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The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
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Max
 
Oct 26, 2006 at 16:53
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The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
Well, usually I'm outside on the stoop, it's nighttime, I have a lit candle in a lantern and I'm in colonial dress - lots of layers and a big thick cape this time of year and maybe even an umbrella, LOL! ...........................................................I draw your attention to this building, today it is the Christmas Attic store, but go back in time to the year 1868. This was the home of the Shaffer family and they had a daughter named Laura. Laura was engaged for five years (teenage girls are amazed by this fact!) to a young man named Charles Tennison. Finally in June 1868, the wedding day arrived. 100s of guests were here in the home, live musicians were playing music, there were flowers, the groomsmen were waiting here at the bottom of the first floor steps, and Laura was up on the third floor in her room with her bridesmaids. She had a very fancy gown, it had 36 small buttons going up the back, and her bridesmaids were buttonhooking her into her dress. The dress had a high lace collar with pearls and had an 8 yard train, very fancy!
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Max
Oct 26, 2006 at 17:01
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
Well, I'm a married lady and I remember my wedding day, I was nervous and agitated even though I was excited, and I think Laura was feeling the same way. She asked her bridesmaids to leave her alone for a few minutes so she could gather herself together. She looked in the mirror, checked her hair, she pinched her cheeks, she took a few deep breaths. And then she smelled something. It smelled like something burning. Now, there was a fire in the fireplace, but this didn't smell like that. She took another deep breath, she still could smell it. She looked around and yes - the edge of her 8 yard train was smoldering. Now today if we are on fire, what do we do? (stop drop and roll!!) well, in 1868 Laura didn't know this and she did the WRONG thing - she picked up the train and started FANNING it which then caused it to catch on fire. She ran to the door, she pulled on it - and it was stuck shut. She ran around screaming, went to the door again, pulled on it with all her strength - it was still stuck shut. Remember - there are hundreds of guests and music playing - no one can hear her all the way up on the third floor. The train is slowly but surely being eaten up by the flames. Laura runs around, screaming, and runs to the window - she pulls it - and it, too, is stuck shut. She is trapped.
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Max
Oct 26, 2006 at 17:08
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
About this time, the musicians finished playing a piece of music and were putting it away on their music stands and pulling out another piece to play. There was a lull in the conversation and people hear this yelling from far away. Several of the groomsmen ran up the second floor, up to the third floor, right outside Laura's door. Right at that moment the door swung open and Laura, in flames, ran past them down the second floor, down to the first floor, out the front door and into the arms of her fiance, Charles Tennison. He put out the fire, but it was too late. Laura was severely burned. Now today we have treatments and medicines that could have helped Laura, but in 1868 we didn't. Laura's burns were so severe that she died 2 days later, never to marry her fiance. Well, when a young person on the verge of life dies, it is a very sad thing, and her funeral was a very sad affair. Charles Tennison was so distraught, he died within a year of Laura, (in real life he committed suicide, but because we give the tour to so many young people, we don't want to give them ideas) and they say he died of a broken heart.
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Max
Oct 26, 2006 at 17:18
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
The question is - is Laura still around? Well, this store in the 1990s was a real estate office, and one night a woman was working late in the office on the first floor, trying to catch up on her paperwork, when she heard something. It sounded like scratching. Well, we are in a city, her first thought was rats, squirrels, cats, bats, some animal had gotten in upstairs. So she went up to the second floor, up to the third floor and she stopped right outside the room that happened to have been Laura's bedroom. All of a sudden, the door swung open and she felt a ball of hot air go right through her and down the steps. OHHHHH! It was a shocking and frightening experience for her. Now this same phenomenon has been reported many times. Today, this store is the Christmas Attic, they sell Christmas ornaments and knickknacks and this is a store that mostly women like to shop in. Many times I'll walk past and see women walking and browsing through the store, their husbands or boyfriends sitting on a bench just inside the door at the bottom of the stairs there. The store has named this bench "the husbands' bench." Well, about a year ago the store reports, a man was sitting there with all the shopping bags, waiting patiently for his wife, when all of a sudden he felt a ball of hot air go right through him and out the front door. OOOOOH! He stood up and went to the counter and said,'You've got to fix your heating or air conditioning, this hot breeze just went right through me, there's something wrong!!!" The women behind the counter nod their heads, they hear this time and time again.
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Max
Oct 26, 2006 at 17:23
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
The only people who have seen her are children. The people who work here tell us that many times, a woman will be shopping in the store with her child, the girl or boy will look towards the back of the front room and see a woman dressed in white, looking sad. They say, "Mom mom! Look! THere's a lady in a white dress over there!" The mother turns around, and there's no one there. Now there is one other phenomenon to note. Late at night, I'm talking 1 or 2am, people passing by have noticed a ball of white light slowly moving by the windows on the third floor, right where Laura's room had been, and it is believed to be the spirit of Laura Shaffer, reminding us that she's still around, and reminding us of the worst day of her life.
And that, my friends, is the story of Laura Shaffer, the burning bride, in Alexandria, VA.
Hope you enjoyed it!
xxxMarianne
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Patti and Max
Oct 27, 2006 at 12:36
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
We saw this on a ghost show one time when we were in VA. We had to go visit the store. My friend, who hadn't heard the story, couldn't stay inside. She went outside and across the street to wait for us. She swore that someone was watching her from the 3rd floor window. It was a very sad feeling building. I thought I was going to cry at any moment.
Please share some more of your stories!
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Rebecca and MacDougal
 
