Cemetery Prowler Sebastian Keese – Part 1 of 2
Cemetery Prowler
Sebastian Keese, a strange and eccentric man, is a cemetery prowler. Something about cemeteries drew him to walk the grounds of many. He liked the quiet peaceful atmosphere during the days. But his favorite time was during the night, when restless souls wandered the land. He lives in New England, where some of the oldest graveyards in the US could be found, and most of them are haunted.
Sebastian had been interested in the history of cemeteries since he was a kid, but he never thought he would become a cemetery prowler. Now that he was retired he visited at least one cemetery each day, reading inscriptions on tombstones and copying them in his tattered notebook. Then he would go home and begin research on the graveyard and the people who had been buried there. He often found some very interesting information and, if the date was in the last century or earlier, he would write a book based on that departed person’s name and inscription. Several books he wrote became best sellers, which encouraged him to explore and write more books. He had become obsessed with the idea and spent more and more time wandering cemeteries at night. He wanted some real paranormal activities to write about.
He finally found a cemetery where some spirit happenings attracted his attention. One such haunting drastically changed his life forever.
~
Cemetery Prowler Meets Lady in a Bustled Dress
Sebastian preferred to visit the cemeteries on nights when the moon was full. He had almost lost hope that he would see a ghost, but the cemetery he now traversed was supposed to be very haunted, with many sightings of apparitions reported. So far, after several visits, he had not seen any. On this night he felt different with a sense of something about to happen, so he walked slower than normal. Then he saw a movement to his left.
When he turned there was nothing there. Must have been a shadow from tree branches moving in the wind, he thought. “Joshua, please come home,” a soft voice came from behind him. He spun around and saw a dim image of a woman. As he stared, the image became more clear, then so vivid it looked solid. It was a lady in a bustled dress with a dark collar, cuffs, and gloves. She had a small dark hat tilted to the right and covering part of her forehead. A few small feathers adorned the left side and curled up over the hat. She was holding a small bag or pouch in her left hand. The woman was looking straight at him. Softly he asked, “May I help you, Miss?” She held out her right hand and said, “Come home, Joshua.” Then she faded away.
Sebastian stood where he was for several minutes, watching, waiting for her to come back, but she did not appear again. He felt an overwhelming sense of loss. He took a flashlight out of his pocket and searched nearby for any tombstone that might have the name Joshua on it. It did not take long to find it and the name was Joshua Keser. Sebastian was shocked. The name Keser was a very early spelling of his own surname of Keese. He had done enough research to know that much. He jotted down the inscription on Joshua’s tombstone and wrote down the ones on three others. One was Elsebeth Keser, wife of Joshua and the other two were Joshua’s parents. Waiting around for a little over an hour, Sebastian went home to sleep, but sleep did not come easy, for the woman was so strong on his mind, as was the inscription on Joshua’s headstone, which read: “Joshua W. Keser, Beloved Son of Joshua P. Keser and Margot K. Keser, Beloved Husband of Elsebeth J. Keser, 1802 – ?. Remains Never Found.” Sebastian felt chills covering his body.
Sebastian would do a more thorough research on Keser family tomorrow to see if he could find any connections to Joshua Keser. Little did he know that he would find more than he wanted to.
~~~
This story continues in Ancestral Research on Keser Family
© 2017 Phyllis Doyle Burns
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am currently an author on HubPages.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
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So intriguing Phyllis, well done and looking forward to the next,
Thank you so much, Tony. Glad you find it intriguing.
I liked it and waiting for the next piece….
Thank you, Kurt. Glad you liked it. Part 2, Ancestral Research of the Keser Family – Conclusion to Cemetery Prowler, can be found at the link bottom of part one. Hope you like the second part as well. Thanks again.
This was great, Phyllis. Lots of intrigue. Looking forward to Part 2.
Thank you, John. I appreciate your comment.
Nicely done Phyllis, I love cemeteries and have often walked through them day and night, I truly believe the spirits have touched me with some of the poetry I pen. I’m off to see what Sebastian has discovered about the Keser clan, can’t wait.
Thanks, Vincent. I enjoy walking through cemeteries, too, especially old ones. Glad you like this story – carry on.