The Legend of Youngs Corner XXXVII

PART XXXVII
The Little Boy

2004 - May

A couple years had past and many things had changed. By this time, the deed for the field and woods had been passed from the Kannegieser’s to another, yet equally wealthy family, the Tardiff’s. The selling of the land sure did raise a lot of eyebrows. No one knew why it happened. At least not yet.

But something else transpired that summer. Something that you might say provided answers to this story. As for me, it made the matter of solving this mystery that much more complicated. Which in turn, made my resolve that much more powerful.

Across the street from my house is the red barn and the house attached to it, my cousin’s house, the house of my Aunt who first saw the cabins. Ever since that day, over 30 years ago, she has become ever more conscious of a living spirituality, an agnostic belief that there is a bond between us all on some higher level and that spirits, both good and bad, are continually trying to aid us, for our benefit or for theirs. Perhaps it was the close encounter with death and the Old Woman that caused it. Perhaps not.

When I returned home from my third year at school, my mother had this story to tell me.

One hot summer evening, just a few days ago, the youngest of my Aunt’s daughters, Sarah, awoke in the middle of the night. Her room was too humid to rest, so she walked downstairs to the living room where it was cool and fell asleep on one of the couches. No more than a few hours past when she awoke again. The room was still dark for the sun had not yet risen. But Sarah could see just fine. She could see the little boy standing at the edge of the couch, dressed in tired and tattered denim overalls. He held a faint smile on his face and a sense of calm enveloped Sarah. My cousin rose to meet him, but he dashed off into the kitchen. Sarah gave chase but when she reached the kitchen she found the boy had gone. He had vanished. In an instant, the calm evaporated and her screaming began. The ghost of a little boy had been seen in the house. The strange thing is, this wasn’t the first time.

“What do you mean, Mom?” I asked. “This has happened before?”
“Once I tell you, you’ll know why this has your Aunt so upset.”

1992 - May

A flashback to the past. My Uncle pays a visit to the barn, alone. He and his wife, my Aunt, are at the time looking to buy a new home and they both decide upon the house on Youngs Corner. But my Uncle wants one more look, just to see for himself if it’s right for his family.

After walking the perimeter of the house, my Uncle approached the barn. He opens the giant doors and walks in. Satisfied with his visit, he exits the barn and proceeds to close the doors. That’s when he hears it. A voice coming from behind.

“Hello, sir,” the voice says.
My Uncle turns around. To his surprise, he sees in the middle of the driveway a young boy wearing nothing but tattered denim overalls. He stands with his arms crossed behind him.
“Hello,” my Uncle responds.
“Which way to the lake?” the boy asks.
“You mean Auburn Lake?” my Uncle says with hesitation. “It’s just over there.”
My Uncle makes a move away from the doors. He wanted to point to the lake that rested behind the barn, but the boy started to run, around the barn. My Uncle gave chase around the corner only to find the boy gone. He had vanished. The ghost of the Little Boy had made his first visit.

I was shocked.
“How come you never told me this story?” I asked my Mother.
“I never knew about it,” she told me. “No one did. This is first time your Uncle has ever mentioned it.”
“He never told my Aunt?”
“Absolutely not,” my Mom said. “Can you imagine if he did? She would have refused to move here.”
“But she knows the story now, right?” I asked.
“Yes, and believe me, she isn’t very happy with her husband. This whole event, with your cousin and now this story, it just adds to her infatuation with the spirit world. And I have to say, I’ve been feeling strange in this house as well. Like there’s someone watching me too.”

I couldn’t believe it. A real ghost story! A Little Boy, dressed as a farmer. Little Christopher! It must be. I knew it to be true, it had to be real. All I needed for proof was to look at my young cousin. She was a tough teenager, with a solid attitude. But even she was terrified. She slept at our house. She refused to go back to hers…for an entire week.