Haunted Hope Chest

Apparently a ghost who was possessive, and materialistic in life will be so in death. There are many stories concerning items haunted by their previous owner.

Years ago a young newlywed couple moved next door to us. For our purposes we'll call them Andy and Tanya, though of course these aren't their real names. As was common in those days, Andy worked his 9-5 at the office while Tanya stayed home happily cooking and cleaning their small cottage. A friendly couple, they were the delight of the neighborhood with his tales of a hunting big game in Africa and her apple crisp smothered in hot vanilla butter sauce.

One afternoon they returned home from a rummage sale in Salinas with a beautiful trousseau chest. A honey maple color, the chest was adorned with handpainted hearts and roses. Tanya said she thought it was Pennsylvania Dutch. Whatever it was, the chest was an exquisite piece of craftsmanship.

"More than I cared to pay for it." Andy boasted, as he unloaded it from their old truck. "Tanya had her heart set on it, so there was no way I could disagree."

"It's a hope chest." Gran told us children. "Brides used to fill their hope chest with pillowcases, towels, aprons and other housekeeping items they would be using once they were married."

Within a week of the trousseau chest's arrival, the young couple started bickering. Quickly the arguments escalated into screaming matches that left Tanya in tears, and Andy slamming out the door. This surprised all of us who'd known them to be truly devoted to one another.

It was pouring rain the night Tanya appeared on our doorstep, wet and scared. Gran opened the door and ushered the shaking young woman in with an admonishment, "You'll catch your death of pneumonia!"

"It's that old man who…" Tanya started sobbing.

"What old man?" Gran asked.

Tanya looked around at us then calmly stated, "You're probably going to think I've lost my mind…but there's an old man who stands by the trousseau chest and acts as if to shove me away whenever I…"

"Where's Andy?" Dad asked.

"He's gone to see his brother in Soledad." Tanya wept.

"Well let's call the police and let them take care of this old burglar!"

"You don't understand! The old man is a ghost. I've seen him standing near the chest since that first night we brought it home. But just recently he's started snarling at me and…"

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