Haunted Memories...

Even as a kid I remember hearing strange bumps in the night. I remember that it was the fall of the year and the wind had been howling. We were supposed to be snugged down in our beds fast asleep but even though my eyes were closed I was wide awake. There are noises at night on a farm that are familiar. You could always hear the tin tub bumping against the house when it was windy and the cats were always scrambling around the back porch coming and going from late night hunts.  Dogs barked and every once in awhile a car would go down the road but not very often. An even more spookier familiar noise was the sound of a Bob Cat roaming the back woods with its call that sounded like a baby crying that had been abandoned. Then there was the dreaded sound of hysterical chickens when something was trying to get into the hen house usually an old Wiesel or stray dog. But the sound I dreaded most was one nobody else in the family ever mentioned they heard...

I tried not to listen but I guess I drank way too much sweet tea as a kid.  I think I had always heard this particular sound but I was always afraid to wake up my parents and tell them about it.  Of all the weirdest things to hear was the old hand water pump pumping away. Now some will think so what but a pump don't work unless there is an arm and a hand attached to the handle!  I am not sure why I was afraid to tell my parents, maybe they would think I was crazy!  I told my brother once and he said he had never heard it but maybe it was a thirsty hunter.

Anyway the years passed and we moved away to the big city leaving behind our neighbors and friends. Several years had went by and I learned that our neighbors who had lived across the road from us, Ms Molly and Mr Elmer, had moved into our old house. We visited them one summer and while Mom and Dad stayed down the road with other friends they left me at our old house to spend the night. I was about 13 and I was to sleep on the couch in the living room. I had almost forgot about the sound of someone pumping the water pump. I could hear Ms Molly and Mr Elmer snoring softly, their clock was ticking and no television was allowed even though I was in the living room. Lights out meant the TV had to be off.  Just as I was finally getting sleepy the pump started. I was so afraid I could barely breathe. It lasted about 3 minutes, seemed like 3 hours and then it finally stopped.  Not sure if I passed out from fear or I finally went to sleep on my own. To this day thinking about that really gives me the creeps. Especially if the wind has picked up and its a cool fall night...