Hauntings of South Carolina

The Summerville Lights

For those of you who are ghost and haunting enthusiasts, as I'm sure you already know, floating orbs of flame or light are some of the most common apparitions. They date back far, to the times of witchcraft and a time when every noise outside your cottege was either the devil or the Indians. Both were just as bad. But back then, ghosts were considered demons, lost souls who have become corrupted by the devil. That belief may have faded over time, but the feeling of dread still remains.

This haunting is a rather famous one. Just a search of the words Summerville and light pulls up many results of hauntings in the area. But the one I am discussing in this section is far more specific. Each account of this haunting is slightly different, but they are more or less the same. This haunting takes place on one Sheep Island Road, in Berkeley County, SC, 4.4 miles out from Summerville itself.

According to the legend, in the late 1890s to early 1900s, there was a railroad that ran through this area. There was a man that worked as a conductor for a Summerville railroad company during that time, and he worked night-shift every night. That being said of course, he had no way of getting lunch. Now, his faithful and loyal wife, who had to have loved him very much, walked up Sheep Island Road every night at midnight, just to see her husband and to bring him food. She would stand with a lantern and lunch in hand, and wait for him to stop. This went on for many years, until one night, her husband never showed up. She waited all night for him, and when he didn't show up, she left the lunch sitting by the railway, and went home. She was told the next day that the train had derailed, beheading her husband.

She never came to terms with the fact that she would never see her husband again, even after his remains were buried. She was believed to be insane after that, because every night, around midnight, she would continue to walk up the dirt trail to await her husband's arrival. She did this, all the way up until the day she died. But it is believed that she continued on even after death. It is said that if you go there just before midnight, you will hear all of the usual noises of the night: crickets chirping, frogs croaking, fireflies buzzing. Turn off your car and wait. When midnight strikes, you might notice the noises have eerily stopped. Not like they have gone away, but like they are waiting in silent anticipation. If the sounds stopped, then you will now know what will happen next. You will see a small, soft orb of light, possibly hovering side to side. If you get out of your car, and walk towards it, it may begin to chase you. If it does, turn back and get to your car as quickly as you can. If it does reach you, it has been reported that you will receive two burns on the back of your neck. If you manage to make it back to your car, drive the hell out of there. You might feel something hit your car as the light gets close to you. When you get far enough away, get out and check your hood. You should see a dent in the hood if the light caught up to you. Some say that the light is the lantern of the woman, continuing to walk to the railroad every night.