A friend of a friend told me about this babysitter tale that happened somewhere in Florida a few years back.
Apparently, this 16 year old girl, Lucy (my friend couldn't remember her last name), went babysitting on a Friday night and something weird happened.
So Lucy was babysitting these two little boys while their parents were out, and the parents were expected to be out 'til quite late. This gave Lucy a number of hours of babysitting, from supper time 'til around midnight.
Lucy fed the boys supper and let them play after eating while she cleaned up the dishes. Lucy put the boys to bed upstairs, each in their own separate bedrooms. She went into one boy's room, read a story and tucked him in, and then to the other boy's room to do the same.
Then, once the boys were nicely tucked in and almost asleep, Lucy went back downstairs to watch TV and wait out the time 'til the boys' parents would arrive home.
While Lucy was watching television, a news report came on and a news lady gave a warning that a mental patient had just escaped from a facility and that local authorities were busy trying to find and apprehend the individual. Knowing the house was in a decent area of town, Lucy didn't feel too worried but did get up to double check the lock on the front door. It was all locked up but she was glad she double-checked, anyway. She flipped the channel on the tv to get rid of the news report and found a movie to watch 'til the parents could return home.
Upstairs, the younger brother woke up. He was sure he heard a noise...
Thump Thump Drag...
He waited a little while, still shrouded in sleepiness and did hear the odd noise again--
Thump
Thump
Drag...
He became afraid, so he quickly padded across the hallway into his older brother's room. When the older brother awakened he told the younger one the noise was probably coming from Lucy watching a movie. He said his younger brother could sleep with him if he was scared, so together their heads hit the pillow and they started to fall asleep.
Soon, the boys heard a noise - Thump, Thump, Drag...
So they quietly got up and crossed the room to listen near the doorway. They heard the noise once more--
Thump - Thump - Drag
But then the noise stopped.
The boys hopped back into bed and lay quietly, just listening, and were unable to fall back asleep. They waited that way together until their parents got home.
When the parents returned, they were taken aback by an entirely macabre and gruesome sight!
In the living room, near the couch, blood was splattered everywhere, and a trail of blood led over to the stairway. The parents immediately called the police...
Lucy was found at the end of the trail of blood and almost to the top of the stairs. Her arms had been cut to stumps just above the elbows and it appeared she had been using these stumps to try and navigate the stairs. Multiple stab wounds marred her young body all over and the babysitter bled out, on the stairs, while trying to get upstairs to protect the boys in her care.
Nobody was ever able to figure out who did this to Lucy.
Nobody ever found the escaped mental patient, either.
Showing posts with label urban legend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label urban legend. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2015
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Stingy Jack
An old legend about Hallowe'en goes something like this...
A long, long time ago - a couple hundred years ago, there was a deceitful, bad-tempered drunk everyone called "Stingy Jack." Now, Stingy Jack didn't care what people thought of him and he constantly ticked people off by playing practical jokes on unsuspecting bystanders.
Nobody was suprised when, one late night, while Jack was in a public house (a pub) drinking as usual - he got in a tad bit of trouble...
...you see - Jack ran into The Devil, Himself on this fateful cold, autumn evening.
As I already mentioned, Jack was drinking at the public house when a stranger sat beside him. Stingy and cheap as he was, Jack hadn't brought enough money with him and looked upon the stranger as an easy target for manipulation to garner himself a little more to drink before the night wore on. Jack struck up some conversation and in a short while, he offered his soul to the Devil in exchange for one last drink.
With the deal spoken, the Devil changed himself into a sixpence as payment to the bartender for Stingy Jack's drink but Jack took action in the blink of an eye and scooped up the sixpence off the counter, dropping it quickly in his pocket - right beside a silver cross. The proximity to the silver cross kept the Devil from being able to shape shift back into human form, so with the Devil literally at his mercy, Stingy Jack offered new terms to the Devil. Jack made the Devil promise to leave him alone for 10 years and if this was agreed upon, only then would Jack release the Devil from his pocket. Once the Devil agreed to this, Jack downed his drink and got up to leave, flicking the coin/sixpence in the corner while he was on his way out the door. As promised, the Devil let Jack alone and didn't bother him again.
