Guide Note

A scary story can chill to the bone. The tales of ghosts, goblins, vampires and monsters, whether real or from the imagination, have endured from generation to generation.

Although most popular around Halloween a scary story can be enjoyed year round.

Fast Facts

1. Can be short or long
2. Many scary stories have been made into movies
3. Can be enjoyed by young and old
4. Can be poems
5. Sometimes told around campfires

• "The Tell Tale Heart"
• "The Raven"
• "Bloody Mary"
• "Dem Bones"
• "Tommy Knockers"
• "The Death Coach"
• "Bloody Bones"
• "The Hook"

" There once was a lighthouse keeper who had lived on St. Martin's Island with his children, whom he loved dearly. They were all alone there, for the mother had died long before. Wanting the best for his daughter and son, the keeper had insisted that they continue their education, and for this purpose had purchased a small dory for them, which they rowed across to the mainland each day to attend school. One spring after, the children were rowing home from school when they were caught in a sudden squall. Their rowboat overturned and the children were thrown into the depths of the lake, never to be seen again. Their bodies were never recovered."

"The shattered father searched the beaches of St. Martin's Island every night for the rest of his life, hoping to find his children. After his death, people started seeing the light of a green lantern moving along the beaches of St. Martin just before a storm. Folks said it was the spirit of the dead lighthouse keeper continuing his search. Others claimed that the phantom lighthouse keeper was still on duty, using his lantern to guide ships to safety so their crews would not share the fate of his poor little children." — American Folklore