Please play while reading these very true stories

The foggy evening air was cool as I proceeded to walk down the dark street. I could not place where I was and there was someone pacing me quickly in the dark shadows. I shook as I picked up my skirt and ran as fast as I could.  Unknown cold hands forcefully grabbed my neck and pulled me down to the ground.

I prayed that someone would deliver me from this cloaked devil and only thoughts of my Mother flowed through my mind. In the space of five lonely seconds I tried to sanctify my emotions and asked myself if my life had meant anything. With one fell swoop he kissed me hard on the lips. I have never had my feelings more tried by any other event. He then took my hand and kissed it while his eyes pierced my soul. Sparing my misery and secret delight he vanished as quickly as he came.

For many a night after that I would sit on the verandah and await the phantom that had stalked me. On the third night he came to me and gave me an insight to who he was. He told me he had gone to Cambridge to study to become a doctor but it had not worked out and he now he performed his duties as a constable.  Whispers of excuses told me I should not be surprised if he did not come post haste every night.

On the 32^nd evening he presented me with a silk shawl in exchange for my hand in marriage. We married a fortnight later and I became his wife not knowing of what his comings and goings were about to reveal. One evening I awoke to see him covered in blood and he told me that he was Jack the Ripper. I caressed the child that I carried in my stomach and now feared for my unborn's  life.

I awoke with a start covered in sweat, and that is all I remember.

For many years I have been told that I am a master soul put here on this earth to get it right one last time. After many a dream about the Victorian era I do believe it to be true as I have had dreams of Jack the Ripper for years. One dream paced itself out  into reality years ago and it stopped as soon as I had it all figured out.

For months I had been having recurring dreams of drowning and seeing green roof shingles in the distance. We had been looking for a home in Carleton Place, Ontario for months and had found nothing. One day I took a wrong turn and came upon an old stone home built in 1867 that was for sale. I called the real estate office only to find out that it had 5 offers on it so there was no chance of us putting a bid on it.

Exactly 48 hours passed and I got a call saying we could view the house as the bids had fallen through. The roads were slick and the freezing rain continued to pour down making driving treacherous that day. I walked in the house and placed my hands on the study fireplace mantel and tried to contact anything that still lived in the bowels of the house. Nothing happened but as we drove back to the city we spun around three times on the Queensway and missed a light pole by inches. We had narrowly escaped death.

Angelo turned to me and looked me straight in the eyes and asked me if I still wanted the house. I was shaken and the car looked like a can opener had attacked the front of the car but I said yes. One month later found us moving into the house.

Two weeks later at the local library tracking down the history of the house I found out that in the early 1900’s the mayor of the town Mr. Cram had lived there. He had a young daughter that had mysteriously drowned down in the river and died.

Coincidence or not?

To make things even stranger after the rotting shingles of the roof were removed the original shingles were green. For weeks on end I pieced everything together and finally the dreams stopped.

Had I been that little girl?

Was I Jack the Ripper’s wife?

You tell me!

Images and text: Linda Seccaspina

Vintage clothing by Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles.

Thanks to Fawn and Erin of Laci's for being the nicest people in the world.

You can see more of their vintage lingerie from Tuesday's blog

 Sigh.. Morrissey says it all!

"Short Shorts by Linda Seccaspina" - The Bad Neighbour is Moving