Screaming Jenny
A West Virginia Ghost Story
retold by
S.E. Schlosser
The old storage sheds along the tracks were abandoned shortly after the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was built, and it wasn't long before the poor folk of the area moved in. The sheds provided shelter - of a sort - although the winter wind still pierced through every crevice, and the small fireplaces that the poor constructed did little to keep the cold at bay.
A gentle, kindly woman named Jenny lived alone in one of the smaller sheds. She had fallen on hard times, and with no family to protect her, she was forced to find work where she could and take whatever shelter was available to someone with little money. Jenny never had enough to eat and in winter her tiny fire barely kept her alive during the cold months. Still, she kept her spirits up and tried to help other folks when they took sick or needed food, sometimes going without herself so that another could eat.
One cold evening in late autumn, Jenny sat shivering over her fire, drinking broth out of a wooden bowl, when a spark flew from the fire and lit her skirts on fire. Intent on filling her aching stomach, Jenny did not notice her flaming clothes until the fire had burnt through the heavy wool of her skirt and began to scorch her skin. Leaping up in terror, Jenny threw her broth over the licking flames but the fluid did nothing to douse the fire. In terror, Jenny fled from the shack and ran along the tracks, screaming for help as the flames engulfed her body.
The station was not far away, and instinctively Jenny made for it, hoping to find someone to aid her. Within moments, her body was a glowing inferno and Jenny was overwhelmed by pain. Her screams grew more horrible as her steps slowed. She staggered blindly onto the tracks just west of the station, a ball of fire that barely looked human. In her agony, she did not see the glowing headlight of the train rounding the curve, or hear the screech of the breaks as the engineer spotted her fire-eaten figure and tried to stop. A moment later, her terrible screams broke off as the train mowed her down.
Alerted by the whistle, the crew from the station came running as the engineer halted the train and ran back down the tracks toward poor dead Jenny, who was still burning. The men doused the fire and carried her body back to the station. She was given a pauper's funeral and buried in an unmarked grave in the local churchyard. Within a few days, another poverty-stricken family had moved into her shack, and Jenny was forgotten.
Forgotten that is, until a month later when a train rounding the bend west of the station was confronted by a screaming ball of fire. Too late to stop, the engineer plowed over the glowing figure before he could bring the train to a screeching halt. Leaping from the engine, he ran back down the tracks to search for a mangled, burning body, but there was nothing there. Shaken, he brought his train into the station and reported the incident to the stationmaster. After hearing his tale, the stationmaster remembered poor, dead Jenny and realized that her ghost had returned to haunt the tracks where she had died.
To this day, the phantom of Screaming Jenny still appears on the tracks on the anniversary of the day she died. Many an engineer has rounded the curve just west of the station and found himself face to face with the burning ghost of Screaming Jenny, as once more she makes her deadly run towards the Harpers Ferry station, seeking in vain for someone to save her.
You can read more West Virigina folktales in Spooky South by S.E. Schlosser.
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Comments
Sad story
Posted by: gabby | July 11, 2010 01:55 PM
poor jenny :-[
Posted by: Jazmine | July 14, 2010 10:09 PM
This is a nice story
Posted by: Urdaddy | July 17, 2010 02:48 PM
I wouldnt read this alone at night.
Posted by: Tinkerbell | July 26, 2010 03:19 PM
saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddddd
Posted by: Anonymous | July 26, 2010 08:23 PM
sooo saddd yet so scary and awsome.totaly telling this at my friends sleepover
Posted by: mama | July 27, 2010 11:20 PM
Very sad, but a girl who lives on my street screams at everything and we call her screaming Jenny, not after this but like... yeah...
Posted by: Jill and Dev | July 29, 2010 06:11 PM
That is so sad. Quite scary. It seemed true! I know it isn't like. How is it a 'nice' story???
Posted by: Gee | August 1, 2010 11:25 AM
You should tell this story while sitting around a campfire... see how many people scoot away afterwards. Or, tell it in an abandoned train station, and when you're done have a trail whistle or the brake sounds on recording and play them...
Posted by: Cat | August 1, 2010 01:11 PM
tht was such a sad story :(
wat did jenny do to deserve tht kind of death i mean really wat?
Posted by: molly smith | August 2, 2010 09:24 PM
sooooooo sad she didnt deserve that. stupid fire y is it that bad things always happen to good ppl? 8(
Posted by: taylor | August 5, 2010 12:52 PM
WOW!
Posted by: Samitha | August 8, 2010 07:07 PM
frankly after reading this story i am getting scary nightmares every time i sleep
Posted by: anagsha datta from india | August 11, 2010 07:53 AM
COME ON PEOPLE.
