My November Halloween

by John Joseph

Description Anyone who loves Halloween and has moved away from their childhood stomping ground will relate to this story. My November Halloween is a touching short story about the experience that I had when I returned to my old town due to the death of a loved relative. The years of guilt and regret that piled up came to an intense boil upon my return. Alone with only the thoughts of my childhood memories, my redemption came in the form of a paranormal experience that changed my life forever. My November Halloween takes place in a house that was in the family for generations. This was a large Northeastern house that was the location of many family gatherings. As a child, this house belonged to my grandmother and it would sometimes spook the hell out of me. The tall ceilings and unusually large rooms gave me the feeling that another presence was there. Nevertheless, I always loved that house and it holds some of my most cherished memories. I was nine years old when my family moved away taking me from all I had ever known. All of my friends and relatives were taken out of my world. The heartache of the separation haunted me for years. Slowly, time seemed to heal the heartbreak of missing my friends and family. Guilt hit me hard because I felt that I was no longer missing my loved ones. Years later, I returned to that house under circumstances that made me carry back all of those years of guilt and regret. But, something was waiting for me in that house! Imagine years after you have seemingly healed from a broken childhood that you return back into the fold with newly charged emotions combined with those lost feelings resurfacing even stronger than ever. It feels like your mind is playing tricks on you. How far will your imagination travel while under the heartbreak of losing someone close to you? I had aged over the years, but it seemed like time had stood still in my old town. Memories and feelings that I had long forgotten about came flooding back to me like nothing had changed. What happened in the hours ahead was something that most do not experience in their lifetime let alone believe it to be possible. After these events, I was left with these questions and thoughts that are not meant to be answered by any person... When people leave this world, do they really leave? Is there a way for those who have left us to still be active in our lives? But most importantly what is their purpose? Are they there to help us in our lives, to guide us, to correct us, or even to punish us? We have all heard the stories about people catching glimpses of ghosts out of the side of their vision. Or they get silhouettes appearing right in front of their eyes. They can be overcome with feelings that seem to be from a dream. Sometimes you hear stories of people seeing reflections in the TV when the screen is dark. Or they catch sight of a black smoky mist in the shape of a person appearing right in front of them. I have always wondered about our journeys in life. If they really end when we "die" or if we continue on but just on a different level or in another realm. I never had any proof of this either way but just because someone is no longer alive that doesn't necessarily mean they are really dead and gone. I've heard a lot of ghost stories. But, there was only one way for me to be convinced...