From the 2020 Quarantine Chronicles Journals – as if a Divorce and a Pandemic wasn’t enough!
Day 23 – 5:00 am
Quarantine Nightmares
Had conquered the first nightly round of insomnia, until what did my horrified ears hear, but the sound of deep claws on wood. I lay there a moment, thinking surely I was asleep in the throes of a nightmare. But no, I was awake.
Heavy claws, running, scratching, just outside my bedroom window, on my little deck, usually my daily oasis. When I realized it wasn’t stopping any time soon, I hesitantly arose, and tip toed to the Venetian blinds and tried to take a peek. Nothing. Turned on the outdoor light ready to jump out of my skin. Nothing.
Then, the sound appeared to be coming from INSIDE the cottage. Now my adrenaline is really going. Turn on my phone flashlight (why didn’t I turn on lights, I don’t know) and start creeping room to room, peering around the corners, light upheld like a police officer with his gun. Each time, nothing.
Checked the whole cottage. Sounded like it was outside again. I’m talking heavy claws. Not a little creature. When I would move, it would stop. It was like being in a real life horror movie (as if we’re not already in this global pandemic).
Finally I crept back to bed, thought it might be on the roof. Opossum? Squirrel? GHOST? Is my cottage haunted, or do I have a furry night stalker?
Miraculously fell back asleep, but now missed my 8:00 am Insta live work out.
At least I have my Quarantine Dream of InstaCart Man’s delivery today.
To be continued…
Night 41
Remember Night 23? Nightmare claws on wood? Well here we are again. Sitting watching brainless TV when what to our wondering ears do appear? But a massive cluster of thumps in the night coming from the locked cottage cupboard. Is it the A/C? Is it the family of chipmunks residing under the deck? Or something bigger, something more sinister. Run out to the street. See a masked man dash from his Mazda Miata under the dim lights of the Victorian neighboring empty houses. Had he somehow seen me unloading the 30 pack 2 ply Ultra Soft Charmin Toilet Paper along with the 4 pack paper towels earlier in the day? Race back, lock the cottage door. Then, the scratching sound resumes, flickering lights, smell of cloves, to approach, or run away? That is the question.
Night 45 Quarantine Chronicles – The Haunted Cottage. “Underneath”.
From Night 23 Claws on Wood, to Night 41 Thumps in the nIght from the Locked Cupboard. Last Night Loretta heard claws on wood outside her bedroom window, but alas, there is no wood outside her window. Tonight, the thumps emanated from the back deck. I went to investigate. Video evidence ensued. “It’s underneath!”. Cue the horror movie music, “Don’t open it!” I hate to think what this night will bring…
Night 45. Thumps in the Night. Claws on Wood. 4:00 am. Awoken from a deep sleep to once again the sounds of a large creature seemingly clawing a mere couple of feet from my bed. Outside the window, then almost sounds inside below the bed. Sat bolt upright, adrenaline surging. Then the thumps from the locked cupboard in the hall. Checked with Loretta in the morning. She had the same claws on wood outside her window – facing the front street. Mine faces the back deck which is completely fenced in. No explanation.
An older woman and a dog inexplicably walked down our private side path past our windows yesterday. Is there a ghost dog in the cottage?
June 8, 2020
Culmination of Quarantine Chronicles at the Cottage:
The Death of Claws on Wood.
Never saw him. Now he smells. Claws on Wood is dead under the decking.
Loretta – “Claws on Wood was a lovely addition to our family in times of lockdown. Even those terrifying evenings when we were tortured by the sound of claws on wood. However, it was wonderful to feel that life outside of the cottage was still existing. We will hold him (it) forever in our hearts. Gone but not forgotten x”
Last heard Claws on Wood on Night 45 of Lockdown (see recap below). That’s also when I spent $11 for “DiedInHouse.com” AND we went to Home Depot to buy stench removal supplies.
CUT TO: Today, 1:45 pm
Who ya gonna call? Ghost busters! Currently waiting with anticipation for the arrival of the stench investigators. “Only one way to get under the deck… through the locked cupboard”!!!! Finally, we’ll see the other side.
2:00 p.m. Masked Ghost Buster: “Mmm, hmm, it’s happened again.” Goes to the locked cupboard and nods. “I’ve got to go get a skinny guy.”
He drives his Ghost Bustin’ rig in search of a little fellow.
Masked Ghost Busters!
2:30 p.m. Three Masked Men enter the cottage. Ghost Buster (GB) opens cupboard to reveal a trap door! Little Man (LM) squeezes down into the abyss. GB shines flashlight. LM slides in the dirt under the entire cottage rapping up to reveal his location. Nada! However a tunnel was discovered under the cottage between our bedrooms. GB says he’s retired from the underneath duties. LM finally crawls out, covered in dirt.
We all retreat to back deck. A few flies buzz. Yup, it’s UNDERNEATH. Tomorrow’s adventure continues as they will return to create a trapdoor on the deck.
Trap Door and Zoom Call
In today’s episode of “This is My Life”… on a Zoom interview call on our COVID-19 film project, whilst flies buzz my head from the still unknown deceased beast underneath, and the Masked Cowboy/Ghost Buster/Carcass Detector arrives waving excitedly at me through the window to continue his investigation. Loud buzz saw ensues as he creates a trap door in the deck. Ongoing. To be continued….
Day 3 The Beast Underneath – The Excavation, then the Big Reveal
The Heroic Masked Carcass Investigator came back with his fourteen year old son to dig up the back deck. Stench and flies in abundance (91 degrees currently). Only to determine, the beast was indeed underneath the cottage. Had to get Little Man to return to go down the trap door in the previously locked cupboard of doom. At last… the discovery was made… a rigor mortis RACCOON!!!! We were told to avert our eyes at the gory spectacle as it made its way on its final journey through the interior of the cottage (in a plastic bag). Claws on Wood, the dearly departed, has finally left the building.
Day 6 Remnants of Rocky Raccoon; gone but not forgotten
Whilst in a sidecar/motorcycle, pest control was fumigating the cottage for Rocky’s remaining gift of little biting friends. All privacy gone as men moved all our belongings to and fro. Received the call that they had peered underneath via the trap door to see if any bits of the carcass remained to cause the dreadful lingering smell. They assured us this is all part of the natural process. Cut to end of a lovely evening, vacuuming any remaining eggs and such.
Next installment: https://secondchapternomad.blog/2023/03/17/quarantine-chronicles-part-8-casa-de-coco-before-africa/
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