Lisa A. Kramer

by Lisa A Kramer, in Fiction , Writing

'Tis the season of creaks and squeaks and ghostly imaginings. I just realized that Halloween is tomorrow, and I haven't done my usual number of spooky posts and reflections on things that go bump in the night.

Anyone who has followed me for a while now realizes that I have a fascination with the supernatural. I waste  spend a lot of time at this time of year looking up videos about hauntings on the internet. I know, the majority of them are fakes but every once in a while I stumble across an image that is so eerie and un-explainable that it makes me continue my search. At the same time, I have little to no interest in horror movies. I am intrigued by more psychological horror, but slash them up while being chased by zombies and vampires does nothing for me.

I don't know what fascinates me more, the search for actual evidence or the psychology behind the search.

I've blogged about this topic often, here as well as in the first incarnation of my blog. Since I don't want to repeat myself too much, here are some links to past posts on the topic:

• "A Spirited Evening"where I discuss a ghost hunting adventure I recently went on, and share some spooky photos.
• "Do You Believe in Ghosts?" where I share some of the experiences I think I've had, along with links to other spooky moments.
• "My Spooky Fascination" where I discuss what intrigues me about this stuff.
• "Night Marchers in the Bathroom . . . " where I explain how ghosts helped me form a bond of friendship that remains strong.
• "Monsters in the Closet and Other Scary Stuff" where I explain why I still have problems sleeping with the closet door open.
• "Haunted Holiday" a 100 Word Challenge for Adults with a ghostly twist.

My fascination with all things paranormal, especially the questions of ghosts, has crept into my writing for a long time. The first novel I completed, GIVING UP THE GHOSTS, tells the story of a girl who has the ability to communicate with spirits and doesn't want to anymore. Recently another character has made herself known to me, although I'm not sure what story she wants to tell yet it seems connected with the paranormal in some way. I've written pages and pages from her voice, although nothing solid is forming yet:

Sometimes it seems I become invisible and I see and hear things other people don't. Now don't get me wrong, I don't see things in the "I see dead people" way or at least not exactly. But still I can look at people and sometimes (not always) get flashes of things that are somehow connected with them. The flashes don't always make sense. Sometimes its like I see people surrounded by memories of their past lives. Everyone seems to be surrounded by flashes of electricity--I guess some might call them auras--that are somehow connected with who they are.

 

I know, I know . . . Now you think I'm just this crazy woo-woo chick who sees auras and past lives and contacts spirits and thinks she's psychic.  That's why I don't usually tell people any of this.

Now, obviously this is still very rough-draft-ish, but does this character intrigue you? She seems to have a lot to say to me and is clearly related to this passion of mine.

This morning I finished working on a short story that I'm hoping will make it into a friend's e-zine. If it does, I will of course share a link, but since I completely freaked myself out while writing this story (which is called "Voice of Evil") I thought I would share a brief excerpt with you:

I watch. I wait.

I see my victim leave his love. I watched him leave the group of seekers, surrounded by the feeble spirits of loved ones and others who hoped they would be heard. The leader of the group—the one with a strange name—draws those weaker spirits to her like moths. I have no need of her.

I follow him. I see when he heads up toward the loft, away from everyone else.

I arrive before him and settle into the darkness to wait until the perfect moment.

He comes to me. How could I resist? I reach out and through his flesh. I feel the blood pulsing through his heart, and hear the beating of his life. I could snuff it out in an instant, but I want more. I make my way inside.

Sometimes I wonder if my fascination with this stuff reflects something disturbing in my personality. Or maybe it's simply a reflection of an overactive imagination combined with my interest in psychology, in people, and in the deeper meanings of life.

I may never know, but for now, I think it's time to scare myself with a little video again.

Are you interested in the supernatural? Are you a total skeptic, a total believer or (like me) something in between? Do you like reading stories that scare you? 

 

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