My husband Gary was an avid hunter in his younger years. He would take his three week work vacation during hunting season and spend it with family and friends at our cabin on Westchester Mountain.
I knew there were more drinking and telling stories going on than actual hunting. During these weeks year after year of not bagging a deer it wasn't too hard to figure out why we only had store bought meat in our freezer. I quickly had come to the conclusion that it is almost near impossible to shoot anything looking through the bottom of a beer bottle. He was enjoying his time off and to me that's all that mattered.
My three oldest children were in school and my one year old always napped around lunchtime. This was my quiet time which I enjoyed immensely and looked forward to. On this particular day it was raining cats and dogs and I was thinking I'd have to pick the children up after school or they'd be drenched by the time they made it home. I put the baby down for her nap and was making myself a tea when Gary and his brother Don drove in the driveway.
As they entered the kitchen both men commented they hadn't seen it rain so hard in a very long time. Gary informed me he had just popped in to drop off his dirty laundry before making a beer run to Truro. I offered to cook them a hot meal but they were in a hurry to get back to the cabin in case the fog set in. Secretly I was glad to see them leave as they were being none too quiet and I didn't want them to wake the baby. I watched as they ran to the truck and waved farewell as they left.
Taking my tea I entered the living room and sat down in my favorite chair to enjoy the peace and quiet. I didn't even have time to get settled when there came a BANG BANG BANG from inside the porch on my kitchen door. The force of these knocks actually jarred the walls of the house! Startled I jumped up spilling my tea while my normally meek little dog went absolutely nuts. She followed me as I raced to the kitchen door and threw it open finding nobody there. I ran to the window and looked up and down the road knowing I wouldn't see anyone.
Shaking I sat down trying to analyze what had just happened. I knew that the screen door on the porch could not be opened without making a loud squeaking noise. It was an old fashioned wood door nothing like the new aluminum doors some people preferred. Then I had to take into consideration the steps leading up to the landing. It would have been impossible for anyone to get to the kitchen door let alone knock then run off in the time before I got to that door. Looking down I noticed my poor little dog still had her shackles up and was trembling from fright. I sat on floor comforting my loyal friend until she stopped shaking.
Many years prior I had read a book about ghost stories and I vaguely recalled a story similar to what had just happened to me. Wracking my brain it finally came to me...tommyknocker! It all came flooding back and I recalled the three loud knocks was a forerunner of a death in the family. At the time I had been very skeptical but as each second passed I was fast becoming a true believer.
Still shaken I called my mother and related what I had just experienced. Sensing my state of mind she tried to calm my fears by saying dogs could not hear a tommyknocker. I knew she didn't believe that anymore than I did. Before hanging up the phone I told my mother that I expected either my husband or his brother would die in the near future.
As time passed I could not put that terrifying day out of my mind. I had always assumed that tommyknocker had been meant for Gary or Don because the incident had happened less than five minutes after they left. Of course I couldn't be sure so I was worried about my children as well as other members of my family.
Finally about five months later I got the call. My brother in law Don who was a lumberjack had been found dead with his saw still running. Apparently he had suffered a massive stroke and was gone before he hit the ground. As upsetting as it was to lose this sweet man it was confirmation tommyknockers are REAL. I don't know why I was warned of his death instead of his wife or mother but it's not something I'd ever want to experience again in this lifetime.
One thing I am grateful for is that Gary got to spend some quality time with his brother that last hunting season. Although they never did get to bag a deer, they captured something much more important which are the memories of their time spent together.
Written by: Sherry L.
If you know of any Ghost stories from this area, or have a story of your own that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you!
Read another great story! - The Forerunner of Baddeck
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