That is - the Devil didn't bother Stingy Jack for all of ten years...as per agreement.
One night, 10 years after the incident in the public house, Jack was walking alone on a cold, dark, autumn night - along a winding path, working his way home (probably from the public house...again!). The Devil was hiding behind an apple tree a little way down the road and once Jack came near, the Devil jumped out and blocked Stingy Jack's progress. The Devil told Jack he had come to claim his soul, as per agreement. Still quick-thinking, Jack didn't bother to argue at all but asked, instead, for the Devil to allow him the pleasure of one last, juicy apple before taking his soul forever. The Devil agreed to this and jumped up in the apple tree to fetch Jack an apple...
As soon as the Devil leaped upward into the tree, Stingy Jack threw down a number of crosses on the ground all around the trunk of the apple tree... this trapped the Devil where he perched above in the tree. This time, Jack made the Devil promise NOT TO take his soul once Jack died. The Devil ended up having to agree to Jack's demand or else remain stuck in the apple tree. The Devil wasn't happy about this at all but after only a few moments of deliberation, the Devil agreed.
A few years later, Stingy Jack passed away. The Devil kept to his agreement, however, and did NOT try to collect Jack's soul in any way.
When Jack's spirit arrived at the Gates of Heaven, Saint Peter refused to let Jack in. The bad-tempered, miserable person Jack was all his life was not ever going to be welcome in Heaven, and Saint Peter promptly turned Jack away. This meant Jack had to go the other way and go ask for admittance from the Devil - in Hell.
When Jack arrived at the brink of Hell, the Devil remembered him and reminded Jack of the agreements made years ago. The Devil was simply keeping to His word - which meant Jack's soul would have no entry anywhere and Jack was turned away - even from Hell...
When Jack asked, "But where will I go now?"
The Devil responded, "Back to where you came from."
Jack turned to go but it was dark, so Jack asked the Devil for at least a little light so he'd be able to find his way around.
To that, the Devil tossed some embers at Jack - burning coals from the depths of Hell, and yelled, "BEGONE!"
Jack found and hollowed out a turnip and put the embers from Hell inside so the burning matter could be carried. Since the time when Stingy Jack was refused entry to Heaven and also banned from Hell, he has been wandering the Earth without a place to righfully settle. He is forever doomed, his only light, the embers of Hell burning from within the turnip he found.
A long, long time ago - a couple hundred years ago, there was a deceitful, bad-tempered drunk everyone called "Stingy Jack." Now, Stingy Jack didn't care what people thought of him and he constantly ticked people off by playing practical jokes on unsuspecting bystanders.
Nobody was suprised when, one late night, while Jack was in a public house (a pub) drinking as usual - he got in a tad bit of trouble...
...you see - Jack ran into The Devil, Himself on this fateful cold, autumn evening.
As I already mentioned, Jack was drinking at the public house when a stranger sat beside him. Stingy and cheap as he was, Jack hadn't brought enough money with him and looked upon the stranger as an easy target for manipulation to garner himself a little more to drink before the night wore on. Jack struck up some conversation and in a short while, he offered his soul to the Devil in exchange for one last drink.
With the deal spoken, the Devil changed himself into a sixpence as payment to the bartender for Stingy Jack's drink but Jack took action in the blink of an eye and scooped up the sixpence off the counter, dropping it quickly in his pocket - right beside a silver cross. The proximity to the silver cross kept the Devil from being able to shape shift back into human form, so with the Devil literally at his mercy, Stingy Jack offered new terms to the Devil. Jack made the Devil promise to leave him alone for 10 years and if this was agreed upon, only then would Jack release the Devil from his pocket. Once the Devil agreed to this, Jack downed his drink and got up to leave, flicking the coin/sixpence in the corner while he was on his way out the door. As promised, the Devil let Jack alone and didn't bother him again.
That is - the Devil didn't bother Stingy Jack for all of ten years...as per agreement.
