Ghosts? Vampires? Oh My.

People do continue to be fascinated by Mercy Brown’s story…and her grave. People like the folks over at RIParanormal, who did an investigation into allegations that the Chestnut Hill Cemetery is haunted by some kind of evil presence. I have to say, I wonder why. Mercy’s story is a sad one, to be sure, and how could I blame anyone who finds it compelling? I found it so myself. But why should Mercy be haunting her gravesite? If you think she was a vampire–well, her heart was removed and burned, which in any kind of vampire folklore should be enough to put her spirit to rest. And if you think she wasn’t–surely a young woman would forgive her family and community for actions which were taken against her only after her death, and which were a desperate and doomed attempt to save the life of her only brother.

Perhaps I’m taking it all too seriously…but after spending a lot of time with Mercy’s story, I find myself feeling a bit protective of her. Her death was sad and so was what happened to her body. No need to go on picking on her long after the fact.

I’m on the side of my protagonist’s best friend, who says that the dead “don’t hang around figuring out ways to hurt the people who hurt them. I know they don’t….Only the living do that.”

And of course, in my book, the best friend was right….