You guys find this scary? Honestly?
Posted by: Emery | August 11, 2010 05:10 PM
This actually could be true, The poor nice and kind woman being burned alive and running for help and getting ran over by the train, The fire is little when she noticed it and getting medium by the time she gets towards the train, She could have made it before it got so big it'd kill her
Posted by: Besie | August 11, 2010 08:13 PM
Funny thing is, this story sounds a lot like a family legend of mine. There's a few differences but relatively the same idea. A woman lived in our old house back in the 1800's. A spark flew from the fireplace one night while she was warming herself, caught her nightgown on fire, and she ran from the house and up the road screaming for someone to help her. She ran til she fell down in the middle of the road and died there. Kinda makes me wonder if its true, or if its just a spin-off from this legend..
Posted by: Ashley | August 13, 2010 11:41 PM
that is so sad and scary. i hope the train driver rues his actions.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 16, 2010 05:49 PM
aww poor jenny i mean she didnt deserve a death like that. i didnt find the story scary, but sad. i mean she was agood person! she struggled to stay alive. then she turns into a ball of fire!!! so saaaaaaaaddd.
Posted by: yomamadontwearnosox | August 16, 2010 05:53 PM
Wow, that was so sad... thing about it is, I live in West Virginia :O Although I'm pretty sure tons of people would read this live in WV as well, so...
Posted by: beth | August 21, 2010 03:17 PM
i think that its very sad bout poor jenny!she was a very nice person.she shouldnt of died!:(
Posted by: Meeeee! | August 27, 2010 06:54 AM
i wanna go 2 the place where that happend. if i went i would help her!!
Posted by: mallory | September 2, 2010 02:32 PM
there is somthing seriously wrong wit jenny.... y didnt she just pull off the skirt honestly.....u think dis is scary
Posted by: Bon qui qui | September 9, 2010 03:46 PM
No, this one wasn't scary either. I just find it really sad that someone like Jenny had to die, if this even is a true story :(
Posted by: Chaiseni | September 11, 2010 12:53 AM
whatttttt???!!!! thats retarted!
Posted by: fjfgjf | September 11, 2010 02:05 PM
This scares me.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 12, 2010 05:23 PM
I love this story its really sad and it gave my the shivers I was reading it by myself and I was picturing it in my mind and I got scared but I also wanted to cry beacause she helped others when they needed and yet no one came when she needed them.
Posted by: anna | September 12, 2010 08:00 PM
WOW dats rlly scary!! n my name is Jenny. Just freaks me out!! :(
Posted by: Jenny | September 18, 2010 11:28 AM
Woah. I wish they gave the names of that place. I would love to see that..Hm. But yeah. That is pretty freaky. :o I feel bad for Jenny though...
Posted by: Abbey:D-kisses- | September 25, 2010 11:34 AM
hey my friend call's me jenny that is freaky oh man i'm on fire and not the good kind mr schlosser you scare me or maam thank's for a light hearted laugh after a day of hard studying and check out this perosn's other stories scary bye thank's it was cool but yeah poor lady how insensitive after she gave so much of herself and not nothing in return man so cruel bye
Posted by: jennifer stewart | September 25, 2010 11:52 PM
Why didnt she stop drop an roll?
Posted by: Me | October 1, 2010 04:16 AM
it is so sad
Posted by: nola | October 2, 2010 09:58 PM
this is sad
Posted by: ole goober | October 5, 2010 11:01 AM
really good story
Posted by: Anonymous | October 6, 2010 09:43 AM
aw that's really sad but who doesn't know how to stop drop and roll. who doessn't go to kindergarden?
Posted by: me | October 9, 2010 05:56 PM
Scary story!! Poor Jenny:*(
Posted by: Jessica | October 13, 2010 06:56 AM
im a Wv native and my mother told me this story as a child and i never beieved it untill I went to harpersferry on halloween.
Posted by: Brooke records | October 13, 2010 08:00 AM
omg not a scary story but sad i wanna go the place that it happened.!!!......!!!!!!!
Posted by: hijfohngbvoVS;HFC[';obh | October 14, 2010 06:34 PM
W. O. W.!
Posted by: Micheala Coles | October 18, 2010 11:26 AM
sooooooooooooo saddddd she was an amazing person :( :(
but that would hurt......if u thinkabout it :P
Posted by: cant say | October 18, 2010 05:06 PM
i wonder if its true?
