Creepiest Places in the World - Part 1
As Halloween closing in we thought we should talk about something spooky.
I bet you wondered about in an old building at night all by yourself and at that moment you thought of all the horror films and camp-fire stories you have heard before. For some, these moments are more exciting than scary and they actually seek out places like this. If you are one of these people or you just like scary stories about the supernatural, this post is definitely for you.
Let's look at 4 cities this time where you can study English with us and look at the creepiest places near it. It might make it easier for you to choose :)
Melbourne, Australia
Victoria Market
It's hard to imagine a less spooky place during the day, when people throng between the stalls and the smell of fish is in the air. It is actually the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere but it was also build over a part of the Old Melbourne Cemetery. In fact, around 9000 bodies are buried underneath, including the founder of Melbourne, John Batman (cool name by the way). Many ghost experts believe that the power of a ghost depends upon the deceased's fame in the living world – if that's true, Victoria Market would host some powerful ghosts indeed. At night, each shadowy stall looks like a human body. Rumor has it that three dead bushrangers prowl around between midnight and dawn (in the fruit section, for some reason). People also often see a young boy roaming through the markets, but not everyone can see him.
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Los Angeles, USA
Queen Mary
The Queen Mary has been dubbed one of the most haunted places in the nation. Launched in 1934, the ship has been nicknamed 'The Grey Ghost' (she was painted to make her stealthy in the war-time waters). Apparently, when the vessel was converted into a museum and hotel, people began to report spirit apparitions.
The spirit of a young girl, who allegedly broke her neck in an accident at the pool, has been heard asking for her mother or her doll. In the hallway of the pool's changing rooms is an area of unexplained activity. Furniture moves about by itself, people feel the touch of unseen hands and spirits appear. In the front hull of the ship, a spectre can sometimes be heard screaming - the pained voice, some believe, of a sailor who was killed when the Queen Mary collided with a smaller ship.
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London, UK
Borley Rectory
OK, I kind of lied as this place is outside the city limits to the north, but not too far. Still this house was described as "The Most Haunted House in England".
If you are just starting ghost hunting or want to experience a paranormal activity, this is a great place to start.
Borley Rectory was a Victorian-era mansion located in the village of Borley, Essex, England. It was constructed in 1863, on the site of a previous rectory, and destroyed by fire in 1939.
Allegedly a monk from the monastery carried on a relationship with a nun from a nearby convent. After their affair was discovered, the monk was executed and the nun bricked up alive in the convent walls. The place had all sort of sightings over the years. People are hearing unexplained footsteps within the house, reported seeing what they thought was the ghost of the nun at twilight, or a phantom coach driven by two headless horsemen.
Exorcism was conducted twice, but the efforts were fruitless; in the middle of the first exorcism, the exorcist was struck in the shoulder by a fist-size stone.
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New York, USA
The Amityville Horror
The story of this house has been told several times. Many movies and a book all covered the subject of this massacre and the hauntings after that. All claiming that it's based on a true story.
In December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz and their three children moved into 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial house in Amityville, a suburban neighborhood on Long Island, New York.
Thirteen months before the Lutzes moved in, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. had shot and killed six members of his family at the house. When the Lutzes learned about this they asked a Catholic priest to bless the house. The priest entered the house and began his ritual blessing alone in DeFeo's room. As he sprinkled holy water around the room and recited a prayer, he allegedly heard a loud male voice say, “Get out!”.
The next coming days, the family felt and saw strange things. Mysterious odors, black stains, green slime on walls, hundreds of flies appearing even in the winter, even a crucifix turning upside down on its own. Then it worsened. Unseen touches were felt, the wife levitated off the bed. The daughter saw an invisible, red-eyed pig, dark forces ripped off doors from the hinges, windows were smashed. The family tried to ask the priest to do the blessing again but he refused.
After 28 days, the Lutzes left the house, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while living there.
If you are interested in hearing more ghost stories, please comment below or post on our Facebook page! I will gladly write another article about 4 other cities. You can also learn some tips on how to tell a ghost story in English.