Eight Places you wouldn't venture to alone.

Eight places you wouldn’t want to venture to alone.

I do a lot of research into the paranormal for my books and I would like to share with you, my top eight list of places that you wouldn’t want to venture too alone.

STULL CEMETERY

Number one on my list is the infamous Stull Cemetery. Stull is a small town, with only around twenty residents and a church. It was originally named ‘Deer Creek’.

Its first tragedies were recorded in the early 20th century. A young boy was found burned to death after his father had finished burning a field. The second was a man who was reported missing, he was found hanging from a tree.

In the 21st century the old Evangelical church was torn down in 2002 by a local resident after the church had been subject to occult rumours.

The cemetery of Stull has gained a diabolic reputation. According to urban legends, the old church was built on top of one of the gateways to hell, and it is impossible to reach the bottom of the steps to the basement. This legend has been tried by many people, who have all said that after hours of walking down the steps they never reached the bottom, but it only took minutes to get back up to the top.

The devil, apparently appears in the cemetery twice a year. One of them is on Halloween, local police discourage visitors especially on Halloween due to vandalism.

When visiting, some have reported unexplained memory loss, and a strong howling wind that has come from out of nowhere. Satan’s son is said to be buried at the cemetery. The child of him and a witch. There is in fact a tomb stone bearing the name ‘Wittich’ is located close to the church.

Another rumour is that there was an old tree, which has now been cut down, which was a gallows from condemned witches.

A town riddled with tales of black magic, Satanist activity and strange happenings, it’s a place that you wouldn’t want to visit alone, especially after dark on Halloween.

Creepy rating 8/10

AOKIGAHARA (THE SUICIDE FOREST)

Number two on my list is Aokigahara in Japan, but you may know it as ’the suicide forest’.

The forest lies in the shadow of Mount Fuji in Japan. The forest contains a number of ice caverns, the forest floor consists of primarily volcanic rock, it is very quiet due to the absence of almost all wildlife and its dense thick sea of trees make it very dark, even during the day. Compasses don’t tend to work there due to the rich deposits of iron in the areas volcanic soil. If a dark, quiet forest to which you will probably get lost isn’t enough to creep you out then perhaps the corpses hanging from the branches and the hauntings of the forest by the Yurei (Angry spirits of those left to die,) will be enough.

Even though the police and volunteers do body sweeps of the forest, many corpses still remain, hidden within the density of the forest. It is now the second most popular suicide spot in the world. Due to that, the forest is littered with uplifting signs, such as ‘your life is a precious gift from your parents’.

In fact, during the period leading up to 1988, around 100 suicides occurred there every year. In 2003, 105 bodies were found and 247 suicide attempts were made in 2010, 54 of whom completed the act. The local government has stopped publicizing the numbers of bodies found in an attempt to downplay Aokigahara’s association with suicide.

Japanese spiritualists believe that the suicides committed in the forest have permeated Aokigahara trees, generating paranormal activity and preventing many who enter from escaping from the forest’s depths.

The homemade nooses hanging from the trees, bodies, angry spirits and the dark quiet paths of the forest, make it number two on my list of places you wouldn’t venture to alone.

Creepy rating 10/10

BHANGARH FORT

Number three on my list is Bhangarh fort in India. The fort is situated on a hillside in the deserted town of Bhangarh, Rajasthan. It is said to be one of the most haunted sites in the world. It’s famous for its historical ruins. At the edge of the fort is Sariska tiger reserve.

There are two well-known legends, one being that the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Baba Balanath. He had sanctioned the construction of the town, on one condition. ‘The moment the shadow of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more.’ A prince raised the palace to such a height that it cast a shadow upon Balanath’s forbidden retreat, so he cursed the town. Balanath is said to be buried there to this day.

The second legend is of princess Ratnavati. On her eighteenth birthday she began to receive marriage offers from other regions. In the area a tantrik (wizard), who was well versed in the occult called Singhiya, who was in love with the princess. He knew that the match was impossible, so one day Singhiya saw the princesses’ maid in the market and used black magic on the scent she was purchasing, so that when the princess would touch it she would surrender herself to him. The princess, upon seeing the Tantrik enchanting the scent, poured it on the ground. As the scent touched the ground, a boulder appeared and crushed Singhiya. Dying, he cursed the town to death.

It is believed that the entire township was obliterated within one day. Locals say that whoever stays there after sunset has never been found, and that girls are at particular risk. Visitors often feel a strange feeling in the atmosphere.

There are signs telling you not to stay there after sunset, there are wild animals such as panthers and tigers prowling the area and lots of paranormal activity. With the promise of not returning from the fort once you stay there at night, it is a place you really wouldn’t want to venture to alone, especially between sunset and sunrise.

Creepy rating 5/10

SHADES OF DEATH ROAD

Number four on my list is the appropriately named Shades of death road. Located in Central Warren County, New Jersey, the road is only around 7 miles long. The road is the subject of folklore and legends.

In the roads southern half, the ancient trees provides much shade from the sun even on the sunniest days it is fairly dark. Highway men and other bandits would lay in wait for victims amongst the trees, in the shadows. They would cut their victims throats after taking their things. It is said, that in revenge, the local populace would kill them and leave their bodies dangling on the low branches as a warning to other bandits.

In the 1920’s and 1930’s there were three brutal murders along the road. The first was a robbery in which the victim was hit over head and killed over gold coins. The second was a woman who beheaded her husband, burying the head and body on different sides of the road. The last was a local resident was found shot and buried in a mud pile.

