Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Ghost Writing . . .

My studio/office is right off the back of my garage where most people have storage rooms. It's glorious to have my own space that is attached to my house but has a separate entrance from the outside (ie, you can't access my studio from inside my house). It's a door that I often forget to lock.

My family and I were gone all day Saturday watching the Kentucky Derby with friends. I had worked in my studio a little that morning, but I didn't return to it until later on Sunday afternoon.

I have a good bit of kitschy-chotsky in my studio--a flying frog, Tim Gunn bobblehead, ceramic lady with false eyelashes that doubles as a pencil holder . . One of my favorite things is a battered Underwood typewriter that I salvaged from my grandparents' attic (aren't all writers supposed to have one on a bookshelf??). It stays here:


Always.

Sunday afternoon when I returned to work, it was here:

And someone had been typing . . .


The ribbon is a good sixty years old (maybe older). There's some random letters and places where the carriage got stuck and letters were typed over each other. But, front and center.

New Neighbor

Cue the Twilight Zone music.

I replaced the typewriter on the shelf, scanned in the paper to my computer and ran inside to tell my husband that we had a specter. He looked at me and said, "Quit touching that. Don't you want to call the police?"

I must admit that calling the police had never crossed my mind. Besides, what would we say? Someone broke into my studio and typed???

It's been three days, and I'm definitely sleeping with my ear to the wall. There have been no more messages. No more visits from our "neighbor". I need to think of a witty response to type back to him/her . . . but I'm definitely locking my door from now on. Just to be safe.

sf


20 comments:

Irene Latham said...

Now THAT is a great story! Real life... just like they say: stranger than fiction. SO glad we are past the typewriter stage, but cool that you have one!

Stina said...

That's just plain freaky. Cool, but freaky.

Katie Anderson said...

This event totally weirded me out. Crazy!!!!!!!!!

I love that you scanned it in for the blog :)

Emily J. Griffin said...

Dude, I totally love this! It's the perfect opening to a novel. Can't you imagine that piece of paper as the book cover?

The mystery of what the letter actually says and who wrote it could push over pages and pages...

Go with it!

Hardygirl said...

Emily, you are so right!!! The wheels are already turning . . . .

sf

Bethany Elizabeth said...

Um... that is deliciously creepy. But you left out a vital piece of information - do you have a new neighbor?
:D

storyqueen said...

(Yes, I, too, used to have a typewrite like that on a bookshelf...am trying to remember what happened to it..)

So, do you have new neighbors around or something....? I am thinking that someone on the otherside is trying to warn you about something.

Keep that door LOCKED!

Shelley

Caroline Starr Rose said...

Yikes!!

I crave my own space, too. I'm packed away in a closet. Really.

Christine Fonseca said...

OOhhhh...I see a story there!

Sage Ravenwood said...

This has to be the ultimate experience for a writer (yeah, I know it didn't happen to me - so I can revel in this.)

I absolutely loved it! Then again things like this intrigue me. (Hugs)Indigo

Kimberley Griffiths Little said...

Wow, sf, what a creepy story! I'm dying to know who the typer is! Keep us updated. (I have one of those really old typewriters, too, from like the 40s - I love 'em.)

Elana Johnson said...

Holy crap!! I have goosebumps. There's something creepy about being in a room where you know someone else has been. *shivers*

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Whoa! That is both awesome and creepy at the same time! :-)

Anonymous said...

Very weird. I hope someone 'fesses up so you won't be nervous when you're out there writing.

Beautiful typewriter, though.

Christina Lee said...

WHOA!!! Creepy all the way! I'm not sure what I would do!

but I'm also smiling a little b/c I read Click Clack Moo Cows that Type to my son last night.

Keep us posted!

StaffPicks said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
StaffPicks said...

I think one of Christy's (Raedeke) "friends" must be paying you a visit...
Or, then again maybe, it's just a bear, a literary bear saying hello!

alexis nicole said...

WOW! Honestly, this made me laugh but I think if it happened to me I would be freaked out a bit! I would be eaten alive by thoughts of who had typed on my typewriter. Great story though!

Christy Raedeke said...

I can't believe I didn't see this sooner! Breaking and Entering and Typing! Does it get any better for a writer? This totally made my evening.

I'm going to need daily updates about this...

OH NO! YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS! THE WORD VERIFICATION I AM SUPPOSED TO TYPE BELOW IS: COMEIN !!!

Sorry for the all caps but now I'm completely freaked out.

Gail said...

Are you sure hubby or one of the kids didn't sneak in just before you left???? Were you distracted by something or something before leaving? Anyone in the family acting stranger than normal????
[girl detective brain in gear]

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