top of page

The Haunted Bar

Ashley
November 2008

The Luna cafe, built in 1926, predates Route 66 and still boasts its original sign and style. Said to be frequented by notorious characters throughout history, such as Al Capone, and to have housed a brothel and casino during the heydays of the Mother Road, you can only imagine what the old bar has seen over the years. If only those walls could talk. But wait - maybe they do. According to several regulars, owner Larry (A.K.A. Rooster) is serving up more spirits than those from the bottle.

Chip, who is a self described skeptic and one who doesn't believe it without seeing it, tells us he walked up the stairs to the old sleeping rooms and storage area late one night a few years ago. When his feet hit the landing he looked straight down the hallway to the right, where the hall dead ends into a narrow eight foot long room that no longer has a door. There, in the middle of the dark room at the end of the hall was a woman wearing a milky white and thicker than a cloud robe. Definitely a female, with ashy blonde hair, you can tell she is probably in her late twenties, an elegant looking young woman. Completely shocked beyond fear he hesitated only slightly before bolting into a room and shutting the door. A moment later he threw open the door and swung his head out the door toward the narrow dark room. She had left.

But the lady upstairs isn't a new story. Kathleen, who is frequently upstairs, will tell anyone about the holographic figures that often wander the halls. You don't know when you'll see her, but poke around enough and you will. Mostly at night, but whenever she wants, she appears. Perfectly silent, except an occasional soft foot step. Kathleen confirms she is a blonde, a young looking woman who will only occasionally acknowledge her presence, with just the slightest of a nod. She doesn't seem to want anything or have a grudge against the mortal residents. There are bigger problems. The man is around too. An older curmudgeon wants to let you know he's there. He likes to knock on walls, like he's knocking on a door, but there is no door between the kitchen and first sleep room. It's clear he likes to startle innocent visitors, and he leaves you with a feeling that you're the one who's in the wrong place.

Kevin's become accustomed to the lady visitor, she hardly startles him now. Besides, he says, when you get a close look at her she seems really calm and always wears an effervescent white robe, she could even be an angel watching out. Watching out for what? "The shadows." Yeah, the shadows. The ones that cross your own when you're in the hall alone, the ones that fade instantly when you enter a room, and those that break the light shining in under the door. They still make his skin crawl.

The thing is it doesn't matter if you're alone, if it's day or night, or whether you are looking or not. After closing time, and needing one more last round, Kathleen, Chip and Kevin retreated to an upstairs room and sipped along as it got later. Kathleen ventured tipsily into the hall to the bathroom. When she decided to return for the very last nightcap, upon opening the door, before taking one step, she was greeted by him. He glared at her for only a second, just as long as it took her to slam the door in his would- be face. She couldn't scream, and could hardly move but managed to lock the door and catch her breath. Deciding that locking the door might not be that effective; she barely cracked the bathroom door and peeked out far enough to determine he had left. She flung open the door and returned to her buds. When the guys saw the look on her face their words in unison rang out. "It's there!" They sheepishly lined up next to the door with their shoulders pressing up against one another, they all three took a glimpse into the hallway. Now each of them will tell you it was the other who screamed, pissed their pants and called on God, but they will all tell you he was there, at the end of the hall in the narrow room. He turned as soon as he saw them and was instantly gone, not with a poof or flash, just completely gone. A few more drinks were had and nerves were strengthened for the next walk down the hall.

Ashley
00:00 / 01:04
bottom of page