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Hey weirdos, I'm Alaina Juice. >> And I'm Ash Ditz. >> [laughter] >> I like Alaina Juice.
00:00:07
But it's also kind of good. >> of weird and gross. Uh this is Morbid, in case you didn't know.
00:00:12
Uh and it's Listener Tales. >> Brought to you by you, for you, from you, and all about you.
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>> [music] [music] >> All right, so we have some business to start you guys off with.
00:00:34
>> little bit. >> But it's fun. It's like for you guys. So, we are launching What does it
00:00:38
launch? >> Today. >> Today. >> Today. >> A candle, a Morbid candle, which has been filling my home with the yummiest
00:00:47
smell. I have it under it. >> Yes. >> Um a candle warmer right now. >> Oh, that's the best.
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>> It's in the kitchen, and when I walk down the stairs, I go It smells so good. What is the scent?
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>> Here it is. >> This is it. She becometh so lame. You can buy a vowel for She Becometh
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[laughter] So Lame, and it smells like Sniffy Sniffy. You already smelled it. It smells like
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amber and santal. >> It's so clean. >> Yeah. >> It's that clean smell, like I don't know, it's fresh.
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>> Yeah. >> Yeah, we're going to put it right here. >> She's going to stay right there.
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>> You can have one, and you can also have a horned hoodie, which is really, really
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cute. >> horns. >> And literally, you put the hood on, and it's horns. >> Horns.
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>> And we love it. >> We were so excited about it. >> Yeah, we've been wanting a candle
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forever. >> Yeah, and everybody told us that we couldn't have a candle. >> would give it to us, or like, some
00:01:35
people wouldn't give it to us. Yeah. But some people did. So, thank you seriously.
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>> Seriously [laughter] did. >> Marissa at Sirius. >> Yeah, she gets us. >> ass.
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>> So, you guys should get that candle. And one last thing that we think she should
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you should do You should go should do You should buy tickets to the live show. >> [laughter]
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>> You should go. >> Buy tickets to the live show. >> You should go to Radio City Music Hall
00:01:59
on June 27th, see me, see Elena. I don't know why I did it the wrong way. >> see Ash.
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>> See our special guest who we can't announce yet. >> And we're going to have pretty dresses.
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>> We are we >> We're so excited for our live stream. >> It's going to be really fun and we have
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a fun theme and it's going to be a blast. It's one night only. Tickets are going so get your tickets while they
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last cuz we want to see all of you. Bring your friends, have a blasty blast. >> And Elena says you can just wander the
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streets. You don't even have to get a hotel. >> Don't even get a hotel. Just wander the
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streets. >> Wander the streets until morn. >> In New York. >> Somebody will give you a ride in the
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morning. It's New York. >> Somebody will. >> Yeah. >> I don't know if they're reputable, but
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>> But somebody will give them to you. >> But anyway, that's why you should come
00:02:39
cuz you can get a story out of it. >> It's true. >> But where the eggs came from.
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>> more, [clears throat] don't you? >> Who doesn't want more? >> We all want more.
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>> Speaking of lore, you guys send in your lore. >> You did. You sent in much of your lore.
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>> Did you see that? >> A great many lore. >> So much lore. >> Yes. [laughter] >> Would you like to start with the lore?
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>> Let's start with the lore. I think we I think there's like kids seeing ghosts in this one.
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>> Yeah, cuz like you're a ghost. I see ghosts. >> I'm the ghost with the most. >> Yeah, period.
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>> All right, so I'll go first. This one is called Kids Say the Creepiest Things.
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>> They really do. >> And they do. Can confirm. Hi. >> Hi. >> How are you? >> I just started listening to Morbid about
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a month and a half ago. Welcome. >> Hello. >> I'm on episode 161 where you guys discussed the Scream murder while you're
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early. >> Early and that's a very brutal one. >> I beg you to stay with us. >> Stick with us.
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>> Start sounding a lot better and we got much more professional as time goes on.
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>> In the earlier episodes, yeah, clearly. >> Hello. [laughter] >> In the earlier episodes, you guys
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announced that you're doing live shows and how excited you were about them. You kept saying live shows 2020, we're
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coming for you. And in my head I was screaming, I'm from the future and 2020 ain't it.
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>> Yeah, we wish we heard you back then. >> It was very sad and every time I listen
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to an episode you girls have to talk about ticket refunds and rescheduling and my heart breaks for you all over
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again. >> a rough time. >> It was. Anyways, on to my tale. My name is Danny. Hi Danny. I have my I have a
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3-year-old named Miles, not his real name. And since birth he has always been sensitive. When he was 2 and 1/2 we were
00:04:13
laying down to take a nap, what he said chilled me to the bone. Now, he was 2 and 1/2 here.
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He said, "I miss my other mama." >> Ew. >> If I was his current mama, I would be so
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pissed. >> I'd be like, "What mama?" >> What do you mean? >> I'm your mama. I'm the one and only
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mama. >> I sat up confused. "What other mama? Honey, I'm your only mama." "My mama
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from when I wasn't Miles." >> What? >> This is like my favorite thing ever. >> This is my favorite thing ever, but if I
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have this kid, I'm going to be so scared. >> Yeah, and I can confirm I don't think I
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have one of those kids, so >> No, I don't think so. Uh, but your kids are pretty [ __ ]
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weird. >> They are weird. >> But like in the most in a fun way in like the coolest way.
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>> Yeah, but they don't do this [ __ ] >> They don't. [clears throat] >> I was raised very spiritually. My dad
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always said reincarnation was real. He thought I was gifted and explained that our family had a long history of psychic
00:05:04
abilities. I thought he was full of [ __ ] Sure, I get certain vibes around people or places and sure, I've had
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dreams where someone else and I felt like I'm reliving a memory and yes, I've absolutely seen things that I can't
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explain. Hatman, I'm talking to you. >> Uh, the creepiest. >> But the rational scientific part of me
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believed and still thinks maybe I'm crazy or schizophrenic or delusional. >> You never know.
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>> Yet, here was my baby saying something so innocent. I decided to play it cool.
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"Honey, no matter who your mama used to be, I'm your mama now, okay?" >> Period.
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>> That's right. You put You put a period on that sentence. >> He was silent for what seemed like an
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eternity. I was half hoping he'd fallen asleep. Then he spoke again. "I was driving my car. I was at a gate
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and I was Miles and you were my mama." He said excitedly. I was shook. >> What? >> Fast forward a few months. I had just
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buckled him in his car seat after a trip to the gas station. As I was tightening
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the straps on his seat, he looks up at the passenger seat. He draws his eyebrows together, clearly confused.
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"Mama, who's that girl in the front seat?" >> Oh, you got a sixth sense, kid. >> Yeah, that's scary as hell. My heart
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dropped out of my butt. My mind immediately went into production mode. Was there a stranger who just casually
00:06:13
got in my vehicle without me knowing? What the hell? I glanced up to the passenger seat, and there was no one
00:06:18
there. Miles continued to stare at the empty seat. I breathed a sigh of relief. Ghosts were much easier to handle than
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living, breathing, fleshy things. And honestly, I agree with you. >> [clears throat]
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>> "Can you tell me more about her? Is she old like gran- like a grandma, or like
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little like you?" I asked as I finished tightening his straps. "Old like a nana, and she's got orange
00:06:38
hair just like me." >> Oh. >> Miles replied. He kept staring past me. Some ghostly ginger granny was in my
00:06:44
car. It was fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine. >> It was me. >> to be a ghostly ginger granny.
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>> That's right. I nodded and said, "Okay, I believe you." That was a great way to
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handle that. >> Yeah. >> That was like really weird. A few more weeks went by. He went to We went to our
00:07:00
local dollar store for some last-minute dinner supplies. My husband went inside while Miles and I waited in the car. The
00:07:06
parking lot was absolutely deserted. Suddenly, out of the blue, Miles says, "The little girl behind me says she
00:07:12
wants to go home." >> Nah. >> I'd be checking out of that one. I'd be like, "No, I don't believe you on this
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one." >> Personally, I would have left that dollar store. Personally, I would have
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abandoned my husband at that dollar store. >> [laughter] >> Right out of there. It was a hot summer
00:07:24
day, and still my whole body broke out in goosebumps, and a chill swept through me. The back of my skull tingled. I
00:07:30
wanted to nope right out of there, but my husband was still inside the store. >> matter.
