Ghost in the Alley: From Ghost Stories at Americanfolklore.net

Ghost in the Alley

Retold by S.E. Schlosser

Rumors were rife about the alleyway behind the tavern. It was haunted, folks said. Haunted by the ghost of a young girl who had been found murdered in that self-same passage. People avoided the small street after dark, for the spirit was said to be a vengeful one. Of course, no one could name anyone whom the ghost had actually killed, but the tales were enough to keep people away from the alley at night.

Fortunately for the owners of the tavern that backed onto the alley, their front door faced a well-lit road and so business was not slack.

Then one night, while the tavern was full of drinkers, a nasty character named O’Hare wandered into the bar. Women and children were not safe in his presence, but especially not women.
After O’Hare had consumed far too much alcohol, he suddenly announced to the bar that he’d seen a pretty young thing in the alley out back of the tavern. The bartender froze in the middle of polishing a glass, and the men around the bar exchanged covert glances. No one said a word, but everyone was thinking about the ghost of the vengeful young girl. Everyone in the bar looked down at their glasses as he stumbled to his feet. No one made a move to stop him, and there was a quiet air of “he deserves what’s coming to him” about the bar as O’Hare left the building. It’s just too bad that there isn’t really a ghost, thought the bartender, setting down the shining glass and picking up another one to polish. O’Hare sorely needed a lesson in human kindness and respect for others.

At that moment, a horrible scream came from the alley. Everyone in the tavern looked up in shock and fear. Had there really been a ghost out there? Or was O’Hare up to his old tricks and even now accosting one of their womenfolk?

The men leapt to their feet and raced to the back door of the tavern. Pouring out into the street, they were met by an unnatural cold, and their eyes were dazzled by a blaze of light.

The bartender thrust his way to the front of the crowd and saw the body of O’Hare lying in a pool of bright white light. His throat had been torn to pieces, and blood was spilling out in gushes. Above him hovered the semitransparent figure of a young girl, her eyes gleaming with red fire, her mouth covered with blood. She glared down at O’Hare and then turned to look at the crowd. The specter licked the blood from her lips thoughtfully, her eyes on the bartender’s neck. Then she vanished, taking the light with her. At their feet, O’Hare gasped out his last breath and died.

The local authorities were summoned to deal with the body of O’Hare. Though skeptical at first, they were finally convinced, since there had been so many eyewitnesses who had seen the ghost hovering over the dying man.

The bartender resigned his position the next morning and took a job across town, the memory of the ghost’s hungry stare at his neck prompting him to look elsewhere for employment.

Read more Canadian folklore and ghost stories in Spooky Canada.

Posted by schlsa on August 28, 2009 05:15 PM | Permalink

Comments

wow! wat a crazy storie. lol

Posted by: jess | September 27, 2009 04:21 PM

GREAT/SCARY A%@ STORY

Posted by: RONAESHA | September 29, 2009 06:23 PM

Hey this was a great story!!!

Posted by: Ashley | October 1, 2009 10:19 AM

YOU PEOPLE CALL THAT SACRY! my grandma is scaryer then that!

Posted by: Teo | October 3, 2009 04:13 PM

I heard sow many things but I never heard anything like this.....

Posted by: denisse | October 6, 2009 09:09 AM

i liked that storie it was alrite

Posted by: anna | October 6, 2009 06:30 PM

I would like to order at least the campfire stories to arrive by Oct. 13th for a Day Care party
for small children.
I love reading them myself
and have a blind daughter who can have one played on her computer equipped with "Jaws" that reads to her.

Posted by: Ruth Hester | October 7, 2009 09:29 AM

omg that waz .....

Posted by: jennifer | October 14, 2009 07:28 PM

wow that was crazy

Posted by: Anonymous | October 15, 2009 09:45 AM

wow that was crazy

Posted by: Anonymous | October 15, 2009 09:45 AM

that was the best story i have ever read in my life

Posted by: Anonymous | October 15, 2009 05:02 PM

hahahaha i agreee with the person tht is talking bout his grandma

Posted by: sam | October 16, 2009 05:53 PM

WOW that was scary when the girl looks @ his freakin' neck!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Jesse | October 17, 2009 12:26 PM

wow this story was scary as heck im happy that i was not in the story.lol

Posted by: vanessa | October 18, 2009 12:53 PM

Woww That Was Attchally Quite Scaryy Mann!

Am A Bit Scared To Go Down Another Alley LOL xx

Posted by: Rachel x | October 19, 2009 12:31 PM

this is a good story but not quite as scary as I was looking for!

Posted by: Olivia | October 19, 2009 12:59 PM

cool but i only read this for my gt homework i liked the part were the bar tender saw the ghost i wonder how the girl/ghost was killed?

Posted by: bettina | October 19, 2009 07:04 PM

Lame

Posted by: Anonymous | October 21, 2009 12:29 AM

OMG that is quite scary & i have not heard anything so scary
oh yeah i almost forgot THAT WAS SCARY

Posted by: alea | October 21, 2009 03:58 PM

that was cool

Posted by: Anonymous | October 21, 2009 05:33 PM

that was cool

Posted by: Anonymous | October 21, 2009 05:33 PM

That story was unusual. I've read a lot of scary stories, a lot of regular stories too, but most of them give the person or people involved some kind of closure-like maybe the ghost should've gone to the light or something.

Posted by: Holly | October 22, 2009 06:21 AM

wow..scarey

Posted by: katie | October 22, 2009 06:23 PM

Wow....this is a grusome story....I LIKE IT!!!

Posted by: Katy | October 23, 2009 06:41 PM

THis a great website to read legends long ago

Posted by: Anonymous | October 24, 2009 09:47 AM

wow that was so scary

Posted by: Anonymous | October 29, 2009 10:04 PM

THIS STORY WAZ THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #1

Posted by: DAISY FUENTES | November 1, 2009 10:09 AM

cool! how grumpy do teens get these days? sucking blood indeed! well i never!