Black Flash and Spring-Heeled Jack

This is one of the most unusual stories to occur in September set in Provincetown in Massachusetts. 

It started in September 1938, which was sightings of a tall eerie figure in a hooded cape, dark clothes and fire breathing. He had shining blue or red eyes and very large silver ears. Some say that he wore a mask. He was capable of leaping over 10 ft high fences and jump up onto the rooftops. His cape flapped like wings. 

"The Black Flash" is what they call him as he's now an urban legend. He always liked to jump out and scare people. He found it funny and laughed so much. His laughter sounded cruel and mocking. Someone was so scared they took a shot at him but he only laughed at them and appeared unfazed.  

Men tackled him The Black Flash but he overpowered them all and got away. Well, he stood about 8 ft tall! Not only did he torment people, but he also breathed fire! The flames that come out of his mouth was blue in colour.   

He caused a lot of panic throughout the town. He made a regular shocking appearance many times each year and then he stopped in 1945. Police cornered him once and he jumped so high that he escaped. And the last time he was seen was when local children flung hot water at him and he ran off. That was it. Often evil spirits flee from water. No one has seen him since then, which makes many outsiders and sceptics think it was a prankster. That's some joke! 

This entity sounds a lot like the English legendary "Spring-heeled Jack", who terrorised people around London and Liverpool during Victorian times. Spring Heeled Jack was first seen in 1837. This entity was also like The Black Flash, who did similar great leaps onto rooftops and he could breathe fire! 

Some believe this was all party tricks! Of Spring-heeled Jack, it's theorised this prankster was really the Irish nobleman Henry Beresford, the Marquess of Waterford. If so, that was impressive! A fantastic costume and amazing trickery set for Halloween. 

Maybe someone borrowed the idea of Spring-heeled Jack for Provincetown? or if not, was it just mass hysteria? With police involvement, well no. Or was it an unknown entity of paranormal origins?  

Shadow Girl  

Tangled month of September

September is a dark shift. The Corn / Harvest Moon later this month will happen and so will the Autumn Equinox. Days will grow darker as nights get longer. Chills will hang by a thread in the air and crawling with dread. LOOK OUT FOR SPIDERS!

Big spiders will appear indoors. Not just to keep warm and dry but to find eight-legged friendships! Spiders are keen to search for each other during their mating season. While the majority of spiders are not social animals, they tend to feel lonely in the Autumn and go dating out on the web. Male spiders have to be really clever and careful when approaching female spiders, who are much more aggressive. Female spiders are tough and sassy by nature. They have to be, as it's a defence mechanism to defend their young against predators. 

If you want to hear spooky spiders stories, I will share these creepy legends. 

Ghost Spiders of the Old Vicarage, which is a British folklore legend: A resident of an old vicarage during Victorian times collected arachnids. Some of these in his collection were tropical spiders and tarantulas. The house is a ruin today but visitors have experienced the sensation of invisible cobwebs, but that isn't the shocking part. Ghost hunters have seen eerie shadow spiders the size of dinner plates, walking across the walls and vanishing. Late night guests heard the sounds of scurrying legs running through the floorboards. 

The Jorogumo or The Binding Bride of Japanese folklore: When a certain spider, the Golden Silk Orb Weaver, becomes 400 years old, it's earned supernatural powers. It shape-shifts into a very beautiful woman playing a musical instrument (the lute) in quiet solitary places including waterfalls. Often men are victims lured in by her enchanting beauty. It's a trap though. Drawn in like spider and the fly. Once she's got them, she transforms back into a spider and kills them. 

The Ghost Web of Borley Rectory: There was once a haunted house that became infamous until it got burned down in 1939. Of Borley in Essex, this huge house once had a plethora of ghosts, including an army of ghost spiders! Found in the cold dark cellar, these phantom spiders appeared when someone shone a light in the dark. Believed to be dense negative energy taking form of spiders. The spiders spun dark shadowy webs, and also turned the atmosphere cold. People even felt as if many spiders crawled all over them. Eek!

Shadow Girl