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>> Leave him. He'll He'll understand. >> My eyes darted around the desolate parking lot, searching for someone, some
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girl getting into a vehicle or driving or anything that Miles might have seen to make him say that. There was nothing.
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>> No. >> A few more weeks went by without incident. No talk of not being Miles, no
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talk of anyone who isn't there. Then we took a road trip to see family. As we were driving along the interstate, Miles
00:07:55
looks out the window. I was driving my car and it went off the road and through the trees and into the
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water. >> Awesome. Great, Miles. >> Hey. >> become convinced this is not my child's
00:08:07
first time on this earth. He sees things and people who are not there. I try not
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to talk about it with him, but any and if he brings it up, I just tell him that I believe him.
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>> That's really nice. >> That's really nice. That's a good way to handle it. >> Yeah.
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>> I don't know how else to handle it. It's like this fear that the closer he is to
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the other side, the less of him I get to have here. I know that might sound crazy. It's not. But in this life, he is
00:08:28
mine. I don't want to share him. >> feel that exact same way. >> Thank you for reading this. Sorry if it
00:08:33
was a lot. This was amazing. Hopefully you can use it in a future episode. >> Miles, even though that's not his real
00:08:39
name. >> I know, that is really cute. >> But he's creepy as [ __ ] girl. >> He is.
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>> What are you going to do with that kid? >> I I always wonder if these kids, like I
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think when they get older, they like forget this stuff. >> Yeah, they do. I I That's what I mostly
00:08:52
heard. >> But you want them to hold it so that later you can be like, "Tell me everything.
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>> [laughter] >> Tell me what is going on." Yeah. >> I know. >> But I think they forget it. So maybe you
00:09:00
continuously being like, "I believe you." and just letting him say it. >> It's probably, yeah.
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>> Well, like jog his memory enough that maybe he'll remember it a little more. >> Maybe, cuz I want to know.
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>> I definitely think >> most people aren't as validating. Like I I think more often you hear stories where people
00:09:16
are like, "Don't say that." >> Oh, it was a dream or like, you know, you saw something. Yeah.
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>> Yeah. All right. Well, that was creepy, Danny. Thank you. >> Danny, that was good.
00:09:23
>> And shout out to Miles. Our next tale is Galveston Ghosties, but not a totally
00:09:28
sad tale. Okay. And this listener would like to remain anonymous. You got to go, Nicholas?
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>> Nicholas, we just started. We We're at house. We're at the pod lab. >> You're in the pod lab with Elena.
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>> at work. You like Elena, remember? I'm not sure if you're you're a fan of me.
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>> Nicholas called me an angel. He told me to be quiet. >> [laughter] >> That was
00:09:52
What did he say? >> Push. >> Pu- Don't I won't push you. I won't push your buttons.
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>> "You're pushing." >> I'm not. >> Yeah, sometimes Papa says that. >> You're [laughter] pushing.
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>> When I lived at home, I got that >> You were always pushing. >> You're pushing.
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>> It's exactly what he says. >> If I wanted a clown, I would have hired [laughter] one.
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>> The best one. >> Or I would have gone to the circus. >> Yes. >> [laughter] >> Yeah. I was a fun kid.
00:10:17
Anyway, hello weirdos. As I'm cleaning up my classroom for the end of the school year, I've been listening to your
00:10:22
back catalog. You have that in common with the last listener. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for keeping me entertained
00:10:27
through the hours of checklists and bo- boxing up books. I just heard your haunted lighthouses
00:10:32
lighthouses episode about >> another one of that. >> I know. We haven't done that in a while.
00:10:36
>> Spooky season is a-coming. >> I know. >> This one is about the Galveston hurricane of 1900. I have a super spooky
00:10:43
story for you two related to the hurricane. It will give you both the heebies and the jeebies.
00:10:47
>> Woo! >> This started in 2013. I had recently discovered I was pregnant, so I was
00:10:52
still able to walk around without feeling completely exhausted. Wanting to go out before we had a little one to
00:10:56
take care of, my husband and I traveled from our home just outside of Houston for a date night in Galveston. We went
00:11:02
on a haunted history tour because of course we did. >> Why wouldn't you? >> Yeah, exactly.
00:11:06
>> the opportunity, you go on that haunted tour. >> You got to. You can't really bring
00:11:10
babies on that, so I get [clears throat] it. >> Not really. >> Maybe like a little bit older kids, you
00:11:14
know? >> Yeah. >> But you're doing your damn thing. So, the island is one of the oldest cities
00:11:18
in the country, so we wanted to learn more about the spooky history. Boy, did we?
00:11:22
One of the first stops we made on the tour was to a spot that's now a parking lot.
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>> Aw, you put up a parking lot. >> Yeah. Paved paradise, you know? >> Ooh, bop bop bop.
00:11:31
What? >> Brian? >> Brian. >> Nicholas is your name, Brian. >> No. >> It can't be. We already made a name
00:11:39
[laughter] on this. Do you have a brother named Brian? He hopes that he has >> Are you looking for Brian?
00:11:49
Get back to me. >> Yeah. >> Before the hurricane, it had been St. Mary's Orphanage. The story is truly
00:11:54
heartbreaking. The nuns who ran the orphanage were trying to save the children, so they tied them together in
00:11:59
lines like little ducklings with what had been their clotheslines. You can fly? >> Like ducklings.
00:12:07
>> Like ducklings, they fly. You're right. Each line was held by one of the sisters
00:12:11
who tied themselves to the children. >> Oh. >> That way, if one child was being swept
00:12:14
away, the other child and the sister could hold onto them. The lines of children walked through the flood and
00:12:19
the storm to some trees in the area, where they climbed up to try to stay away from the rushing waters.
00:12:25
Unfortunately, the lines of the rope that were meant to save them did just the opposite. As the waters rose, the
00:12:30
children on the lower branches would be swept away by the rushing waters, and they would pull the whole line of
00:12:35
children and the sister tied to them away as well. Out of the more than 90 children who
00:12:40
lived in the orphanage, only three boys survived. The rest were drowned in the gulf.
00:12:46
We listened to the story, and my husband took out his phone. He saw three orbs of
00:12:50
light in the camera. We He lowered his camera, and there was nothing in front of him. And when he [clears throat]
00:12:55
brought up the camera again, they were There they were. He showed me, and we thought maybe it was just a trick of the
00:13:00
streetlights until the orbs started moving. He greeted them with a, "Well, hello there."
00:13:06
>> Aw. That's really sweet. >> That's really cute. >> And they moved even more. Not only did
00:13:10
the orbs move as we stood there listening to the story from the tour guide, they started following us on the
00:13:15
tour. We told the tour guide later on the tour, and they said, "Oh, were you expecting?" Apparently, this is a fairly
00:13:22
common occurrence. >> What? >> That's nuts. >> I love that. >> This would have been a bit spooky, but
00:13:28
that wasn't the last we met with one of those children. My son was about two or three years old
00:13:32
playing in his room and we heard him talking, totally normal. He was playing with his toys. Then we started hearing
00:13:38
him talking to someone. He was having a conversation. That's my worst fear. >> Yeah.
00:13:43
>> Thinking [snorts] that very little of what he was doing because what two or three-year-old boy doesn't have
00:13:47
imaginary friends, we asked my son who he was talking to. He said he was talking to his friend Hayber. He comes
00:13:53
by sometimes to play. We asked him more about his friend. He was an older boy. Oh, that's interesting, sweetie. What
00:13:58
was he telling you? Oh, Hayber said he has to stay in the tree. He has to what? Hayber said that he stays in the tree.
00:14:05
The tree outside your window? No, another tree. He can't come down. He has to stay up there to be safe.
00:14:13
Wam. Wam. Wam. >> I don't like it. >> why did you come to my house? >> why are you here?
