The Hokum Files

Sometime ago now, a few weeks after my eighteenth birthday, I first put out advertisements for The Hokum Files online. This was in the early winter of 2023. I thought nothing much would come of it. I thought wrong. Not three days after those ads went up did I receive an email from someone who lived, surprisingly, not too far from my home. This was the email I received.

"Dear, Miss Moon,

I have had something most peculiar occur at my home, and over the past few weeks it has terrorised both me and my young son. I was unsure of who to turn to. You see, the matter in which I am concerned is not one that most people would believe. To most I would seem mad. I hope, then, that you are not most people. Please, I request your help. For me, and for my son. Rid us of this evil.

Sincerely, Ellamay Rayne"

Exactly what plagued her home I was unsure of. Her email did not give specifics. But this was my first job, and so I would not be saying no. I responded with haste, intact, typing up an email as I waited in-line at my local cafe. We exchanged some more information, and she offered to house me in her spare room for the night. She said that what happens, what awaits, only shows itself at night. I obliged.

Two days after our exchange, no sooner due to my schooling, I was able to drive to the home, and meet in-person Miss Rayne.

She was a kind woman, perhaps early thirties. Her son, who had been described to me as young, was intact only a year younger than me. She brought me into her home, and first of all showed me to the spare room. It was opposite her sons, both doors facing one another. I placed my bag down, and returned to the living room to discuss the problem.

There, sat on the coffee table, was a shoebox. It had been surrounded by small tears of paper which read:

"DO NOT TOUCH THE BOX"

She began to explain to me the situation. The following is a recording of our interview.

[H] Miss. Rayne, the evil which you described in your message to me, is it the box sat there?

[E] No. It's what's in the box that's evil. Some strange thing. I belive it's cursed us.

(Note: She motioned a cross over her body here)

[H] What exactly is inside?

[E] Darkness.

[H] Interesting. Could you described the darkness to me?

(Her son, who's name was Ajay, interrupted)

[A] Stop this. We can't talk about it. Turn off the recorder.

I did as was asked of me. Ajay retreated to his room, and the door slammed upstairs. His mother sat with me still, and offered to explain what it was, so long as I did not record her.

Later that night I wrote down what I was told.

"It's a void. The box doesn't stop at the table. It keeps going. Down. Forever. And...and it speaks. Sometimes. It speaks to me, and to Ajay, and it...knows things. Bad things. I tried moving it...getting rid of it...but it kept coming back."

Once she had finished her explaining, she begged me for help. Offered me money, enough that she would run out, which I did not accept. I explained to her that, if I were to truly understand the box as she did, I would need to open it. After some convincing, I managed to gain access, so long as both her and her son stood outside. I accepted.

While they stood in the dark and cold snow outside, I was alone with the box. It had come to my attention that the Rayne family were a family of worship. Whatever is in this box knows that. I pulled a number of small wooden crosses from my kit, placing them around the box.

[Hokum Note: Demons can often be deterred with strong religious faith]

I surrounded the box in a ring of salt.

[Hokum Note: Demonic spirits are restricted to withing a ring of salt]

Then, I removed the notes of warning, and opened the shoebox. Nothing came out of the box. However, when I peered in, I saw exactly what had been described to me. An endless pit. Curiosity took hold of me, and I removed both of my shoelaces, fashioning them into a makeshift rope, and tying one end to of the wooden crosses. I began to feed it down into the box, attempting to see how deep it went. After half if my lace had descended, the cross became clouded in a shadow. I continued, until there was no more lace to let. It never found anything. I pulled it out. I waited for the box to speak to me, but nothing came of it. I waited for another half an hour. Nothing. Just an endless void hidden in this shoebox.

I closed it off, put away my supplies, and brought the two back inside. I explained to them what I had done, and the son looked at me with disgust. I wished not to annoy him further. Night had come upon us, and everyone had retreated now to their rooms.

I sat on the bed, scribbling notes in my journal, when I heard a strange creaking noise on the other side if my door. It was the dead of night. Past that, perhaps. The creak was slow. Not of someone walking, but standing.

I walked over, pressing my ear against the door to hear for any sort of noise. All I heard was the slow creaking again.

I turned the handle, and opened the door, and to the surprise of every atom in my body, there stood Ajay, completely in the nude, at the frame of his door. He was still. Far too still. Until he whispered.

"Shame on you. Sinner."

I was confused. I whispered his name, but he cut me off.

"Shame on you. Sinner."

He stood perfectly still. Though, when his mouth opened, I saw nothing but the endless black off the odd box on the coffee table.

"Ajay, are you awake?" I asked him.

I was met with the same answer.

"Shame on you. Sinner."

Though, this time. He continued.

"They will find out. Won't they? You sin. Have sinned. Will sin. Sinner."

He lunged.

Something, not his legs, carried him. It was as if the wind brought him to me. His hand clutched to my throat, and he stood now a mere few inches from my face.

"Sinners die. Sometime when those without sin would not, those with sin shall suffer. Greatly."

I grasped for my throat, though I wouldn't need to. He released me, and I fell to my feet. Suddenly, he was gone. My door was closed.

I returned to my bed, although I did not get much sleep that night.

In the morning, I debating explaining the situation to Miss. Rayne. However, upon seeing Ajay, and the lack of any indication as to last night's happenings, I decided against it. I explained away the marks on my neck as a rash.

As I prepared for leaving their home, I asked if I could take with me the box. To study it further. They were quick to allow me, strangely, as they had told me before that losing it was a harder challenge than they had though.