Oct 26, 2006 at 17:25
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
That is creepy. I believe because children are so innocent they can see things that adults can't. Most adults don't believe in ghosts so they are skeptical.
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Enya
 
Oct 26, 2006 at 18:11
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
According to Sylvia Browne, a child would just have to say "Go home, Laura", and she'd be able to rest in peace. I wish that poor bride could join her groom. You told this story wonderfully.
Marie
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The Oregon Girlies...
Oct 26, 2006 at 19:08
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
Wonderful well written script. Once in awhile we watch real ghost stories on TV, It seems like I've heard this one there.
You have a very nice job Marianne.
xxxxBetty and the Girlies...
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Max
Oct 26, 2006 at 19:10
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Betty
Thanks Betty, the script is mine,I wrote it, LOL! Yes, this was featured a few years back on the Travel channel on their "weird travels" show, I think. Glad you enjoyed it! xxxMarianne and Maxxx
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Mary, Kelsey and Furby
Oct 26, 2006 at 19:29
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
that is a great story, thanks for sharing it Marianne.
You have a great job....
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Iver & Sailor
Oct 26, 2006 at 19:31
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
What a great ghost story. And even more fun that you wrote the script for it. How sad that some people don't believe in ghosts. Those are the ones the bride goes for when she's running through as a ball of heat.
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McTavish, SGirls & Becky
Oct 26, 2006 at 20:36
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
Wow, that is creepy...a great story to scare you. How sad though!! I think I heard or read that story somewhere. It sounds familiar. I probably have a book of true ghost stories somewhere LOL. You did a great job telling the story.
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Nessie's mom/Linda D
Oct 26, 2006 at 20:37
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
Very interesting!
I went with a group on a Ghost Tour of Austin. Nothing quite as detailed as that but still interesting with Austin history. Maybe the most comparable was tied to the Governor's mansion and Civil War. Thanks for sharing! I might have to go on your tour if I ever make it out east again to visit my friend in Richmond. She would love this!
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Kip
 
Oct 26, 2006 at 21:39
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
aaaaarrrooooooooooooo!
Kip
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The OK Westie Club
Oct 27, 2006 at 11:22
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
aghhhhhhh
stop it kip you scared me!
Great story!
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Sue & Booker
Oct 27, 2006 at 12:34
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
Okay - my curiosity got the best of me! I read this story this morning the light of day. Very scary!
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Robin
Oct 29, 2006 at 19:37
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
awesome! I love ghost stories that come from actual historical events. My dad and I went on a ghost tour of Providence on Friday night and it was great. My favorite is the lantern ghost tour of Colonial Williamsburg. That spooked me a lot when I was a teenager.
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Robin
Oct 29, 2006 at 19:38
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Re: The Burning Bride, Alexandria Va GHOST
p.s thanks for sharing and I'd love to hear more if you'd like to share them. You can e-mail me if you don't want to post them here.
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