Episode 5: The Song of the Sorrowing Harp

In this episode, we return to the Middle Ages with an old Viking ghost tale, as told by Owl Minstrel (a.k.a Chuck Owston).

Enjoy your journey back into time...

Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.

Topeka Kansas: The Blue Albino Woman or The Witch of Topeka, Kansas

 Today I venture outside of the lines of the state of Pennsylvania in which I live.

One night this passed Halloween season, I was watching Destination America and caught a few programs covering supposedly real life ghostly encounters. One legend in particular caught my attention, one that I had never heard of before until I was watching that program. And that was of a legend from Topeka, Kansas about a specter known as the Blue Albino Woman (or "Witch") haunting Rochester Cemetery, located on the northwest outskirts.

The legend tells of a disfigured woman born with bluish white skin, white hair, and whose eyes were also red, according to some reports. As a child, she was teased mercilessly by her classmates. Upon growing into adulthood, the teasing continued, mainly by the neighborhood children that feared her. During the day, she glared at them while they (the children) were on their way to school. Nightfall was when she would venture out and wander the town (due to her skin condition, going out in the sun reportedly caused her great pain, therefore resorting her to going out mainly at night). The friendless woman is said to have died in 1963 from mysterious circumstances. That was when residents began reports of seeing a glowing white female figure walking through the area after dark. The most frequent sightings seem to be along Shunganunga Creek, which flows near Rochester Cemetery where the woman was buried.

Several individuals are said to have had encounters with her, including some employees at a nearby Goodyear Tire Factory and residents that see the apparition quite often (sometimes as much as once a week). Some of those individuals were featured on the Destination America program I happened to catch. One of these individuals was a woman by the name of Jessica Streeter, who had ventured into the cemetery on her birthday for some romance and fun with her boyfriend. According to her interview on the program, she and her boyfriend were getting it on when the 'witch' came up from the ground and started chasing them. And not in an 'I'm just trying to scare you off' kind of way. According to the account, the witch seemed to be out for blood. In fact, Streeter was afraid of the possibility of the woman following them home. So much so, that she performed a sort of ritual at the door as a way of trying to fend the 'witch' off.

Another account featured on the program belonged to that of a man by the name of James George. 

Now interestingly, Mr. George himself commented on an article of the Blue Albino Woman as reported on the website Muldersworld.com. In his comment, he states that while what Destination America said on their show was based in fact, the producers did take some liberties. He then provided his own telling of his story.

One of the embellishments on Destination America's part that I immediately noticed upon reading George's recounting was when the program's report stated that the woman was captured and buried alive in the cemetery by a group of thugs (which is also re-reported by Muldersworld). However, George's telling (along with the tellings of others) states that she died under mysterious circumstances. So while the thug story could be possible, there doesn't seem to be any confirmation of that, at least as far as I could see.

Anyway, the version of George's account given by Destination America is as follows:

He was in a department store with his mother, shopping for back to school clothing. While shopping, he managed to wander into a rather dark corner of the store where a group of mannequins were being stored. As he was checking them out, one moved and turned to face him, turning out to be the blue albino woman. It was then he screamed, sending his grandmother running over to him. It was then his grandmother also saw the woman and told her that she was not welcomed there. Then she glided passed them and out the door.

Now here is an excerpt of George's story in his own words (you can read it in its entirety in his comment on the Muldersworld article or at artist-alley.net:

It was August of 1964 and I was trying on clothes in the dressing room of the children's department on the second floor of Pelletier's Department store which my Grandmother was Manager of. It was time for me to get my new school clothes. School was going to start soon and I would be entering the second grade.
Suddenly the door to the dressing room flew open and there stood a tall veiled woman dressed entirely in black. Her red eyes were visible through the dark veil as she reached out a gloved hand towards me. As the arm came closer I saw with horror the pale almost bluish flesh of the arm between her sleeve and glove. I let out a scream and she froze in her movement. Appearing behind the tall frightening figure was the small stature of my Grandmother. Summing up the situation quickly my Grandmother forcibly ordered, "Leave! You are not welcomed here!" The veiled woman slowly turned as I crouched back against the wall. I heard my Grandmother repeat, "You are not welcomed here." She then ordered, "Now leave!" The tall figure with the red eyes and bluish skin silently glided past my Grandmother and towards the stair well. I ran to my Grandmothers arms and watched, along with the employees that had come running when I screamed, the frightening figure descend the stairs and quickly disappear.
I was to learn later that this was the Albino Woman who had died the next year. I was not to learn until four years later why she had sought me out... 