One night, 10 years after the incident in the public house, Jack was walking alone on a cold, dark, autumn night - along a winding path, working his way home (probably from the public house...again!). The Devil was hiding behind an apple tree a little way down the road and once Jack came near, the Devil jumped out and blocked Stingy Jack's progress. The Devil told Jack he had come to claim his soul, as per agreement. Still quick-thinking, Jack didn't bother to argue at all but asked, instead, for the Devil to allow him the pleasure of one last, juicy apple before taking his soul forever. The Devil agreed to this and jumped up in the apple tree to fetch Jack an apple...
As soon as the Devil leaped upward into the tree, Stingy Jack threw down a number of crosses on the ground all around the trunk of the apple tree... this trapped the Devil where he perched above in the tree. This time, Jack made the Devil promise NOT TO take his soul once Jack died. The Devil ended up having to agree to Jack's demand or else remain stuck in the apple tree. The Devil wasn't happy about this at all but after only a few moments of deliberation, the Devil agreed.
A few years later, Stingy Jack passed away. The Devil kept to his agreement, however, and did NOT try to collect Jack's soul in any way.
When Jack's spirit arrived at the Gates of Heaven, Saint Peter refused to let Jack in. The bad-tempered, miserable person Jack was all his life was not ever going to be welcome in Heaven, and Saint Peter promptly turned Jack away. This meant Jack had to go the other way and go ask for admittance from the Devil - in Hell.
When Jack arrived at the brink of Hell, the Devil remembered him and reminded Jack of the agreements made years ago. The Devil was simply keeping to His word - which meant Jack's soul would have no entry anywhere and Jack was turned away - even from Hell...
When Jack asked, "But where will I go now?"
The Devil responded, "Back to where you came from."
Jack turned to go but it was dark, so Jack asked the Devil for at least a little light so he'd be able to find his way around.
To that, the Devil tossed some embers at Jack - burning coals from the depths of Hell, and yelled, "BEGONE!"
Jack found and hollowed out a turnip and put the embers from Hell inside so the burning matter could be carried. Since the time when Stingy Jack was refused entry to Heaven and also banned from Hell, he has been wandering the Earth without a place to righfully settle. He is forever doomed, his only light, the embers of Hell burning from within the turnip he found.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Mini Urban Legend: Ants in the Brain
In July 2009, an urban legend was circulated online through emails, and this urban legend contained a warning about ants in the brain.
Apparently, around this time, a little boy who was enjoying some sweets but happened to be eating his snacks close to naptime. His tiredness outweighed his love for the sweets and he fell asleep with the sugar-treats on him. As he lay napping, sugar still melting in his saliva and with his candy in reach, ants detected the sweet treats and started to crawl around him to get their fair share of sugar. Some of the ants crawled inside the sleeping toddler and many crawled right inside his ears.
The boy awakened after his short rest but several hours later, his ears began to itch a bit and he complained that his face felt itchy.
He was taken to a doctor but the doctor couldn't find a reason for the itchy discomfort the little boy was complaining about. The doctor decided to take an x-ray of the boy and when the results were examined, the doctor was horrified!
What the doctor saw in the x-ray was a group of live ants in the boy's skull. Apparently, the doctor couldn't operate right away because the ants were alive and moving around.
Needless to say, without the doctor being able to perform surgery, the little boy died.
This story was circulated with urgent warnings for people not to have food items in bedrooms or near places where they sleep - whether these be sweet treats or anything else. The sender of the story urged parents to never let their kids eat sweet items just prior to sleep times, for fear that ants would be attracted to the sweets.
All in all, a very creepy little tale, don't you think?
Can you pick out the obvious signs that it is an urban legend?
Apparently, around this time, a little boy who was enjoying some sweets but happened to be eating his snacks close to naptime. His tiredness outweighed his love for the sweets and he fell asleep with the sugar-treats on him. As he lay napping, sugar still melting in his saliva and with his candy in reach, ants detected the sweet treats and started to crawl around him to get their fair share of sugar. Some of the ants crawled inside the sleeping toddler and many crawled right inside his ears.
The boy awakened after his short rest but several hours later, his ears began to itch a bit and he complained that his face felt itchy.
