Good morning. I am Nathan Proctor, and I am well aware that it may not be morning when you pick up this book, but I feel it is always a good way to start a relationship. That, ultimately, is what stories are all about: developing a relationship with the audience. In that respect, I welcome you to my humble approach in cataloguing and relating ghost stories from around the world. Were we meeting in person, I would beckon you to the fireplace, and whisper into your ear the tales found within this digital book.

That is how stories were told long ago. The old and the young would gather around the fireplace, the camp fire, or the kitchen table and conjure stories to awe and thrill their companions. This still happens today, and likely will continue into the untold years of tomorrow. While it is a dying tradition, it is also one that will likely never truly die out.

I assume that most of you who pick up this book already know what a ‘ghost story’ is. But for the sake of thoroughness, and to better nourish our budding relationship, I will elaborate on what exactly a ‘ghost story’ is. By definition, a ghost story is a story with ghosts. Sounds simple, correct? Well, a ghost story is also a story in which spirits are a dominant premise. To walk further down that line: a ghost story is a genre of stories with a more refined horror element than the general ‘horror story.’ In short, the term can refer to any ‘scary story.’

To that extent, the stories you’ll find in this book are all ‘ghost stories.’ They all have something to do with the supernatural. All of them feature a ghost as a theme. And they come from all over the world. For example, the story of ‘The Bloody Footstep’ comes from England, while the story ‘Three and One are One’ is a story born during the Civil War and originates in Carthage, Tennessee, and there’s even a Japanese ghost story, a kaidan, called ‘The Procession of Ghosts.’

I know that some of you have opened this book hoping to be entertained. I also know that some of you have opened this book to attempt to find truth. I will say now that I was once a skeptic. I sought these stories for my own entertainment and to expand my repertoire of interesting stories to tell by the firelight. In my travels I came to experience several of the same ghostly phenomenon as what occurred in the stories I was collecting. Slowly I came to the realization that the stories often were based on the truth. The true deciding factor for me was a visit from my wife in a twist on the old tale of ‘Bloody Mary.’

So, I am a believer. If you are a believer as well, I am glad to have found a kindred spirit. If not, it is my hope that these stories will entertain you. I also hope that you keep an open mind about ghosts in general, as I feel they walk among us everyday.

Now, I would like to take this moment to invite you to step into this world of ghosts. Sit, my new-found friend. Sit down by the light of a candle, fireplace, or campfire. Gather your friends near and relate some of the stories I have gathered for you. I do hope you enjoy this particular believer’s tales.

Here is the first of my tales, ‘The Bloody Footstep’ as related to me by the residents of Smithills Hall.

Image Information:

Sitting by the Deer Camp Fire, by Scott Caster, 2008. Web Source: Sitting by the Deer Camp Fire

Procession of Ghosts. Web Source: Ghosts' Photo Gallery