The sun was buried in tattered clouds. There were thunderstorms so powerful the Earth and sky seemed locked in convulsions; lightning raked the sky, revealed its depths cavernous and sinister. My home was surrounded by dens, shadowy evergreen forests alternating with flowers shimmering with colour—the pale blue of hepatica and chicory, the vivid yellow of daisies, and an array of roses. The sky, massed with angry clouds, had darkened almost to twilight; the temperature had plummeted at least twenty degrees; the harsh, stinging rain began to fall harder, smelling of light. Once through the door, I felt remarkably lighter, freer; as if gravity had miraculously lessened; that curious sensation you feel when stepping into water, as it begins to buoy you up. And just where there were a few beams in the ceiling, I saw at a distance a white thing that looked like a man through a mysterious mist, and I was in two minds about going further into my home, but I did, and made out as I came near that it was a man. A man dressed in a sort of white gown, he was hanging by his neck to one of the wooden beams, quite, quite dead: and near his feet there lay on the floor a hatchet all in a gore of blood. I grabbed my own throat, and violently suppressed a scream. What a terrible sight that was for anyone to come upon in their sacred place! I was nearly out of my wits: I dropped everything I was carrying and ran as hard as ever I could straight to my bedroom. #RandolphHarris 1 of 5

However, I was astonished even further. The door to my room had been flattened out on the landing, blasted from its frame by a mighty blow from inside. Splinters of wood dangled around the opening. I tiptoed into the room, stepping on the door. The wood groaned. Controlling my fear, I took another pace. As soon as I was inside, I relaxed. My senses told me that I was alone. Wherever the created might have gone, it was not here. Terrible shaken, I got into bed and tried to fall asleep. Then, about three o’clock, above my head, I distinctly heard the shuffling of feet, as if two people were fighting and struggling. I also felt a presence in my room, and something touching my feet. I pulled the blanket back and was shocked. I did not dream it. I saw it—him. A man, a thing like a man, without a face—standing over my bed. Over my bed, in the night; in the moonlight; the shape of a man, a man’s head, yet where the face would be—raw blank featureless skin. Startled beyond belief. I went upstairs to look, but there was nothing there, but on the wall of the room upstairs, there was a red spot that looked like blood. On my way back downstairs, I saw something out the window. There was a man walking along the drive. I came outside onto the terrace. I saw him—it—in the moonlight. It was a, a thing like a man—a man with no face. He—it—did not have any gun. It was just walking. However, not walking like a normal man. Along the drive there, and into the grass. Like it knew where it was going, it was not in any hurry. A thing-without-a-face. #RandolphHarris 2 of 5

I admit I was scared half to death.  There is some lingering evil which pervades not only inside of my house, but even the outside is not immune. Under these uncomfortable circumstances, I relaxed as well as I could. The house became unusually cold, and I became aware of something rushing about the room in wild, frantic circles. I spoke up, saying, “Can I help you?” However, the rushing about became even more frantic. I then asked what was wrong and what could be done. Yet, no communication was possible. When I saw that I could not communicate with the then entity, I closed my eyes and thought it over for a moment. I told the apparition that it was welcome to stay. There was a snapping sound, and the room suddenly became quiet and warm again. A great column of figures ascended darkly into the ceiling for what seemed a very long period of time, and with a very complete measure of reality as most are accustomed to gauge reality. Then suddenly they were gone. And, once they were gone and the immediate wonder of their great presence had passed, fear came down upon me with a cold rush.  Esoteric meaning of this lonely and haunted mansion suddenly flamed up within me, and I began to tremble dreadfully. I took a quick look around—a look of horror that came near to panic—calculating vainly ways of escape; and then, realizing how helpless I was to achieve anything really effective, I crept back silently into my room and lay down, burying my had as deeply as possible beneath the blankets to deaden the sound of the terrifying wind. #RandolphHarris 3 of 5

As though further to convince me that I had not been dreaming, I remember that it was a long time before I fell again into a troubled and restless sleep; and even then, only part of me slept, and underneath there was something that never quite lost consciousness, but lay alert and on the watch. Then suddenly, I jumped with a genuine start of terror. It was not the wind nor thunder that awoke me, but the slow approach of something that cased the sleeping portion of me to grow smaller and smaller till at last it vanished altogether, and I found myself sitting bolt upright—listening. The strange terror grew so insupportable that lit the lamp at my bedside. Contrary to my expectation this gave me no relief. I sat there nervously wide awake as though I had not slept at all. It seemed to me that there was a great weight upon the surface of my body. I felt clammy with cold and shivered. The light seemed rather a danger, for I reflected that it would shine out under the door, disclosing my presence to whatever evil thing might lurk outside. Subject to horrors of the imagination, I thought what a monstrous fear must be which seeks in darkness security from malevolent existence of the night. That is to spring to close quarters with an unseen enemy—the strategy of despair! Extinguishing the lamp I pulled the bed-clothing about my head and lay trembling in silence, unable to shriek, forgetful to pray. In this pitiable state I must have lain for what you call hours. Terror had settled definitely upon the house. The shadows of the night seemed to engulf the phantom-haunted mansion. #RandolphHarris 4 of 5

The following evening, as I was walking along the hallways, on the second floor,  my way was blocked by a big man who glared at me with ice-cold eyes. For a moment I was so struck with horror at the eyes thus revealed that I noted nothing else. They were black, those eyes, deep, twin caves of abysmal blackness, in hideous contrast to the snow-white hair and beard and deathly, marble-like flesh. They were deeply sunken in their orbits, and were entirely destitute of iris. The apparition spoke of a curse which hovered over my house, told me of my coming end. In that state he was carried out of the window in the room next to where I was, and brought in at my window. The distance between the windows was about seven feet, and there was not the slightest foothold between them, nor was there more than a twelve-inch projection to each window, which served as a ledge to put flowers on. I heard the window in the next room lifted up, and almost immediately after I saw the apparition floating in the air outside my window. Many a poor wretch who was generally supposed to have committed suicide had in truth been seized by the Fiend and strangled by him. On the next day, the housemaid was visited by wandering noises. She had churned some butter and, having put it on a tray, she carried it into the dairy. Whereupon she heard a knocking on the self, where several puncheons of milk stood, first above the shelf, and then below. So she ran away for life. On another occasion when I was in the kitchen, the housekeep, who was preparing a grapefruit for breakfast, found that one half had disappeared and could be found neither in the kitchen nor in the scullery. She selected two apples to take its place, and laid them on the table beside her; immediately the missing grapefruit flew past her ear and fell before her and the apples vanished. Some ten minutes later, they were found on the scullery table. #RandolphHarris 5 of 5

The Winchester Mystery House

Mrs. Winchester was often suspended above Earth, sometimes to a height of tree, sometimes to a height of four inches; the same phenomenon has been recorded by eye-witnesses in many instances throughout the centuries.

Come and enjoy a delicious meal in Sarah’s Café, stroll along the paths of the beautiful Victorian gardens, and wonder through the miles of hallways in the World’s most mysterious mansion. For further information about tours, including group tours, weddings, school events, birthday party packages, facility rentals, and special events please visit the website: https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/

Please visit the online giftshop, and purchase a gift for friends and relatives as well as a special memento of The Winchester Mystery House. A variety of souvenirs and gifts are available to purchase.  https://shopwinchestermysteryhouse.com/