He was taken to a doctor but the doctor couldn't find a reason for the itchy discomfort the little boy was complaining about. The doctor decided to take an x-ray of the boy and when the results were examined, the doctor was horrified!
What the doctor saw in the x-ray was a group of live ants in the boy's skull. Apparently, the doctor couldn't operate right away because the ants were alive and moving around.
Needless to say, without the doctor being able to perform surgery, the little boy died.
This story was circulated with urgent warnings for people not to have food items in bedrooms or near places where they sleep - whether these be sweet treats or anything else. The sender of the story urged parents to never let their kids eat sweet items just prior to sleep times, for fear that ants would be attracted to the sweets.
All in all, a very creepy little tale, don't you think?
Can you pick out the obvious signs that it is an urban legend?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Hub 10 in the Hub Challenge: The Jigsaw Puzzle
A creepy little story called The Jigsaw Puzzle is what I selected to place on hub number 10 for the Hub Challenge.
The Jigsaw Puzzle falls into a theme with a 'lingering stalker' in the tale, but some will classify the urban legend as another 'axe-murderer' tale or 'murdering madman' legend.
Actually, this urban legend fits into a number of categories, including 'cautionary tale,' but this time, teens aren't being warned not to have sex. In this instance, for some reason, the elderly are being warned about something.
Here's how it works:
Basically, the elderly woman in the story SHOULD NOT be exercising her independence. She SHOULD BE living somewhere that is not so isolated, and she should be living with other people. Due to her independence and insistence on living alone after her husband dies, her insistence on retaining her home, the woman ends up in a "killer" situation...or - she is going to die at the hands of a killer.
Some of this legend is likely an attempt from the society who made this urban legend - to say, "Hey...a happy MATURE couple has two people...a man and a woman who grow old together. If one of these personas is NOT in place, the picture is not right." Basically, if one of a pair - if a mate dies - the remaining individual has to give up autonomy. And YES...this legend may have been told to aging people in order to get them to give up isolation and move into certain kinds of care facilities...more likely, the urban legend is told to people of all ages, to instill the idea that the 'societal norm' should be that old members of society need to turn toward living in extended care facilities (nursing homes) rather than living alone once a mate dies.
Read: The Jigsaw Puzzle on my hub
* Tip - close the blinds/curtains of your windows before you read this, particularly if you're reading after dark!
The Jigsaw Puzzle falls into a theme with a 'lingering stalker' in the tale, but some will classify the urban legend as another 'axe-murderer' tale or 'murdering madman' legend.
Actually, this urban legend fits into a number of categories, including 'cautionary tale,' but this time, teens aren't being warned not to have sex. In this instance, for some reason, the elderly are being warned about something.
Here's how it works:
Basically, the elderly woman in the story SHOULD NOT be exercising her independence. She SHOULD BE living somewhere that is not so isolated, and she should be living with other people. Due to her independence and insistence on living alone after her husband dies, her insistence on retaining her home, the woman ends up in a "killer" situation...or - she is going to die at the hands of a killer.
Some of this legend is likely an attempt from the society who made this urban legend - to say, "Hey...a happy MATURE couple has two people...a man and a woman who grow old together. If one of these personas is NOT in place, the picture is not right." Basically, if one of a pair - if a mate dies - the remaining individual has to give up autonomy. And YES...this legend may have been told to aging people in order to get them to give up isolation and move into certain kinds of care facilities...more likely, the urban legend is told to people of all ages, to instill the idea that the 'societal norm' should be that old members of society need to turn toward living in extended care facilities (nursing homes) rather than living alone once a mate dies.
Read: The Jigsaw Puzzle on my hub
* Tip - close the blinds/curtains of your windows before you read this, particularly if you're reading after dark!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Hub 9 in the Hub Challenge: The Bunnyman of Clifton
Here's a legend I just love! The Bunnyman of Clifton follows some of the same format as The Goatman of Maryland but it's a real mind-phok legend.
Mind-phokking because it seems that people, particularly adolescents REFUSE TO LEAVE THE BUNNYMAN ALONE!
The Bunnyman has been legend-over-legend-ed (I know, I know, makin' up my own words now, and my own phrases). What I mean is - a legend was placed over The Bunnyman of Clifton YEARS after the supposed Bunnyman story died (bad pun) off for a bit.