I said my farewell, and drove home, with the box in the boot of my car.

I arrived home an hour later, and after bringing my stuff inside, I returned for the box.

The box was not there.

.

On the 28th of October, 2025, I was lucky enough to procure a visit with an older man by the name of Andrew Wilderman, who lived alone at a small and isolated home in the area surrounding Conwy. Mr. Wilderman had contacted me with concerns that he was being haunted by what he described as "A foolish young boy." The following is transcribed from a sit-down interview I had in Bant House.

[H] Mr. Wilderman, you reached out to me with concerns that your home hear in the country was being haunted, is that correct?

[A] Yes, that is correct.

[H] In your letter, you described the apparition as a young boy, perhaps in his late teens, wearing nothing but his underwear. Would you care to expand on that description?

[A] He's rather slender. Not much food in him. He wears these dark socks. Dark enough that you could mistake them for the rug. And these old boxers, looking all beaten up. He looks rather beaten up himself.

[H] Interesting. What makes you say that he looks beaten up?

[A] Bruise marks all over his chest. One of his eyes, I forget, is black. Great big swell, it is.

[H] When did you first see the boy?

[A] Perhaps three months ago. I was coming down stairs to feed the cats, and I saw this boy standing in my kitchen. I felt a breeze coming in, and I fiddled for the light switch, but before I could see him proper, he was gone.

After this, he decided he needed a break, and made both me and him some tea. I asked his permission to venture further around his home, and he allowed.

The first thing I took note of was the lack of a feeding bowl in the kitchen. This surprised me, and so I scanned a few more of the rooms in which one might keep a bowl to feed a cat (common room, washroom, and the bedroom) only for nothing to turn up. I wandered around some more, hoping to find any trace of paranormal activity. I had brought with me my infrared visor, and wandered the upstairs area looking for any cold patches or unusual patterns.

[Hokum Note: Ghosts often emmit temperatures below the average. Passing through one without knowledge may result in a sudden chill]

In his upstairs I found an old photo hanging from the passageway. It showed a man who I assumed to be Mr. Wilderman, considerably younger, stood next to a woman, and behind a small child.

As I returned to the ground floor, the tea was done, and I briefed him on my lack of paranormal findings before continuing on with my interview.

[H] Mr. Wilderman, I'd like to ask you about a photo I saw upstairs, if you don't mind.

[A] Go ahead.

[H] You have a woman to your side, and a young girl to your front. Would I be correct in assuming that those are your wife and daughter.

[A] You would be, yes. My darling Rosemary, and our wonderful Emily.

[H] What happened to them? If you are alright discussing that.

(Note: He took a pause before answering)

[A] They died. Some years back now. An accident.

[H] I'm sorry for your loss.

[A] Thank you, dear. So am I. We were coming home from seeing the castle. Emily had always loved the castle. As I drove, this band of boys had rode their bikes alongside the car. At first they were no bother. Then they got closer. They were taunting my Emily. Pulling faces. Cursing. I grew frustrated. Then, one of them pulled infront of the car. I swerved to avoid him, but...

(Note: His hand was shaking too much for him to hold his cup)

[A] I had hit another one of them. The car rolled right into him, and into a post. We were going too fast. I was the only survivor.

[H] That is a terrible situation, and I truly am sorry for your loss.

[A] That foolish boy. That silly boy. He got them killed.

[H] I'm sorry.

[A] You shouldn't be. He should be.

[H] Mr. Wilderman, have you considered the possibility that the boy who died that night may be the same boy you saw in your kitchen?

[A] I suppose not. Why should he have waited so long?

[H] Sometimes there is a strange order to these things. Many ghosts return to the realm of the living long after departing.

[A] Can you get him away? So that I won't see him again?

[H] I will do all I can.

Over the next hour I had set up on the windowsills of the home jars of black salt.

[Hokum Note: Black Salt is a useful detterant for ghosts]

I doused the kitchen, where the ghost had made contact, with holy water. I placed burning white sage in various locations. I hid a small crystal of hematite above the front and back doors.

As I entered the garden to leave black salt by the gate, I noticed somwthing strange. Hidden by shrubbery, overgrown weeds, and a lack of attention, was a slate of stone. I moved closet to examine it, and upon reading the inscription, felt a chill.

"Here Lies Rosemary and Emily Wilderman, gone too soon from this home, but part of it forever"

I examined the dirt beneath my feet. It had gone long undisturbed, but it still had a difference in texture to the rest of the garden.

There was no doubt in my mind that the bodies of his wife and child were buried here.

Sometime later, night had fallen and I had returned to my hotel room for the night, when I received an email on my computer from Mr. Wilderman. It read as follows:

"Dear, Miss Moon,

I hope this email finds you well, and I hope that you may respond to my question in due time. Did you fiddle in my garden?

Sincerely, Andrew Wilderman"

I replied.

"Dear, Mr. Wilderman,

If you are referring to the bushes which I moved so as to avoid damaging your property, then yes. I do hope I was not causing you any distress, I meant simply to respect your home.

Sincerely, Holly Moon"

Some hours later, at the dead of night, I received what would be my final message from Mr. Wilderman. It was a simple three word message.

"You shouldn't have"

I awoke in the morning to terrible news. Upon arriving at Bant House, it came to my attention that Mr. Wilderman had passed away. I was unable to find out why. I suspect that supernature had something to do with it.

That concludes my investigation into the Haunting of Bant House.