Hey, y’all, it’s Weird Wednesday! Where on some Wednesdays, I blog about weird stuff and give writing prompts.

Today: The Ghost Before the Storm: South Carolina’s Gray Man

Welcome to Weird Wednesday! Today we’re strolling the stormy coast of South Carolina, looking for a ghostly man in gray.

Pawleys Island, South Carolina is a barrier island housing a small town, in an area of the US often struck by hurricanes. However, it’s also said to be visited by something else.

The story goes like this: in 1822, a young man was traveling from Charleston, South Carolina, to meet his fiancée on Pawley’s Island. Unfortunately, his horse stumbled in a marsh and threw him, and he drowned in the muddy water. But after his death, the young man’s fiancée saw him once again: on the beach (or, according to some accounts, in a dream), where he warned her about an approaching storm.

Taking the warning seriously, the young woman fled the area with her family. Soon after, Pawley’s Island was struck by a terrible hurricane which left intact only the home of the poor grieving woman. And now, legend says, every time the circumstances are repeated—every time a hurricane is due—the ghost of the drowned man appears on the shore in gray clothing, still seeking reunion with his lost love. His appearance is a warning of an approaching hurricane, but also brings protection: those who see him will find their homes spared by the storm.

Check out the blog post for the whole story and some writing prompts, such as:

Hurricane hunters. You could write a ghost hunter/storm chaser mashup about internet personalities chasing the Gray Man. After all, it’s hard to anticipate the appearance of a guy like Mothman, who shows up before random catastrophes. But we have plenty of advanced notice for hurricanes. So how about an uneasy alliance between adrenaline junkies wanting to experience a hurricane and ghost hunters who’d like to document a reliable paranormal occurrence? What happens if they find the Gray Man? Is he what they’re expecting? Can they manage to get proof before the storm hits? Does the Gray Man’s protective influence work if you seek him out on purpose?

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

On this day in 1948, songwriter Stan Jones released Ghost Riders in the Sky, which tells a version of the Wild Hunt legend.

As the riders loped on by him

He heard one call his name

‘If you wanna save your soul

From hell a-riding on our range

Then, cowboy, change your ways today

Or with us you will ride

Trying to catch the devil’s herd

Across these endless skies

A mighty hunter and a pack of dogs, horses, or other beasts racing across the horizon, making a terrible noise as they rush above you! What could it mean? Well, that depends on who you are.

First, let’s say you might be—well, someone who’d end up on Santa’s naughty list. For you, the Wild Hunt can be more than a vision. It’s interactive! We’re talking Ghost Riders in the Sky here, aka Jacob Marley as a cowboy. This type of Wild Hunt is a warning from beyond. 

Check out my Weird Wednesday blog post on the Wild Hunt for the whole story and some writing prompts, such as:

Doomed riders. You could focus on the sadder figures— the poor souls (literally) who are already in the hunt for eternity. Sometimes these people committed the usual infractions: murder, theft, or just too much drinking. But other times, these folks have done a Very Specific Thing they may have be warned not to do, like hunting on the sabbath, or some other odd thing like don’t get off your horse until your dog jumps down. Fairies (and the devil) love this sort of warning! You can make it as absurd as you want, that’s the point. And if your character fails in this one strange thing, they can be doomed to the hunt forever.

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

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