00:14:20
>> It was cool when we were on the tour, but why did you come to my house? >> cute when you were orbs. What's going
00:14:24
on? >> That's why when you leave a haunted place, you have to shake every like if
00:14:29
you don't want this to happen, you have to shake everything off and you have to explicitly tell the entities they're not
00:14:34
allowed to welcome to come home. Yeah. They can't follow you in your car, anywhere.
00:14:38
>> We had to do that at the USS Salem. >> And they actually instructed us to do it
00:14:41
like it was serious. We did it at the SK Pierce Mansion, at Lizzie Borden. We've
00:14:46
done it every single time. We do it everywhere now. >> Yeah. Honestly, I'm going to start doing
00:14:49
it at Mom and Pop's house. >> Truly. >> [ __ ] a lot of those there. >> [laughter]
00:14:52
>> So, my ghoulish friends, I couldn't find the names of any of the children who
00:14:56
were there, but I think my son's friend was telling him about one of the sisters
00:15:00
who was in charge of the children, Sister Mary Katherine Herbert. Want to know the other super creepy thing?
00:15:07
Not long after we were talking to our friend who was half Romani. He told us he really doesn't care to go to a lot of
00:15:12
older places because of the fun gift he inherited from his family. He could see ghosts. He confirmed that our house had
00:15:19
several, thankfully very friendly folks that like to hang around. One of whom was a young boy who was chilling near
00:15:25
our son's room. >> That's so wild. >> Imagine getting confirmation of that. Like there's a bunch of ghosts in your
00:15:31
house. They're friendly though. I'd be like that's it. >> Yeah, I would love it personally.
00:15:35
>> But it would make me That would be spooky. >> Yeah, they would be really spooky.
00:15:39
>> that there's like a young kid that like hangs out by your son's room. I'd be like I don't think I'd love that.
00:15:44
>> know about that. >> really want kid ghosts. >> Yeah, kid ghosts freak me out. But also
00:15:48
like old people kind of suck. So >> I know. >> You know what I mean? Like that's the
00:15:50
thing. Like where's the >> There's fun old people. >> I would love like a nice, you know, mid-30s
00:15:57
>> Like a mid-Britney [ __ ] ghost. >> You know, till like mid-40s. >> Yeah. >> You know, like we can chill. Watch
00:16:02
Gilmore Girls. >> All right. >> You know, like I feel like they're they're like I don't really have the
00:16:06
energy to do a lot. >> not even know they're there. >> Huh? Did he say bloody? Who's bloody?
00:16:14
Like bloody hell, right? >> He said bloody. >> Anyways. What? >> Younger. >> Younger? Oh, he thinks a younger ghost
00:16:24
Oh, I'm sorry Nicholas. Are you younger? Oh, did I offend you? >> Wait, what did you think? Cuz I said
00:16:30
like 30s. >> a younger ghost. >> want like >> Nicholas, I think he's saying younger.
00:16:34
>> How old are you? Okay. >> [laughter] >> That's rude. >> Ridiculous. Nicholas, how old are you? Like what age
00:16:43
group are you in? >> Now I am Jim Halperting. >> [laughter] >> Anyway. Let you what?
00:16:52
>> He said, "Hey little mama. >> [laughter] >> Just tell Okay. >> Uh he wants to touch you. Let me touch
00:16:59
is what he just said. I don't think you should be that close. I I like our relationship where it
00:17:04
stands. >> My previous question remains. How old are you? >> [laughter] >> And she doesn't like to be touched.
00:17:12
>> I don't like to be touched, but how old are you? Okay. Our son is much older now and
00:17:18
hasn't spoken about Haber in years, so I suspect he just wanted a friendly kid to
00:17:22
play for for a while play with for a while. >> [gasps] >> The moral of the story is that if you
00:17:26
want your kid to have a super friendly ghost friend who chills in his room and plays with his stuffed animals, give off
00:17:30
friendly parent vibes when you go on ghost tours. If you don't want something following
00:17:35
you home though, maybe don't say hi or go while you're pregnant. That's good advice, I would say. All right, and
00:17:40
shake it off. >> Yeah, you got to shake it off and you got to establish the boundaries.
00:17:44
>> say no, thank you. No, gracias. >> Thank you, babe. Stay here. You you love it here. Stay here.
00:17:49
>> I like that, anonymous. Thank you for that. Uh the next one is Mimi the Shadow. I
00:17:53
already love this. >> [laughter] >> Horrifying. I love Huh? >> Lady. >> Lady. All right, Mimi. Sounds like a
00:18:01
lady. >> Uh Ash and Elena, I came across your podcast during COVID. As it was for the
00:18:07
as it was for most people, my COVID experience wasn't just your typical COVID adventure. I had a newborn,
00:18:13
another child that was potty training, and a child in school. >> That's horrific.
00:18:17
>> I'm so sorry. >> Yeah. >> Uh my middle child had a pre-existing condition and experienced seizures the
00:18:23
few times we were exposed to the virus. >> Oh my god, that's awful. >> You did not have the normal experience.
00:18:29
>> No. >> My youngest barely slept. My oldest also decided this was the time to hold onto
00:18:33
the spiteful feelings for her siblings that tag team ousted her from being an only child.
00:18:38
>> Damn. >> On top of that, I've never ever been a homebody. I wasn't just crawling the
00:18:43
[ __ ] walls during COVID. I would do anything to It's what we want. I don't like that.
00:18:53
What do you want? >> What do you want, Nicholas? >> Before that, he said touch you.
00:18:59
He wants to touch you. What do you It's cold. What do you say? >> It's cold. >> It's cold.
00:19:06
>> I'm cold. >> I mean, I love being cold. Um so, there's that. Uh da da da da da da. I did turn on AC. Oh,
00:19:13
he's like, "Motherfucker, it's cold." Sorry, it was really warm in here. >> I would do anything to hear the voice of
00:19:18
another adult, whether it was talk about a new grout cleaning technique or 12th century cooking impact on Southern
00:19:24
European politics, or how to prepare for next year's taxes with fun new complicated forms, anything. I like to
00:19:30
consider myself as a high-functioning Pisces. So when I found myself trapped with more than my usual downtime, even
00:19:37
after I Marie Kondoed every space in my house, I found myself asking casual everyday questions like "How fast did
00:19:44
DNA evidence help locate the Golden State Killer?" or "Did they really use handwriting analysis to figure out who
00:19:49
Jack the Ripper was?" >> No. >> You know, normal questions. Enter Morbid in in all its glory.
00:19:55
>> Thank you. >> Well, I What? >> Duck. >> Buck. >> Buck. She writes books. >> I do.
00:20:01
Do you want one? I have some. >> She'll sign it for you. >> I'll sign it. Dear Nicholas.
00:20:07
Uh I have several weird stories, visits, and impossible coincidences. This is my
00:20:11
favorite weirdo tale that ended in some self-healing. >> Oh, I love that. >> Despite the hell that was COVID, 2015
00:20:18
was easily the worst year of my life. >> My father died unexpectedly the week my
00:20:22
husband was supposed to deploy overseas, >> which was delayed only a week to attend
00:20:27
the funeral. Within the month, my husband's grandfather and stand-in father figure also passed away. Worse,
00:20:33
my husband deployed after my father's funeral, but before his granddad passed. >> god.
00:20:38
>> My father's funeral delayed his deployment and therefore did not allow enough time leave to actually attend his
00:20:43
own granddad's funeral. >> Oh, that's so sad. >> That's awful. >> Adding my husband's deployment location,
00:20:48
he was unofficially denied attending. It was awful. Furthermore, during my husband's
00:20:53
deployment, I faced a series of adulting situations solo. We just moved 3 months
00:20:58
prior so that I could start a new job in heavily wooded nowhere, Virginia. I didn't have nearby or a very reliable
00:21:05
family. My mom walked out when I was young and Disney hadn't picked up the rights to my stepmother's villain origin
00:21:10
story yet. >> with [laughter] you. Absolutely obsessed with you. >> So, with no one to lean on, even months
00:21:16
after the funeral, I felt completely flattened. I'm so sorry. Our my young daughter had a lonely
00:21:22
birthday, and a few months after that, she started pre-K. It was a struggle to get through the work day, and that is
00:21:28
when I began to notice just how much my already chatty child had begun to talk to herself, a lot.