There are dead (k, so the pun stays) end in The Bunnyman Legend, just like in The Goatman Legend - and the stop-ups are the same...namely that NOBODY CAN TRACE the first person who saw either the Bunnyman or the Goatman. There are 'apparent' incidents but nobody has ever found the first person to tell the tale of "someone I know told me about the goatman/bunnyman."
Spoooooooooooooooky - and very cool. This lack of "original person who saw" detail means that we are definitely dealing with a cool URBAN LEGEND!! (not a historical detail, not a fairy tale, not something else - just plain, decent, urban legend)
With the Bunnyman, there are DATES...some supposed incidents from the past are told about in this legend, lending a feel of 'history' to the story...but when traced, THE EVENTS ARE VERIFIABLY NIL....... nada - didn't happen, not possible
...which makes The Bunnyman Legend EXTRA awesome because PEOPLE STILL TELL IT over and over again, time and time again, even when it is easy to find details surrounding this legend which tell that the most basic part of the story is not real !
People would rather be skeeeeered of a madman/bunnyman/ghost-of-the-bunnyman than simply STOP TELLING THIS LEGEND.
Also, sometime in the 1970's, the legend of the Bunnyman died down quite a bit but then some OTHER form of Bunnyman appeared - this time, nothing quite like the frightening madman-bunny-killer asylum-escapee from the original tale. This time, a man in a bunny outfit who was said to act out in a crazy way was in the Clifton area, scaring people........part of THIS NEW persona became legendary for a little while.
This secondary bunny-suited-individual seems to have played upon the old Bunnyman legend and frightened people during his time in Clifton - but this person was also feared because nobody could figure out WHY someone would act out, scare teens away from roadsides and throw an axe at cars in the Clifton area. No doubt, this person's behavior was very ODD and potentially dangerous, although nobody reported being directly assaulted by hand from this strange individual (perhaps there are those who didn't escape this weirdo and who didn't live to tell of an assault - makes ya wonder...) After a little while and a few incidents, the bunny-suited man disappeared, hmmmm.
I feel like I need to go have a carrot snack
You can read up on the Bunnyman:
The Bunnyman of Clifton
Catchya later!
Mind-phokking because it seems that people, particularly adolescents REFUSE TO LEAVE THE BUNNYMAN ALONE!
The Bunnyman has been legend-over-legend-ed (I know, I know, makin' up my own words now, and my own phrases). What I mean is - a legend was placed over The Bunnyman of Clifton YEARS after the supposed Bunnyman story died (bad pun) off for a bit.
There are dead (k, so the pun stays) end in The Bunnyman Legend, just like in The Goatman Legend - and the stop-ups are the same...namely that NOBODY CAN TRACE the first person who saw either the Bunnyman or the Goatman. There are 'apparent' incidents but nobody has ever found the first person to tell the tale of "someone I know told me about the goatman/bunnyman."
Spoooooooooooooooky - and very cool. This lack of "original person who saw" detail means that we are definitely dealing with a cool URBAN LEGEND!! (not a historical detail, not a fairy tale, not something else - just plain, decent, urban legend)
With the Bunnyman, there are DATES...some supposed incidents from the past are told about in this legend, lending a feel of 'history' to the story...but when traced, THE EVENTS ARE VERIFIABLY NIL....... nada - didn't happen, not possible
...which makes The Bunnyman Legend EXTRA awesome because PEOPLE STILL TELL IT over and over again, time and time again, even when it is easy to find details surrounding this legend which tell that the most basic part of the story is not real !
People would rather be skeeeeered of a madman/bunnyman/ghost-of-the-bunnyman than simply STOP TELLING THIS LEGEND.
Also, sometime in the 1970's, the legend of the Bunnyman died down quite a bit but then some OTHER form of Bunnyman appeared - this time, nothing quite like the frightening madman-bunny-killer asylum-escapee from the original tale. This time, a man in a bunny outfit who was said to act out in a crazy way was in the Clifton area, scaring people........part of THIS NEW persona became legendary for a little while.
