Jeepers Creepers!

I'm a sucker for a good haunted house story. Book or movie, scary stories that don't depend on gory slasher scenes or horrific devices of torture have always appealed to me. I remember reading the book AMMIE, COME HOME by Barbara Michaels a very long time ago and it scared the bejeebers out of me. I still love a great ghost story.

Last Friday night, it was yet another scorcher of a day. In fact, early last week my little hometown had the dubious distinction of being the hottest place in the USA with a scorching 'feels like' temperature of 137 degrees. All I want once I get home from work is to fill a large bowl with ice cream, sit down in my air-conditioned living room, put my feet up, and watch a movie.

I'd rented Insidious. One of the kids had heard it was scary so two-thirds of the triplets and yours truly sat down to enjoy some 'family time' and, hopefully, have the wits scared out of us.

We put the movie in around 8. We're sitting in the living room with all the lights off and the movie is at a rather critical part when outside the sky begins to darken and thunder rumbles in the distance. At first I don't pay it all that much attention. Then, more thunder. Closer, this time. The wind picks up. It starts to rain.

I pull the curtain aside to take a peak out, keeping one eye on the weather and one eye on the TV screen. Another crack of thunder--this time really close--and I look away from the telly just as both of my children let out a scream. At that moment, all hell breaks loose outside my window. Wind like you wouldn't believe sends sheets of rain against the windows, lightning flashes, and the lights blink. The sound of hail hitting the roof and windows is almost drowned out by a fierce, gale force wind. We hear a strange noise and my daughter rushes to the patio door and looks out into the back yard. And then I hear the words every mother dreads:

"Mom, you better come look at this."

I go over to the patio door off the dining room and look out--and see my utility shed being lifted off the ground.

We can only stare at the bizarre sight.

Lightning flashes and a great boom of thunder follows. The electricity goes out. More lightning. More thunder. And my shed is still trying to take flight.

Five minutes later the wind has died down and the rain is letting up.

We make our way to the shed in the back yard and this is what we see:

Fortunately, the shed got hung up on the garage or who knows where it might have ended up.

Have you had any bizarre or weird occurrences you'd like to share? A time when you had the pants scared clean off you? Near misses from scary storms?

And me? I'm thinking it will be awhile before I'm up for another scary movie family night.

Just sayin'.

~Bullet Hole~