Late Night Visitor

Late Night Visit (Haunted Cemetery)

In the winter of 1991 in Chicago, Illinois, I'd just returned home from my freshman year of college. My parents and I thought it'd be a good idea for me to get a part-time job and earn some extra money, so I spent the next couple of days looking for places that were hiring. Still, it didn't take long for me to realize it was going to be difficult as most stores completed all hires weeks before the festivities began. After a few days without progress, I found an unusual job posting at the local cemetery that stated they would need an extra groundskeeper and night watchman for the next few weeks. Now, while a job at the cemetery wouldn't have been my preferred choice, I'd be lying if I said I didn't need the extra money. The pay wasn't the only real reason I had for taking the job.

Growing up in Justice, Illinois, I'd heard my fair share of ghost stories, as the city had always been quite notorious for its supernatural history. I, however, had never been one to believe in that stuff, but as I told my family and friends about my new job at the cemetery, it started to seem like I was the only one. Most of them didn't approve and immediately bombarded me with ghost stories and tales about Resurrection Cemetery, where I was about to start working. None of that mattered to me at the time. So, on November 19, 1991, I took a shower, said goodbye, and headed to Resurrection Cemetery for my first day of work-a decision I'd come to regret for the rest of my life.

The drive to the cemetery was about 30 minutes long, and after finding a taxi that was willing to take me, all I could think about was how difficult it would be to get a ride home later at night. Soon enough, we started getting closer, and as we did, the silhouette of the towering Saint Mary statue emerged from the darkness, creating an ominous shadow and vibe that felt stronger the closer I got to the cemetery. Surprisingly, it didn't seem like I'd be the only one looking for a ride as I noticed a girl standing underneath the Mary statue outside the cemetery gates. While I couldn't see her face as we were still pretty far away, her white and red dress stood out in the darkness. I watched for a few seconds as she stared at the empty road silently. I'd assumed she was waiting for a car, but by the time we got there, she was gone, and the taxi driver simply wasn't going to wait around for her. So, he left, and I stood at the massive rusty gates of Resurrection Cemetery.

The cemetery was dead silent by that time at night. A man named Rob had the shift before, and he showed me where I'd be staying until my shift was over. As we walked through the cemetery, it was almost like I was walking through a crowded room. I could feel the presence of a hundred people around me and Rob. The cemetery was large and quiet, filled with rusty gates that creaked with an unsettling sound. The deeper we got into the cemetery, the more I felt the eeriness in the air all around us. Various statues dotted the landscape, but none stood out like the Saint Mary statue, though they all had a certain feel to them and were covered in overgrown plants. We kept walking towards my workstation when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the girl I'd seen earlier walking outside the gates of the cemetery. I watched for a bit as she continued pacing back and forth, and I felt concerned for her as it was getting late, and it was obvious she wouldn't be able to get a taxi home.

My attention was drawn back to Rob when he shook my hand, handed me the keys to the workstation, and said, "Hey kiddo, word of advice, if anything strange happens, stay indoors and don't worry about it." I nodded in response, and after taking some more of his stuff, he wished me luck and left.

My first night at the cemetery started pretty slow. After the first 30 minutes, I realized I had made a huge mistake by not bringing a magazine or something to keep myself entertained. Cell phones weren't a thing back then, so understandably, after an hour, I began looking for what to do before eventually deciding to explore the empty cemetery.

That night was extremely cold, and the snow had started coming down lightly, covering the tombstones, ground, and statues in white. As I walked through the grounds, I noticed the graves got older the deeper I went. Eventually, I came across a section of the cemetery that looked like it hadn't been maintained in years. The weeds had begun to cover the stones, and some of the graves didn't have regular tombstones but instead were marked by sticks set up in the form of crosses, giving it a very ungodly and ritualistic look. Along with its horrific appearance, everything felt wrong about the graveyard. Although I didn't believe in haunted places, I instinctively knew I needed to leave. Slowly, I turned around and began to walk away.

