I knew I had to crawl out of this warm bed, yet I lingered as the whoosh of warm air was delivered through the furnace vents. Only my young daughter and her oldest son knew of the events that had taken place a few nights ago. I almost wish I had kept it to myself, now they're excited and afraid too. If I hadn't told them about the boys in the cellar though, I'd probably be in the biggest mess in my life. My daughter Laurel, had told me years ago, "Don't ever tell a ghost it's welcome to stay"! I almost told 5 boy's ghosts they were welcome for as long as they wanted! And I would research their deaths!
The single light bulb in the dreary, dirt floored room, allowed me to see what a fluorescent or bright light would have hidden. I was hoping that changing the furnace filter would get the old machine to work for just a few more weeks, until the nights were as equally warm as the days. Having crouched down to remove the old filter, there was only about four inches between the old water heater stowed next to the old coal furnace. When it was adapted for natural gas, someone pieced it together without a thought to safety. It was then that the toe of a shoe caught my eye. Without even thinking I had sucked in my breath and held it, as my eye trailed from the toe, up a pants leg, belted waist and dirty shirt. Moving my eyes slowly upward, from the shirt to a face, I looked right into the eyes of a very young boy. But I could see through him, and that's when the other boys silhouettes came into view. How I kept from screaming hysterically is still a mystery to me, my daughter and grandson. They are the only ones I've told about this.
I guessed the eldest boy to be about 12 or 13 years old. The youngest I took for 5 or 6 years old. The other boys were between those ages, but that didn't matter now. Having only a brief glance at their attire, I assumed they were from the beginning of the last century. This was before Levi's famous brand name denim jeans. Their shabby sweaters were just so outdated I knew they were from an era of long ago. They didn't wear the traditional "Hoodie" kids wore now a days. No "Nike" or high topped tennis shoes were common either. But what did I know? If it weren't for the furnace belching fumes, ready to end it's miserably exhausted life in a few days, I'd have never been the wiser about them haunting my cellar.
The next 3 days were uneventful as I waited for the weekend. Why did I choose Saturday morning for my visit here?! Of course the local library was teeming with people! None the less, having years of experience I quickly made my way to my desired spot. Great! I was alone in my cubby area, so was able to start my search without any distractions. I also was able to find the items needed to go back 100 years in time. Record keeping in the early 1900's was hand written, unless it was truly "newspaper worthy". I was fully rested and ready to dig in, going through old newspaper clippings on film. THIS story would have been on the front page.
After a very frustrating half hour or more, I felt a sadness to my core, noting fires ravaged homes quite often in those days. The men who served were certainly brave as the fire equipment back then was extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver. I thought I might be either looking too early or too late in the new century, and was quite perplexed about which direction I should take next. I dug thru my jacket pocket for a snack, knowing it wasn't allowed but also confidant I'd not leave a crumb behind as evidence. When I tried to open the noisy, crinkly pkg. is when the headlines caught my eye.
"FIVE LOST IN TRAIN DEATH" screamed the headline. I became annoyed very quickly as the print was very small, and I had to adjust the font so I could read it. OK. I think this is it! "A Northbound train had derailed on the NE end of the B&O tracks, outside the city, Friday night. As a result, a home was knocked off it's foundation, and burned so hotly that all remained were the ashes from the walls, with the bricks charred and mortar melted. At this time the loss of life isn't known, the ruins being impossible to sort through at this time. The engine of the train was thoroughly searched, but the Engineer is believed to have been consumed by the roaring fire. The residents of the home have not yet been located, but the house is considered a total loss".
I scrolled down, anxiously sitting on the edge of my seat, as if that would bring me closer to this tragic story. Time had taken it's toll on the aged article, and the best I could make out was that there were possibly a family of 4 that had yet to be accounted for.
I didn't realize how much time had gone by until the buzz of voices brought me to attention. It was noon, and the quiet library was alive with noise! Local children were attending a quite lively "Children's Reading Time" and I decided then to archive what I'd found, till later that evening, or as soon as time allowed.
The remainder of the weekend went quickly. I'd begun mowing the lawn the week before, and once you start it needs a haircut regularly. The smell of wild onions being chopped up was a credit to the hours that flew by on Sunday.
I awoke earlier than needed Monday morning, and groaned, knowing the odds were against me getting back to sleep for just a couple of hours. I felt my body relax, my mind wandered, then a very weird sensation over took me. I swear I could feel slight pressure on either side of my body, as if the lightest weight was barely pushing down. I've had extremely graphic dreams in my life, but didn't feel like I was in the deep REM sleep required for dreams. I heard the wind; no, it was whispers. I maintained an even breathing pattern, though my heart was pumping rapidly. I realized it was the "boys". I didn't feel threatened and remained surprisingly calm when I KNEW for sure it was them. I committed myself to lying still to wait and see what happened next.
My alarm is the loudest one made for man! I quickly turned it off before it put me in a foul mood for the day. I was going to be very busy on my job today, so before heading out the door I made sure I had snacks; healthy and otherwise.
"There's so much to do" I thought. I laughed at myself as aging is a beautiful thing, and being over 60 allows me to excuse my forgetfulness. I write notes to myself, but forget where I put them! THE TRAIN WRECK! Heavens to Betsy! I want to hit the library again, and if I leave work early enough, I can beat the rush of school children this afternoon. "That's my plan", I smiled to myself.
