of activity . . . for me. I mean like now I’m realizing that there’s not much for me to do but wait on the storm. Oh well, I guess I’ll busy myself and watch the water in the toilet slosh back and forth. Huh? Watch the water in the toilet slosh back and forth? What? So now I can only assume that this building is swaying back and forth. Right? Swaying with the wind, right? I’m getting a little anxious here. I look out the window. It’s starting to get dark. Yes, it is raining and I suppose there’s some wind out there. There’s something over there next to a light pole that’s loose and swaying and clanging. Or is it the light pole itself swaying back and forth and clanging with every move? I really can’t tell but the sound is awful and annoying. Ok, yes, it’s raining pretty hard out there and it’s very windy. The conditions are failing pretty rapidly. There are a few cars that I can see but not a soul one. My window is facing the Salem electric plant and the Harbour. You can just see the mastheads of the Friendship and the unsettled water. It’s looking kind of creepy out there and you can see the white caps being blown up on the water.
So here I am engrossed in the movie, feeling warm from the wine and I watch intently as the lights begin to flicker. Huh? The lights? Ok, now I didn’t figure that into the equation. My mind races forward. Ok, no electricity. Did I write this into the story? No, I most certainly did not. I never even thought to buy a candle until now. Gawd, I know better! If these lights go out, it will be pitch black in here. *Looking this way and that* Jason? Dash? Hmmmmm. I suddenly feel better about the Hotel staff being down there. At least I’m not alone. I’m sure they’ve been through this type of thing many times. Oh how I hate being happy that the asshole is probably down there and worse, I may need his help. Just goes to show, you’ve got to be careful how you treat people because you might need them someday. I may need him. What a wicked thing to ponder. I go over and stand by the window looking out. The street lights are on. That’s a good sign. It’s raining hard and the wind is pretty heavy. The rain is coming down in sheets. It’s not like the Hawthorne where you can hear the wind in the eaves. Surprisingly, you can’t hear a thing from outside. This building is pretty sturdy. So to avoid having to be concerned about the lights going out, I will just go to bed. Pitch all the pillows to the floor and grab my little flat one . . . the vampire is at rest. Nighty night freakies!
Maybe I am a bit nervous. I sit down and send a text to my best friend, Dash Beardsley. Yup, that’s the Ghostman of Galveston for all you kindred spirits such as we. And, of course, I include his lovely girlfriend, Tamara. She’s a bit skeptical about the ghost thing. She definitely is a lot less crazy than we are what with all the spirits Dash and I see and speak to. And I, of course, have been known to take a pretty convincing ghost photo or two, as has Jason. And I have had orbs follow me around at Dash’s ghost hunts at Ashton Villa in Galveston. All just in a day’s work as they say. I’ll have to add some of my ghostly lore here in my blog. Maybe even interview the Ghostman when the season is upon us. Yes, we do have such fun! Are you scared of ghosts? Well, we the hell are not!
I now call Jason and he’s resigned to my plight. He tells me NOT to leave the hotel and I say, ok, I promise. I hang up the phone and promptly go out and have dinner at the Hawthorne Hotel. Great food, warm cozy place and I snap a few photos of their pumpkins. I linger and have a couple of cocktails at the bar. This is a lovely, old hotel. When it storms and you are here in the Hawthorne, the wind whistles through the ancient eaves of the windows. With its old Victorian design and stormy sounds, well, I could not feel more at home and happy. The hotel is decked out in its Halloween trappings making the visuals perfectly complete. I am one happy girl at this juncture but try though as I may, I can’t seem to find one single orange feather here. Since my first trip here and my experiences in the hotel, well, I will always look for orange feathers at the Hawthorne Hotel. I liken it to looking for beads in New Orleans! Oh yes! For those of you who do not remember or have neglected your duty to read this blog backwards and forwards, the Hawthorne Hotel IS haunted. Yup, I had an experience right here in this wonderful hotel!
Oh my gawd, how I do run on! I almost forgot, it’s the beginning of Halloween week but first we’ve got to weather this storm. Frankenstorm!
When I arrived, I called as instructed and said I was ready to be picked up. The guy on the other end was frantic, spouting out instructions and directions to me – someone who didn’t have a clue where in the hell she was – on foot, lost and from Texas for crap’s sake! I gathered that I was supposed to meet the Van at a specific intersection somewhere in Salem. Hmmmm. I began walking and found a policeman directing traffic. I said, “See, look, I’m from Texas and I’m pissed and lost and I need to get to such and such intersection.” The policeman was nice and helpfully – eagerly even – pointed the way …. down a dark, spooky street to my left. 
At least I walked the right direction! I look down the street and it’s all houses – old houses – on both sides with some having people lurking around the porches. I’m not scared of ghosts but I am scared of people so I am not liking the idea of walking down there for a couple of blocks. Anyway, here I go, a very perturbed, somewhat overweight witch still dressed up in all her witchy best about to walk down a street that at this moment looks like it’s probably the scariest street in Salem. Oh, I’m so far from home – a totally solitary witch at this point. So I walk …. down the very middle of the street. What a sight I must have been! I’m peering at the houses as I go making sure no ghosts or zombies come running out. I am in Salem after all and Halloween has just ended. So I walk and I finally reach the intersection. There are no street signs. Now I’m not going to go into this here but why oh why are there never street signs when your life absolutely depends on it?! I do see two groups of people standing on either side of the street. I assume these are my people and choose the group that has the nicest looking lady standing there. So we wait, and wait under this huge tree. The lady and I speak. She has about as much information as I do but at least she’s a human presence for me. We wait and then it begins to rain. Salem has great weather. It happens when you least expect it. And there goes a cold wind. I have been in Salem long enough to know that you don’t take cold breezes lightly. So me and my beautiful hat are getting soaked and it will only be a matter of time before we are freezing as well. And I have no where to go, no way to get there. I see in front of me two guys from my hotel jumping into a cab and driving away. They could have offered to share that cab …. and fare …. with some of us. I would have. I’m from Texas. We wait, we get wet, we get nervous. And then alas, two Vans show up! We are elated and run and lurch to said heaven-sent Vans …. and neither are going to our hotel. The hell you say! Our group that had gathered were in no mood to hear this and quite literally jacked up both drivers and piled our asses into the Vans whether they liked it or not. “Now ***pointing gun at driver’s head*** if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get your skinny ass moving to Beverly!” And he did! We were packed in like sardines, soaking wet and stinking but we managed a civilized conversation during our ride.
My Salem Happenings 