Again, you can check out the entirety of his story (and it is quite interesting) in the comments section at Muldersworld.com or at artist-alley.net (you can also see an image of his painting featuring the blue albino woman).
Other reports include drivers seeing her lurking in the Rochester Cemetery at night, prowling the interior woodlands near the cemetery and the creek. Some children have even reported waking up late at night to seeing her gazing into their windows.
So if you happen to be driving by the Rochester Cemetery in Topeka late at night, you just might catch a glimpse of the legendary Blue Albino Woman, also referred to some as the Witch of Topeka, Kansas.







Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.

The Depreciation Lands Museum and "The Deacon"

Those of you that are keeping up with my official blog and newsletter have likely read of my working for the Depreciation Lands Museum this coming summer and autumn. I am excited of this endeavor for many reasons. Of course, I love history and learning of how those of the past lived. Oftentimes, we can take away great lessons and values from those who came before us. And oftentimes, what we may uncover can be quite surprising and even might oppose what we are typically told.

In addition to discovering new and exciting tidbits about the history of the Allison Park, PA area (and just of history in general), I also hope that this will had more depths to my fictional, non-fiction, and songwriting. But it also allows me more opportunity of exploration for this online magazine. You see, along with being a haven for folks wishing to delve deep into the past and walk into a world not their own, that of the 18th century, it is also home to a spectre known to everyone as The Deacon.

The story of The Deacon dates back to 1973 when the old, deserted church was being fixed up after Hampton Township had bought the property. Workers claimed to see sightings of a tall old man dressed in a long black coat and dark trousers appear briefly before vanishing. The man appeared as someone from another era; very much 18th century. He appeared so often that workers decided to officially name him. Thus, he was christened The Deacon.

Now those who might be having second thoughts of visiting the Depreciation Lands Museum due to risks of encountering a malevolent spirit, never fear. Those claim to have encountered The Deacon speak of him being rather helpful, even seeming to be glad to have the church fixed up, even if it is merely for show. While he has never spoken to those he appears to, his actions seem to confirm that he harbors no ill will toward any of the living.
His first known time helping someone working on the church was the time a woman was trying to replace one of the windows. She was struggling with squaring up the frames for a snug fit. A couple times, she saw The Deacon watching her out of the corner of her eye, and whenever she turned to face him, he vanished. Exasperated and frustrated over her disappearing spectator, she stated, "Don't just stand there. The least you can do is help me out!"
Right after that, her knife was able to cut into the wood perfectly, allowing the window to slide right into place.

Other incidents involve a young man standing on a ladder painting the frame around the stairwell. Eyewitnesses say that his ladder slipped about halfway off the wall, only to pop back up and save him from what might other wise have been a fatal fall. Those present believe that The Deacon was the one responsible for saving the young worker.
Despite his helpfulness though, he can be on the gruff side. There is also a report of how an electrician stormed out frustrated when the light switch he turned on kept getting turned off. And yes, no other live human was in the room with him. But overall, The Deacon seems to be an overall friendly spectator willing to step in and help out those working to preserve his building.

The Depreciation Lands Museum is open to the public on Sundays, May 4- October 25. A couple weekends out of each month, I will be among the costumed interpreters working to bring the 18th century alive. During the fall/Halloween season, we also host evening lantern tours, which yours truly will be involved with. Of course, the tours involve the age old tradition of storytelling as retellings of The Deacon are included.

For more information on The Depreciation Lands Museum, what they are and what we are about, check out the official website:

http://depreciationlandsmuseum.org 


Bibliography:
Ghosts Stories of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County by Beth E. Trapani and Charles J. Adams III
Pensylvania Haunts & History: http://hauntsandhistory.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-deacon.html

Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.

Interview with Rocky Karlage of Ghost Walk Films

For the first interview to be featured on The Parting of Veils Webzine, we are happy to have Rocky Karlage of Ghost Walk Films. After a hiatus, Ghost Walk is back and ready to jump back into the scene with the paranormal documentary, "Lilly's Cry." Their award-winning film, "The Farm" (which I was also involved with) has also picked up distribution.
Read on to get know the little spirit girl Lilly a little more and check out what Ghost Walk Films has coming up. :)

TA: When we last spoke, you guys were getting set up to release your award winning film, The Farm. Can you catch us up on what you all have been up to since then?