This secondary bunny-suited-individual seems to have played upon the old Bunnyman legend and frightened people during his time in Clifton - but this person was also feared because nobody could figure out WHY someone would act out, scare teens away from roadsides and throw an axe at cars in the Clifton area. No doubt, this person's behavior was very ODD and potentially dangerous, although nobody reported being directly assaulted by hand from this strange individual (perhaps there are those who didn't escape this weirdo and who didn't live to tell of an assault - makes ya wonder...) After a little while and a few incidents, the bunny-suited man disappeared, hmmmm.
I feel like I need to go have a carrot snack
You can read up on the Bunnyman:
The Bunnyman of Clifton
Catchya later!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Springheel Jack - A Hub I WISH was in the Hub Challenge
Springheel Jack - Urban Legend
One of my favourite hubs to put together has been the Springheel Jack one that I published quite a while ago. I wish I had just thought of doing a hub on this notorious leaping entity more recently instead of months ago, because if I'd just completed the hub NOW, I could enter it in the hubpages Hub Challenge to get the hub the exposure I think it deserves!
The hub has had a fairly consistent score of 70+ often in the 80's but the score is starting to slip. Today the score on the hub is only 71, so I'll have to update the hub soon with fresh content.
I've enjoyed the Springheel Jack story and also the research involved in finding out more about Springheel Jack. He/It is a very mysterious entity, made more mysterious by the fact that reports of Jack's first appearances were in Britain during the Victorian era...
Record-keeping was being done back then but methodical , ethical and reliable record-keeping was questionable back when Springheel Jack was leaping around London and various locations in England. Therefore, I can track down a great number of reports - even newspaper reports that can be cross-referenced - about a Springheel Jack persona who terrorized areas of England, but these reports are largely unreliable.
Now, just because many reports from the recent-past are considered unreliable data - this DOES NOT MEAN that the documents are USELESS to us today...
What the old documents, sighting reports and personal accounts/interviews contain are very interesting data, displaying the general state of the human psyche in individuals who reported seeing or coming into contact with Springheel Jack.
No doubt, whoever or whatever Springheel Jack was - his/its presence created hysteria, confusion and fear - in a huge way all over England.
If you'd like to read about what I've been able to dig up so far about Springheel Jack:
Hubpages Hub: Springheel Jack
I'm not sure we haven't also seen a similar sort of hysteria in our own times - even though we are capable of better record-keeping today and though our sciences are more accessible and advanced as compared with Victorian times.
For me, similarities exist between the Springheel Jack legend(s) and a creature that turned up in the U.S.A. in the late 1960's named, The Mothman.
Both entities caused terror of the general public in the regions - several square miles - where they were visible. Though each creature/figure was described a bit differently, we are talking about Victorian era and vocabulary in England versus present-day, modern vocabulary in The United States of America...when discussing the two entities.
Both figures showed up suddenly - and were visible for a short span of time (days to a couple of years) - and then reports of sightings just stopped as suddenly as they had started concerning each of the entities in separate eras.
Makes ya say, "Hmmm"
One of my favourite hubs to put together has been the Springheel Jack one that I published quite a while ago. I wish I had just thought of doing a hub on this notorious leaping entity more recently instead of months ago, because if I'd just completed the hub NOW, I could enter it in the hubpages Hub Challenge to get the hub the exposure I think it deserves!
The hub has had a fairly consistent score of 70+ often in the 80's but the score is starting to slip. Today the score on the hub is only 71, so I'll have to update the hub soon with fresh content.
I've enjoyed the Springheel Jack story and also the research involved in finding out more about Springheel Jack. He/It is a very mysterious entity, made more mysterious by the fact that reports of Jack's first appearances were in Britain during the Victorian era...
Record-keeping was being done back then but methodical , ethical and reliable record-keeping was questionable back when Springheel Jack was leaping around London and various locations in England. Therefore, I can track down a great number of reports - even newspaper reports that can be cross-referenced - about a Springheel Jack persona who terrorized areas of England, but these reports are largely unreliable.
Now, just because many reports from the recent-past are considered unreliable data - this DOES NOT MEAN that the documents are USELESS to us today...
