A New Hope Ghost Story

THE SPINNING GHOST AT PINEAPPLE HILL INN

Even though I knew I was going to be "put" in the most haunted and one of the oldest rooms at the Pineapple Hill Inn in New Hope (PA), I have to admit I was just a "little" nervous anticipating it. It's a human-nature sort of thing, I suppose.

Of course it helped that it was raining that night. A dark and rainy night . . . what more does a horror writer need? Well, a nice glass of cream sherry, wouldn't have hurt -- which is exactly what I was offered by Charles "Cookie" and Kathy Triolo, the Innkeepers. And a wonderful pair of people you'll never hope to meet (example: When Kathy found out my apartment didn't have heat -- no use getting it turned on, thought I, since I'd only be there a month ... yeah, I know, stupid me -- she gave me an oil heater to use while I'm in town. Like I said, wonderful people).

So, with sherry in hand and after a tour of the inn, we sat around and talked until Rob Child, the director of the New Hope "America's Most Haunted Town" showed up to film an interview with Kathy upstairs in the "other" haunted room -- the room directly beneath my attic suite. I was to play the unheard interviewer (which also gave Kathy someone to look at while answering) so made myself comfortable while camera and lights were set up. The "action" came from out in the hall -- the three of us, Kathy, Rob and I, heard four very distinct footsteps walk down the hall and stop in front of the closed door to the room we were in. Nothing else happened.

All of us looked at each other.

And when the door was opened? You guessed it, no one was there. Kathy said this was the sort of thing that usually happens in the inn . . . especially in the room we were in where "The Kissing Ghost" likes to wake certain ladies in the morning with a small kiss to the cheek.

No, I didn't get kissed. <sigh>

The interview was shot, Rob filmed my room (and spinning wheel, which I spun just so we'd know what sound I should be listening for in the night) then packed up and left, Kathy and Cookie went back to their home behind the inn and I retired to my room. Alone. Very MUCH alone since there were only three other guests at the inn that night and I was the ONLY person on the third floor . . . okay, the attic.

But to be honest, I wasn't afraid. The inn is lovely and has a very "warm" feeling about it. Although I have anticipated myself into a bit of worry, when I was actually sitting right there in the cozy "Sitting Room" (with the spinning wheel in the corner) and watching TV, I didn't feel the least bit frightened. I felt very happy and relaxed.

Then, about an hour later, I began to feel "strange."

I couldn't catch my breath -- my throat and chest felt tight, constricted. The air felt "heavy."

Now, in each room there's a small book that guests are encouraged to sign and make comments in -- I'd read the entries and there were a number of mentions about the "heavy air in the sitting room." And that's what I was experiencing.

I couldn't figure it out. I wasn't frightened, my heart wasn't pounding and I didn't have the urge to run out of the room and down River Road screaming like a banshee -- I just couldn't catch my breath.

This went on for about an hour and then I was fine. No heavy air, no struggling for breath.

It was about 1am.

Soon after that I set up the night vision video camera Rob left for me (aimed, of course, at the spinning wheel) and crawled into bed.

I don't know what time I woke up (being nearsighted I couldn't see the clock on the fireplace mantle across from the bed) -- _was_ woken up, but I remember hearing a whirring sound that slowed, while I listened, into a rhythmic thumping. Could that be the spinning wheel?

No, I thought, that's only the heater coming on. I was disappointed and felt as though I'd just "busted" a ghost. The odd thing is that I didn't get up to investigate. Well, to be honest, I couldn't. Normally, I'm a pretty restless sleeper -- I toss and turn most of the night -- but when I woke up I was flat on my back, left arm at my side and right arm bent at the elbow with my hand resting at my throat.

The only reason I'm mentioning this is because I literally couldn't move out of this position -- my body was asleep. That's the way I slept all night . . . I know, because I'd keep waking up and hearing "the heater." I didn't hear the rain on the roof above me (which was odd) until dawn broke. Then I rolled over and slept for another couple of hours. I didn't hear the "heater" again.

When I finally got out of bed I still felt bad about having learned the secret about the "ghost" . . . until the heater came on. It was a very soft rush of air from the floor vents. It didn't whirr or thump.

At that point I literally ran into the sitting room where I spun the wheel again. It was the same sound I'd heard . . . .

I'm not sure what, if anything the video camera picked up, but I know what I heard and felt.

In fact, I mentioned that, and my trouble breathing, to Rob when he picked me up that morning to do more filming -- and, while coming down from the basement and heading for the kitchen stairs, felt the same "heavy air" again. I couldn't breath, but this time it felt as if I'd just run UP the stairs and needed a moment to catch my breath before going up to the attic.

After some thought (and maybe my writer's imagination) I may have come up with an answer. Now, I don't know who lived in the attic room of the original house, but the "feelings" I get was that it was a young woman, probably a servant, who used the room to spin in and who probably died there of consumption -- hence the "heavy air" and trouble breathing.

Of course . . . I may be completely wrong about the who and why, but there is a ghost in the Spinning Wheel room.

There really is.