00:21:34
It is exhausting enough to get up and go to work while taking care of a strong-willed 4-year-old Gemini during
00:21:40
this time. So, I don't really know what finally made me realize that my daughter
00:21:44
was now talking and singing in what seemed like one-sided conversations, sometimes for hours in her room or
00:21:50
outside. >> Listen, she might not have even been talking to ghosts. A Gemini can talk to
00:21:54
a [ __ ] [laughter] wall. But, I I think I think she was talking to ghosts. >> All energy was spent minimally
00:21:59
functioning, and as my daughter is and always has been talkative and imaginative, it wasn't until she started
00:22:04
to sing songs I'd never heard before and repeat "Mimi says, Mimi did" that I even
00:22:10
asked her who this person Mimi was. >> Remember when your middle used to talk about her other grandmother? Yeah. She
00:22:17
wanted to go visit her. >> [snorts] >> One time, she got like legitimately angry at us because we were like, "You
00:22:21
can't go visit her." >> forgot about that. So, I was just saying like, "No, that wasn't a thing." Yeah,
00:22:25
that That did happen. >> She was like upset. >> And she would describe her grandmother's
00:22:29
house, her other grandmother. >> It was pink. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Weird. >> Yeah.
00:22:33
>> And I was like, "You don't have another one." >> And she would get like genuinely upset.
00:22:37
>> Yeah. >> She would. >> So, I feel like it was a place for her. >> I don't know what's going on.
00:22:41
>> Kids are weird, man. >> They are. >> But, actually, I asked about her friend,
00:22:44
who I assumed was a friend from daycare, only to get a really judgmental look of
00:22:48
disgust. On a random trip to the store, my daughter then told me that Mimi never
00:22:52
leaves the house. "Whose house?" I asked, confused. "Our house," she answered. "Oh," I said, feeling like an
00:22:59
idiot and finally connecting the dots. Oh. Oh. Okay. I realized my child had to invent a friend just to cope with our
00:23:05
super depressing home situation. I took it as a sign to start connecting with any potential new friends. I was already
00:23:11
a black belt in mom guilt, so I feel that. So, while I contemplated if imaginary friends are signs of
00:23:17
irreversible damage, knowing that my kid created an imaginary friend also somehow
00:23:21
soothed me. As a military brat, she was already pretty resilient, and the things
00:23:26
they came up with were pretty cute. This was the little push I needed to rejoin the world. I also realized Mimi was a
00:23:32
good friend. She never got into mischief, was never really blamed for anything broken or missing, and always
00:23:37
came up with fun things to create or do. >> Oh, yeah, Mimi. >> I would enjoy songs or games that I
00:23:42
overheard while I cleaned or cooked dinner. Mimi was everywhere, involved in everything. Sometimes I even stoop to
00:23:48
using Mimi's approval or suggestions to get things mini to get things mini struggles, like tying
00:23:54
shoes or brushing teeth over with. Again, this is a Gemini we're talking about. She could talk her way out of
00:24:00
anything, and I needed all the help I could get some days. >> Geminis really do be like that.
00:24:04
>> It's true. When my husband returned from a deployment, having another adult in
00:24:08
the house helped orient my grief back to normal, or as close as you can get after
00:24:12
loss in a series of life-changing events. One ritual I managed to keep was that every night we read three books and
00:24:18
sang three songs. >> Oh. >> One evening, my husband volunteered to start reading, but our daughter said she
00:24:23
was too busy for a book, telling him she wanted to play and needed to he needed to leave.
00:24:27
>> She said, "Get out, please, right now." [laughter] >> He tried to read a few times only to be
00:24:32
repeatedly dismissed as he was interrupting her playing. My husband talked to our kiddo for a few more
00:24:38
minutes, tucked her in, and then returned to our living room, seemingly amused, but off. I was surprised he was
00:24:44
back so soon, so I asked why. "Because I met Mimi," he joked. "Huh?" I was surprised. I realized I hadn't told him
00:24:50
about this imaginary friend. He then described walking into her bedroom after hearing her talking in a one-sided
00:24:56
conversation. "Who are you talking to?" he asked. Our daughter said, "Mimi." "Who's Mimi?" he asked, probably smiling
00:25:02
ear to ear in his persistently optimistic Labradoodle Esquire. I love him. Her little response was so
00:25:08
random that my husband decided to literally act out her response for me. I have to explain that my husband is
00:25:13
very easygoing, not a man of many words, and even less likely to mentally unpack
00:25:18
anything that he's experienced. [laughter] He's adorably oblivious. I wouldn't say
00:25:22
that he ignores things, but if he ever points something out saying that it caught his attention really means
00:25:27
something. He's the most live and let live person I know. >> that. >> To clarify, there are kitchen appliances
00:25:33
that are higher maintenance than my husband. >> [laughter] >> So play acting his response was not only
00:25:37
hilariously random of him, it is still a creepy joke we have. >> [laughter] >> While I was lying down on our bed, my
00:25:43
husband sat down on the floor next to me to act out our 4-year-old's response to
00:25:47
his question, "Who's Mimi?" She is singing and freezes annoyed mid-song. While she's seated on the
00:25:53
ground looking down, she then very slowly, deliberately, and intermittently lifted her eyes. Like they're slowly
00:26:00
moving, then pausing and moving up again. Up like going up a a five-rung ladder. She then locked eyes with her
00:26:07
father and said in an unnervingly hoarse voice, "Mimi's a shadow." >> [laughter]
00:26:14
>> What the [ __ ] What the actual [ __ ] >> [laughter] >> [ __ ] I don't know if I'm equipped for
00:26:22
this. >> [gasps] >> I'm nervous. >> [laughter] >> I would literally be like, "Love you so
00:26:27
much. Good night." >> That's what he That's what he did. He was like, "Okay." >> That would be it for me.
00:26:31
>> I'm out. >> Hold on. I pulled my thingy up. >> My husband said it was so creepy, but we
00:26:35
were already laughing enough when I asked him to say it in in the weird way she said it at least three more times.
00:26:41
We laughed about how odd it was, and I definitely got goosebumps, but we found the whole thing mildly entertaining. I
00:26:47
shared with my husband that Mimi was a better friend than I ever had been. The year of loss and grief put a a lot of
00:26:53
into perspective. I was motivated to make some changes and enjoy life more. Within a few years, we were more
00:26:59
settled, still struggling with the family loss, but Mimi visited less and less. We then moved further north to a
00:27:04
city and stopped Thank you, girl. Um we moved further north to a city and stopped hearing about Mimi altogether.
00:27:12
Ironically, my now teenager has no memory of Mimi despite their harm. Mimi didn't mean any harm. Did he
00:27:19
say arm or harm? Oh, don't harm me. Okay. >> Exactly. >> [laughter] >> Um what? I'm still wondering how old you are,
00:27:33
Nicholas, so let me know. Uh >> What is that? >> Age. I'd like to know your age.
00:27:40
>> [laughter] >> Uh Ironically, my now teenager has no memory of Mimi despite their numerous
00:27:46
songs that I recorded. They're He always says that. He always says that [ __ ] And that's where I sit normally,
00:27:54
so please don't be there. >> Maybe he's a Beyoncé fan. >> Uh to the left, to the left.
00:28:02
>> Their backyard walks to make fairy houses or multi-course tea parties. >> Oh.
00:28:07
>> Several months passed until I had an unexpected call with my grandmother, GG.
00:28:11
GG's the unofficial mayor of her town. >> Amazing. >> for GG. She's in a nursing home a few
00:28:16
states away, firmly within her community. By community, I mean she's literally one phone call away from
00:28:22
bootlegged booze in her room or ride to anywhere in town. >> Queen. >> I have called dozens of times for her to
00:28:28
answer and tell me she has to go because so-and-so is visiting or that she has to
00:28:31
go because she has plans. So, on a call catching up with GG, I'm telling her about our move from the woods to the
00:28:37
city and how different it was. I was going on and on about taking a hike and all the great pictures we took. That's
00:28:43
when she said, "Yes, Mimi always loved that the best." And I felt like the blood drained from
00:28:48
my body. Despite being a bit of a woo-woo Pisces, I'm a professional skeptic. I've had plenty of supernatural
00:28:54
experiences, but I never first assume otherworldly explanations. I feel that. >> I don't.
