Bump in the Vancouver Night

Why is at some point in our childhoods we become totally convinced that the space between our bed frame and the floor is populated by monsters?

Sharp-fanged, growling, blood-thirsty monsters. They were definitely under my bed, that's for sure. And all they wanted was my skinny, white ankles in their death grip to yank me under my own bed. And that would be last of me this earth would ever see.

When this happened, as I was convinced it would, I had hoped my family would retrieve me from the inky bowels of hell located just below the pillow where I was encouraged to have sweet dreams every night. In the spirit of how little Carol Anne was rescued in Poltergeist, I wondered... could a really short woman with a really high voice and a really wide rear end really be tough enough to go up against the beasts under my bed?

I drove myself crazy with the imaginings of such a terrifying event. Sure enough, sanity fled and so did I. I fled from my bedroom in an instant by catapulting myself from a horizontal position in bed to a different stance near the bedroom door. Hopefully, far enough away from the grabbing hands of monsters. A quick turn of the door knob and I was out of that room until the light of dawn.

That's pretty much the first scary story I recall knowing. Admittedly, it's one I told myself. Another spooky story I've heard is about a haunted house in Vancouver,
in the southeast corner of the intersection at Cambie street and King Edward Avenue. I can't help wondering if construction there on the Canada Line has scared away any ghosts by now. Perhaps they left soon after those who used to patronize Cambie street stores.

But there's another intriguing story out there, not too far from here. As Hallowe'en casts a long shadow over October, I'm thinking about a new book that just hit stores. It's a cautionary tale of hidden gold and an ancient curse at Pitt Lake, just northeast of Vancouver. It's the story of Slumach's Gold...

Slumach was hanged in 1890 after being convicted of shooting a man to death.
Just before the noose was placed around his neck, according to lore, Slumach placed a curse for all time on anyone who chooses to pursue his gold…
gold the size of a man's fist.

Gold? An ancient curse? All of this near Vancouver? You bet, according to the story of Slumach's Gold. Slumach's Gold was originally published in 1972 and has now been re-issued with new research, fresh insights and fascinating updates. You can check out more on this book at the website of Heritage House Publishing.