WNC Scary Stories: The mysterious coffin

DISAPPEARING ACT: West Asheville resident Conda Painter shares an unusual tale about a disappearing coffin. Photo by iStock

Editor’s note: For Halloween, we asked our readers to share the scariest things they’ve experienced in our area. Readers came through with shivery accounts of mysterious occurrences, including this one.

by Conda Painter

Even though West Asheville’s neighborhood isn’t known as a haunted destination, it definitely has one unexplained story.

Nevada Avenue is a quiet little street, lined with early 1900s cottage-style homes. In the late 1970s, our neighbors used to have a thing called “porch story night.” During one of these events, a neighbor in her late 80s shared a story with me. I was only a kid.  She told a tale of an old cemetery from the 1800s, allegedly located somewhere in our neighborhood. She wasn’t sure of the location. She thought perhaps it was just a rumor.

Fast-forward many years later, one of our neighbors was installing a ham radio at his home. It was a beautiful summer day, perfect for getting something accomplished in the backyard. Excitement built as the neighbor pushed the pole deeper into the ground. Suddenly, the pole wouldn’t go any farther. With each push, there was an echo.

The neighbor decided to take a break and go inside his house. While pushing on his back door, he suddenly realized that it wouldn’t open enough to allow him inside. He looked through the door’s small window. In total shock, he noticed a large coffin blocking the door. He thought to himself, “I must be totally losing my mind.”

He quickly ran around to the front of his home. By the time he got to his front door and looked inside, the coffin had vanished.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.