Paranormal Log for The Belfast Bed & Breakfast Gettysburg, PA 2005   April 15th The footsteps began again. Distinct boots passing overhead in the upstairs foyer. It has been exactly two months since the Pennsylvania Paranormal Group conducted their investigation here, and this is the first sign of activity reoccurring.   April 19th Sweaty tourists. It is not yet summer.   May 1st Hired a new housekeeper named Katherine. She swears to have seen two men with beards talking on the second floor balcony beside the hot tub. What kind of parents can’t spell Catherine the normal way?   May 4th A retired accountant from Maine has taken up a summer long residence here to work on his novel. Every other visitor I meet is writing a novel.   May 12th The retired accountant ties strings from his fingers to all of his important things at night so that no one can take them from him while he sleeps. He will never be able to have more than ten essential objects in his life.   May 20th I have learned that Katherine the housekeeper is attending the nearby community college to become a dental hygienist.   May 30th It was five years ago today my husband Glenn drove his El Dorado into a lake and never came back. He was a determined soul. June 1st Today we begin wearing our period dress to build excitement for the battle reenactment next month. My dress is too short. You could follow my veins like longitude lines.   June 3rd The spirits become more restless when they see us pretending to be them.   June 21st I feel as though I’ve been in this house over a hundred years.   June 28th If there were a tornado I would want to gather all the guests in the basement and play spin the bottle while we sat on the pool table.   July 2nd The second day into the reenactment, Katherine the housekeeper has ruined our staged battle. During the high point of the afternoon, when the Confederates are beginning to fall back, she came out onto the field lugging the good vacuum cleaner. She couldn’t figure out how to put a new bag in it.   July 8th One of the dining room chandeliers fell today. It shattered atop the long mahogany table. It looks as though someone ripped it from the ceiling.   July 12th I met a woman that enjoys writing poems and then having them glazed onto decorative plates. This is an expensive process she says, but how else can she be certain her words will outlast this weather.   July 17th During front desk duty last night I tied a string from my finger to the front door in case I fell asleep. I wasn’t scared that someone would sneak in while I slept. I just wanted to know who was leaving.

Paranormal Log for The Belfast Bed & Breakfast
Gettysburg, PA
2005

April 15th

The footsteps began again. Distinct boots passing overhead in the upstairs foyer.

It has been exactly two months since the Pennsylvania Paranormal Group conducted their investigation here, and this is the first sign of activity reoccurring.

April 19th

Sweaty tourists.

It is not yet summer.

May 1st

Hired a new housekeeper named Katherine. She swears to have seen two men with beards talking on the second floor balcony beside the hot tub.

What kind of parents can’t spell Catherine the normal way?

May 4th

A retired accountant from Maine has taken up a summer long residence here to work on his novel. Every other visitor I meet is writing a novel.

May 12th

The retired accountant ties strings from his fingers to all of his important things at night so that no one can take them from him while he sleeps.

He will never be able to have more than ten essential objects in his life.

May 20th

I have learned that Katherine the housekeeper is attending the nearby community college to become a dental hygienist.

May 30th

It was five years ago today my husband Glenn drove his El Dorado into a lake and never came back. He was a determined soul.

June 1st

Today we begin wearing our period dress to build excitement for the battle reenactment next month. My dress is too short. You could follow my veins like longitude lines.

June 3rd

The spirits become more restless when they see us pretending to be them.

June 21st

I feel as though I’ve been in this house over a hundred years.

June 28th

If there were a tornado I would want to gather all the guests in the basement and play spin the bottle while we sat on the pool table.

July 2nd

The second day into the reenactment, Katherine the housekeeper has ruined our staged battle. During the high point of the afternoon, when the Confederates are beginning to fall back, she came out onto the field lugging the good vacuum cleaner. She couldn’t figure out how to put a new bag in it.

July 8th

One of the dining room chandeliers fell today. It shattered atop the long mahogany table. It looks as though someone ripped it from the ceiling.

July 12th

I met a woman that enjoys writing poems and then having them glazed onto decorative plates. This is an expensive process she says, but how else can she be certain her words will outlast this weather.

July 17th

During front desk duty last night I tied a string from my finger to the front door in case I fell asleep.

I wasn’t scared that someone would sneak in while I slept. I just wanted to know who was leaving.

Jason Joyce graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2009 and is now living in Los Angeles, living out his mission to never grow boring. Jason works as the Asst. Director for Programming and Student Government, teaches as adjunct faculty, and recently earned his MBA ('16) at Loyola Marymount University. He co-owns the clothing company Weekend Society, plays keys in the band The Rubbish Zoo, plays in five post-collegiate sports leagues, and is working on his first full-length collection of words, among other projects.