Gangsters & Ghost Stories: a Frightful Night to Remember

As we slither into spooky season, I find myself on the hunt for some spine-tingling reads. What’s your favorite scary, paranormal, mysterious, or otherwise creepy book? I’ll share five from my shelf. I haven’t read widely from these genres, but this year I’ll be digging deeper, so your recommendations please!

 

Keep that thought while I regale you with a terrifying tale from my youth. I can only speak for myself, but the incident left me downright spooked.

 

I wrote this in my best 1920s radio drama voice; feel free to read it in the same spirit.

 

Halloween Dance, circa 1991. A group of high schoolers dressed like 1920s gangsters of the Al Capone variety attended the Halloween Dance together. Look at those self-important mugs! Cool cats with our Tommy guns and fedoras. Nothing could scare us.

 

As everyone knew, the dance itself was never the high point. All the school could offer was a second-rate sound system and a decent photo in 6 to 8 weeks. The real fun didn’t happen until the activities after the dance.

 

Our gang’s pastime of choice: the Haunted Castle, an iconic feature of Provo, Utah. The castle, built in the 1930s, had vibes that could scale your spine like a spider.

Property of the Utah State Mental Hospital, the castle got a grisly makeover every year and drew guests from across the state. In addition to roughly 250 gallons of stage blood, it boasted horrific scenes with creepy clowns, mad scientists, and of course…chainsaws.  

 

The word “mental” was dropped at some point and called the Utah State Hospital to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Never mind that when the hospital opened in 1885 its title was the “Territorial Insane Asylum” Eek! Those were the days of real compassion.

 

The venue’s major draw, for good or ill, was that the actors in the spectacle were played by patients at the hospital.

 

As an aside, here’s a first-rate article about the ethics of having a spook alley at the hospital at all, and why the haunted castle ultimately got shut down. I count myself fortunate to have visited in its heyday.

 

Back to the unwitting high schoolers. We emerged from the castle, hearts pounding, and pits a little sweatier, nervously laughing through our shivers. The chainsaw man had taken a particular shine to me; I’ve since learned to keep my screams in check.

 

Before departing, we stood waiting to descend the parking lot, reliving the scariest scenes. Little did I know, a monster in shredded rags and a bloody mask stood behind me and whispered, “Watch out,” directly in my ear. I jumped, drawing more laughs from the gang.

 

Squeezing out the remaining moments of the night, the group split up and some of us went to my house. My parents weren’t home, and, as predicted, the gang huddled in close for some good old-fashioned ghost stories. My Provo house was a cozy one-story; the front room served as the main gathering place.

 

We turned out the lights. Someone told a story. I don’t remember the storyteller nor the story they told, but it must’ve been a doozy, because the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up.

 

“I don’t know, guys,” I said, “I’ve heard that when you talk about spirits you invite them in.”

 

Not half a beat later, the front door flew wide open with a punch.

 

The girls shrieked. The boys shrieked. We gangsters weren’t so tough anymore.

 

Nobody was out there. Another eerie detail was that the inside door was protected by a screen door on the outside. The screen door remained shut. A person couldn't have done it.

Dear reader, if you’re still with me, I say this in all honesty. There was no wind that night.

 

Thus, we teenagers have kept this paranormal experience quiet, never to speak of it again…until now.

 

Remember the warning to “watch out” for the spirits that await haunting you at the very mention of them. Apparently, that’s all the invitation they need.

 

Stories to Make You Shiver

 

I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself while I tell you about my favorite scary books, and I hope you’ll share yours with me as well.

 

1) Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier. This book makes my top 10 all-time favorites as well. The way the suspense unfolds is a masterclass in pacing. Somehow the horror keeps worsening despite the reader begging for a respite. A true classic!

2) My Cousin Rachel, Daphne de Maurier. Same author, same expert-level pacing, but a totally unique story that will have you questioning your own sanity by the end.

 

3) The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins. I think the mid-nineteenth century had a fascination with asylum patients and, sadly, little empathy. That said, this lengthy tome is worth it, with an ending that pays off.

4) The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. If the last one was too long for your taste, this 70-pager can be read in an afternoon. Part humor, part horror, this has all the off-kilter storytelling of a Twilight Zone episode.

 

Last but not least, 5) And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie. This is the world’s best-selling mystery. Christie herself said it was her most difficult novel to write. The complex plot is perfectly woven, and if you can guess “whodunnit” you’re a smarter person than I am.

 

There is my list. Do any of these make your list too? Clearly, I have a penchant for the classics. That’s where you can help me with recommendations, either from a bygone era or a more modern one. What's your favorite?