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The history of the jail is real but my story is fictional.

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The Haunted Jail

The building is imposing, massive and fearful,
built in 1862 as a jail and gallows for criminals;
the conditions were inhumane and appalling,
on top floor was death row with only one way out.

It closed in 1972 and was deemed to be heritage,
renovating was done but the creepiness remains;
one hundred and fifty unmarked graves were found there,
turned into a hostel for awhile but was closed soon after.

Said to be haunted by the dead inmates hanged there,
death row rooms can be rented on that top death floor;
small cells and narrow corridors, a small window the only light,
some have seen ghosts standing at the end of their beds.

There are creaking cell doors and heavy footsteps heard,
wailing and weeping and praying all the night long;
on a dare- I rented a top floor room with black cell bars,
I was told the daunting gallows remain not far away.

I went to my bunk, not really believing the stories,
but in a dream I was being caressed by many hands;
"STOP!" I screamed but in the dim light no one was with me,
I was restless and started walking the dark narrow halls.

There was a man walking also and I wanted to talk,
"hello, sir!" I called but he did not stop so I followed;
he opened a door and went through, I hesitated a moment,
then, I opened the door to the gallows and found him hanging.

His neck was broken and his eyes bulged out in fear,
I tried to scream but no sound came as hands touched me;
the decomposed dead reached out and all had broken necks,
I was screaming when my body dropped into an empty void.
     
I was found in the morning, crumpled and weeping,
talking hysterically about being hanged by by the decomposed;
the mental hospital is not much better than that jail was,
where the ghosts hang me every single night in the gallows.

______________________________
Date: September 19, 2016

Poetry/Verse/The Haunted Jail
Copyright Protected, ID 16- 1094-834-0
All Rights Reserved.  Written under Pseudonym.

Contest: Give Me Goosebumps
Sponsor: Nina Parmenter

Tenth Place
Copyright © | Year Posted 2018

Poem

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Dietrich Avatar
December 21, 2018 at 6:32 PM
oohhhh, very creepy, and very good, Dear Heart. BIG congrats on your win.
La France Avatar
December 23, 2018 at 9:14 AM
Andrea, thanks so much for the congrats, appreciate ~
Devonshire Avatar
December 21, 2018 at 1:46 PM
How difficult it would be to try and sleep in a place where death-row inmates were held. And that man you passed in the halls! No wonder she needed to be in that mental hospital. A powerful and frightening poem, Dear Heart. Congratulations on your win in the contest! Hugs, Carolyn
La France Avatar
December 23, 2018 at 9:16 AM
Carolyn, thanks for the congrats, the story of me sleeping on death row is fictional but the jail is real and one can rent rooms on death row for the night, now that would be real creepy . . even the gallows is still there, quite the tourist attraction too ~
Devonshire Avatar
December 21, 2018 at 1:46 PM
All of the poems in this contest may make it hard for me to sleep tonight!
Gondolf Avatar
December 21, 2018 at 10:21 AM
This is truly an eerie verse, Constance, congrats on your win. Merry Christmas, Dear Heart! John
La France Avatar
December 23, 2018 at 9:17 AM
John, Merry Christmas back at you and thanks for the congrats, appreciate ~
Gauthier Avatar
December 21, 2018 at 10:14 AM
Congrats on your win, Constance. Well penned.
La France Avatar
December 23, 2018 at 9:18 AM
Line, thanks for the congrats, appreciate ~
Rodrigues Avatar
December 21, 2018 at 9:59 AM
Aren’t we humans insane, renting haunted rooms?! Why do we draw near to fear. Truly we want to run but our feet want to tap on the forbidden streets of horror. That your character ends up in the mental hospital, creepily hung every night by the ghosts...terrifying! Congrats on an awesome goosepimply write!
La France Avatar
December 23, 2018 at 9:19 AM
Kim, thanks for the congrats and that great comment, what is even more creepy is that the jail is real and the rooms can be rented and people do !
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