The Stagecoach
The MPIG investigates a haunted stagecoach route.
“Well, Jonah, whatever happened out here supposedly resulted in at least one death. During the course of the robbery, the coach driver—his name has not survived—was killed. It seems as though he was murdered for refusing to stop at the command of the robbers. In fact, he apparently attempted to flee, and so to stop him the bandits beheaded him. We don’t know for sure what weapon was used, but it’s usually said that he was beheaded with a foot officer’s sword. That particular weapon was in existence since at least 1850, so it may very well be what was used.”
Nicole gave a “silence” sign with a finger to her lips. Everyone froze. She paused for a few seconds, and then she began her countdown. “One, two, three, four, five...cut. We’re good guys. We need to get on site for the next part.”
Everyone took a breather and I slipped on my gloves. Morgan got her jacket out of Jonah’s truck to cover her bare arms. In the meantime, I put on my backpack. I and Brett then began to disassemble the boom poles for the sound and lighting. They weren’t really heavy at the moment, or at least mine wasn’t, and I hoped they wouldn’t suddenly get that way after walking 500 feet into the forest.
At this time Jonah reached into his gym bag and produced two black ski masks and a long-barreled firearm. He handed it all to Max. “Jenny, Max already knows this, but you’ll need to wear these masks; they’ll make it easier when Nicole edits, plus it’s cold out here so they’ll help you stay warm. They’ve got the M.P.I.G. letters on them too. We give these away to our viewers, so you guys can keep them. Jenny, the rifle is for you. It’s not a shotgun, but it should work in the dark. For that matter, it’s only a prop, so don’t try to use it on any of us.” Max and Jenny laughed. We all laughed when Morgan called out softly, “Jenny, sorry that we don’t have a sword so you can threaten Max.”
Max excused himself and Jenny, and the couple made their way to the ladies who were pulling the cart. From this point forward I would be in contact with them via text messaging. They departed, walking ahead of the wagon. I wondered if the terrain was difficult. It probably was, seeing that we were in the woods.
“Okay, let’s go, team,” said Jonah. “It’s this way.”
Jonah led us into the treeline. I had been worried about getting caught up in briers and brush, so I was glad to discover that there were none. Jonah told me a few days ago that the forest canopy had grown to the point that very little grew beneath it. He was correct. It was a nice area, except it was too cold; in the summertime I imagine it’s nice and cool.
We walked slowly through the treeline, flashlights blazing, until Jonah stopped at a red utility flag. He had planted a couple of flags days earlier so that it would be easier to find the spot in the dark. “Look here, back toward the west,” said Jonah, pointing. We looked.
It didn’t seem as though there was much to see, but when we turned our lights in the direction that Jonah indicated, what was left of the stagecoach route (such as it was) came into view. I have to say that it might have historical importance, but otherwise—except for the ghost story—it was not impressive. It had clearly been a road or a trail in the past, and it was marked by deep ruts. Still, you could probably walk right through the area without ever knowing it was there, as it was covered with leaves and almost featureless. It looked much like an old logging road to me.
We took out our gear and went through the testing of cameras, lighting, and sound one more time. This time around, Morgan and Jonah tested EMF meters, EVP recorders, and a Spirit Box. Once again, each team member pronounced themselves ready. The countdowns began anew. Nicole gave her thumbs up, and Jonah spoke.
“One, two, three, four: Good evening everyone, I’m Jonah Oliver…”
“And I’m Morgan Burns. And we are the Mackenson County Paranormal Investigation Group.”
“Morgan,” said Jonah, “before our break we were discussing the fate of an 1870s era stagecoach that was robbed in this area. We don’t know what was stolen or why the coach was stopped, but highwaymen definitely took an interest in it, and they ended up killing one man. Do we know more about this murder?
“Jonah, we don’t know much more about it at all, but according to local history—or maybe mythology—the driver was killed in a gruesome fashion. As we’ve already heard, he was decapitated with a sword. This is of course horrible, but it’s even more terrifying when you know what happened in the final moments of the driver’s life. It is said that even as his head fell onto the ground, he reined in the horses one last time and said to them, ‘whoa.’ It’s terrible and chilling to imagine it, folks, and M.P.I.G. is right here where it all happened.”
“That’s got to be a terrible way to go,” said Jonah. “Today, the murderous actions of the unnamed criminals have become the main feature of a ghastly tale. The story concludes by specifying: ‘If you go to that spot at a certain time, you’ll see an old stagecoach pass by. If you look close enough, you’ll see that the driver is headless.’ Morgan, what do you think of all this?”
“Jonah, the skeptic in me screams out don’t believe it. What is ‘a certain time?’ As is typical in these stories, only the bare details are given and exact locations are omitted. In my opinion this type of ghost story is either a residual haunting or classic folklore. I lean toward the folklore aspect, especially because of the time frame in which the coach is supposed to appear—a ‘certain time.’ Often the time during which one must be present to ‘see the ghost’ is during the full moon or during the ‘right’ weather conditions; a stormy night or after midnight, or under other circumstances. Why does it always have to be at night?”
“Morgan, I’m not sure what to think. For the record, can you explain to our viewers what a residual haunting is?”
“Absolutely. The residual haunting is a haunting that does not exhibit awareness. These types of hauntings can occur when a tragic event has taken place at some location. It can be inside a house, in the forest, or in just about any other place we can imagine. A murder like we’re talking about in this episode is certainly a tragedy, so it could very well be a residual haunting.”
“The theory behind the residual haunting is that a tragedy somehow ‘imprints’ itself onto the house or forest or other location and can then be seen with the human eye. Also, it repeats itself over and over again, and takes the same action each time. It does not acknowledge anyone who observes it. It does not communicate in any way: It’s often compared to a tape recorder that plays something in a loop.”
“That’s very interesting and, I think, useful information. Thank you,” said Jonah.
“You’re very welcome. Jonah, it’s just about time to go to work. Are you ready?”
© 2023-2026 Ren Adama
