While in New Orleans I had heard rumors one foggy night in a cafe that peaked my interest and so I spent the following week trying to uncover what had happened. From the tales spun around me I found a truth so disturbing I must warn young readers that by simply glancing at it they could not only have nightmares that will shake you to the core; but also may receive punishment.
The Wash burn house was built a hundred years ago, the only one on that road besides the merchant's house not mentioned before. It was a beautiful homestead with a blue door, and highly prized by the newly married couple that had bought it. They lived in the house for five years before the trouble started, five wonderful years of happiness and love. There were many parties and happy gatherings, but then her husband's leaves were longer and longer, she grew lonely and hungry for the love he had abandon for his work. He was a great man, though neglectful and oblivious to her feelings. He worked on ships, so was gone for months at a time looking for new trading routes. It was during one of these trips that his wife heard a noise downstairs and went to see what it was. She thought it was him coming home finally, she was in a beautiful blue and yellow night dress. It had lace and purple embroidering around the edges. She looked simply stunning in it! Breathtaking, really. When she arrived downstairs she found no one. Nothing. Or so she thought.
When she turned around a tall man with pale skin and dark hair stood before her, she knew him so well, but couldn't believe it. It was her husband, but he looked much different than she had remembered him; and he was covered in seaweed. She took his hand, noticing it was as cold as the ice that formed on the pond in the back yard the winter before, but the night was warm and comfortable. She doted over him, all the while he stayed silent. When he seemed to finally be warming again he took her in his arms.
The next morning he was gone, and a couple weeks later she found herself with child. His child. She took care of herself, even hired a nursemaid to help her around the house. When the baby finally came it was early. Believed stillborn, but when the woman held her she seemed to spring to life, crying and kicking at the air! Years passed by without word from her husband, and so she sent a letter to tell him he had a daughter waiting to meet him at home. She was 7 and her name was Maribelle, a beautiful child. When a response finally came it was too late, she knew what had really happened. Her husband had died at sea.
He had visited her as a spirit and cursed her with a demon daughter for betraying his love and devotion. The woman ran from her house screaming, wearing the same beautiful night dress as she had the night she had loved her dead husband. She ran right by the nursemaid, who tried to chase her, but stopped when she realized Maribelle was in the house alone. She went searching for the child and found her in an otherwise empty room at the top of the stairs. She had been cut into so many pieces the police ran from the room sick.
It's said every night on the full moon of her death Maribelle wonders the hall, sobbing for her dead father and cursing her mother for killing her. Every full moon there is a candle burning in the window of the room she was hacked to pieces in and she stares out of it in hopes her father will come for her.
TheIndifferentHealer Community Member 
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