00:28:59
>> I literally work in facts. So, hearing Mimi's name surprised me. Hearing my very religious GG say the
00:29:05
name that I had only heard in the context as an imaginary friend was bewildering. I got chills, my stomach
00:29:11
did somersaults. That's when I realized I hadn't said anything and GG just continued to talk about the weather and
00:29:17
cute old lady things. I waited for a break in the conversation and finally, as normal sauce as you can, several
00:29:23
minutes after moving out on from a topic, I said, "Who did you say likes the fall? Who Who Who is that?" I tried
00:29:31
not to stutter. "My mother, Mimi." "Well, she went by Mimi. That's what we called her." she explained. She had
00:29:37
never talked about her mother and in her very Tennessee way, she then went on to
00:29:42
inform me all about Mimi's people, family background and their successful careers, football-related achievements,
00:29:48
love of animals and the water and the woods and >> I love when southern people who call
00:29:52
like family their people. >> Like, "Where Who are your people?" >> Yeah, you're my people.
00:29:56
>> You're my people. I love it. >> I went on to learn that Mimi was a very musical person.
00:30:01
>> The song. >> Singing. >> She was a pianist, a violin player, and a singer. This all made sense as my
00:30:07
grandmother was in every singing group that would allow that they would allow her. GG also had a song for the most
00:30:12
random [ __ ] drinking songs, songs about people that don't mind their own business, etc. [laughter]
00:30:17
>> I want to know that song, please. >> The more GG shared, the more I mentally came undone, but I couldn't say anything
00:30:22
other than, "Wow." >> [laughter] >> Mimi was the oldest of three children and had a tough childhood. Apparently,
00:30:29
Mimi's brother mother divorced her deadbeat cheating husband when she was about 10 to raise Mimi and her brothers
00:30:35
on her own. Mimi was kept to a high standard in school and she not only played the violin and piano in
00:30:40
orchestra, she was in debate, glee club, Latin club, core What is choral? >> Like the golden choral.
00:30:47
>> Choral? What's choral? >> Chorus. >> Oh, that's what that is? >> Choral. >> Choral. What is choral?
00:30:53
>> What is choral? [laughter] >> Tell me. >> Chorus. >> And I love Mikey went it's chorus.
00:30:59
>> That's [laughter] why THAT'S WHY I SAID CHORAL. >> FLOURISH. I liked that. What what's
00:31:03
chorus? >> said chorus. Chorus. >> And other clubs with names [laughter] I do not understand. Okay, I'm glad you
00:31:09
don't understand either. She went on to meet her husband and have four children.
00:31:12
GG said she didn't always see eye to eye with her mother, but Mimi didn't put up
00:31:16
with anyone's nonsense. >> Hell no. >> She encouraged GG not to marry young, but rather go to school and make her own
00:31:21
money. This sent my grandmother into a lifelong career in teaching, a gift she uses whenever she gets the chance.
00:31:26
>> Aw. >> I had such an out-of-body experience hearing about Mimi. It never felt like a
00:31:31
mere coincidence that my grand my child's imaginary friend also had the nickname of my late great grandmother,
00:31:37
who happened to only be around during one of the darkest periods of my life. >> even think about that part. That's
00:31:42
really beautiful. >> have never met anyone or heard my child or heard of my child knowing anyone with
00:31:48
that name. This conversation was so upsetting that it took me years to even tell anyone, and I still can't share
00:31:53
this story without getting very emotional. On top of that, this experience never qualified as a tell me
00:31:59
about yourself without sounding batshit crazy kind of thing. So, thank you for having a weirdo platform to share this.
00:32:05
>> The most unnerving part of all of this is that GG is my mother's my mother's mother. So, having any discussion about
00:32:11
mothers, let alone my mother, was taboo or upsetting. Conversations about my mother involved shame, guilt, or the
00:32:17
insistence that I forgive her for her many transgressions. >> that. >> So, hearing that my own GG had issues
00:32:24
with her mom was illuminating. I finally decided I needed to tell GG. With the complexity of our relationship and my
00:32:30
own mother lingering in the background of every conversation like an uninvited specter, it took me nine full years to
00:32:36
tell my grandma about this bizarre coincidence. It also took a while because it never felt right telling GG
00:32:41
randomly through a phone call that maybe her late mother might have been visiting
00:32:45
her great great granddaughter to take care of us while I was a mentally a ghost myself. I couldn't have said the
00:32:50
words out loud if I tried and I did. So 9 years later I finally mustered the courage to share
00:32:56
this experience with GG. At this point she was in a nursing home after a bad fall was having several complications.
00:33:02
She also had found out my mother had recently committed some shenanigans with her bank account.
00:33:07
>> people do that [ __ ] >> That >> We know them. >> Yep. >> We know them. >> I didn't know any of this was going on
00:33:13
when I called and she was so glad just to talk to someone. When I asked if I could share a weird story and then told
00:33:18
her about Mimi the shadow go guest she took a long pause before speaking. The kind any sane person would need to take
00:33:25
if their loved one told them that they were communicating with their dead mother.
00:33:29
When she started to talk I realized she had paused because she was crying. This was out of character and I started
00:33:35
to feel like an idiot. When she finally said, "Thank you. That brings me a lot of comfort."
00:33:39
>> Oh. >> She always has this power positive veneer. So when she went on to open up
00:33:45
about the [ __ ] shitty things going on she admitted her frustration of feeling like a burden and her disappointment
00:33:50
with my mother. All things we had never discussed before. So then I cried. Even though it was due to me saying this
00:33:56
possibly bat [ __ ] crazy thing we were definitely being real. Discussing her mother seemed to open the door to
00:34:02
discuss her daughter with me for the first time in an honest way. It also confirmed that there was still an
00:34:07
unbreakable motherly thread of love and human dignity in the non-stop soap opera
00:34:12
that is my family. >> We heard that. >> We heard. [laughter] >> We were finally able to discuss a
00:34:17
painful and unwelcome elephant in the room that seemed to taint every conversation I had with GG as an adult.
00:34:23
It felt like we could finally move past what had been left unsaid. Since then we've been able to talk more honestly
00:34:28
about anything. I I call her for wisdom anytime. That is, when she isn't too busy entertaining her neighbors or
00:34:34
enjoying a bootlegged margarita. >> absolute icon. >> Mimi's visit seemed to have healed us
00:34:39
both. I've attached some photos of Mimi and her epic bob below. >> I love a good bob.
00:34:44
>> I love a good bob. You need a good bob. >> I kind of want like a [ __ ] ass bob.
00:34:47
That's so >> a [ __ ] ass bob. Even looking at this length on you, it's not quite [ __ ] ass
00:34:51
bob, but like the shorter length, the long length looks incredible, but the short length, you have that like jaw
00:34:56
that just like eats a bob. >> you. >> Yeah. >> I want a [ __ ] ass >> And that's from a hairdresser.
00:35:01
>> I take it seriously. >> hair off. >> Well, maybe I will. Snip. >> Maybe we'll snap clap.
00:35:06
>> Uh so, we're getting some photos of Mimi. >> I'm so excited. >> And an epic bob. Thank you for reading
00:35:10
this and thank you for having the weirdo platform to read these stories. And in true Pisces fashion, keep it
00:35:16
weird, but not so weird that you don't receive a possible message of love and comfort from a deceased relative that
00:35:21
just wants to let you know that you aren't alone when you need it the most. Take it away, Ash.
00:35:25
>> I think you did the best you COULD FOR ME. >> OH, Mimi is a solid. >> That's a [ __ ] ass bob.
00:35:32
>> Also, the over the shoulder just like, "Bitch, you can't touch me." >> "I'm Mimi."
00:35:36
>> She said, "I'm in the glee club. I'm in choral." She said, "That picture is giving I'm in choral."