Posted by: robles | October 20, 2010 01:58 PM
omg. wow poor jenny. i had a dog named jenny and she died in a fire 2. brah dats really scary. i actually cried :(! oh ya sad 2. spine tingling :((
Posted by: sam | October 20, 2010 10:13 PM
i feel so bad 4 her :( she didnt deserve it :(
Posted by: vicky | October 21, 2010 05:58 PM
its a good story and it is funny
Posted by: Anonymous | October 22, 2010 01:59 PM
thats sad i fell bad poor jenny
Posted by: jackie | October 22, 2010 11:12 PM
Why didn't she just stop, drop, and roll? I man realy! If you were on fire, woudn't you do that?
Posted by: Anonymous | October 25, 2010 12:44 PM
thats why fire can't be trusted >:O
Posted by: derrick | October 25, 2010 05:28 PM
its a good story, but seiresly, why didnt you stop, drop, and roll, Jenny? :o
Posted by: Anonymous | October 25, 2010 05:31 PM
ITS NOT REAL MY NAME IS JENNY AND IT ISNT REAL
Posted by: Anonymous | October 27, 2010 10:10 AM
STOP, DROP, AND ROLL FOOL!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | October 28, 2010 11:17 AM
this is a really sad one. :/
Posted by: Jenyffer | October 29, 2010 10:05 AM
poor jenny n my nickname is jenny
Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2010 03:23 PM
Stop...drop...and roll
Posted by: alex | October 30, 2010 08:26 PM
i have to ammit this was a pretty good story,not scary but interesting.
better than that stupid story i read last time
Posted by: scarlette | November 1, 2010 05:30 PM
Why must the good die young?
poor3x Jenny! but creepy!
CREEPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: IICMS | November 3, 2010 01:55 AM
sad and scary
Posted by: joyride | November 3, 2010 03:52 PM
thats a siad story:~(
Posted by: scott emerson | November 4, 2010 01:10 PM
thats a siad story:~(
Posted by: scott emerson | November 4, 2010 01:11 PM
i've actually been there and i saw her...it waas super creepy... o.O
Posted by: kansas | November 4, 2010 02:43 PM
I only read a paragraph of this for my homework
If i had this book myself i would recomend it to someone because its a awsome book or page/paragraph to read.
my friends have said they would by this book
Posted by: lanii | November 5, 2010 12:24 PM
it's not scarry.. but it is oh so sad.. :(
Posted by: emiri | November 7, 2010 12:22 AM
sooooo sad and scary poor jenny im so telling everyone at school :(
Posted by: Autumn | November 7, 2010 10:48 AM
relly scary i bleaive.
Posted by: Steve Whitefeather | November 10, 2010 01:13 PM
This is actaully a haunted destination in wv its in my guide to haunted wv book um... She's supposed to be a real ghost
Posted by: kaitlyn | November 18, 2010 08:30 PM
this story wasnt scary it was cool i want to go to the train station and look for jenny JK
Posted by: sam | November 22, 2010 05:09 PM
I told this to my friend Jessica and i put her name in.... she was screaming she wuz so scared!!!! hahahahahahaha
Posted by: AWESOMENESS | November 22, 2010 05:15 PM
OMG sooo sad. She went out of her way to help people and then she catches fire then gets run over by a TRAIN??? How rong is that!!!
Posted by: AWESOME | November 23, 2010 10:23 AM
good story but sad :(
Posted by: Liam Casement | November 24, 2010 10:35 PM
creepy
Posted by: Anonymous | December 6, 2010 08:36 AM
To bad she never heard of stop,drop and roll!!! lol
Posted by: Keith | December 14, 2010 04:11 AM
Poor Jenny :/ I'll save u Jen!
Posted by: Anonymous | December 17, 2010 11:09 AM
I've heard this story before. I hate it when bad things happen to good people. :/
Posted by: Anonymous | December 17, 2010 02:26 PM
I wonder wat train station it was i want to go see :P xx Im joking guys
Posted by: becca | December 18, 2010 06:53 AM
that was such a good story!!! i loved it!! :)
Posted by: caroline | December 18, 2010 07:33 PM
Awwwwwww poor jenny :(
Posted by: carlie | December 25, 2010 01:55 PM
ok, !!!!!!creepy!!!!!!
Posted by: rachel | December 26, 2010 03:09 PM
I live right near harpers ferry, i know the place like the back of my hand. I've been to the harpers ferry train station probably a hundred times, and I know exactly which turn their talking about... Creeeeepyyyyy.
