StarlightGuard's Blog

The Wall - Ghost Story

(Mon 10/06/2008 11:05am)

The problem with second hand accounts of ghost stories is the fact they're second hand. A second problem, involving this story at least, involves the involuntary passage of time. That means the story is no longer valid these days, as the event about to be detailed was curtailed with human intervention.

I heard this story earlier this year from a friend of mine in whom I confided that, someday, I will gather all my necessary resources, hop in my preferred mode of transportation, and drive around hunting up the haunted spots of Arkansas that are both well known and those that are not.

My friend then proceeded to tell me a real life tale from nearly 12 years ago from when we were in high school. He heard this story a dozen years ago from a reliable source, heard the cautionary dare associated with it, and decided on one slow night to go take up the challenge and see the event for himself.

I realize this story, by the time you read it, will be third hand. To me it is second hand from a very reliable source who isn't known for confabulation. So take the leap of faith as  I assure you the yarn I'm about to spin is from an accurate source.

Nearly a twelve years ago, in a small off the interstate town called Clarksville, there was an out of the way church that bordered a large concrete wall that ran alongside a nearby structure and, eventually, became part of it.

These structures were situated off a road that had the street name and the theorized numerical symbol of the devil: Six hundred and sixty six. (Why this address bordered a Christian church I cannot say.)

The account goes that, should you drive up to the wall at night, turn the car off and shine your headlights at the wall, after a certain amount of time, you'd get that tingling, mysterious feeling of something isn't right. You don't belong here.

That subtle feeling would grow slowly until demonic shadows were somehow cast upon the wall as if they were standing and moving about between the wall and the headlamps of your vehicle.

The associated dare with this happening was this: you can walk up next to the wall, but you can't touch the wall no matter how hard you try.

This is the story my friend was told and, on a particular slow night in our small hometown, he and the one who told him the story drove the nearly 70 miles or so down to Clarksville.

They sat in the vehicle, lights shining at the wall. The nervous, malevolent feeling appeared.  The figures appeared on the wall.

My friend then opened the door, said "I'm going to touch that wall," and walked straight up to it. He reached out with all the abundant determination of a man intent on proving another man wrong...and was unable to touch the wall.

Imagine pushing on an invisible barrier as hard as you can with your palm flat on the transparent surface. Now push harder.

This is exactly what my friend did. He could not move his hand anymore beyond the few inches that kept his hand from the surface. If he'd been there in the daylight, you could not only touch the wall, you could lean against it. There's nothing to keep you from feeling the surface.

With his curiosity satisfied, and a dare unfulfilled, he came home.

Apparently, not too long after that, the story was featured on "Unsolved Mysteries," yet I must admit I have looked and could not find it referenced on their website.

After the story aired on the television nationwide, people kept coming to the wall at night. So many came, in fact, that the congestion was keeping the church from having its nightly rituals and matters were taken to take down the wall. The address was subsequently changed as well.

The story may still be told in Clarksville. Truth be told I'm not certain if it is or isn't anymore. I've only been there once in the last several years, and that was just a week ago.

But if it's a current, and active, haunting you want I suggest you tune in reruns of "Ghost Hunters," where they came to Eureka Springs and explored the Crescent Hotel. It was quite hilarious for me to see these boys from the East Coast who, when they crossed the state line, was amazed by the local scenery.

"Beautiful" was the word Jason used, I believe. He was also astounded, as most people are, that something that's as seemingly dreary as Arkansas can actually look quite remarkable and parts of it can be sophisticated.

Another active haunt is in Van Buren, at the King Opera House. I've considered calling up the TAPS team to investigate, and even more so now that a fire broke out on the upper levels. And, as those familiar with ghost stories know, renovations and repairs often stir up old memories and entities.