brown street ghost story - featured in haunted carlow - alan garvey.doc

8/14/2019 BROWN STREET GHOST STORY - featured in Haunted Carlow - Alan Garvey.doc

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BROWN STREET GHOST STORY

The events in this story took place in No. 2 Brown St., riht in the centreo! town. That place was always "#sy what with seven o! #s livin there"#t when the Easter holi$ays ca%e alon an$ everyone else went ho%e &$eci$e$ to stay on, likin %y own co%pany an$ a "it o! peace an$ '#iet.& sho#l$ tell yo# now that it was a three(storey terrace$ ho#se, an$ thatNo. ) was $erelict. The la$s tol$ %e a"o#t a st#$ent who*$ h#n hi%sel!in that ho#se an$ that the ra!ters were still visi"le where he*$ torn awaythe plaster to e+pose the "ea%s. One $ay we %anae$ to et in overthe wall an$ thro#h a win$ow an$ s#re eno#h, in one o! the roo%s onthe secon$ !loor there was a section o! ceilin a"o#t a !oot s'#are wherethe "ea%s were e+pose$. &t was o$$ tho#h, that there were no stairs to"e !o#n$ to the thir$ !loor an$ %y atte%pt to o #p there is another storyaltoether.

nyway, the !irst niht & was in the ho#se "y %ysel! in %y roo% on thethir$ !loor & was listenin to %#sic an$ & "ean to hear th#%pin so#n$s.& wasn*t s#re what was ca#sin the% so & went "ack $ownstairs, t#rninon all the lihts as & went "eca#se & tho#ht it %#st "e one or %ore o! thela$s co%e "ack - ho%e havin $one their hea$ or hea$s in. No.Nothin. Not thinkin %#ch o! it & strolle$ "ack #p the stairs to %y roo%.s soon as & ot settle$ on the "e$ with %y "ook & co#l$ hear it aain.Only this ti%e the th#%pin see%e$ a little %ore re#lar - it so#n$e$like so%eone on the stairs. & co#l$n*t tell whether they were oin #p or

$own. n$ & knew there was no one in No. ), which was where %y roo%"acke$ onto. & ot #p aain, only this ti%e & $i$n*t o $ownstairs /#sthollere$ the na%es o! %y ho#se%ates !ro% the lan$in on the top !loor.No one answere$. & $eci$e$ as it was late eno#h & was oin to sleep0 it%#st /#st "e an ol$ ho#se creakin in its "ones or so%ethin was oinon so%ewhere o! which & was #naware.

1ayliht ca%e an$ the ho#se was /#st as it always was when everyonewas there, only '#iet, no stereos or sho#ts !ro% one !loor to anothera"o#t what was oin on that niht or $o yo# have %y No eans No tape

or will yo# pick #s #p a !laon o! 1evil*s Bit3 & ha$n*t starte$ writin yet -tho#h %y roo%%ate Ro""ie wrote - "#t & was a voracio#s rea$er an$was only $elihte$ to et the chance to rea$ novels at one sittin, orlyin $own & sho#l$ say, it was %#ch %ore co%!orta"le.

Niht ca%e aain an$ so $i$ the noises. This ti%e they were %ore$istinct - it was so%eone oin #p an$ $own the stairs, $oors wereopenin an$ closin at the han$ o! so%eone who sho#l$n*t "e there.Now & was scare$, it was eno#h that & co#l$ hear the !ootsteps r#nnincloser to %e "#t with the $oors oin as well & $i$n*t know when %y

"e$roo% $oor wo#l$ !ly open. So & ra""e$ the !lashliht &*$ pil!ere$!ro% %y trip ne+t $oor an$ %a$e %y way to 4ohn*s roo% where & knewthere was a 4apanese short swor$. &*$ watche$ eno#h cri%e $ra%as at


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that stae to know how to hol$ a !lashliht an$ weapon pointe$ !orwar$,sweepin every roo% on each !loor o! the ho#se - workin %y way $own,lookin !or tro#"le. n$ !o#n$ nothin. & "ro#ht the swor$ to "e$ with%e that niht.

