The Haunted Caboose - Ghost Story #2

I promised to share ghost stories with you this week, so here's ghost story #2, from Pamela:

I thought it would be fun to spend the last night of our Arizona road trip vacation, this past August, in a renovated 193o's motor court on historic Route 66. The place has cabins, plus an old caboose on the property for guests to spend the night in. The caboose is said to be haunted, and well, that sounded like fun so I booked it. Past guests have reported seeing the ghost of a conductor, hearing whispering voices, or seeing flickering lights. Sounded cool to me.

As soon as we got there, I was sorry I hadn't booked the Marriott. We were exhausted from our week on the road with 4 kids, and the caboose was a little on the creepy side. Since only 5 could sleep in the caboose, my husband took a regular room in a cabin across the driveway. The kids were given a choice: stay in the so-called haunted caboose with mommy, or the regular room with Dad. Only the eldest went with Dad. My youngest child slept with me in the main part of the caboose, and the two middle children were thrilled with their bunks built high up in the cupola.

A few minutes after midnight, I was sound asleep when out of nowhere a force slammed around my ankles and feet. My eyes flew open. The feeling was as real as if two powerful hands grabbed and held me. I could see the room--there was nothing there. My mind was spinning with shock and and honestly, a little bit of anger. Flickering lights are fine, but this thing was touching me! In that second I felt myself being dragged toward the end of the bed. I tried to pull away but I couldn't move.

Just as suddenly as it started, it was over. I jerked my feet up to the middle of the bed, and turned on the light and TV. More than anything I wanted to make a run for my husband's cabin, but I knew that waking up my three children for a ghost evacuation would terrify them, in ways that could frighten them at night for years. I'd also lose all credibility for ever helping them through "silly" childhood fears from that point on.

One of the hardest things I've ever done as a mother was to brave out the rest of that night in the caboose. I spent the next 4 hours sitting in bed with the light on watching Star Trek reruns, before allowing myself to drift off for a short hour's sleep just before dawn (with my feet tucked well up under me!) I got up at 5:30AM, woke my husband, packed up the kids, and we got a very early start home.

Spooky, huh? I think I'd stick with Holiday Inns from now on, Pamela! :) Thanks for sharing your story, and I hope others are enjoying it as much as I did!