DSCWin, thanks for the help
THE GHOST (Set in Season 2)
It was a Friday after school, as Erin Walton asked her mother if she could sleep over at her friend Jane's house. She explained it was the girl's birthday and that she was having a few friends over, all girls, over. At first Erin's mother, Olivia was apprehensive. She knew her mother didn't know Jane's parents and feared she wouldn't be safe there. After a few minutes of discussion between mother and daughter, Erin was overjoyed her mother had agreed when she suggested that she have her father John or one of her two older brothers with her and walk home with. After she agreed, Erin rushed into her room and gathered the things she would be needing. She didn't feel at all embarassed as John Boy walked her to the house and dropped her off.
The birthday party was fun, as there had been games, music, plenty of food and at the end cake. Erin, though had a lot of fun at the party, was more excited to enjoy the sleepover more then ever.
After the party had whined down Erin and three girls, Jane, a girl named Amy and a girl named Sarah, all settled in for the night. As they did so a large hailstorm began to pound against the window startling the four girls. But after a few minutes began to not notice the storm as the house was warm and safe.
"What do we do now?" Jane asked as the lights began to slightly flicker and wasn't wanting to go to bed.
"We could tell each other ghost stories." Amy said with a shrug as she looked at Sarah and Erin.
"My Momma won't allow me to tell ghost stories." Sarah said softly. "She said it's because each one has a kernal of truth to it."
"My Momma doesn't like them either." Erin said glad she wasn't alone. She hated when her brothers would tell them when they would tell them on some nights.
"Doesn't your oldest brother write?" Sarah asked.
"Yea he does. My brother John Boy. Why do you ask?"
"I'm sure he has told you a couple of them growing up." Sarah said making Erin think back.
"He did," she said when she remembered, "last Halloween. My Momma scolded him as it gave all us younger kids nightmares."
"What was the story?" Jane asked suddenly quite interested in the ghost story telling idea.
"Why don't you tell us." Amy suggested looking over at Erin with large inerested eyes. "Do you remember it?"
"I do." Erin said feeling suddenly worried about what it might do to the three other girls and herself as well. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Yes!" All three other girls said their faces splitting across their faces as they all held their pillows out in front of them.
Erin nodded as she couldn't forget the story even if it had been years since she heard it. The way her brother spoke to her siblings as he began to tell them was forever etched in her mind. "Alright." She said after clearing her throat. "It's called, The Weeping Bride." She waited a few seconds as her brother did when he had told the story. "Many years ago, even before the very first Walton had come to the mountain, a man had gone into the woods to hunt for his first meal with his new bride. After hours of not coming back the bride became worried he had been lost in the woods. What seemed worse as a large storm had blown in and the bride was worried her new husband was lost, so she set out to find her new husband."
The three other girls gasped as Erin had spoken. "Did she find him?" Sarah asked as all three hugged their pillow close underneath their chins both scared and curious to know more.
Erin slowly shook her head. "No. She was unable to. For as searched a lightning bolt came and struck her killing her. My brother told us that the man was also lost in the woods. He says that on a night much like this, you can still hear the man and woman calling for each other never able to rest completely until they are once again united." Erin stopped as soft mumbles had began to sneak their way inside the room making all of the girls suddenly quite scared.
The voices were getting slowly closer as they heard a soft moan coming from a man only to be answered a few minutes later by a moan from a woman. All four girls held their breaths as lightning suddenly split the sky and Jane's door opened. All four girls let out a scream as each of them dived under their pillows and blankets.
"What are you four girls doing?" Came a soft man's reply. After a few minutes all four girls looked up and blushed when they saw that Jane's grandfather was standing in the doorway with a confused smile on his face.
"Oh, sorry Grandpa." Jane said trying to calm down. "We were telling each other ghost stories."
Jane's Grandfather began to chuckle as he shook his head slowly before looking over his shoulder. "Don't let your Grandmother know you've been doing this. You know how she is." Jane nodded silently happy she was caught by her Grandfather instead of her Grandmother. "Also I think you girls should head to bed. It's almost 10 pm."
"May we do just one more ghost story, Grandpa?" Jane asked feeling that Erin's, though scary, wasn't enough.
"Alright. Just one more." Her Grandfather said with a smile. "Then it's straight to bed for all four of you."
"Alright, Grandpa. Goodnight." Jane and the girls smiled as the Grandfather closed the door.
The girls listened as Jane told her story, but all of them agreed that Erin's story was the scariest as they all layed down to sleep. After Jane had turned off the light all four lay in silent their eyes wide open as all of them were afraid to close them. The sounds of their breathing and the thunder rumbling outside was the only sound they could hear. They all tired to let sleep over come them when a lightning strike illuminated the room in a brilliant burst of white light casting a strange shadow on the wall. They all thought their eyes were playing tricks on each other when another burst of lighting lit up the same shape.
The shape was tall and had flapping clothes like a tattered dress blowing in the wind. All the girls rushed to one another clinging to each other as they thought of what to do next.
"It's the bride searching for her husband." Jane whispered afraid to talk more loudly as all four trembled next to each other.
"What should we do?" Erin asked, scared that the story her brother had told her was in fact true.
"We should go tell your grandparents." Sarah said beginning to cry.
"We can't..." Jane said her voice starting to shake with fear. "They'll only scold us."
"Then what should we do?" Amy asked her legs suddenly feeling cold and numb.
"Let's all sleep under the blanket," Erin said trying to sound brave even when her body was still trembling with freight. "The Bride can't possibly hurt all of us together."
"That's a good idea, Erin." Jane said agreeing and pulled all three other girls into the bed with her. With shaky hands she pulled the blanket over each of their faces afraid of seeing the ghost of the Weeping Bride outside looking in on them sleeping.
A couple of hours later, the girls finally were able to fall into a restless night as the storm slowly vanished, and in their minds, took the Weeping Bride along with it.
_/_
The next morning, the four girls slowly woke up and gotten dressed before slowly eating their breakfast. After a few hours of playing in the front yard, Erin saw her older sister Mary Ellen walking up to them. Erin thanked Jane, and her grandparents, for letting her stay over before walking home with her sister.
"How was your night, Erin?" Mary Ellen asked as they walked.
"Terrifying." Erin said once they were out of ear shot from the other three girls. "Mary Ellen, do you believe in the Weeping Bride?"
"The one where she shows up looking for her husband that's lost in the storm?" Mary Ellen asked making Erin nod. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"
"Because we saw her last night, after I told her story." Erin said her face paling. "She was standing outside Jane's window all night. All four of us barely slept."
Mary Ellen gave her younger sister a amuzed look as they stopped just at the end of the property line. "You saw the Weeping Bride?" She asked and Erin nodded. "Do you know where she was?"
"Yes she was appeared in Jane's window. So she must have been somewhere in the fields there." Erin and Mary Ellen looked into the fields only to have Erin start to blush with embarrassment. Inside the field propped up on a tall wooden pole was a scarecrow wearing a large old, tattered nightgown. As Erin looked at it she realized the figure wasn't moving.
"You are silly, Erin." Mary Ellen said once she saw Erin had only imagined the Weeping Bride. "You better not tell Momma that you've been telling ghost stories. Or better yet, better not tell that story ever again or else she really might come after you." Erin had the look of freight on her face before she looked at Mary Ellen who was smiling.
"You tease." Erin said gently pushing her sister before they walked the rest of the way home.
The End