Ne+t $ay & %ove$ whatever !oo$ & ha$ in the ho#se #p to %y roo%, alonwith the %ilk an$ kettle. &*$ ha$ the piss taken o#t o! %e "y 1ave !or"#yin pow$ere$ %ilk 5with all the cows in the co#ntry36 "#t & was la$ &$i$. There was no way & was oin $ownstairs aain later that niht. &%a$e s#re, as & always $i$, that the !ront an$ "ack $oor were locke$ an$every win$ow was close$. Every internal $oor was close$ too.

&t was worse than "e!ore, $oors $i$n*t /#st open an$ close - theysla%%e$. 7ootsteps on the stairs were at a r#nnin pace, th#%pinheavy on every "oar$, an$ there was & with the !lashliht "esi$e %e,

savin the "atteries, ettin #p occasionally to !ace the $oor with theswor$ in %y han$. !ter a co#ple o! ho#rs o! that & co#l$n*t takeany%ore so & hoppe$ #p an$ ran to the lan$in an$ & know it*s a clich8"#t the air t#rne$ "l#e !or the ne+t ten %in#tes or so. & c#rse$ whateverwas %akin those noises, swore that & $i$n*t care i! it was in hell orp#ratory or so%ewhere else "#t that & wasn*t "#$in an$ that i! itha$n*t "een to hell then it co#l$ o there !or all & care$. &n !act, & waswishin it there "eca#se & was not leavin. n$ it stoppe$.

Ne+t $ay, 1ave $roppe$ in, not e+pectin anyone to "e there 5the ho#se

was not one where there were ro#p $isc#ssions o! %in#tiae s#ch aswhere everyone was oin at all ti%es - %#ch easier than that6. Hehear$ the stereo !ro% $ownstairs an$ won$ere$ who was in the ho#se.There was &, lookin ro#h, eyes #ttere$ an$ !ace pale, startle$ "y the$oor openin "y a han$ other than %ine. & was s#rprise$ - then a littlee%"arrasse$ as &*$ helpe$ %ysel! to a whole loa$ o! his tapes witho#taskin !irst. He $i$n*t see% to %in$, a $ecent sort tho#h & $on*t have acl#e what he*s #p to now, %ore concerne$ a"o#t the state he*$ !o#n$ %ein, an$ s#re & co#l$*ve one to his place !or the holi$ays i! &*$ nowhereelse to o. That wasn*t it - & aske$ hi% i! he ha$ any hash !or &*$ never

!elt the nee$ !or that partic#lar $#llin o! conscio#sness as %#ch as & $i$then.

& wasn*t tro#"le$ in that ho#se ever aain "y anythin like what &*$e+perience$ over those !ew nihts "#t that wasn*t the en$ o! it - the lastocc#rre$ on a "riht $ay in ay, near the en$ o! that 9aca$e%ic* year. &was seate$ on the win$owsill "y the thir$ !loor lan$in, s%okin a rolliean$ soakin #p the s#n, leanin o#t o! the win$ow to catch the liht an$ &notice$ so%eone walkin !ro% one roo% to the other. Now, when & sayso%eone, & %ean that & saw the lowest part o! so%eone - a pair o! "lack

1oc "oots an$ !a$e$(to(rey /eans - walk into Stevo an$ 4a%es*s roo%.That*s all & saw. No one co#l$ have ot past %e, !or i! yo# take thelan$in as a narrow cr#ci!or%, the win$ow was to the le!t, the stairs to


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"ehin$ %e, the la$s* roo% to the riht an$ %ysel! an$ Ro""ie*s roo% tothe top - there was no other e+it past %e. & knew Ro""ie was away an$calle$ o#t the others* na%es. No response. & p#she$ their $oor open,looke$ in an$ saw no one.

& know there*s so%e wo#l$ say &*% an aw!#l liar, /#st "eca#se &*% a writeran$ can 9%ake a story cre$i"le*. To the% & say, &*% a poet, not a novelistor short story writer an$ pre!er !act to !iction. B#t & tell yo# this, &*% la$we*re in a new ho#se in a new estate an$ the secon$ "a"y 5"y now6 isn*tlookin at so%ethin that & can*t see "#t can !eel, /#st "y the hairspricklin %y ar% or the te%perat#re !allin "esi$e %e.

brown street ghost story - featured in haunted carlow - alan garvey.doc

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