When I was a small child growing up in Henrico County, VA, there was still lots of farms in our area. Pamela Dr., the street I grew up on, ended at Three Chopt Rd. just before it intersected Parham. On the other side of Three Chopt was an old farm house that was built on the top of a small hill. Its faded paint was cracked and there were always chickens running down the hill and ending up in the road.

One day as we were leaving the neighborhood, I looked at the house as we turned out of Pamela and onto Three Chopt. In the window above the door, I saw a skeletal figure dressed in a wedding gown and it had long black hair. It was seated and holding a parasol as it gazed out the window.

We moved into this neighborhood when I was 2 years old. This happened sometime between 2 and 6, but I don't really have many memories too long before 5 or 6 years old. Growing up, I always remembered this as really happening, but of course as I get older, sometimes I think I might have dreamed this.

I don't really know in this case. But I do know that now on that same land is a Woody's Funeral Home.

Written on 10/9/00.