The Handshake
An excerpt from Spooky North Carolina
retold by S.E. Schlosser
Polly was the sweetest, prettiest girl in Goldsboro, yes sir. All the local boys were chasing her, and quite a number of the fellows from the surrounding countryside were too. All the girls were jealous of Polly ‘cause they didn’t have no sweethearts to take them to the local dances. They all wanted Polly to choose her man so things could go back to normal. But Polly was picky. None of the local boys suited her, and neither did the fellows from the back country. Then one day, George Dean came home from university, and Polly was smitten. Polly completely dropped all her other beaus when George came courting, and it wasn't long before George proposed and Polly accepted.
Polly started making preparations for the wedding and shopping for items to fill her new home. George wasn’t too interested in all the fripperies and wedding details. He left the womenfolk to get on with it and started spending time down at the pool hall with some of his buddies. And that’s where he met Helene, the owner’s saucy daughter. She had bold black eyes and ruby red lips, and a bad-girl air that fascinated George. He spent more and more time at the pool hall, and less and less time with Polly, who finally noticed in spite of all the hustle and bustle.
Of course, Polly was furious. She immediately confronted George with the story, and he couldn’t deny it. Suddenly, George had to toe the mark. His pool-hall visits were over, and he spent every free hour he wasn’t at work by her side. That didn’t sit well with George, but his family backed Polly up, so he went along with it.
The day of the wedding dawned clear and bright. The guests filled the sanctuary, and the pastor and the best man waited patiently in the ante-chamber for the arrival of the groom. But George didn’t come. Eventually, they went searching for the missing bridegroom, and found out he'd left town with Helene an hour before the wedding. With dread, Polly’s mother went to tell her daughter what had happened. Polly, all bright and shining and lovely in her long white dress and soft wedding veil, turned pale when her mother broke the news. Then she stiffened, grabbing her left arm as a sudden pain ripped through it. She was dead from a massive heart attack long before she hit the floor.
A few days later, Polly was buried in the churchyard, still wearing her white wedding dress and veil. The whole town came to the funeral and wept at the passing of such a beautiful young girl. George and Helene, who had spent the week happily honeymooning in the Outer Banks, arrived home at the very moment that the black-clad crowd exited the churchyard. Their arrival caused a commotion. The minister had to pull Polly’s father off George before he killed him. And both George and Helene’s family disowned the couple right there in the street in front of everyone. The couple fled town in disgrace.
Time passed, and eventually the scandal was forgotten. Until the day George’s father passed away. It was rumored that he was to be buried in the local churchyard just a few plots away from the girl who had almost become his daughter. Suddenly, the story of Polly's jilting was revived and folks wondered aloud if George would dare attend his father's funeral. But George was too clever for them. He waited at an inn outside of town until it was dark, and then he went to the churchyard to pay his last respects to his father.
As he unburdened himself at his father’s graveside, George heard a sweet female voice calling his name. “George. Sweetheart.” George looked up in sudden hope. Was that his mother, come to forgive him? Then he saw, rising up from a grassy mound under a spreading oak tree, a figure in a long white gown and a soft veil. Her eyes and her lips were yellow flames beneath the veil, and the rotted wedding dress glowed with a white-yellow light. It was Polly.
George’s body stiffened, shudders of fear coursing up and down his arms and legs. He put a shaking hand to his mouth and staggered backward, the other hand outstretched out ward off the specter floating toward him. The spectral bride cackled with angry laughter and swooped forward until its hand closed over George’s outstretched one in a terrible parody of a handshake. The grip of the spectral bride was so cold it burned the skin, and so hard that the bones crunched as it squeezed. “Come along into the church, George,” the glowing bride whispered. Through the veil, George could see maggots crawling in and out of Polly’s flaming eye sockets.
“Nooo! Polly, no!” George screamed in terror, but he could not wrench his hand free. The ghost dragged him step by halting step toward the front door of the church. His hand was a red-hot agony of pain, though the rest of his body was shaking with cold.
“No!” George gave a final cry of despair and wrenched again at his hand. And suddenly, he was free. The spectral bride gave a roar of rage as George ran pell-mell down the church lane and out into the street.
“You’re mine, George Dean! If not in this world, than in the next,” the spectral bride howled after him.
By the time George reached his room, the fiery pain in his hand and arm was seeping through his entire body. He rang desperately for the house maid and begged her to send for a doctor. Then he fell into bed and stared at his hand, which was black and withered, as if it had been scorched long ago by a fire. Black and red streaks were climbing up his arm so fast he could almost see them move.
