The Ghostly Lovers
by Traci Poole
June 24, 2000
©

Author's Note: I do not know where this story originated and I cannot remember who told it to me or whether I read or saw it somewhere. It is one of my favorite ghosts stories. I do not remember the names of the people involved so I will name them 'Jimmy' and 'Sara' for clarity. I believe it was supposed to happen somewhere in North Carolina or in Virginia.

Enjoy!

It was during the times 'Prohibition' and many of the mountain folks had stills. It was against the law to have any type of liquor and beer at that time and so distilleries were plentiful through out the hills and mountains. Even though the pay was good to hunt down such people
who had them, the law was often shot. The story starts here.

Jimmy and Sara had lived a 'mountain' apart. Jimmy would often make the trek over the hill to visit this lovely young girl. He would come to borrow food or maybe tools for his mother. It became a habit and soon Sara's dad knew something was up. He sternly told Jimmy to stay away from his daughter and if he kept coming to see her, then there would be trouble.

Jimmy didn't listen. He would give a quail whistle at night and Sara would climb out of her window to meet him. Night after night, the two lovers planned to run away and elope. One day, the law came knocking on Sara's door. They were looking for her father. The law found out that he was running a distillery. Her father took off to the hills to hide and protect his investment. With the law hot on his trail, Sara's father began shooting at them. Needless to say, the law lost. Her father came back down from the mountain and swore that it was Jimmy who turned him in. He swore that he would kill Jimmy.

Sara snuck out and ran to her elderly neighbor's house. She wanted to send word to Jimmy and warn him that her father had plans of murdering him. The old lady began her journey through the fresh fallen snow to Jimmy's house. Sara retreated back to her home so she wouldn't be in trouble herself. Several hours had passed and Jimmy gave the quail whistle. Sara went to the window and saw Jimmy there under the full moon. He instructed her to get her clothes and her wedding veil ready. They were leaving tonight. Sara grabbed all that she could. Jimmy had told her that a preacher man was waiting at the old woman's house and
the preacher had agreed to marry the couple. Sara snuck into her mom's room and kissed her goodbye. She rejoined Jimmy. They ran as fast as they could to the old lady's house where the preacher had intended to marry them. As the preacher married the couple, the old lady came back to tell the couple that Sara's father knows of her leaving. Jimmy and Sara bounded out of the house and onto a horse. They headed for the hills.

Soon into their journey, something had happened to the horse. Jimmy and Sara began walking deeper and deeper into the woods. A snow storm was brewing and they had to get to their destination fast. Sara had left her winter coat at the old lady's house and Jimmy took his off to give to his new bride. Sadly, the newly weds didn't make it to their destination. The snow blizzard came to fast and it froze them to death. Their bones were discovered on the mountain after the spring thaw.

It is said that on cold winter nights when the moon is full and bright, the couple can be seen on a ledge of the mountain top. Jimmy can be seen holding his lovely Sara, trying to keep her from freezing.

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