00:35:42
She's a queen with her little choker. >> Oh, that. That's she's that [ __ ] >> Oh, that's her the glee club.
00:35:48
>> She's that [ __ ] >> Oh, there's more. >> Oh, [ __ ] >> So, let the creep factor sink in. I love
00:35:56
it. >> Mimi was having Oh. I want to have tea parties with my great grandkids when I'm
00:36:01
dead. >> You're going to. >> I'm going to. >> That's You know you can do whatever you
00:36:04
want when you're dead, I'm pretty sure. >> Let's do it. Why did this come undone?
00:36:07
Did this happen? Well, that was >> [laughter] >> You're having a lot of issues over
00:36:11
there. I'm not quite sure, babe. Hey guys, I'm Jacquie or Jackie [laughter] or Jackie. I don't know.
00:36:19
>> They are here. >> Who? >> All the ghosties that love me. They are here. Okay.
00:36:25
Uh but you can just call me the girl who talks to ghosts because that's what my first grade teacher used to call me
00:36:29
behind my back. What a [ __ ] >> What a [ __ ] I know. >> She didn't talk behind your back.
00:36:33
>> even She couldn't even say her name, Jacquie. >> Yeah, Jacquie. >> Jacquie. My ADHD is kicking in real
00:36:38
hard, so there might be some spelling mistakes, and I definitely ramble a bit, but I'm going to just leave this here. I
00:36:43
have to say I love you guys. Or can I just say that my boyfriend finds murder creepy and gets super uneasy when I have
00:36:49
my headphones in and I'm laughing out loud because he knows I'm listening to you.
00:36:53
Thank you for keeping it so weird that I have tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard at the two of you
00:36:57
bullying a murderer. >> Yeah. >> Bullying is only okay when the person is literal human trash.
00:37:01
>> Yeah, agreed. >> Anyways, let me tell you just one of the reasons I don't [ __ ] with any
00:37:07
superstitions. >> Let's go. >> Okay, look. I was always a kind of weird, kind of creepy kid.
00:37:11
>> Me, too. >> According to my mom, I chased away almost all of my babysitters. At first,
00:37:16
they thought it was because our house >> Hi. >> You say [snorts] hi or why? >> Hi.
00:37:24
>> [laughter] >> HI. >> YOU YOU TOOK A LONG INHALE THERE. OH, OKAY. UH, according to my mom, I
00:37:32
chased away most all of my babysitters. At first, they thought it was because [laughter] our house backed an old
00:37:37
Watertown, yes, Massachusetts, >> Hell, yeah. >> uh, cemetery, but they later found out
00:37:42
that at least a couple of them were really just over me telling them about my friends. You know, the man in the
00:37:48
wheelchair, the old lady with the red cane, or whoever else decided to hang outside my bedroom window. We lived on
00:37:54
the second floor. >> That's weird. >> [laughter] >> But don't leave. >> What can I say? I'm friendly.
00:38:01
>> has to say. >> Yeah, I'm friendly and a good goddamn time. My preschool class didn't think
00:38:05
so, though, so none of them ever talked to me. >> Aw. >> I hate that. That's not cool. You're
00:38:09
just a baby. They're adults now. >> She's just a baby. >> I'll fight them. >> [laughter]
00:38:13
>> Selina will fight them. Trust me. I'll fight them. >> I guess they were a little older than
00:38:19
me, but they always pretended that I didn't exist, at least from what I can remember. I remember being in this class
00:38:24
and being ignored by the other kids who are older than me. Anyways, strap in. >> On site.
00:38:28
>> Yeah, we'll fight them for you. Here's the story of my first ever full memory. My school was basically in our
00:38:34
backyard and my mom brought me there all the time. So you better believe my ass was confused when my teacher was in my
00:38:39
room one morning waking me up because I was late for the class Easter egg hunt. >> What? I'm sorry, did I
00:38:48
Did I read that correct? >> [laughter] >> Okay. >> Okay. >> My mom grew up in Somerville during the
00:38:52
Sugar Hill Gang / Whitey Bulger era. >> Oh, no. >> And her neighbor went missing when she
00:38:57
was a kid. Plus, my friend group wasn't exactly kosher for a 4-year-old. So you better believe that my house was nearly
00:39:03
impossible to get into from the outside. "Time to go." my teacher said, "Get dressed. We're late."
00:39:09
>> I hate this in every way that you could hate something. >> are you being kidnapped?
00:39:13
>> Yeah, what's going on? Where the [ __ ] is your Who's your teacher? >> Uh well, I was four so I just went with
00:39:18
it. >> She waited for me to put on my white snow boots and my purple snow suit all
00:39:23
by myself. We were quiet because my parents were still sleeping. >> I'm so upset right now.
00:39:30
Somebody call someone. I'm upset. >> 911, I'd like to report a kidnapping. >> this as it's happening.
00:39:36
>> My teacher took me took my hand and walked me outside to join the egg hunt. I was frustrated because the big kids
00:39:42
were all finding the eggs and I hadn't gotten any. My not-so-tiny legs, your girl is lanky, kept getting stuck in the
00:39:48
mounds of snow she was leading me through. I could retrace every step I took. I could tell you what the big kids
00:39:53
said to tease me. I could reenact the entire day. It was my first real memory. >> What kid is teasing a 4-year-old also?
00:40:01
Give me the names of every one of these kids cuz they're adults now and they deserve to get walloped.
00:40:06
>> Walloped. She's into that word lately. >> Walloped. >> [laughter] >> I like pummeled.
00:40:12
>> So let's fast forward a couple of years when you weren't kidnapped, [snorts] question mark.
00:40:15
>> What happened? I don't want to fast forward a couple year. I'M NOT READY. >> What is going on?
00:40:21
>> [laughter] >> Well, we have to fast forward a couple of years. I'm looking through old photo
00:40:25
albums with my mom or the teacher that stole you. >> [laughter] >> You know, 80s baby style. We come across
00:40:30
this picture of me knee deep in a pile of snow, hair a mess and my purple snowsuit. It's snowsuit. Was that my egg
00:40:37
hunt? I asked my mom. She gave me a confused look. No, this is my first ever memory, the egg hunt with my class.
00:40:45
The look she gave me made me feel self-conscious. Is that how you remember it? She asked. Yeah, with the Winnie the
00:40:50
Pooh school. >> I'm so nervous. >> Now she looked annoyed. I told her it was my first memory and that my teacher
00:40:55
had to wake me up so that I didn't miss it. You still believe that? She asked me.
00:41:00
Obviously. Well, of course. I have very vivid memories of that day. I remember the
00:41:04
picture being taken when I found my first egg. I looked at the photo again and I was holding a snowball. No, Mom. I
00:41:10
remember the egg hunt. >> Oh, no. >> Jack, she said in the sweetest voice. That was the day you got up, got
00:41:17
yourself dressed and went outside to play by yourself. Your dad and I almost lost it when you weren't in your bed.
00:41:23
I didn't remember that, but I started flipping through the album to find the picture of me and my egg. I know you
00:41:28
took the picture. Where is it? I asked my mom. She was shocked. There was no picture.
00:41:33
There was no egg hunt. There was no teacher. There was no school. >> What the [ __ ]
00:41:39
>> But I remember the big kids were always mean. They ignored me. I begged her to
00:41:43
remember. You used to say that, she told when you were younger. The big kids don't like me. You said it all the time.
00:41:50
I remember some of their names though. I remember who picked on me and who just ignored me. The Winnie the Pooh's The
00:41:56
Winnie the Pooh school, Mom. I begged her to remember the classroom she took me to, the room with Winnie the Pooh
00:42:02
painted on the wall. She used my full name when she told me to cut the [ __ ] and that's when I realized something was
00:42:08
weird. Apparently, when I was a kid, I didn't just have imaginary friends. I had an
00:42:14
imaginary classroom. What the [ __ ] >> Apparently my mom and I would sit and play {question mark} in the cemetery for
00:42:22
hours in the mornings. I have real memories of this school, vivid memories. I could draw a picture
00:42:28
of the teacher that woke me up that morning if you asked me to. I used to tell my mom what I learned in school,
00:42:34
colors, numbers, the alphabet. She always just went with it. 30 years later, I found out I actually didn't go
00:42:40
to school. Years later when we were living in a different house. Don't worry, by that point I had younger
00:42:44
sisters so I guess I finally had some real friends. I've never had the guts to look into the
00:42:49
cemetery or reason that I thought I was in school all of that time. >> This is wild.
