Haunted
Kid-friendly ghost story from Arkansas about a haunted house with some spooky ghosts with a serious knack for baking. Written by Harris Tobias.
In the town of Blakeslee, Arkansas, there was a house that everyone knew was haunted. It was an old neglected house on a side street in the oldest part of town. Sometimes, the most wonderful smells issued from the house and filled the street with the heavenly odor of fresh baked bread. Whenever that happened, people would say that the old house must have been a bakery or, at the very least, the former home of a fabulous baker.
Sometimes, the neighbors would hear the sound of music and laughter coming from the empty house as if there was a wonderful party in full swing. Whenever that happened, the neighbors would look at each other and say, “It sounds like a nice party, I wish I was invited.” Whatever ghosts haunted the old house, they were benign and friendly ghosts. But even the friendliest spirits are scary and no one ever actually went inside the house. With the possible exception of a young boy being dared by his playmates, no one ever even stepped foot on the front porch.
One day a man moved into town from a distant city. He saw the empty house and asked the neighbors, “who owned it?” He was told the owner was unknown and that the property could be bought for back taxes. No one told the stranger about the house’s curious history. The man went to City Hall and purchased the property. Soon after moving in, however, strange things began to happen– odd noises in the night, weird lights drifting from room to room, the smells of baking from a cold kitchen and, worst of all, the sound of a party when the new owners were trying to sleep.
After a few days, the man’s wife declared that she could no longer live in so haunted a place and moved out taking the children with her. Before long, the man gave up as well. He was forced to find another place to live but he was angry at the neighbors for not warning him about the house’s reputation. He was angry at the town board for not telling him that the house was occupied by ghosts. In fact he was angry at everyone in town for treating him so badly. So he went to the mayor to complain and see if he could get his money back. The mayor refused saying he never misrepresented the house as anything it was not. “Just because a house is haunted,” he said, “doesn’t mean you can’t live there. The trick is making friends with the ghosts, learning to get along with them.”
So the man went to the Pastor of the local church and told him his problem. The Pastor said, “You’ve been in town for a month and only now, when you’re having a problem, do you come and see me? Well, sit down and tell me what’s on your mind.”
So the man sat and told the Pastor about the haunted house he’d bought. Now the Pastor in this village was considered a wise man, set in his ways, conservative in his manner and beliefs. He wasn’t open to new ideas but, reluctantly, he agreed to visit the house and see exactly what the man was talking about.
The Pastor accompanied the man to the house. As they approached the block the house was on, the Pastor’s smelled a delicious smell. “What’s that wonderful smell?” he asked.
“It’s the ghosts baking bread,” the man replied.
When they got closer, the Pastor stopped to listen. He turned to the man and inquired, “I hear music. Is someone having a party?”
“It’s the ghosts having a party,” replied the man.
They went inside and looked around the empty house. The Pastor sat at a table while the man looked for something to serve his guest. He found an old bottle of whiskey and poured a glass for the Pastor and one for himself. They toasted each others health and drank.
“So you moved from Little Rock to Blakeslee?” said the Pastor. “My parents live in Little Rock, I know the town well.”
The man, it turned out, knew some of the Pastor’s relatives. They talked and joked about those things they had in common and felt a friendship growing. They were having such a pleasant time that before they knew it, three hours had passed.
They were gone so long, the man’s wife began to get nervous. “He went to the Pastor’s house hours ago,” she said to herself. “Maybe the ghosts got him.” So she picked herself up and went to the Pastor’s house and introduced herself to the Pastor’s wife. Together they pooled their misgivings about ghosts and their worries about their husbands and went to the haunted house together. They peeked in the windows and saw the two men sitting at a table drinking , laughing and having a good time. The wives joined their husbands and found that they had much to talk about.
The laughing and talking attracted the neighbors who stopped by and introduced themselves. Pretty soon the kitchen was filled with the smell of cooking. A neighbor brought his fiddle and another brought his guitar. And just like that, there was a party. The old house filled with real smells and real laughter. It was alive again and that, of course, was what it wanted all along.
From that day to this, the old house came alive again and its ghosts were laid to rest never to be seen or heard of again.
- THE END –
About The Author:
Harris Tobias lives and writes in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is the author of several novels and dozens of short stories. His fiction has appeared in Ray Gun Revival, Dunesteef Audio Magazine, Literal Translations, FriedFiction, Down In The Dirt, Eclectic Flash, E Fiction and several other obscure publications. His poetry has appeared in Vox Poetica, The poem Factory and The Poetry Super Highway. You can find links to his novels at: http://harristobias-fiction.blogspot.com
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Tags: Haunted House
68 Responses to “Haunted”
Anonymous:
Enjoyable to read; definitely loved the happy ending!
It surprised me that so many people were willing to believe it was ghosts without a doubt, though.
Londy Leigh:
Cute one. 
Really like the ending! “The evolution of a party.” 
Jean PAsigon:
HOw likely to have that kind of unusual visitors. pretty neat!
ChicaChilena:
cool story
justin beiber:
im so scared
jessica cota:
wow i was scared i was reading it in the darkk ;D
cyerra ruiz:
i love this story. it made me have so many chills and i so did i i read scary stories in the dark all the time ;D so much fun because i freak my self out ;p Yeah Buddy
mark:
theres this haunted house and its so scary its for halloween
mark:
there is a scary house and i use to live in
Jack Black:
This was a very enjoyable story i especially liked the ending it was a perfect ending for a perfect story…!!!
