A Ghost In New Orleans
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Ray was completely drawn in by everything she’d told him. It was an incredible story, if it were in fact the truth. He wanted to believe her more than anything, but couldn’t help feeling a hint of doubt due to his limited belief in the power of Voodoo and the simple fact that Rini knew way too much about this story than humanly possible. He tried not to let his true feelings show. Aside from his doubts, the story she told was still inspirational and quite sensational. It was just the kind of ghost story he’s been searching for to use in his book. “That story is fantastic,” he finally responded, not realizing he said it aloud. “I wonder if we can verify any of this information at the Williams Research Center.” She smirked, “Forget it. I already checked there. There’s not much information on Katrina Lebeau, ‘side from her name on the deed of this house. You won’t even find her name on census reports because she never spoke to no census people.” Ray wanted to ask how she would even know that, but decided not to. Rini then added, “As fo’ her parents, remember, she and her parents was slaves, who was later set free. They was considered property an’ there ain’t no records at all on them, as far as I know. Not even from when Amos was in the war. When he died he was buried at St. Louis Cemetery No. 2, but his crypt was destroyed durin’ that hurricane in 1893, so even that’s gone. Katrina’s name ain’t on her own crypt, which means we won’t find anythin’ there. An’ Jolie an’ Ben was both buried at a small family cemetery on the farm back in Tennessee, which is also long gone.” After speaking, she fell silent, again. Ray frowned and responded, “Damn, there goes that idea. If only there was something we could do or somewhere we could go to learn more about these people.” His mind searched for other ways they could verify the information, but Rini had already pretty much shot down most of his research options. Of course, there was always the Internet. Unfortunately, even that had its limits. For a long time, they both sat silently, while staring at the fireplace. Suddenly, Ray realized his recorder was still on. He was relieved to see it still had a lot of battery power, but was slightly annoyed for forgetting it was on. Then he realized he’d recorded the entire story and he became ecstatic. It meant he’d be able to replay it later at the hotel, where he could take notes on his laptop. He couldn’t be happier. He felt inspired to ask new questions hoping to get an E.V.P. response. He felt confident he would be able to capture something. It was possible he already captured something, while the story was being told. He couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel to find out. No, he could wait. Right now, he wanted to be with Rini, although she didn’t seem much in the mood to talk anymore. He decided to leave her in peace for a while, so he could try and reach Katrina himself using his recorder. He looked at his watch and started a new recording. He stated the date and time, and then asked, “Hello, Katrina. Are you here with us now? Can you please communicate with us? You can speak into my recorder, which is this device in my hand. Please, talk to us.” He waited a few seconds for a response, and then asked, “Don’t you have anything to say, after hearing Rini tell your tale?” He waited a few more seconds and said, “I’m so sorry for the pains you experienced. Why did you show Rini your life? You must have had a reason to do so. What was it?” He paused, again, to wait for an answer. “Is there anything you need done that we can help with?” Rini stirred uncomfortably next to him, as he spoke. Suddenly, she shot straight up from the sofa onto her feet and walked stiffly towards the fireplace, as if in a trance. The flashlight dropped from her lap down to the floor and rolled around in front of the sofa. When it stopped it was facing the fireplace, where she now stood perfectly still. The only part of her body illuminated by the light was her feet. Startled by her abrupt actions, Ray was distracted from his train of thought. He grew worried, as he watched her inquisitively. He wondered what she was doing and why she was behaving so strangely. Something definitely wasn’t right. He felt it in his bones. The light from the flashlight began to flicker on and off erratically. Feeling a lump in his throat, Ray struggled to call out to her. He could barely get the words out, as he asked, “R-Rini, are you... okay?” He swallowed trying to push that lump down. From out of the darkness a female voice responded, but it did not sound like her. It answered in a slightly deeper heavy Creole accent, “RINI AIN’T HERE NO MORE!” A shiver raced down Ray’s spine and his hairs stood on end, when he heard the chilling voice coming from her direction. “Who are you?” He demanded to know. This time there was no response and for the first time, he wished he were back at the hotel and away from her.
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About the Book
Ray Durante is a paranormal investigator and would-be writer from New York City, who travels to New Orleans, Louisiana, in search of a good ghost story for his upcoming book. New Orleans certainly has no shortage of ghost stories, considering it is one of the oldest cities in the southern United States. Upon his arrival, Ray wastes no time and begins his research by conducting a paranormal investigation on his first day there. As the days go by, he continues his research and takes a haunted tour that eventually leads to his meeting with a local Creole street musician named Rini. Rini gradually introduces him to a whole new world, which just may turn his own world upside down. Join Ray on his journey through the haunts of the French Quarter in what will surely become the most intense time of his life.
About the Author
Jason Medina was born and raised in the Bronx and during that time is when he began his love for creating stories. Many of those old stories have survived the test of time and are currently in the process of becoming future novels. Proof of that is evident on his website, www.JasonMedinaTribalPublications.com, where he has meticulously laid out his plans for his future books. New to the world of professional writing, he has only two other novels to his name. In his first book, a fictional novel called “No Hope for the Hopeless at Kings Park,” Jason used his years of research on an abandoned psychiatric hospital to create three intriguingly interwoven stories that mainly take place in the small quiet Long Island hamlet, Kings Park, where the last few buildings of the hospital remain today, a decaying reminder of the past. The first story tells of a suicidal adolescent girl, who is committed to the hospital’s former Female Adolescent Unit. The second tale is a re-telling of a popular Long Island urban legend... the girl known only as “Mary Hatchet.” In the final tale, the hospital is abandoned as it is today, but one man finds himself searching through the abandoned buildings for his identity. In doing so, he uncovers the forgotten secrets of his life. While each story stands alone, as a whole they tell one story and in essence share the same ending. However, with the recent release of his second novel, “The Diary of Audrey Malone Frayer,” it was a perfect example of how he has taken one of his older stories and literally transformed it into a novel for the entire world to enjoy. This controversial story switches back and forth between the sordid past of a teenage girl from New Jersey, who lived during the 1970s, and that of the four young friends in the present, who have discovered her hidden diary. In this third fictional novel by Jason Medina, he has found a way to convey, through his story, the extensive research conducted by him, in order to write a book that involves the rich and fascinating history of New Orleans, which includes slavery, the American Civil War, Jazz music, the French Creole and Cajun languages, Voodoo, and of course, Marie Laveau. The main character is based loosely on himself, while named after his friend, Ray Durrell, who lives in New Orleans. Prior to writing the book, Jason visited the Crescent City twice and in that time he was able to come up with the bulk of the story that would make up his third novel, “A Ghost in New Orleans.” Now that Jason has officially retired from his regular job, after twenty-three years of service, he has a lot more time on his hands. He can travel to numerous locations, while conducting hands-on research and dedicate a great deal of his time to writing many more new novels. Unlike most authors, he chooses not to stick to a specific genre. Instead, he will venture into other categories that will include thrilling tales of horror, fantastic adventures, sci-fi stories, westerns, dramas, mysteries, romance novels, and even historic documentary-style books. As a person, who hates limitations, he will push the boundaries of the literary world and strive to tap into every field that interests him. Follow on his journeys and purchase your copies today!