George was unconscious when the doctor arrived, and the swelling was already extending into his chest and neck. There was nothing the physician could do. The injury was too severe and had spread too far. Within two days, George was dead. Polly had gotten her man at last.
You can read more ghost stories in Spooky North Carolina, by S.E. Schlosser.
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Comments
yeah this is scary i
not kidding i like it
Posted by: heoo | October 25, 2009 01:31 PM
i think this a great story not too scary but really funny lol
Posted by: kerrion brown | October 27, 2009 10:39 AM
that was not good at all i read better gost stories in comedy books
Posted by: Anonymous | October 27, 2009 09:24 PM
not the best i've heard but its ok
Posted by: tony | October 29, 2009 05:24 PM
YEAHUH polly got her mayun! go polly! rofl
Posted by: Anonymous | October 29, 2009 09:22 PM
the story was scary and intresting i really like it so much
Posted by: melissa | October 29, 2009 09:36 PM
BORING
Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2009 10:36 AM
That wasn't very scary at all. && what did the guy even die from. ?
Posted by: Katrinaah | October 30, 2009 11:04 PM
i KNEW IT WAS POLLY
what did he die of
Posted by: bella cullen | December 22, 2009 02:17 PM
yeah I f i was polly i would be like NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Aden | January 17, 2010 01:06 PM
george is gonna get it when he's in the spirit world
Posted by: Anonymous | January 26, 2010 09:41 PM
that was freaky but soooo kool
Posted by: kirra | February 8, 2010 10:45 PM
i love this story it's sad also! I would have killed him along time ago if I were Polly!
Posted by: Alex | February 17, 2010 07:03 PM
what is up pplz?? well anyway loved the story and I hope that u make more... oh and by the by... U SUCK GEORGE!!
Posted by: OMG! | February 17, 2010 08:16 PM
he died of frost bite DUAH!!!!
Posted by: v | February 18, 2010 09:43 PM
here's an alternate ending!!!
"If not in this world then in the next!" Polly cried. George ran home. He died not long after his encounter with Polly.
In george's next life, he met the love of his life. A sweet beautiful girl named Polly. They married. At the wedding, after they both said,'I do' Polly said:I told you I'd have you in one life or another.
George was terrified. He remembered Polly at once!Ha ha ha ha ha!
Posted by: Anonymous | February 20, 2010 11:43 AM
DID DA GUY DIE FROM A HEART ATTACK
Posted by: Anonymous | February 24, 2010 02:19 AM
DAT WUZ GOOD :-) BUT WUT DID HE DIE FROM
Posted by: Anonymous | February 24, 2010 02:22 AM
That was really good i loved it
Posted by: ashley | March 12, 2010 04:18 PM
pretty cool story. yeah you go polly girl!! lol
Posted by: mya maree mcCoy | March 14, 2010 12:26 AM
THE GUY DIED FROM THE BOO BOO IT SPREAD TOO FAR GET IT NOW?
Posted by: watzit tooya | March 14, 2010 09:12 PM
ilove american folkore
Posted by: chaquala | March 31, 2010 02:48 PM
i wonder wat happened to George in the after life
Posted by: Anonymous | April 4, 2010 10:09 AM
polly is like i dunno like beast at the end it was awesome with a side of agony it was great, its a newberry winner to me :D
Posted by: tori | April 4, 2010 01:04 PM
not that scary but perfect for sleepover stories.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 12, 2010 09:03 AM
At the end it was sad!!!!!!!!!!!!:'(
Posted by: Anonymous | April 12, 2010 09:20 PM
OMG this is soooo scary!!!I live in goldsboro!!This stoory is sooo scary!!!!
Posted by: claira | April 21, 2010 10:12 AM
NOT SCARY AT ALL BORING
Posted by: susie | April 23, 2010 08:09 PM
it's ok i thought maby you could dod a lil better it will be good but it's good lol
Posted by: Anonymous | April 25, 2010 01:11 AM
YEAH POLLY! BOO GEORGE! What a jerk he was! I mean who does he think he is. Ditchin' his bride on their wedding day. I f I were Polly I would have haunted him down. NOT want him back.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 4, 2010 07:36 PM
thats a scary story?
Posted by: kevin | May 27, 2010 07:04 PM
wow that was creepy good one!...George deserved it tho after all he put Polly through...poor Polly!!! :(
Posted by: zoey l. | May 28, 2010 12:59 AM
real creepy lol
Posted by: manya | May 31, 2010 05:14 AM
I thought it was hilarious! I finally got my man!
Posted by: Polly | June 13, 2010 05:21 PM
Yeah ! that was really a nice one...