00:42:54
>> But you can say for some you can say for sure that someone helped me get dressed
00:42:57
that morning. Someone held my hand while I climbed through the snow and I actually heard the big kids laughing at
00:43:03
me when I only found one egg. >> Which also I will still [ __ ] wallop them. >> Yeah, even if they're not real.
00:43:08
>> Yeah. In the afterlife you'll wallop them. That pisses me off. >> This was probably why I couldn't keep a
00:43:13
babysitter for more than one night. >> Maybe spirits were my >> [laughter] >> Spirits were my friends and my teachers.
00:43:18
Even the big bullies that never that even the big kid bullies never tried to hurt me. They just pretended I didn't
00:43:24
exist. >> Maybe because they didn't see you cuz they were just like ghosts and you
00:43:28
weren't. [laughter] >> The story doesn't really have a climactic ending or even a point.
00:43:32
>> pretty climactic I would >> But to this day, I'm very respectful of spirit folklore because spirits were
00:43:38
always friends to me. >> Yeah. >> Ash, I'm going to take this one and say, keep it so weird that spirits just want
00:43:43
to be around you and you want to be and want to be your friends. Definitely keep
00:43:46
it that weird. >> I had no idea at any point during that story where it was going to go next.
00:43:52
>> I thought that you fully got kidnapped. >> I thought you were going to discover
00:43:55
that you had been kidnapped and you were traumatized so they didn't tell you and
00:44:00
they just told you it was an egg hunt. >> [laughter] >> that's our too. >> I thought your mom was going to be like,
00:44:04
[ __ ] Jack. I thought that you didn't know that >> you got kidnapped. I thought we got past
00:44:08
that. >> What? She You just had a whole ghost school. >> That's crazy, babe. >> I'm proud of you.
00:44:15
>> That's wild, babe. Good for you, girl. >> Damn. I'll still hit those kids for you.
00:44:19
>> Hit them. >> They're adults now. I'll hit them as adults. >> [laughter] >> Holy [ __ ]
00:44:24
>> Damn. Crazy. >> This one's creepy, too. >> This next one's called spoopy ass kids
00:44:28
in a haunted daycare. >> All right. Oh, good. Another school. Is this one real? >> I hope so. Hello, ladies. My name is
00:44:35
Hannah. Feel free to use my name because I will lose it if this is ever read on a
00:44:38
listener tales episode. Lose it, Hannah. >> Do you know what I just remembered recently? One time we took a This was
00:44:44
real. One time we took a field trip to this like school and we had to pick old-timey names and I picked Hannah.
00:44:51
Cuz it was of the choices. [laughter] It was of the choices. >> Why'd you have to pick an old-timey
00:44:56
name? >> Cuz we were pretending to be old-timey. It was when I had that crazy sunburn,
00:45:00
remember? With the bubble. >> Oh my god, yeah. With the blister. >> at that It was like a one-room school
00:45:05
that we all went to for like a field trip. >> But why was Hannah an old-timey name?
00:45:11
>> I don't know anything about any of that. >> I picked it cuz one, I think it's pretty
00:45:14
and two, it's a palindrome. >> Oh, there you go. >> Hannah. >> Hannah. >> Hannah.
00:45:18
>> Hannah. >> Hannah. >> I like how you write [laughter] Hannah. >> Like scar. >> You see what I mean?
00:45:25
>> Yeah. >> That's weird. >> randomly remembered that the other day. >> of your first memories. There you go.
00:45:30
>> But not one of my first Was it real? Who knows? >> It was real. >> Cuz of the sunburn. Who can be sure?
00:45:35
>> Trust me, I'm sure. >> That sunburn rocked my life. >> That [laughter] sunburn.
00:45:38
>> Wow. >> I I think it was a third-degree burn. >> I Yes. >> Dr. Dr. H was pissed.
00:45:44
>> I believe it. >> Yeah. >> Anyway. >> Well, there's that. >> You know, Dr. H. So.
00:45:48
>> [laughter] >> I changed the names of everyone involved for you, so no need to worry about them.
00:45:52
Thank you. All right. You two are absolutely hilarious. Oh my god, thank you. I've been listening to you since late
00:45:58
2020 and you both I really is COVID. And you both brought so much joy to this insanity. This These This insanity.
00:46:06
>> [laughter] >> Uh whenever I need a mood booster, I know I can look forward to a new episode
00:46:10
or find an old one to relisten to because you get it and always provide a laugh when it's needed.
00:46:15
>> Aw. I'm a fellow New Englander. >> Hey. >> In the neighboring state of Connecticut.
00:46:19
Uh my youngest one would say "Connect-a-cut." >> Connect-a-cut. >> Yeah. So, all your New England cases
00:46:25
really hit different. I wanted to share this listener tale because it was one of
00:46:28
my best friends' favorite stories to be kept up to date on. She was going through cancer treatment while this was
00:46:34
happening, so it was something I could tell her to make her laugh. She passed away in 2019. I'm sorry. And I miss her
00:46:40
every day. Your banter and love for each other reminds me of her. Power? >> Power.
00:46:47
>> Power, sister. >> [ __ ] that was crazy. Um your banter and love for each other reminds me of her
00:46:53
and I can't thank you and I don't you dare turn him off. >> I saw that. >> Mikey!
00:46:59
>> [laughter] >> I saw that. >> Mikey just tried to silence Nicholas. >> But I caught it.
00:47:06
>> You tried to silence him. >> And it's me HE DOESN'T LIKE? >> NO, YOU'RE THE LIAR. YOU'RE the liar.
00:47:16
SEE? >> WOW. [screaming] >> HE DOES NOT LIKE being silenced. >> I don't know what he just said.
00:47:25
>> CHEATING. >> CHEATING. >> YOU'RE CHEATING. >> Leave this all in. >> threw my microphone off of me again.
00:47:32
>> Nicholas, I'm actually with you on this one. So, maybe you could like >> You know what it is? I got the that mom
00:47:37
peripheral vision. That's like don't do that. Like you just see it happening >> you were scratching your leg to be
00:47:42
honest. >> No. >> [laughter] >> Oh no, he's Look at him owning it. >> Oh no. >> He's going to kill me.
00:47:49
>> What did he say? >> TOO MUCH STUFF. >> [laughter] >> WALL GIRL, don't silence a ghost.
00:47:54
>> He's so mad. >> Somebody already tried to silence him cuz he's dead. >> He's dead.
00:47:59
>> All right, this is a tale from my days of working in a daycare. When I started
00:48:02
at the school, I was given a brief history of the building. It was originally built as a wealthy wealthy
00:48:07
family's house, then turned into a restaurant/bar, and finally became a school. Seems like
00:48:12
a logical progression, right? >> Sure. >> It's an artsy nature-based bougie school
00:48:17
for kids birth to kindergarten. >> Birth. >> In my classroom >> To school you go.
00:48:22
>> There you go. [laughter] >> Learn. >> the 2-year-old room where there was a large fireplace that went floor to
00:48:27
ceiling in the middle of the room. It was raised, so we put pillows in it to make a space we called the cozy nook for
00:48:33
kids to relax in. >> Wait, you let them relax in the fireplace? >> I doubt it was work.
00:48:38
>> Nice. >> My fav >> No energy because he's been silenced. >> My favorite part of the job was
00:48:45
basically telling the kids to sit in the fireplace when they needed to calm down.
00:48:49
Can't say that every day. The teacher said the year before one kid always used to ask, "What's in the nook?" when it
00:48:55
was empty or who's in the nook. I thought they were just trying to [ __ ] with me as the
00:49:00
new teacher, but old ladies was I dead wrong. Sometime in November >> old ladies was I wrong, and I was like,
00:49:06
"Excuse me." >> She said, "Old [ __ ] let me tell you." >> She said, "You elderly fucks."
