Show Notes
The second case I worked for my unpublished book was that of Hatcher Cemetery in Conway, South Carolina. It was a location I had read about and some of the locals told me to investigate, and well, so I did.
To further back up, this story was originally for a book idea I had to prove a psychic’s abilities. If for nothing else, it would prove his abilities to me, regardless if you, dear reader, believed in the story or not, I would have my proof. Here’s the details that the Psychic and I went over before beginning this project:
- He would not be given the location and/or the backstory of the location once we arrived.
- I was allowed to record audio but only for use in research.
- His automatic writing could and would be published in the book.
We broke a rule with the Hatcher Cemetery case and later you’ll see why. The audio for this case was too intense not to allow the readers to hear. Keep reading and then listen to the audio at the end.
I debated whether I should post this story or not, because with each story I researched, I found some type of family secret that only clues could put together. This was the case with the Hatcher Cemetery. I learned of family secrets and family business that shouldn’t be totally revealed. I struggled when writing each line trying not to reveal too much about this family’s history. Even during the initial investigation with Psychic, I heard voices in my head, an uneasiness to turn back and go home. Needless to say, I pushed forward.
Here are the notes I took before writing the new chapter:
Case 2: Hatcher Cemetery 10.21.13
- Hard time finding the exact location.
- Ventured off into woods several times, branches wrapping around me, feeling entrapped.
- Back out on the road, I was drawn to the only set of flowers visible, white flowers. Upon entering the woods just under the woods, I heard “Go Now.” And then something large moved around in the woods.
- Psychic then got out of the car feeling that he should “cut the square in half” and go “diagonal”. It was Psychic who finally found the actual cemetery, yelling “Found it!”. See recording.
- Dogs started howling the minute we found the cemetery.
- Birds were squawking in the background of Psychic’s audio.
- Several pictures were taken of the gravestones.
- See “favorites” in internet settings, but the four-year-old grave reveals death of diphtheria. Research this disease.
- Psychic feeling very uneasy, hard to breathe. Tapping into diphtheria death? Where symptoms include difficulty breathing.
- Photographer became very attached and emotional over the headstones of children in the cemetery.
- Earlier in the week, text messages from Psychic indicated he was sensing woods and water. Later, the photos taken revealed a conch shell near one of the headstones. Further research needed as to why a conch shell was in the cemetery so far away from the beach.
- Compare pics of gravestones to those on http://www.findagrave.com . Possible destruction involved. Why?
- While in the woods, I felt as though the cemetery and family didn’t want to be found, weren’t meant to be found. Allow their memory to fade.
- Audio Note: Psychic’s voice seems to change to a southern draw in his last lines as if channeling: “you need….You need what I have to survive.” Look into the land split up in the Will listed under internet favorites. Psychic does not even recall saying this line when I asked him about it later. He listened again and noticed his breathing was off here as well, as if trying to find the right rhythm.
- Audio Note: EVP during this last line? Have analyzed.
- Investigator box lesson: The Fates.
I hope I’ve piqued your curiosity thus far. The notes above reveal more than the actual story.
As you read through, you’ll find where we had trouble finding the exact location and what happened when we got there. There were dogs howling and birds moving away from our location. The caution in Psychic’s voice is undoubtedly genuine and be sure to check out the change in his accent and tone at the end of the audio.
Please note the psychic and photographer’s names have been changed to their titles; Psychic and Photographer. This is the only change I made to the original document. With this investigation happening over 5 years ago, I didn’t want to alter any of the original details that occurred.
Here’s the Chapter,
Case 2: Hatcher Cemetery
Automatic Writing
As a prerequisite to every case, I always question Psychic to see if he is picking up any “vibes” or has any thoughts of the whereabouts we are heading to next. It never ceases to amaze me of his answers and the fact that he is reading other people during Tarot readings or even in group readings, that he is able to be as concise as he is cunning.
Upon questioning Psychic for the Case 2: Hatcher Cemetery, I left out the name of the cemetery, the location and the time era of deaths there and asked for his thoughts. His exact responses were that he saw woods and water, his mouth felt salty and he couldn’t put his psychic finger on the time era, only that it was “newer” than the last case. One last note from Psychic’s intuition prior to visiting the cemetery; he felt something/someone/team/crew was aggressive.
Psychic was correct about the time era being newer and the location being in the woods. The water piece has yet to be discovered but there is a later reveal that may shed some light on this.
