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Post by musicboxdancer on Feb 26, 2010 19:55:50 GMT -5
The Ghost Of Tow Sack, Annie
The first time I saw Annie, I was seven years old. It was at the Gethsemane First Methodist church. She was a lovely widow of means. Beside her sat, her young son Billy. They lived in the finest three story house in town, way upon the hill. I had heard someone say, that her husband had been killed in a car wreck, a few years back.
When Billy turned 17, our country was at war. On his birthday he enlisted in the army. That was in the year of 1944. Poor Annie was beside herself with anxiety. Her only child was going to war. She felt like a giant hand was gripping and squeezing her heart. It was in February of 1945 that Annie received the letter, telling her of Billy's death. When she first read the letter, all she could do was stand there and tremble. Then she slowly crumbled to the floor lying there in a heap of sobbing grief.
Billy had paid the greatest price for his country, he had given his young life. This caused Annie such tormenting pain. His body was to be sent home on a train. Two trains collided on the tracks, that frightful night. Many where at the station, waiting for the two trains to arrive. One train was coming from the east and the other was traveling from the west.
People jumped back as large pieces of metal from the trains, flew through the air. Two people were killed by the flying debris. One man's leg was severed. Several fires broke out in different directions. You could hear sirens wailing and see flashing red lights, in the distance.
Everyone, stood for a moment in disbelief. Then with haste began to help. As they tried to assist, they soon discovered; all that would be found was mostly scattered, bloody bodies. It had been one of the worse train wrecks in history. It had left many with so much pain and misery.
Poor Annie her son's body was never found. He was Annie's beloved son. He was her life, her only one. Something happened to Annie's mind that fateful night. After that she was never again quite right.
The accident happened at Banducci's Junction. Ol' man Banducci had a restaurant across from the train station. He along with everyone else, watched as Annie started carrying around an old tow sack. At times she would bend down and pick up something that had caught her eye and put it in her sack.
She daily searched, up and down those railroad tracks. Always looking for Billy's body. Soon after that someone starting calling her, "Tow Sack Annie." The name stuck and everyone else started calling her that. Very ragged she looked as she walked by those tracks. She had become a far cry, from the time I had first seen her.
I heard some say, that she lived in a cardboard box down by the river. One story I heard, was that she lived at the edge of town in a hobo camp. Others said, she still lived in her house on the hill. The house had been all boarded up, a year after Billy had died. But, you sometimes saw a light at night. It could be seen, coming from a small attic window.
Ol' Mr. Banducci felt compassion for her and would often give her a bowl of homemade soup; whenever he would see her over by the tracks. Other's were not so kind. Some of the upright citizens of the town, at times reported her to the police. The police were bound by the law to pick her up. They always called her lawyer who would quickly, have her bail paid. Annie was still a lady of means, but she was also a lady with a broken heart. She was a poor lost soul, in agonizing torment as if she were caught in the everlasting flames of perdition.
At times, children would laugh and point at her. Some would throw rocks and sticks at her, leaving her bruised. Most of them had been told it was alright by their parents and other adults. When people don't understand things that appear different or strange, they can behave in outrageous ways. At times becoming completely cruel. Most had forgotten the golden rule.
One cold night near the end of October in 1967, poor Annie's body was found. She was lying in the middle of the railroad tracks face down. She was tightly clutching her tow sack. She had, died still looking for Billy's body.
Until this very day on nights of the full moon, you can still see Annie walking along the Banducci Junction line. Even though she's been dead for quite sometime. Often times late at night, you can see the ghost of "Tow Sack Annie". She'll be sitting out back with a bowl of ol' man Banducci's homemade soup. Mr. Banducci died some years ago, but his restaurant still stands there empty. Like Annie's old house with the doors and windows all boarded up.
Most times when you see her ghost though, she is walking down the middle of the railroad tracks; still searching for young Billy's body. As she sees the trains coming she starts to scream as they pass through her ghostly form. Then she turns round and continues to scream until they are out of sight. At other times when the night is quiet, you can hear her mournfully cry. She is eternally lost in time. Forever walking up and down that railroad line.
