Ghost Story: A Chilling Tale

Over 100 years ago there stood a grand estate on the edge of a lake in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. A wealthy man had married a young woman and moved out to the countryside. Many years passed and the couple had two children, both of them were boys. Nelly, a beloved baby girl, was born three years later. Still overjoyed by the birth of their new daughter, both parents wrote out a will of inheritance. The will was written to Nelly. Neither of the two boys would inherit a single penny. News of the will soon reached Nelly’s brothers. The boys were enraged and viciously plotted to kill their sister.

The following Sunday, Nelly woke up early and prepared herself for a family trip to the church. She put on her best yellow dress, and took a walk down to the lake to enjoy the stunning view. When she arrived at the lake her brothers were waiting for her. The children’s parents had not yet woken up. Nelly’s brothers suggested that they take the family boat out on the lake, like they used to in old times. Without a second thought, Nelly agreed. All three of the children began to untie the boat from the dock and paddle out.

At the middle of the lake, both burly boys hit Nelly over the head until she became unconscious. The boys then lifted up their lifeless fourteen-year-old sister and heaved her into the lake. Nelly sank like a rock as she silently drowned. Rowing back to the house, Nelly’s brothers thought about what they had just done, snickered at the fact that Nelly was now dead, and rejoiced as they realized that they were now the only recipients of their parent’s will.

When the brothers returned home, their parents were sitting outside in the courtyard nearest to the lake. Both parents questioned about the whereabouts of their favorite child. In response, the boys lied and said that Nelly had wandered off early in the morning. Nelly’s parents assumed that nothing was wrong and decided to wait a few hours before searching. They figured that Nelly would surely come back home; she was not the runaway-break-your-curfew kind of girl. A day later, frantic searches began to take place. The hunt for Nelly continued for weeks. Finally, both parents had given up. They soon realized that their daughter would never be found. Nelly’s location was never revealed. Neither of the parents had any idea that their dearly loved child was confined to the bottom of the lake.

Today, the estate in which Nelly and her family lived has been turned into Camp Saint Andrew (a residency camp for girls). The house had been bulldozed, and cabins were constructed. Although there is no trace of the old estate and its owners, people say that the ghost of Nelly still haunts the site. Residents in cabin number eight (the cabin closest to the lake) say that late at night a young girl wearing a yellow dress appears outside of the their window, and walks down a path towards the lake. Others say that her ghost still resides in the lake. They claim that when you try to cross over the spot where Nelly lays, your boat will not budge. No matter how hard you try to paddle, the boat will not progress any further. Nelly is holding you back, magnetizing your boat to the spot where she decays.

Camp Saint Andrew is home to one of Tunkhannock’s most haunting spirits. Many people have claimed to experience Nelly’s supernatural existence. She has made sure that her story will never die.