Your
True Tales
July 2005 – Page
13
Levitating
Lantern
by Jordan
This took place in a labyrinth of back roads and forest paths between Watseka, Illinois and Kentland, Indiana sometime in October 2003. People around this area are familiar with Lantern Lane, a small stretch of road between a demolished house and an isolated cemetery that is home to a ghastly levitating lantern.
I arrived here around 10:00 p.m. with a couple friends, listening to rumors and stories about the lantern. We waited in the van until -- sure enough -- a red light was clearly visible in the distance. I couldn't judge how far away it was because of many reasons, such as my poor vision and because a bright light in the dark almost always looks the same no matter how far away it is.
The shock came when the lantern was directly in front of the vehicle. Everyone was in a fuss, the driver was too scared to drive away and feared what would happen if we plowed through the lantern anyway. I noticed now that there was no physical entity holding the lantern; it was floating.
I suggested we get going, and quick, because as close as the lantern was, it still seemed to be closing in. That is, until I heard the clunk. And another. And once more. And all I could remember seeing in this strange state of delirium mixed with subconscience was that the lantern was above the vehicle, going higher. It was actually walking on top of the car casually, as if it had invisible little feet!
At that point, we all finally snapped out of it and the driver hit the gas and we drove off quick. Because it was so dark and the shadowy forest wasn't helping matters any, he actually had to turn the vehicle a little so the headlights would pan around the cemetery looking for the exit. We ended up driving through a small path that just looped in a circle to where we were first parked.
When we came around, the lantern burst into a menacing blue fire and was moving toward us very quickly. I have to admit, I was scared out of my mind so I didn't even bother looking out the back window as we sped off into the forest.
My friends continued screaming on the drive back, at first I thought they were still psyched about the lantern. But I soon too saw what they were screaming about. The ghastly image of people hanging from the trees by a noose appeared in every which direction, seemingly illuminated by a blue light as if to force us to see it.
I later learned that horse thieves used to be hung in this area around the time the Oregon Trail was traveled, but for what other purposes other than "horse theft" they would be hung in such violent numbers is unknown to me. And as for the van, it had several large dents on the hood where the entity was walking.
If you, the reader, live near the towns of Kentland or Watseka, you too can see the lantern in all its glory nearly any night of the year.
< Previous story | Next story >
| Do
you have a paranormal tale to tell? |
