Peacock

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Peacocks GhostUnited States-Louisiana

• From a Terrifying Taste of Short and Shivery
• Retold by Robert D. San Souci

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• Not long ago, a young man named John Peacock
  
• lived in New Orleans. One day he learned that he
  had
• inherited a farm from a distant cousin of his.
  The farm
• was in the Louisiana backcountry. This came as a
• surprise, since his cousin had lived all his life
  in Europe
• and had never spoken of such a thing. In any
  case,
• John was eager to drive up and see what the farm
• looked like. But the place, called Peacocks
  Farm, was
• miles away, where roads were poorly marked, if
  at all.
• John soon became hopelessly lost trying to find
  the
• farm. At a crossroads, he saw an old woman,
  sitting in
• a rocker on the sagging porch of a crumbling
  house.

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• Behind the house were the remains of a barn and a
  
• shed, choked with brambles and vines. The woman
• was wearing an old white shift, and her uncombed
• white hair gave her a wild look.
• Since there was no one else around, the young
• man parked his car and strolled to the porch.
• Can you tell me how to find Peacocks Farm? he
  
• asked.
• I kin tell you, the woman said. But you don
• want ter go thar.
• Why not? John asked. The place belong to me
• now.

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• Mebbe. Mebbe not. she said. Anyhow, I got a
• story ter tell you. If you lissen an you still
  want ter go
• thar, Ill show you the way.
• John Peacock agreed then he fanned himself with
  
• his hat as she began
• Years ago, ole man Peacock died an lef a heap
  o
• property ter his chillun. An he give evry one a
  farm.
• There was one mo farm lef over. Twas a good
• farm an the house all furnished up, but no one
  did
• keer to live that, fer they all said the house
  was haanted.

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• One o the sons- Micah Peacock- said he want
• no way a-feared. Said he could lay that ghost if
  theyd
• give him the farm. Th others tole him the place
  was
• his if he could lay the ghost sos ter live thar.
• Well, Micah went at night ter the house, takin
  his
• Bible along. He sat thar a-readin it backward
  and
• forward He didn mind it none whether the ghost
  come
• a-nigh or not. Sho nuff, the ghost come along
  while he
• was a-readin. It went all about thro the house,
  sos
• Micah could hear it goin inter the diffunt rooms
  an a-
• movin things thisaway an thataway. But he didn
  let on
• ter hear the ghost- no indeed, he kep a-readin
  away in
• his Bible.

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• After a while the ghost blowed out his lamp,
  but
• he jes lighted it an read on. Then he went inter
  the
• bedroom an lay down. That sort o made the ghost
  
• mad, sos it come inter the bedroom an Micah
  seed
• it, like as if it was real person.
• Anyhow, then he seed the ghost reach out an arm
  
• long an skinny-like, under the bed, an jes
  turn it over
• with him on it. But he only crep out from under
  it an
• went back inter the kitchen an begun ter read
  away in
• his Bible. An thar he stayed all night. Afore
  day, the
• ghost come once mo an said, If you come back
  yere
• again, yore a dead man.

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• Well, the nex night Micah Peacock come back
• again, yes indeed an hed got two preachers ter
  
• come along an try to lay that ghost. One was a
• Methodis an the other was a Catholic. They both
  
• brought their Bibles, an all of em kep
  a-readin
• forward an backward. Twant no time at all till
  that
• ghost come again, an then it just went on mos
• outrageous.
• The Methodis, he didnt stay ter hear much o
• the racket. Out he run an never come back. The
• Catholic, he held out a good bit, but afore long
  he run
• an lef Peacock ter stay it out by himself.

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• Well , they say the ghost never spoke ter him
  no
• mo but sho nuff, in the mornin, thar was
  Peacock
• a-lyin dead with his head cut clean off- yes
  indeed,
• sir!-an thar ain no one ever try ter lay that
  ghost
• since.
• Well, Ive been warned, said John Peacock
• impatiently. Now give me the directions you
• promised. Let me tell you, any ghost that crosses
  me
• will find hes-
• Who tole you it were a he? the old woman said.
  
• She stood up from the rocker and began to grow
  longer
• and thinner. Her bony hand locked on to young
• Peacocks wrist her grip was as painful as a
  metal vise.

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• He was afraid she was going to snap his wrist
  bone
• like balsa wood.
• Yep, she said, suddenly letting go of him.
  You
• been warned. This yere is Peacocks Farm. Still
  want
• ter stay?
• But John was halfway to his car. When he looked
• back, he saw only the old rocker bobbing on the
  porch.
• John drove as quick as he could back to New
  Orleans.
• There he burned the deed to Peacocks Farm. But
  for
• the rest of his life, there was a bruise, like
  the imprint of
• long thin fingers, around his wrist.