The Cathouse-Bethlehem, NH

Note: Although I have done this story before for a newspaper back in 2009, I thought the story was long winded. I decided since it was my one year anniversary writing for the White Mountain Shopper to write about my first personal ghost experience and decided to take the time and edit the previous version. 

Throughout a whole year here with the White Mountain Shopper you have read about my most favorite ghost stories, you have joined me (word-wise) on my adventures with Northeastern Paranormal Investigations; but one thing you have not read is my first encounter with the paranormal. Until now... The story takes place in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, located on [Redacted due to now being a private residence]. I first heard about the Cathouse from my cousin who was a frequent visitor of the not so famous ghost destination back when the paranormal didn't fascinate me as much as it does now. 

The Cathouse is a run down home that has been abandoned for more then thirty-five years (so I've been told). Back then, I was told that two women lived there, a mother and a daughter, and they "mysteriously disappeared." Not really. In reality, the older lady is (or was) in a nursing home and I have not heard of the supposed daughter's whereabouts. One thing is for sure though is that the older lady had a lot of cats. Some would estimate well over one hundred. Now, I’m a cat lover myself(mostly cause I‘m allergic to dog hair), but that’s just ridiculous. I’d hate to see the cat food/litter bill even for it being that long ago. But fast forward years later and the house is abandoned. 

I got an email roughly a year ago, from a reader telling me she was actually inside the house and that it was a disaster. Papers, gross smells, and even a mummified cat were found in this home, but after my experience I strongly believe that there is something more there. I've never been inside the house myself, but an outside glance would show that the house is run down, and vandalized. Most of the windows are smashed, the front door looks to be kicked in, there was an old car out front, but that's recently been removed. 

Did I believe it was haunted when I first saw it? No. I just thought it was just an abandoned home, and the kids breaking in have given it that haunted/scary look. One night, when I was about sixteen or seventeen, me and my cousin went to Hell(you can find more about Bethlehem's version of Hell on my website), and after we went to Hell, we went to the Cathouse. This was an experience that I soon not forget, and probably will take it to my grave. 

We drove up beside the house, my cousin looking for her digital camera and me just looking at the house. The house itself had this glow to it. Not a ghostly glow, but as if the house was alive. My mind started to play tricks on me (or did it?); I started to hear a cat’s meow as if it was right next to me. I looked and there was nothing there, but the cracked pavement. My cousin found the camera, but no batteries. As we were looking for batteries, I remember that I looked into the glove compartment and something made me look out my cousins window as the house is on the left side of the road. 

Standing in the door way was an old lady. She had a dress on(looked early 20th century to me), and I couldn’t really make out the face. The thing that got me though, was her eyes, or where her eyes were suppose to be. They were bright blue, as if someone took her eyes out and replaced them with blue ruby’s. It was both fascinating and frightening all at the same time. The only problem was, she was still there. Even after a minute of me staring at her. She was still there, like she didn’t care that the living saw her. After snapping a few pictures we left, but what I saw has been on my mind for quite some time after that. I have had plenty more experiences thanks to my time with NEPI, as well as other times as well, and I hope it never stops. But if I ever make a book on the paranormal, the first person I am thanking, or well I'm sorry...the first GHOST I'm ever thanking is the Cathouse Spirit in Bethlehem.