Finding our way
The trip to Hatcher Cemetery was quite the trip indeed. The directions to the unmarked cemetery were very unclear and therefore I asked several local friends of mine the whereabouts of the roads mentioned in the directions listed online. Once verified, there was still confusion that lead the team and I in small circles with only tenths of a mile close. We stopped at a local gas station and asked the local gentlemen having coffee if they knew of the old cemetery and each had given the place a different nickname. We got the directions straightened out and narrowed to “in the woods”. Not very precise at all.
Once in the vicinity, I stopped the car and allowed Photographer to take the wheel so that I could explore the woods and find what it was that I couldn’t find. This left Psychic and Photographer in the car to further discuss Psychic’s thoughts of the case which would eventually lead him straight to the site.
After exploring the woods for nearly an hour staying close to the road of course, I found myself feeling a sense of entrapment as the vines and thorny branches literally wrapped around me as I walked through the brush. I had a sense that possibly the Hatcher family didn’t want to be found and the rumors of it being “grown over” were far beyond my comprehension as to why. I was beginning to lose hope, but I exited the wooded area and walked further along the road noticing the only white flowers off in the distance. A beacon of light calling the ship home.
I walked towards the flowers and just as I was about to enter the woods again, a very loud and clear “Go Now!” stopped me from entering. My heart pounded, and I became paranoid immediately. Suddenly something was moving in the wooded area just beyond my sight and I immediately began walking back towards the car with Photographer and Psychic waiting for me patiently. They saw me coming and began moving the car forward down the road.
Before I entered the woods initially, Psychic advised me to “cut the square” and “move diagonally” through the woods and I would soon find what we were looking for.
When he left the car, I stayed back and watched Photographer take photos of the white flowers and suddenly from Psychic in the distance, a “Found it!” came bellowing out. I heard dogs barking and howling and the birds nearby seemed to get a bit more frenzied. I walked further up the road chasing Psychic’s voice and found Psychic standing in a perfectly good clearing straight up to the cemetery, no woods at all. I was now angry that I had to push myself through thorn bushes and vines in order to move an inch, and here was the cemetery with a straight path leading up to the gate.
Inside the Cemetery
Psychic was inside the cemetery already and was shaking his head as if trying to ward off any negative energy he was picking up on. Photographer and I approached him, and he immediately walked back down the path to the road speaking into his recorder, tallying up the feelings he was having about the old cemetery.
Of course, like most cemeteries, the air was heavy, and the dogs never did stop barking while Photographer and I walked around reading headstones and snapping photos. I asked Photographer to insure she got photos of specific graves and I then went to check on Psychic. He was doing fine, just out of breath.
As Photographer exited the cemetery, I noticed a very sad look on her face as she realized she was taking photographs of the headstones of children and infants along with adults. It took all night for Photographer to shake the feeling of sadness and dread and the short trip through Conway had taken its toll on all of us.
Empathy for the Deceased
With this particular case, I feel my trudging through the woods and feeling the senses of entrapment and restriction were necessary in order for me to understand the research later. As it fits, the Fates made sure that I would empathize with this case by analyzing my partners Photographer and Psychic. Through this case, I would need to feel that some secrets are better left alone, and I would gain what I needed from the information I would actually be able to find. I need not dig too deep into the history of these lives in order to know what happened to this family. The secrets they hold are to be respected as just that, family secrets. The Fates have once again shown me the lesson I needed to learn ahead of time.
Creepy Bonus Audio
So here comes the most eerie part of this whole story: The audio. Below you’ll find the three minute venture that Psychic took on his own. Pay attention to his breathing and his accent in the first three minutes, then notice the shift in the last few seconds:
If you didn’t hear the change in his voice, then listen again. It could be that I’m too close to the case or too good of friends with Psychic. Regardless of the accent change, I felt compelled to take that as a clue to further investigate. What I found were those “family secrets” that I mentioned earlier and I feel obligated as an honest writer not to reveal those secrets.
Tell me a Ghost Story
Unfortunately enough, there aren’t too many more cases from this unpublished book that I started in 2013. However, rest assured that I have plenty more stories to tell based on the research I use for my fiction works. You can find them all on amazon here: Author of the Afterlife.
Be sure to sign up for my newsletter that will not only give you a free audio of my latest book, Byron by Nick Knight (my pen name), but also updates on new blog posts and upcoming events of my works in progress.
I’d love to hear/read your thoughts on this case, the audio and any abandoned cemeteries that you have visited. Feel free to leave comments below or share on your favorite social media, I won’t mind.
Thanks for reading,
Nick
More than just a Blog
This is episode 2 of the Stories in the Cemetery podcast.
Huge Announcements! Really Cool Stuff in Here!! – Stories in the Cemetery
Let’s Go Ghost Hunting