00:49:11
>> [laughter] >> Sometime in November, one of the boys pointed to the top of the fireplace,
00:49:17
looked at me and said, "It's a ghost." >> Okay. >> All I could think was, "Nope." There was
00:49:21
nothing there, so I ignored it. >> Did she say early November? >> Yeah. >> Bellisthen.
00:49:26
>> There you go. He was two and still learning English, so I just hoped a ghost was another word
00:49:31
for something much less ominous in his language. He [laughter] ended up moving to at the end of the month, so I figured
00:49:36
it was over. Little did I know it was just beginning. >> Oh, good. >> In January, I was sitting behind the
00:49:41
fireplace at the snack table with another girl, Julie. Julie looked at me and said, "There's a ghost." And when I
00:49:47
asked, "Where?" she just casually said, "It's here." >> [laughter] >> You say eyesight?
00:49:54
>> Flashlight. >> Flashlight. Is it dark where you are? Or do you want to see use a flashlight
00:49:58
to communicate with you? Now, you may think, all right, this little ragamuffin heard for this from
00:50:03
someone else and was just repeating it since she was two and what else do you do at two? No freaking way. This girl
00:50:09
was beyond her years when it came to her language. You could have a full conversation with her and convince
00:50:14
yourself she was a kindergartner in kindergarten even though she could fit in your pocket. She was the only kid who
00:50:20
I would hands down believe. I mean, the kid built a Panera out of blocks one morning. How can you not trust her
00:50:26
judgment? I respect [laughter] her skills all day. The next day during lunch, four kids
00:50:32
started laughing, getting really silly and pointing to the spot my old student pointed at in November, the spot above
00:50:37
the fireplace. I should also mention this is like 8 ft off the ground. The teachers couldn't even reach the top.
00:50:43
One of the girls at the table turns and looks me dead in the eye. >> What did she say?
00:50:48
>> He's a grave. >> The grave that he's going to put my kid in. >> girls [laughter]
00:50:53
One of the girls at the table turns and looks me dead in the eye before saying, that's
00:50:59
>> He's going to make you an ornament. >> [ __ ] At least you're decorative. >> Trit?
00:51:05
>> Bribed. >> Bribed. One of the girls at the table turns and looks me dead in the eye before saying,
00:51:11
that's not safe. That baby shouldn't be up there. >> What the [ __ ] >> Again, nothing was there. My heart
00:51:16
dropped into my butt and I was like, yep, it's time to leave this place. The crescendo of the haunting was two days
00:51:22
later. I was having a snack with Julie again when she finally cut when she calmly stated, I can't understand. I
00:51:29
asked about what she was listening to. The school was on a busy road and there was always something fun happening
00:51:33
outside. She looks up from her homemade granola cereal again, bougie bougie ass school with personal chefs, to say,
00:51:41
what's he what he saying? I can't understand what he's saying to me. Now, sitting there, probably hungover from
00:51:46
wine Wednesday I partook in the night before. I'm like, "I don't have the energy for this [ __ ] today." When I
00:51:52
asked who was talking, figuring she meant one of her three classmates also sitting with us, she said, "Him, that
00:51:58
red guy." >> What? >> while pointing to the empty chair next to me. Ladies, my Uber was there. I
00:52:04
looked at at her, my heart now in my toes, and asked her to tell me Success. Success. [laughter]
00:52:11
And I I uh my and asked her to tell me again who uh who it was, and she said, "That guy, that stripy guy over there."
00:52:20
and pointed next to the table. My mind went to a million places at that point. I think, "All right, you [ __ ]
00:52:26
There's either one small child in red stripes walking around or we have accumulated three ghosties, a baby, a
00:52:33
someone What was that? >> Back. >> Oh, you said it so angry. Um or we have accumulated three
00:52:40
ghosties, a baby, someone covered in blood, and an old-time skate escape prisoner. Personally, I wasn't about any
00:52:47
of these options. Best part of all of this, I was the last one to take my break. So, for an hour every day, I had
00:52:53
to sit in the class alone I'm not going to get up again cuz that didn't go well last time, but
00:53:03
That [ __ ] just said his name. He just said Nicholas. He's astute. And Nicholas, you are astute. She had to
00:53:13
spend an hour every day during nap time sitting in a pitch-black room with 16 sleeping children and a
00:53:20
loud ass noise machine going. Oh, that would overstimulate me in a way I can't describe.
00:53:25
>> Oh, I would fall asleep. >> Can't even count how many times everything would be dead silent and one
00:53:29
kid would [clears throat] wake up crying or I'd look up from my paperwork to see
00:53:33
one of the gremlins awake and just silently staring at me from their cot. Nightmare fuel, anyone?
00:53:38
>> You just got to look at them and say, "Don't do that." >> Don't do that. Go back to sleep.
00:53:42
>> None of the children were ever frightened or upset by the ghost. If anything, it would make them laugh if it
00:53:46
thought no one was watching. For the rest of the time I worked there, I walked in and greeted the ghost {slash}
00:53:51
ghosts in the morning to let him {slash} them know we were taking care of the room and we were making sure the kids
00:53:57
were safe. Other teachers are now in that classroom and they let me know that their children wake up screaming during
00:54:02
nap. >> So, it's going a little differently now. >> different. I told them just to greet him
00:54:07
and their kids haven't been bothered since. >> Oh, so he just wanted to be recognized?
00:54:11
>> say hello. Uh the school's chefs have been have seen someone running through the school on weekends.
00:54:17
>> Awesome. >> And heard What did you say? >> Tree. >> I thought you said to me. I was
00:54:23
[laughter] like, "It's you?" >> It's me. >> Um and heard footsteps upstairs when
00:54:27
there are only the two of them in the building. >> That's freaky. >> I've tried researching the history of
00:54:31
the school, but sadly I can't find anything. Basically, I just laughed thinking about that crazy ass ghost
00:54:36
[ __ ] up teachers' days while making kids laugh. I since moved on to a new career as a scenographer. I'm about to
00:54:42
start an evening shift where I expect to see some insanity on a different level,
00:54:46
but I always laugh thinking about my otherworldly friends back at the school. I hope to see you both at a live show
00:54:51
soon. >> You should come to Radio City. >> [laughter] >> Keep it weird, but not so weird that
00:54:55
some little ass [ __ ] kids tell you about the spooky individ- invisible murdered prisoner baby sitting next to
00:55:02
you and then you sit alone in a dark room >> It is strange, man. >> strange. >> And then you sit alone in a dark room
00:55:07
wondering who's watching you. Bye. >> Bye. >> That was a scary one. >> That was spooky.
00:55:13
>> I like that it was an either a baby, someone a bloody man, or an old-timey prisoner.
00:55:18
>> What have you? >> All of those are really scary. >> That's scary [ __ ] >> Yeah, that's spooky.
00:55:23
>> Those were good. >> Wow, if you guys have listener tales, please send them in to
00:55:26
[email protected] with listener tale somewhere in the subject line. >> Yeah, Nicholas will love it.
00:55:32
>> He'll appreciate it. >> He literally said his own name. >> He said his name. >> That's actually wild. He was like, "Say
00:55:36
my name. Say my name." >> [laughter] >> And then he was like, "I'll do it." He was like, "I'll do it."
00:55:44
>> [laughter] >> Maybe he is a Beyoncé fan. >> He said, "Tell me about it." >> Is "Say My Name" Destiny's Child?
00:55:52
>> Uh yeah. >> Beyoncé's in that, right? >> Yeah. See? >> Yes. >> Do you like Beyoncé?
00:56:00
Are you IN THE BEEHIVE? >> [laughter] >> THE WAY HE SAID, "TELL me about it." He got a little
00:56:09
All right. Well, we love you. >> We do. >> We hope you keep listening. >> We [laughter] hope you keep
00:56:15
>> it >> weird, but not so weird that you don't reach out to Beyoncé until we got a fan
00:56:19
in the office. >> Am I right, Nicholas? >> From the afterlife. Got anything else to
00:56:23
say? He doesn't like to be put on the spot.