This is the beginning of the end, the final series of blogs
for the month! This brainchild started the whole Halloween themed blogs in
October. Granted, yes, October being the month of Halloween was a wee bit of
the reason too, but let’s focus on these blogs being a labyrinth of twist and
turns of true Halloween inspiration (cue Halloween-y themed music)! The honest
inspiration of this is simple, for most people who don’t have kids to take
trick or treating, or love to go to a bar typesetting, Halloween is lost on
them. Because let’s face it, they can’t show up to some strangers house asking
for candy without it being a stranger danger moment, and some people don’t find
it a hoot to pour copious amounts of booze down their throats while trying to
figure what animal ears the woman in the Victoria’s Secret nightie is
wearing. These people shouldn’t be
counted out when it comes to Halloween fun because they refuse to be creepy and
sloppy, and for those gentle souls, I present to you some options that are
suited to your fancy.
We begin with the Hotel Lawrence a historic building tucked
away in downtown Dallas. This hotel is classic and you can’t help but feel
completely immersed in Dallas history. When walking into the swanky lobby, the
fact that this is rumored to be one of the most haunted locations to stay in
the Metroplex seems to drift away. The art deco décor is lavish and inviting,
and the promise of milk and cookies makes it almost impossible to want to leave
the comfortable seating area. But this stay isn’t about comfy couches and tasty
treats, alas no, it’s about the bumps in the night and the fables haunting the
halls. Legend has it that there are several haunted hot spots in the Lawrence
and of course, my devotion to my readers I went to find out for myself how
haunted the rooms where.
I imagine my staying at the Lawrence was what it was like
for Mr. King to stay at the Stanley Hotel. If I had been left there alone with
nothing but my room and a typewriter, I probably could have written a
masterpiece. There are a few specific tales of why and what is haunting the
Lawrence, in room 1009 is rumored to be the dwelling of a congressman who took
his life, and in the basement the sound of children can be heard and the
laundry carts move on their own. But the most recordings and scariest stories
are of the legendary room 807, the haunt belonging to the deadly and devious
Smiley. There is debate on how he came
to an untimely demise, some say it was a brutal butchering, other’s say it was
by his own hands that he made his way into the afterlife, but all agree that
Jack “Smiley” Jackson is no ghost to fool around with, from chocking guests
with towels to allegedly slitting the throat of a man named Brookshire. I will
admit the fear of staying in a hotel with such a devious spirit was a little
uneasy, so naturally when I called to confirm my room I made certain I was
staying in room 807.
When I arrived in my room, I got a true sense that I was
stepping back into the past, making it easy to let all the spooky senses become
heighten, and to my macabre fascination the view from my room looked over the
grassy knoll, escalating the fear factor of the room to a magnificent level. I
did some searching around looking for some spooks and frights. I didn’t see any
visual apparitions but the goose bumps were there along with the sneaky feeling
that I was not alone. I did find some startling evidence that I am a chicken, I
made several attempts to go to the basement but for some mysterious (ok I say
“mysterious” you might say “wussy”) reason I could never manage to send the
elevator to the basement floor.
Perhaps I was a fortunate soul and the ghost of good kind
Smiley decided he would let me stay in peace, or perhaps he used me as a catalyst to tell
other’s there’s no fear and to come stay at the Lawrence so he can feed his
thirst of savage hauntery. There is no telling of what is real or make believe
when looking into the paranormal. I’m not a ghost hunter, I’m just a girl who
loves to look at the world with open eyes and let whatever excitement come my
way. It’s fun to be scared, its fun to be frightened, so even though I didn’t
see any goblins or ghouls it was still fun sitting on pins and needles waiting
to see what might jump out of the darkness.
(to be continued….)
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