Oddly, as I walked away from the strange sight, there was a sudden change in the atmosphere. The already cold temperature got even colder, and the sound of a woman crying filled the air around me. I froze in silence, terrified to turn around, as I was certain there was no one there a second ago. After about a minute, I slowly turned around to see the girl in white I'd noticed earlier that night standing, crying above a grave.

Now that I was closer to the girl, I began to notice certain things I couldn't see earlier. For starters, her dress wasn't actually red and white; instead, it was a ripped white dress that had certain areas covered in blood and dirt. She didn't have any shoes on, and her hair and body indicated she hadn't showered in a while. Despite how close she was to me and all the details I noticed, I still hadn't seen her face, and I had no clue how she'd gotten into the cemetery that late at night.

"Hey miss, I'm sorry about your loss, but you can't be here right now," I said, trying to get her attention. The woman didn't acknowledge me; instead, she continued to cry without moving. So, I decided to approach her and ask her to leave because the situation was starting to feel strange. I walked up to her quickly and grabbed her arm before saying, "You have to leave." Her head spun as soon as I touched her, and she responded with a deep, guttural voice, "Your punishment shall be an example to all those who would dare to oppose my grief. I will consume your soul and ensure an eternity of suffering for what you have done, you peasant." I rushed back in fear once I heard her voice, and my heart stopped as I looked at her face, met with the horrific sight of a decayed woman with wrinkles and burns all over her body. Her face and skin were completely deformed; tears of blood covered her yellow eyes, and her jaw was detached, revealing demonic sharp teeth that weren't human in any way.

Instinctively, I took off running towards the gate, but I looked back in horror to see she had gotten on all fours like an animal and was chasing me while foaming at the mouth. My heart raced, and I couldn't breathe. I ran for my life; every time I looked back, she got closer until eventually, I felt a piercing pain in my back as her sharp claws dug deep into me. The pain I felt at that moment was indescribable, but all that mattered was to continue running, so that's what I did. Despite the growls I could hear behind me, soon enough, I was out of the gate and running down the street for help. Unfortunately, that's when I felt her grab my leg, and in seconds, the weeping woman was on top of me, biting, screaming, and clawing at me wherever she could. I screamed for help in terror, but it didn't seem to matter; at the time, it seemed like everything was about to end for me.

As I lay there in agony, I thought about the moments that led to this horrific experience. It dawned on me that I'd seen the ghost numerous times that night but never away from the cemetery. In a last-ditch effort, I quickly shoved the demon off me. Although I knew I couldn't get far, I hoped if I could get far enough, it would all be over. I struggled to get away and watched as it slowly got up and charged at me once again before suddenly vanishing into thin air, leaving me to die in the streets.

I woke up three weeks later at the Justice Illinois Medical Health Centre, where doctors told me I had been found that night by a stranger driving home late at night. My doctors said the head trauma and severe blood loss resulted in a short-term coma. Due to the state I was found in, the case was written off as an animal attack by the state police. However, that was far from the truth, and after weeks of therapy and rehab, I eventually shared my story with the world. I discovered I wasn't special in any way. In fact, many people had seen Resurrection Mary along the streets of Resurrection Cemetery, but the difference was I came in contact with her grieving soul. Everyone who's ever done that died, and it was truly a miracle that I somehow lived to tell the tale.

That night didn't feel like a miracle to me, though. Despite how many stories are told or experiences that are shared, the truth is, no one has ever witnessed the horrors I saw that night and I am certain, that if they did. We would all come to our senses and burn the cemetery and all its evil to the ground.

.......
The following story is based on the well-known Resurrection Cemetery located in Justice, Illinois. The cemetery is home to one of the most notorious ghosts in the world named Resurrection Mary. Stories about the ghost have been around since 1930 when a man named Jerry Palus first came in contact with the spirit. Encounters with the ghost have varied, and numerous theories as to why she lingers in the cemetery have been around for years. Most believe she is mourning a long-lost loved one and will not engage with people as long as they respect one simple rule: to let her grieve.