Sand Banks, a small community in Gates County is no stranger to odd happenings and has a few ghost stories of it’s own. This story in particular takes place during the Great Depression when families of all sizes had to come together just to survive.
Myrtle grew up during this time. While life was hard, she was fortunate to be raised with family all around. Her grandparents lived a few miles away and she often visited them during the day and returning after dark. No one thought anything of this.. until they got a visit from her father’s friend.
Early one afternoon as Myrtle’s father and his friend Edward talked the friend became frightfully serious and told Myrtle’s father that he must NEVER let the children on the path after dark. “The path” was the main means of travel for those who didn’t have a car. The path was just that: a sandy path that criss crossed it’s way through the area forking here or there and sooner or later made it’s way to everyone’s home.
Myrtle’s father leaned towards Edward and asked him to continue. A few days earlier Edward had been traveling the path when just ahead of him stepped from the woods a man he didn’t recognize. The man wore a white shirt, suspenders and dark pants. The man started walking on the path ahead of Edward and he saw something that froze his blood. He could not see the man’s feet.
It was then that he decided to follow the man. Through the various turns of the path, Edward kept the other man in sight but try as he may, he could not catch him even though he matched the strideof the man exactly. Then the man turned towards Myrtle’s house. As Edward made the turn the man simply vanished.
Myrtle’s father told his children to never walk the path near dark anymore. And for a few months they obeyed. But one evening Myrtle and her sister were late in leaving their grandparents house and were traveling the path when the same figure they heard their father describe to their mother stepped onto the path. This time however, the figures feet were clear as day, yet it had no head! A few seconds later the ghost disappeared and the children ran home as fast as they could go, never looking back for fear of what they would see. No adults nor children used the path after dark ever again.
That alone is creepy enough, yet there is one final part of this story I must tell. Not long after these events, Myrtle’s family moved deeper into Sand Banks and her father took a night job. Their first night in the new house, after her father had left for work, something happened to Myrtle’s mother. When he arrived home the next morning, her father found his wife repacking their stuff. She refused to stay in the house another night.
Myrtle’s mother never told a soul what happened that night and the figure on the path was never seen again.. at least by anyone who will admit it. But it is said the locals will change the subject quick if you bring up the ghosts of Eure Station.