Courtney West:
At first we were scared, but in the end it ended out to be a really good story, we loved it!
chipi:
At first it was scary then BOOM it was a happy story at the end
Charoltte Black:
At first it was kinda scary, but then it was an good ending when everybody forgot that the house was aunted, and they sat there and had an party in the house, and the house was happy and they didn’t anybody anymore . It was a happy ending
Royal:
That was cool, intersting, and scary.
kayla:
it was pretty cool, and was sweet at the end.
Crhis johnson:
i wonder iss this realll O.M.G
this_is_my_name:
i am a baNANA!!!!!!
Luie Pickel:
It was totally awsome i loved it da!
Taylor launtner AKA Hannah m:
GREAT my teeth are chattering and im crying wa wa wa
Sonic the hedgehog:
Oh wow what a story that was pretty funny i got to find the original book to this story
Caitlin:
Was scary at first then got very interesting and different then anything i have ever heard.
Ladiee:
It was kinda scary at first, it had a sweetish ending.
Rachel and Todd:
At first we were scared! Then it became cool, interesting, and intense. Finally we found out that the ghost were at rest and we then felt relief ! WE LIKE THIS STORY VERY MUCH!!!
KartyEileen1998:
I LOVED IT! I was scared at first but then I became very Interested in it and then it ended very well with an Enjoyable ending
Kris:
It was a little creepy at first and then they were having fun.
Vicki Michelle:
At first we were scared! Then it was interesting and intense. We love this story!!!!!!!
chris jonh:
it was exsellent an scary
cody :P:
i like this story
Emani:
I like how these people were avoiding this house for all these years just to turn out it just wanted to be loved
Maggie Ann:
I was so interested and i was scared at first but at the end it was good and happy!!!
Jay Johnson:
The story was good, but i think it needed more action.
Wayne Darrin:
It was OK but suspenceful, over all it was ARSUM! :^)
Sonic the hedgehog:
oot oot great story
PENGUINS ROCK:
GOOD STORY
chris jonh:
EXELLENT
Sonic the hedgehog:
it was an awesome stroy
CDT:
this was really good, it was kinda scary in the beginning, but very sweet at the end! loved it!
I THINK IM IN LOVE WITH PENGUINS:
I LOVE THIS STORY
KartyEileen1998:
I LOVE THIS STORY!! <3
Somebody you Know:
When she hung that elephant i was like omg swag
CDT loves BLW:
this story was great!
KeP:
I Love It!!!
KeP&HcC:
Loved It!!!!
Elephant Lover:
That lady had some serious mental problems to be hanging elephants and stuff i mean what did the elephants ever do to her all they ask is to be feed and loved and cleaned every once in a while thats why i like elephants more then people you don’t see elephants going around and hanging people do you no !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Avery P. ;):
This story is so sweet….. and so were the ghosts!!
nate nate:
i wish i was invited to the party!!!!!
Emilee:
I thought it was going to be scary at first. I was suprised at the ending and how it turned out…
Haon:
This story was interesting……it wasn’t scary at all but nice short story
Ginger:
This story was pretty good but it had a kind of boring ending it should have had more suspense, but i really liked it.
Tanner R. :P:
What a chiller! Frozen, Just Frozen
Butter Cutter:
I liked the end of the story. the end was surprizing!
Avery P. ;):
This story was so…..CUTE!!! Haha!!
Shelby:
It was a great story it was a little scary at first but it had a great ending that was really cute!!!!! LOVED IT!!
Laura :) / cookie:
I loved this story! In the begining it, captured your attention. But then at the end it was really surprising. It was CUTE!!!!
Evan:
I liked the scary begining and also the way the ending suprised me
Michaela, Bailey(:, ZACK:
This story was cute. I liked the surprise ending. -bailey(:
I liked how the man didn’t leave the house immediately. -ZACK
It was a good story. -Michaela
Camryn:
i loved this story! at first i thought it was gonna be scary! but it wasnt in the end. i especially liked the ending because all the people ended up as friends! oh, and the people i know that read this, dont make fun of me!
taylormoose:
I liked how you were scared at first and then it got really loving and caring.
I really loved how they forgot all about the gosts and actually had fun.
jacob.............................:
the story started out making you thing it was going to be scary.
Tanner R. :P:
This would be a frightening movie! Scarier than a smiley face!
Kaitlyn;):
I liked how the story was scary at first but in the end it was really sweet. Although I would have loved it if there was more action and suspence in the story.
Ginger:
Haon:
thats not how you spell suprising
Brooke :):
This story was a sweet story because Everyone was saying no no stay away that house is hunted smells come out of that house and the sound of laughter comes out of the house and there are ghost!!! In the end they had a party and the ghost left and where never saw agian just because the house wanted to be loved.
<3 sweet
Avery P. ;):
LOVED IT!!
Javin:
woooooooo spooky story:)
mag!!!:
This story really gave me the creeps at first but towards the end i was releaved to find out that the ghost where nice and just wanted to PARTY!!!
Robbie john morgan:
HAHAHA I LOVE THIS STORY!!!
