Death Coach
A New York Ghost Story
retold by
S. E. Schlosser
It is midnight. The streets of Cohoes grow silent as the citizens turn off their lights one by one and go to their well-earned rest. The night is dark, and the wind whispers softly, touching the trees and houses, rattling a window pane here and there.
In one house, a woman sits beside her window, waiting silently for the doctor to arrive. Her beloved husband lies on the bed next to her. In the light of a single candle, she can see his emaciated face. He is in terrible pain, which even the drugs prescribed by the doctor cannot abate. She clutches his hand tightly, feeling the cold creeping through it. He is barely breathing now. She knows he is slipping away. One part of her is thankful, for she cannot bear to see him in so much pain. Most of her wants to scream out in desperation, begging him not to leave her alone.
Outside the house, the soft rumble of wheels and the clip-clop of hooves echo through the still night. The woman tears her eyes from her husband's face and looks out of the window, expecting to see the doctor's curricle pulling into the street. Instead, she sees a dark, closed coach with black gaping holes where the windows should be. The shafts at the front of the coach are empty, yet she can hear the sound of invisible horses' hooves, as the coach moves slowly down the street.
She draws in a deep breath and exhales slowly. It is the Death Coach. Her husband had told her it would come for him that night, but she hadn't believed him. Hadn't wanted to believe him. Yet there it is, rolling slowly up to the front of the house to stop by the front gate. The sight terrifies her, and she clutches her husband's hand tightly. He opens his eyes and smiles feebly at her, trying to squeeze her hand.
"Is it here?" he asks, his voice barely a whisper. She nods.
"I love you," he says to his wife. She leans down and kisses him, feels his last breath on her lips. The grip on her hand loosens, and she knows he is dead. She straightens up, looking tenderly at his dead face through her tears.
A movement by the door causes her to look up. She sees her husband's spirit standing at the door. He gazes first at his dead body, and then smiles at her. Then he turns and walks down the stairs. She moves at once to the window, flinging it open and leaning out, hoping to see him again. The front door opens, and her husband steps out the front porch and walks slowly to the Death Coach. The door opens, and he pauses for a moment to look towards the window, knowing she is watching. He waves and she waves back, tears streaming down her face. Then her husband steps into the coach and the door closes behind him. Slowly, the Death Coach rumbles down the street, turns a corner, and is gone.
"Goodbye, my love," she calls softly, as the Death Coach disappears. Her husband's pain is over, but hers has just begun. With a heavy heart, she closes the window, and goes down the stairs to telephone the doctor and tell him her husband is dead.
The Headless Horseman rides for the first time; a wizard enslaves a brave young girl; a vampire stalks a new mother; and the White Lady seeks vengence for her murdered daughter in Spooky New York by S.E. Schlosser.
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Comments
veary scary stories
Posted by: dora | July 20, 2010 03:40 PM
Good story. But very sad
Posted by: Scarlet Knight | July 22, 2010 10:28 PM
beautifully written...I read a story like this once, but it was more scary than sad.
Posted by: Americanducklover | July 27, 2010 09:50 AM
great story..loved it..
Posted by: gupta | July 29, 2010 01:16 AM
It was sad and romantic... Sadantic
Posted by: Lulu | July 31, 2010 08:09 PM
OMG that is so sad i cried when he siad i loved her and the grip on her hand looseness Knowing he is dead she sees his spirt by the door and then he looks back knowing she is watching i've cried every time I've read this story it is so freaking sad
Posted by: Jaime York | August 21, 2010 10:13 AM
i live in cohoes and its awesome to now that there was a death coach and i live on the street that the guy died on
Posted by: ghostgirl | August 26, 2010 04:09 PM
hahahahhahahahahaha
Posted by: hi | September 22, 2010 02:58 PM
it was so sad...but a grate story
Posted by: ghost lover | October 13, 2010 09:25 AM
i cried it was so goooood xx
Posted by: Anonymous | October 19, 2010 12:46 PM
i cried when i read this story it reminded me of my dad
Posted by: zombiedude | October 19, 2010 02:28 PM
this one really made my tears fell.... a true love till the end....
Posted by: abegail beltran | October 22, 2010 10:08 AM
Cool story.. so sweet and sad!!i cried
Posted by: nishi@lol.co.uk | November 26, 2010 12:46 PM
sad and scary story
Posted by: Anonymous | December 5, 2010 02:44 PM
I loved the story a lot
Posted by: Anonymous | December 8, 2010 02:47 PM
I read it for the first time, and it is very sad.
Posted by: Katherine | December 22, 2010 03:19 PM
it wasnt really scary jus sad and it was a good story
Posted by: love a good story | January 4, 2011 03:09 PM
Not scary but its sad and romantic at the same time :( good story, though
Posted by: Sad Chick | January 8, 2011 09:20 PM
this isnt scary at all, no. but it is really sad...
Posted by: ones of the saddest yet best stories ever | January 15, 2011 11:01 PM
aww itss sad :(
D:
Posted by: kimmy | January 23, 2011 02:20 PM
sad
Posted by: g | February 17, 2011 01:07 PM
I love this story, it's so sweet.
Posted by: C.J. | March 5, 2011 06:16 PM
Awww, supeer saad.!
Posted by: bon | March 13, 2011 12:50 PM
Not scary. Just sad!!!! :`C
Posted by: Anonymous | May 1, 2011 05:28 PM
i feel so sad for her to have to watch your husband die must be horrible. I find is so beauitfull that the last words he says to her are ''i love you''
Posted by: korey | June 28, 2011 09:11 PM
that story was too sad to bear......i hope the women is okay, i would've tried to stop it or just would've cried till' i couldn't cry no more.
Posted by: stella | July 24, 2011 11:52 PM
ohh...Im sad now...*sniff*
Posted by: Tyler | July 26, 2011 11:55 AM
That story's called bitter sweet monment like the movie Titanic.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 4, 2011 09:02 PM
Its a little creepy and sad !!
D;
Posted by: Anonymous | August 17, 2011 07:48 AM
Well i thought it was not scary for me but very sad :'(
Posted by: Anonymous | October 1, 2012 07:02 PM
sad sad
Posted by: d0oijfoiqewjfoierfirewhjewiofhewiufhewiuprfhrw | November 15, 2012 10:25 AM
if i was the guy i would be like you cant take me i am the one is cool and the death coach is lame good story thought
Posted by: said man | November 15, 2012 11:12 AM