Louisiana Ghost Story

Have you ever thought what a powerful force belief is? In these troubled times we live in there are people not only prepared to die for what they believe in, but to turn themselves into human bombs in order to enter the gates of heaven. That’s how powerful belief is!

Henry Ford once said: “Whether you believe you can, or believe you can’t, you’re absolutely right!” something that is as true today as it was in Henry’s time.

Have you noticed how our perceptions, the way we look at things, can affect our beliefs?

Here is a story I heard once, not mine you understand, just one I heard, that takes an interesting look at all these things:

“This happened about a month ago just outside of Cocodrie, a little town in the bayou country of Louisiana, and while it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, it's real.

This out-of-state traveller was on the side of the road, hitchhiking on a real dark night in the middle of a thunderstorm. Time passed slowly, and no cars went by.  It was raining so hard he could hardly see his hand in front of his face. Suddenly he saw a car moving slowly towards him, appearing ghostlike in the rain. It silently crept toward him and stopped.

Wanting a ride real bad, he jumped in the car and closed the door; only then did he realise that there was nobody behind the wheel, and no sound of an engine to be heard over the rain.

The car crept slowly forward, and the guy was terrified, too scared to think of jumping out and running. He saw that the car was approaching a sharp curve, and still too scared to jump out, he started to pray and begging for his life. He was sure the ghost car would go off the road into the bayou, and he would surely drown!  

Just before the curve a shadowy figure appeared at the window and a hand reached in and turned the steering wheel, guiding the car safely around the bend. Then, just as silently, the hand disappeared through the window and the hitchhiker was alone again!

Paralysed with fear, he watched the hand reappear every time they reached a curve.

Finally, the man scared near to death had had all that he could take. He jumped out of the car, and ran to town.  Wet and in shock, he went into a bar, and with voice quavering, ordered two shots of whiskey, and told everyone about his supernatural ordeal.

A silence enveloped the bar. Everybody got goose bumps as they realised the man was telling the truth and was not just some drunk.

About half an hour later, two guys walked into the bar, and one says to the other, “Look Boudreaux, ders dat idiot dat rode in our car when we wuz pushin it in da rain."

Take care, and be careful what you believe in…

© Jeff Turner