Many, now believe that her old boarded up house is haunted. That her ghost resides there, most of the time. As she is only seen on nights of the full moon. Both children and adults fear to go near it. Especially, the adults who use to be one of the children who taunted her. They fear that she will now haunt them! After hearing her screams many had horrifying dreams. A few no longer ride the train. They fear that the trains maybe haunted by her, too.
One Halloween night three high school boys, dared several younger boys; to go up to Annie's old house on the hill. They dared them to go up and ring the door bell. Not wanting to appear afraid, the boys slowly creep up the front steps. As they did the front door slowly started to open, creaking loudly. A very ghostly looking old lady lumbered out, shaking her fist at them. Those boys had never ran so fast in their lives. At the foot of the hill as if waiting for them, was a demon dog. The monstrous dog growled viciously and started running toward them. One of the boys fell, he squeezed his eyes shut tight and tried to scream; but cold waves of terror swept over the boy. The ugly beastly dog lunged at him, gnawing at his shoes. The savage dog heard a shrill whistle, turned and ran up the hill.
The other boys quickly helped him up. The next day the boys made a pact never to go to the house again. And, to never tell anyone about what happened that night. Unbeknown to everyone, an old homeless lady had found were a board, at the back of Annie's old house had fallen off. She and her ferocious dog had been staying there at night.
After all of these years, something unique and unusual was coming about for Annie. It was as if the cosmos were at work and had a plan for her. On the night of New Year's Eve, in the year of 2000 a new millennium was about to be born. That night once again Annie's ghost was out searching. She was headed towards the old train station, where the wreck had occurred.
There was a young man out front of the station, sitting on a bench. He had been to a New Year's Eve party and had decided to leave early. When he saw Annie's ghost, he felt his lungs constrict and fought to breath. All he could manage to do, was sit there and stare, as if in a trance.
At the very moment, that the old clock tower struck midnight, Annie saw someone walking towards her. He was coming from the other direction, also in the middle of the railroad tracks. As he slowly came closer to her, she recognized the ghostly form of her son, Billy! As they embraced, they both faded away and neither were ever seen again.
(C) Joyful Jan Oct. 2009
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Post by NewMan™ on Feb 26, 2010 23:37:32 GMT -5
ooh my gosh Jan, this is QUITE the ghost story.. I am blown away and I LOVE the "happy" ending. I can honestly say I am very much impressed and totally amazed.
The detail, the era (setting it from 1944 - 2000 is genius) and the full circle of the tale makes this an all time favorite.
E X A L T
~ Daniel
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Post by Jamie~poetshare.forumotion.com on Mar 8, 2010 18:41:51 GMT -5
I agree this is very well detailed and you kept my interest the whole way through. Train tracks have a special place in haunted stories for me. And you even had a happy ending which doesn't always happen in ghost stories. What a fun read!
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Post by musicboxdancer on Mar 11, 2010 15:07:10 GMT -5
Thank you, Jamie for reading and for your generous comments. I value your opinion. This is the first short story that I wrote, the second one is posted here, also. This one was written for a Halloween challenge on another site. It came in second place.
Joyful Jan
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Post by Judy McCarley on Jan 19, 2015 23:33:47 GMT -5
I remember Tow Sack Annie from when I was a girl living in Arvin. We picked her up and gave her a ride as she had made a friend of my Aunt Bertha Downum. She was very quiet as we drove along but a very sweet and humble sort of woman. My aunt told us the story of her having a good life till she lost her husband and son but I always thought it was a daughter for some reason. I'm glad to hear that she and her son are finally resting in peace with each other. God Bless Tow Sack Annie she is like a legend to the people of Arvin,Lamont and Bakersfield.
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Post by Carl Bailey on Feb 24, 2017 0:20:53 GMT -5
Very sad to know that very little is know about this woman who was legendary in the small community of Lamont CA.
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Post by Carl Bailey on Feb 24, 2017 0:21:26 GMT -5
Very sad to know that very little is know about this woman who was legendary in the small community of Lamont CA.
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