What the old documents, sighting reports and personal accounts/interviews contain are very interesting data, displaying the general state of the human psyche in individuals who reported seeing or coming into contact with Springheel Jack.
No doubt, whoever or whatever Springheel Jack was - his/its presence created hysteria, confusion and fear - in a huge way all over England.
If you'd like to read about what I've been able to dig up so far about Springheel Jack:
Hubpages Hub: Springheel Jack
I'm not sure we haven't also seen a similar sort of hysteria in our own times - even though we are capable of better record-keeping today and though our sciences are more accessible and advanced as compared with Victorian times.
For me, similarities exist between the Springheel Jack legend(s) and a creature that turned up in the U.S.A. in the late 1960's named, The Mothman.
Both entities caused terror of the general public in the regions - several square miles - where they were visible. Though each creature/figure was described a bit differently, we are talking about Victorian era and vocabulary in England versus present-day, modern vocabulary in The United States of America...when discussing the two entities.
Both figures showed up suddenly - and were visible for a short span of time (days to a couple of years) - and then reports of sightings just stopped as suddenly as they had started concerning each of the entities in separate eras.
Makes ya say, "Hmmm"
Hub #2 in the Hub Challenge: The Exploding Cactus
"The Exploding Cactus"
My 2nd hub entered in the Hubpages Hub Challenge (which started yesterday, May11) is about an urban legend called "The Exploding Cactus."
In this incredible story, usually a family has been out of the country on vacation. The family brings back an exotic plant (almost always a cactus) that can't usually be found in their usual hometown or country.
Unfortunately, along with the exotic and rare cactus, the family unknowingly also brings back some other unwanted sorts of pets...which are somehow linked to the purchase of the cactus.
Read a version of the urban legend on the 2nd hub I submitted in the Hub Challenge at a website called "Hubpages."
Hub 2: The Exploding Cactus
Here are a few tidbits that aren't on the hub above yet...
One of the most important elements that makes the story, The Exploding Cactus, successful as an urban legend is the cactus itself, along with public ignorance about cactus plants.
(admittedly, I know almost nothing about cactus plants, myself - but knowledge of these items is not necessary for storytelling, either...)
Cactus or "cacti" are usually considered an EXOTIC plant. The care of these flora is necessarily different than that of plants that most people are familiar with. Therefore, not as many people KEEP Cacti as will keep 'ordinary' and more common plants.
This also means that people who know about cacti or cactuses have EXCLUSIVE information about their growth and care...
The average person who does not know anything or who knows very little about cacti can be easily taken in by the details given in the urban legend The Exploding Cactus. Those who know little to nothing about cactus plants easily assume that what happens in the story CAN REALLY HAPPEN!
Another tidbit: readers of this blog now have exclusive information about one of the most important things that makes The Exploding Cactus urban legend successful - because this tidbit has not been posted on the hub at all...
You see... 'logic' and plain 'common sense' of an average person who does not know anything about cactuses will actually MAKE THIS STORY APPEAR logical, true, plausible, etc.
Don't we live in a strange world? Where logic can actually allow a myth to perpetuate and spread?
My 2nd hub entered in the Hubpages Hub Challenge (which started yesterday, May11) is about an urban legend called "The Exploding Cactus."
In this incredible story, usually a family has been out of the country on vacation. The family brings back an exotic plant (almost always a cactus) that can't usually be found in their usual hometown or country.
Unfortunately, along with the exotic and rare cactus, the family unknowingly also brings back some other unwanted sorts of pets...which are somehow linked to the purchase of the cactus.
Read a version of the urban legend on the 2nd hub I submitted in the Hub Challenge at a website called "Hubpages."
Hub 2: The Exploding Cactus
Here are a few tidbits that aren't on the hub above yet...
One of the most important elements that makes the story, The Exploding Cactus, successful as an urban legend is the cactus itself, along with public ignorance about cactus plants.
(admittedly, I know almost nothing about cactus plants, myself - but knowledge of these items is not necessary for storytelling, either...)
