Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Spooky

The story is finished and sent, so I finally have time to drop in and report a couple of slightly strange experiences from the previous week.

The first involved finding a very large bright green caterpilar making its way determinedly upstairs. Nothing odd in that, you might think, except that it's the middle of winter and we're having a particularly cold spell outdoors. Added to that the stairs are in the middle of the house, about as far from any doors and windows as you can get. And caterpilars aren't exactly the Speedy Gonzalezs of the insect world... and it can hardly have flown. Just where it had come from, and where it was going, are still creeping me out.

Two days later the doorbell rang and when I opened the door there was nobody there. Nothing unusual in that either, of course - kids do it all the time, not to mention a tradesmen or two when they realise they've got the wrong address. But this was different, because I was right by the front door when it happened, and I could see through the glass panels that there really was nobody there. Our front garden is small and the gate is in line with the front door, so unless someone folded themselves up and escaped down a crack in the paving slabs, there was nowhere for them to have gone. So who or what rang the bell? It's still a complete mystery to me.

Mind you, nothing can hold a candle to this photograph in the Westmorland Gazette, of a woman's figure at the window of an empty house.

I don't think I really believe it's a ghost - it looks more like a reflection of someone outside and is probably too small for the proportions to work. But it's a wonderful picture nonetheless, and just creepy enough to send shivers down your spine!

6 comments:

Liz/moth said...

Clearly the caterpillar's friend came to call for him and rang the bell...

Seriously, the wind or a change in temperature probably rang the bell. Or - is it one of those electronic ones? We had one we had to take out. Someone else had the same frequency in the same road and it drove us mad.

And moths, butterflies, etc. frequently overwinter in nice warm houses, and if you had the central heating on one of them might have decided it was spring and laid some eggs. The poor caterpillar was probably looking for leaves...

However, it makes a lovely story and you could embellish it and write it!!

Fiona Glass said...

LOL on the caterpillar's friend ringing the bell... Yes it is an electric one and I did wonder if something on the same frequency had made it ring - good to know that can happen and it wasn't a passing poltergeist. :P

Bill Kirton said...

Time to apply a little scientific discipline here. A caterpillar which "climbs stairs" clearly has delusions of grandeur and is acting way above its allotted place in the grand scheme of things. Be careful, it may decide to emerge from its chrysalis as an eagle.
Oh and it was probably one of its mates who rang the doorbell.

Fiona Glass said...

I'm chuckling, but I'll be surprised if it hatches as anything since I gathered it up and ushered it into the ivy outside the front door. Where the poor thing probably froze to death... but if I'd left it indoors it would have starved to death. Lesser of two weevils, perhaps?

Bill Kirton said...

Aaargh. Wash your mouth out with soap immediately, Fiona.

Fiona Glass said...

*Splutters*

*Blows bubbles*

Hmm. Yuck. I hate the taste of lavender.