Posted by: Sara | December 29, 2010 09:24 PM
poor jenny):
Posted by: melinda melendez | January 17, 2011 11:14 AM
That's not really scary, but really sad. :-(
Posted by: me! abby! | January 19, 2011 12:09 PM
hahaha thisz isz szo beaszt
Posted by: d-reezy | January 20, 2011 12:38 PM
POOR Jenny
Posted by: Andrew Victory | January 23, 2011 01:30 PM
Wow!! What a GREAT story!! I was telling this story to my sister and she said " why did that freak not stop drop and roll???" I wonder what would happen if she was saved??? She would of died anyways.. : )
Posted by: Maggie | January 24, 2011 09:54 AM
Come on Jenny!!!! All you have to do is stop drop and roll not run into a frickin train staition!!!!!!!
Posted by: Bacon | January 24, 2011 09:58 AM
it is sad but i think Jenny died a good person. Thats how i want to die. Not burning to death but being known. Probably hard to understand but...
Posted by: Codey | January 28, 2011 12:58 PM
simple Stop drop roll
Posted by: poolparty!!!!!!! | February 8, 2011 06:58 PM
awe this is so sad, why things like this happen to good people i dont know
Posted by: Anonymous | February 12, 2011 02:36 AM
i feel like crying right now.for all the people who think this story was a joke screw u.i mean y did this happen to jenny she didnt deserve wat heppened to her.8(if i could i would help JENNNY TOO BAD I LIVE IN MIAMI FLORIDA.WEN DID SHE DIE ANYWAY.
Posted by: ginger | February 12, 2011 02:47 PM
that was a happy story jenny finally got revenge! yeh okay i admit it was soooooooooooooooooooooooo saddddddddddddddddddz1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: AMREET | February 14, 2011 10:00 PM
SCARY & SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: katia | February 27, 2011 12:12 AM
This would scare me if I saw/heard this. Even in the middle of the day. especially late at night.
Posted by: Caitlin | March 3, 2011 10:52 PM
Why!!!!!!?????????????? why Jenny? (dumb fire)
Posted by: hannah | March 8, 2011 05:23 PM
awsome story, but why did she have to die like that?
Posted by: anonymous R | March 19, 2011 02:38 PM
I thought it was scary and i'm not going to get a fireplace or use one ever again!!!!!:o
Posted by: Kelly | March 21, 2011 03:13 AM
Aw. Poor Jenny, I'm so telling this to my friends when spring break is over!
Posted by: DropKickTheMoon | March 30, 2011 02:47 PM
i live in WV and have visted the place! its pretty creepy and really sad
Posted by: Silver | April 18, 2011 09:30 PM
This is more sad than scary :'(
Posted by: Jeff | April 22, 2011 08:29 AM
so sad she helped alot of people but still was forgotten
Posted by: Anonymous | May 2, 2011 02:13 AM
omg poor jenny the wierd thing is is that my name is jenny and I live right next to there but its still not scary its more sad
Posted by: jenny | May 18, 2011 05:48 PM
just sad
Posted by: Asimplereader | June 9, 2011 12:06 PM
it is scary and sad i hope she doesn't scare me though.
Posted by: ccccassu | June 18, 2011 02:04 PM
i fill bad for jenny escpically how her family forgot about her that was really wrong who dose that
Posted by: phillyis | June 21, 2011 07:17 PM
this is so sad poor jenny :,(
Posted by: unknown | June 22, 2011 02:14 PM
HaahaahahahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH WHAT. A FUNNY STORY IT'S. CALLED STOP DROP AND ROLL JENNY
Posted by: Anonymous | June 23, 2011 10:49 PM
That's an amazing story! It it true?? :O x
Posted by: JazzyBabez x | July 1, 2011 02:04 AM
This wasn't scary or sad.Everyone who thinks this is scary,you are VERY easily scared.
Why didn't she just stop,drop,and roll?
Posted by: Alexis | July 1, 2011 02:48 AM
That's really sad. (I know it's just a story but...) she seemed so nice and careing. She didn't deserve such a horrible death!
Posted by: Sydd | July 21, 2011 03:50 PM
AWWWWWWWWWWWW POOR JENNY!! this is scary im soo telling this at my sleepover!!!
Posted by: madeline | July 28, 2011 12:54 PM
poor jenny
Posted by: amber | July 29, 2011 01:50 PM
Ohmygod! Poor Jenny. Almost made me cry I felt so bad for her!
Posted by: Paige | August 4, 2011 09:48 PM
i love this scary story. i shoudld say. poor mary and this is a sad story.lol
Posted by: jessica | August 8, 2011 02:16 AM
wow sad and way scary
Posted by: serina | August 12, 2011 09:08 PM
Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh I don't want to go to bed lol:(
Posted by: Anonymous | August 13, 2011 12:02 AM
jenny is the name of my girlfriend how nice is that!.
Posted by: beastypop | August 17, 2011 06:28 PM