Cactus or "cacti" are usually considered an EXOTIC plant. The care of these flora is necessarily different than that of plants that most people are familiar with. Therefore, not as many people KEEP Cacti as will keep 'ordinary' and more common plants.
This also means that people who know about cacti or cactuses have EXCLUSIVE information about their growth and care...
The average person who does not know anything or who knows very little about cacti can be easily taken in by the details given in the urban legend The Exploding Cactus. Those who know little to nothing about cactus plants easily assume that what happens in the story CAN REALLY HAPPEN!
Another tidbit: readers of this blog now have exclusive information about one of the most important things that makes The Exploding Cactus urban legend successful - because this tidbit has not been posted on the hub at all...
You see... 'logic' and plain 'common sense' of an average person who does not know anything about cactuses will actually MAKE THIS STORY APPEAR logical, true, plausible, etc.
Don't we live in a strange world? Where logic can actually allow a myth to perpetuate and spread?
Monday, May 11, 2009
Hub #1 in the Hub Challenge: Caller in the House
"Caller in the House"
...is the name of my first hub submitted in Hubpages' Hub Challenge, which just started today.
You know the story, don't you? (aside from several movies that have been made with the same 'babysitter stalked' idea).
Here's the basic stuff of the story...
A teen is babysitting at a house and everything is going fine. The kids are well-behaved, nothing is out of the ordinary - until the babysitter puts the kids to bed.
After the kids are in bed, upstairs in their rooms, then--
THEN - bad stuff starts to happen.
The babysitter starts to receive a number of very strange phone calls
Read more about this urban legend on my newest hub:
Hub: Caller in the House
Of course, there are several versions of this urban legend. 3 version are featured on my hub.
Enjoy...
...is the name of my first hub submitted in Hubpages' Hub Challenge, which just started today.
You know the story, don't you? (aside from several movies that have been made with the same 'babysitter stalked' idea).
Here's the basic stuff of the story...
A teen is babysitting at a house and everything is going fine. The kids are well-behaved, nothing is out of the ordinary - until the babysitter puts the kids to bed.
After the kids are in bed, upstairs in their rooms, then--
THEN - bad stuff starts to happen.
The babysitter starts to receive a number of very strange phone calls
Read more about this urban legend on my newest hub:
Hub: Caller in the House
Of course, there are several versions of this urban legend. 3 version are featured on my hub.
Enjoy...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Do You Know Who Mary Worthington Was?
I've written a hub on the HubPages site about "Bloody Mary" but I'm still researching versions of this legend.
So far, a number of legends exist, naming a person called Mary Worthington as a witch, a disfigured teen, a young mother whose young infant was stolen and who committed suicide, a young mother whose infant died shortly after birth (Mary ended her life in this version, as well), an innocent young female who was wrongly charged and executed for being a witch...
...the versions of the person of Mary Worthington are many but I have not been able to track down a REAL PERSON of Mary Worthington from our near-past who fits any description that the legends offer.
If you do know of a Mary Worthington who can be proven to have really lived a real life in our recent past (anytime between fifteenth century and twentieth century), please contact me!
My Mary Worthington Hub at HubPages: Mary Worthington
As well - if you have heard of or have played the "Bloody Mary" game (sometimes reported to be a very scary game) connected with the persona of this elusive Mary Worthington, drop me a line! I may be able to feature your 'version' on my hub or blog!
So far, a number of legends exist, naming a person called Mary Worthington as a witch, a disfigured teen, a young mother whose young infant was stolen and who committed suicide, a young mother whose infant died shortly after birth (Mary ended her life in this version, as well), an innocent young female who was wrongly charged and executed for being a witch...
...the versions of the person of Mary Worthington are many but I have not been able to track down a REAL PERSON of Mary Worthington from our near-past who fits any description that the legends offer.
If you do know of a Mary Worthington who can be proven to have really lived a real life in our recent past (anytime between fifteenth century and twentieth century), please contact me!
My Mary Worthington Hub at HubPages: Mary Worthington
As well - if you have heard of or have played the "Bloody Mary" game (sometimes reported to be a very scary game) connected with the persona of this elusive Mary Worthington, drop me a line! I may be able to feature your 'version' on my hub or blog!
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