RK: We worked hard to produce a second film, named “The Dawson War”, but crew and actor difficulties expanded both the length of time to film and budget, so that we were unable to complete it.   We plan to go back to it someday with an updated script and title.   Right now, we are in production on a documentary to further our film work.   Our first film “Ghost Walk: The Farm” was picked up for distribution by Continuum Motion Pictures and MCTV.  As well as being included as part of a group of films for release to America’s soldiers, it is due to be released to their distribution channels April/May of 2015.


TA: Tell us more about your newest project.

RK: We’re producing a documentary named “Lilly’s Cry” about the real, spirit girl Lilly Rose who is the genesis for Ghost Walk’s name and film work.   She has been in contact with me over the years, since the first time I saw her.   It is being produced by Ghost Walk Studios with my “sister from another mother” Victoria Vardon as Executive Producer, and World Paranormal Investigation’s John & Bea Brugge co-producing.   Scotty Rorek, a well-known psychic medium, has accepted our invitation to star in the film and lead the interviews with witnesses.   We’re very excited to move forward with the film!


TA: Now for those unaware, who is Lilly Rose?

RK: Lilly is a spirit girl who has almost become like a daughter to me, but I believe she first saw me when I was a child.  When I was a little older, she appeared to me one morning as I was walking to catch a bus for work.   It is a scene we plan to recreate for the documentary with Ohio’s own, Actor Joel David Anger portraying me.  Lilly appeared to me several more times, and has also appeared to several of my friends; some of who are mediums to whom she revealed some of her ‘life’ as she knows it.  One of those is a good friend, Kat Lang, who we are honored to include to discuss her experience with Lilly.  Lilly has also visited friends homes like the Haunted Dollhouse in Pennsylvania, which is owned by our good friends Tom & Traci Watkins.   Just this month, “Malevolent Magazine” honored us by publishing an article i wrote about her and the upcoming “Lilly’s Cry” documentary.  You can find the magazine information on the publisher’s page:  http://www.joomag.com/en/newsstand/malevolent-magazine-12-april-2015/0273538001427971951




TA: Where has Lilly been seen?

RK: We will reveal most of that information in the documentary, but mainly close to her home town.   She has amazingly visited people who have become her friends through a past Myspace page and her current page I created for her on Facebook.   She loves her friends who visit her, and sometimes reward them with a visit of her own.   Suffice it to say she is well loved by her friends!   A few of these friends have also been invited to appear in the documentary.


TA: What do you all wish to accomplish with making this film?

RK: Everyone’s goal who is involved is to tell as much as we can uncover of Lilly’s story, and our major goal is to help her find peace.  Whether or not we find such evidence, we will tell her story as truthfully as we know without faking or creating evidence.   Both Ghost Walk Studios and World Paranormal Investigations want viewers to know what we present is her story told to the best of our ability, and also to become aware of how sweet and persistent this little, spirit girl has been to tell her story.   We’re also looking forward to a new song written and performed by you and Jason English for the film.  That will be exciting!  :)


TA: Where can those interested find more info on Ghost Walk and the film?

RK: Our new website for Ghost Walk Studios with ongoing updates is posted with current information and film plans at http://ghostwalkstudios.com   We also have related Facebook pages which you can find listed on this website.


TA: And finally, what's next for you all?

RK: Wow!  Lots of things!  :D   We plan to continue filming the story concepts and titles I created named “The Ghost Walk Saga” of which “The Farm” is just the beginning for our films.   We plan major story sequences all across Ohio with strong locations and events centered in history from the American Civil War, through the Victorian era, and into today.  Our next feature film will most likely be “Ghost Walk: Estella’s Revenge” which is a continuation of “The Farm” story with background why that story’s events happened.   Of course, plans are always limited by available finances, so we’re working to find funding and/or a co-Executive Producer.   We have discussed bringing in other production teams to film the stories earlier, but we have made no decision yet.
 I’ll just say we’re open to new possibilities.   If we can fit the time and find a publisher, Art Director and Professional Artist Tony Vardon and I are planning to develop a graphic novel for “The Farm”.   Someday we may even go back to film the entire story with more scenes then appear in our award-winning film.   Beyond this, a new TV show has already begun production by our friends at World Paranormal Investigations named :WPI SEEKING THE TRUTH”, and co-produced by Ghost Walk Studios.  It’s page link can also be found on our website.   Our most recent news is “Ghost Walk: The Farm” received an “Official Selection” to the San Diego “FANtastic Horror Film Festival”, which we are very excited about!    We plan to attend future events as time and money permit, and will create a page on the website for those too.  Of course, invites are always appreciated!   Thanks for interviewing me, Tiffany! :)


TA: Always a pleasure!




Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.

The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Trilogy Corrupted Me as a Youth...and I'm Glad it Did :D

This post was originally made on my official blog, but I figured that with the launch of the webzine, why not re-post as a tribute to what started my interest in folklore and other such things in the first place. If you did not read this at my other blog, then Enjoy! :)


Those of us born in the 1980s I think had it pretty good. We got all the good Nickelodeon shows (You Can't Do That On Television, Are You Afraid of the Dark, All That, Roundhouse, all the cool Euro-anime-esque cartoon shows like Spartakus), Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, books like Wait Til Helen Comes and Dollhouse Murders. All those were awesome and at the risk of sounding uber condescending, I feel for the kids who grew up without all that we 80s and 90s kids got. But what really stands out for me was a summer night before I started second grade.

On that night, my parents went out for the evening and of course (since I was seven and my sisters were five and three) our baby-sitter came over to watch us. It was a beautiful night and we were sitting outside at around dusk. I forget what I was doing that had me so distracted, but I hardly noticed my baby-sitter go to get something out from her bag. Next thing I know, I hear this high-pitched almost witch-like voice from behind me say "Hi, little girl..."

I turn around, and this is what I saw staring back at me:

Totally true story: my baby-sitter thought it would be funny to sneak up behind me with a certain book open to the very page with the above photo. Yes, it was the very first book in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Trilogy.

After my seven-year-old self jumped about six feet in the air, I did become very intrigued with the book, especially as she began to read some of the stories aloud. From that point on, I wanted her to bring the book all the time, and when the second and third books came out, oh you better believe I was all over those.

That seemingly passe evening from my childhood actually would go on to have more of an impact on me than I think even I knew at the moment (and it was also a reading of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at school later that Halloween that also sealed my tastes). From that point on, I was a fan of dark fiction and horror, and the Scary Stories series would also be among those works that would go on to shape how I write my own stories.

Yes, I very much thank my baby-sitter, Alvin Schwartz, and Stephen Gammell.

With that said, I guess I also pose the question of what was it really that intrigued not only myself, but other kids who grew up with these books. Even as adults, many of us still love them and still are freaked out by Stephen Gammell's illustrations. Oh, those illustrations...like this one:

 NOTE: The sadist in me really wanted to post the illustration from the story The Thing, but that particular drawing still REALLY freaks me out. If you don't know what I'm talking about and are feeling brave, google Scary Stories to tell in the Dark, The Thing and you will see what I mean.

To be honest, I really can't pinpoint one specific reason as to why those stories stay with me, even to this day. Several things about these books continue to intrigue me and influence my own writing:

-One aspect IS the illustrations. I mean, come on. Even the stories that weren't really that scary were given gruesome visuals that made them so. And Gammell's drawings are so wonderfully macabre and detailed that one can almost feel the terror and unease experienced by those in the story.

- Another is the pure simplicity of the stories. In fact, the stories aren't even that long. Some are actually only a page long. But when the stories get going, they really get going and pack alot within a mere couple pages.

- Much of the stories are based in urban legend and folklore. I love folklore.

- The stories embrace the unknown and acknowledge that some things don't always end happily. I'm sure some might disagree with me on this, but I do feel this is an important lesson for kids to be taught. Not all my stories end happily, and even those that do have some sort of unresolve (at least for the most part). Then there's the unknown; you really don't know what's out there, or who the person sitting next to you on the bus or subway is. Or the person passing you by on the street (as per The Walk: "...and the man looked at my uncle, and my uncle looked at the man...")...

The more I think about it, the more I really can acknowledge how these stories have shaped my own writing and storytelling. In fact, my short stories series, Stories from Colony Drive is named for the street I grew up on. The street on which my baby-sitter sneaked up on me with one of Stephen Gammell's brilliant illustrations in front of her face.

The stories kept me up at night, I'm not going to lie about that. I would sometimes lay in bed wondering if the creepy lady from The Dream was going to come out of my closet:

Yes, THIS creepy lady!

But what they also did was stir my imagination, and really get me thinking outside the box and start to challenge myself as a writer and a creative from a young age. It was the reason I began writing stories and wondering about the world around me. It was the beginning of me becoming someone who questions things and isn't afraid to.
Now, I look back on that fateful evening on Colony Drive with great fondness and I am thankful to my baby-sitter for getting the idea to scare the ever living crap out of me.

And, thanks to Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell for awakening my and probably many others' imaginations. You guys rocked it. :)

Illustrations are by Stephen Gammell, from various stories from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Trilogy.




Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.