Because of the roads twists and turns, there has been an inordinate number of fatal car crashes.

Also, in the 20th century, packs of wild cats that lived nearby frequently attacked and killed those travelling down the road.

Ghost sightings and other supernatural phenomena are said to have been reported along the road. Some people claim to see the deceased walking along the road in the mist. Others say there was a curse on the road many years ago. To this day there are hundreds of sightings that have been reported of people having paranormal encounters whilst travelling down this road.

Just off the road, is the infamous Ghost Lake which occasionally has pillars of mist rising from the water. This is apparently due to the legend that early settlers killed Indians and threw them into the lake.

A dark winding road, next to a haunted lake, with figures being spotted along the road and many car crashes happening there, it’s somewhere where I would be very cautious when travelling alone.

Creepy rating 6/10

HELL FIRE CLUB

Number five on my list is the hunting lodge on Montpelier Hill, which is commonly referred to as the Hell Fire Club. It was built around 1725. On the slopes is also a forestry plantation known as Hell Fire Wood. Stones from the Cairn were used in construction of the hunting lodge, and it was built on the site of a prehistoric tomb.

Shortly after construction a storm blew the roof off of the lodge, locals believe that this was the work of the Devil, as punishment for interfering with the Cairn.

Members of the Irish Hell Fire Club used the hunting lodge as a meeting place. The club was active between 1735 and 1741. The club was revived in 1771 and was active for a further thirty years. This new incarnation was known as ‘The Holy Fathers’. Meetings once again took place at the lodge.

There are many stories of the club including murder, occult practices, demonic manifestations and wild behaviour.

One story about the club concerns a young farmer’s daughter who was kidnapped, murdered and eaten by the clubs members. Another story is of a dwarf who was sacrificed and buried under the kitchen. Another was of a priest who happened across the members sacrificing a black cat, he uttered an exorcism upon it, in which a demon was released from the corpse. Other stories of the devil visiting the club, members seeing a man with a cloven hoof, and another of a man who was taken in my the members to show him what they did at night. He couldn’t talk, or even remember his own name for the rest of his life after that night.

It is claimed that Satanist activity still takes place there, and many accounts of people still experience paranormal happenings when visiting. The club actually left a chair vacant at their meetings for the Devil himself.

Dogs whimper and turn around when they get near the lodge, and locals refuse to go near there after dark.

CREEPY RATING 8/10

NORTH BROTHER ISLAND

North Brother Island is located in the East River, between Queens and the Bronx, NYC. I was so fascinated by this Island that it actually features a major part in my next book.

The Island is currently abandoned and off limits to the public. The Island was home to a tuberculosis hospital, which was later used as a place to treat adolescent drug addicts. Most believed they were being held there against their will, it was later closed due to staff corruption.

Tragedy struck off the shores of the Island in 1904, the passenger ship, the General Slocum caught fire. An estimated 1,021 people perished.

The most well-known story is that of Typhoid Mary (Mary Mallon). She was a carrier of Typhoid and passed it to others when working as a cook. She was later isolated on the Island in 1915 where she worked as a nurse until her death.

The buildings are now heavily deteriorated and in danger of collapsing. The Island is heavily overgrown and said to be haunted by the spirits of the thousands who died there.

CREEPY RATING 9/10

HOIA BACIU FOREST

Situated in the vampire capital of the world, Transylvania, is the Hoia Baciu Forest (The most haunted forest in the world.)

It is often referred to as the Bermuda Triangle of Romania. Electronic devices are known to malfunction when in the area. It is known for its UFO sightings, where pictures were taken of flying discs above the forest (the pictures were judged to be authentic). It’s also famous for its reputation of intense paranormal activity and unexplained events. Reports have included of people just disappearing when in the forest, ghost sightings, memory loss, physical harm such as scratches and unexplained apparitions. Visitors report feelings of anxiety and constantly being watched.

Most locals won’t go near the forest as they believe it is a portal to another world. It looks like something out of a fairy tale with its unexplained charring on the stumps and branches and strangely shaped trees.

One story standing out above the rest was of a five year old girl who disappeared into the forest, five years later she emerged in the same clothes as if no time had passed. People say they hear giggling and disembodied voices when in the forest. I would definitely not venture into this forest alone.

CREEP RATING 10/10

WAVERLY HILL SANATORIUM

A now closed Sanatorium, it is privately owned and there is no trespassing aloud, however, you can phone ahead and make a reservation. Located in Kentucky, the original building opened in 1910 as a two story hospital to accommodate tuberculosis patients. When the hospital became overcrowded, a new building was opened in 1926.

It is suggested that an estimated 63,000 deaths occurred within its walls. On the first floor there is a tunnel known as ‘death tunnel’ or ‘body chute’ as it was used to carry the dead from the hospital. Due to seeing the constant deaths, it lowered the patient morale, causing them to lose the will to live. Many suicides happened here due to this.

People say they have seen an apparition of a man in a white coat walking around the kitchen area of the sanatorium. Ghost researchers are drawn to the fifth floor of the former hospital. Especially room 502, a medium sized nurse’s room. This is where people have jumped to their deaths. It is believed the mentally insane tuberculosis patients were housed on the fifth floor, explaining the inordinate number of suicides on this particular floor. In 1928, the head nurse in room 502 was found hanging from a light fixture. Then in 1932 another nurse, in room 502, had jumped from the roof patio and plummeted to her death.

Visitors say they have seen shapes by the windows, voices, cold spots and an eerie feeling when walking around.

CREEPY RATING 9/10