It is a frightening thing to know that most poltergeists or demonic beings often appear to the young. Over the years, thousands of children between the ages of 12 and 15 have reported hearing strange knocks on their bedroom walls at night. In some cases, beds seemed to jump on their own, as if alive. Demonic possessions were also frequent.
Mountain folk often spoke of old witches hiding under beds at night, pulling the covers away. Some even claimed to have caught hold of shadowy figures, but these always escaped.
In 1875, a New Jersey girl named Mary Nichols fell into a strange trance in her home. When she awoke, she gave a startling revelation—that something evil would happen to her on her 15th birthday.
The following year, shortly after turning 15, Mary became sick and was confined to her bed most of the time. She would go up to 15 days without eating, slipping in and out of trance-like states.
Mary was calm during the day but became very uneasy at night. She claimed to see a black cat, a large rat, or a rabbit emerging from under her bed. When frantic, her parents took the bed apart searching for these creatures but never found anything. Even after moving her to another room, Mary was still tormented by shadowy figures darting around.
Soon, other family members began to spot strange apparitions. The only thing that seemed to make them leave was the presence of Mary’s mother, who often had to sleep in the same room.
News of the strange events spread, and people began visiting the Nichols family, hoping to witness the ghosts.
On one occasion, the mayor of Dover came to see the shadows emerge from under the bed. When one appeared, he held his top hat over it. To his surprise, the apparition sharply slapped the hat, knocking it from his hand with unseen forces.
Mary’s condition worsened over the years, and she died at the age of 18. The apparitions soon vanished, but no one ever knew where they went or what they were.
Some townspeople accused an elderly neighbor of putting a hex on Mary and placed charms around her property to ward off evil. However, the haunting of Mary Nichols remains a mystery.
Mary Nichols is buried in Berkshire Valley Cemetery in Wharton, New Jersey.
October 12, 1861 – December 2, 1879
Disclaimer
This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment purposes only. All images used are for illustration.