Posted by: Sanjeeda | June 22, 2010 12:45 AM
he got wat was coming 2 him
Posted by: alex | July 4, 2010 11:11 AM
Wat Polly did was gr8
this should only happen with guys like George
Posted by: molly | August 7, 2010 04:40 AM
wow, i must say this was quite the story...ha ha i can pretty much relate to it.. well i'd definitly give this one 5 stars.!
Posted by: Anonymous | August 9, 2010 11:49 PM
good story
Posted by: Anonymous | August 13, 2010 05:33 AM
it wuz not scary. it was kind of like a romantic story.
Posted by: diana | August 14, 2010 11:49 AM
well its not pollys fault its georges cuz he left her in the wedding day so to bad for him and go polly lmfao
Posted by: danary | August 14, 2010 03:44 PM
hahaha take that George!!!!
Posted by: Savanna | August 16, 2010 07:08 PM
wow
Posted by: Anonymous | August 17, 2010 01:17 PM
thats what george gets for cheating on polly, and she got her revenge
Posted by: emmy | August 22, 2010 07:33 PM
Karma strikes yet again
Posted by: tarey | August 31, 2010 03:37 PM
this is aweeeeeesome
Posted by: miqdad | September 10, 2010 06:43 AM
No, it wasn't scary. And that's the only comment I will leave ;]
Posted by: Chaiseni | September 11, 2010 12:59 AM
YEAH! GO POLLY!
Posted by: LGMT | September 11, 2010 06:06 PM
it was scary but foolish Polly she should for more handsome one so that she could make him jelous
Posted by: bidisha | September 11, 2010 11:56 PM
This is awesome!!!!
I love this story and Polly herself! Congrats Polly and at last she got her own man :')
Posted by: adventures girl | September 14, 2010 12:49 AM
:)
Posted by: Anonymous | September 18, 2010 03:04 PM
Well, you can't exactly blame the girl lol.
Posted by: emily | September 23, 2010 01:07 AM
it was good not too scary but good nd appropriat for before the kids go to sleep while camping
Posted by: Anonymous | October 7, 2010 04:29 PM
Um wow! Go Polly!!!!!!!!
Posted by: UR MOM | October 8, 2010 07:18 PM
Freaky, does seem very realistis though. As a personal ghost hunter myself I say this story isnt half bad.
Posted by: Anthony Angel | October 16, 2010 02:54 PM
not that scary not scary at all but good story
Posted by: anonyumas | October 17, 2010 04:32 PM
if i were george, i would go to my room and pullout my m16 and say: '' say hello to my little friend'' if she stands in front of the door:)
Posted by: scarface | October 19, 2010 10:01 PM
I LIKE IT.......BUT UMMM WAT DID HE DIE FROM???
Posted by: Anonymous | October 20, 2010 09:40 PM
i think it is ok but it could have been more scary.i like the part when george dies.
Posted by: megan | October 23, 2010 07:16 AM
Well, George kinda had that one coming.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 25, 2010 01:06 PM
Go Polly!! That guy was such a jerk!! lol!! :D I want more!!
Posted by: Anonymous | October 25, 2010 05:09 PM
I'd do the same thing if I was Polly! George Dean is a sorry cheater who deserved it!
Posted by: Delorian | October 26, 2010 12:59 PM
its little fun and scary......
Posted by: yoyo | October 29, 2010 12:41 AM
i love this story i bet she is ugly when she came back
Posted by: marie | October 30, 2010 08:19 AM
it wasn't too scary that's wat made it cool
Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2010 11:11 AM
After I died, Polly forced me to marry her at the wedding chapel were she infected me with spreading frostbite.
Posted by: George Dean | October 31, 2010 08:55 AM
This is a happy ending in my world.
Posted by: Rose | October 31, 2010 04:52 PM
well that was terrifying...
Posted by: Margret Reed | November 2, 2010 04:02 PM
scary i got goosbumps. Awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | November 3, 2010 06:28 PM
I absolutely loved this story!
Posted by: Lily | December 18, 2010 04:41 PM
of my man left me, i'd do that to, to get him back. if i loved him that much.
Posted by: rachel | December 26, 2010 03:01 PM
Oh my gosh! its so scary! well... kinda.. i like the love story though XD
Posted by: HEROOOOO | January 27, 2011 03:37 PM
Love it
Posted by: Anonymous | January 29, 2011 10:24 AM
Wow !! just Wow !
Posted by: Anonymous | January 29, 2011 01:04 PM
I guess george died from an infection
Posted by: Anonymous | February 2, 2011 04:18 PM
Pretty good but not the best
Posted by: Codey | February 4, 2011 12:41 PM
i give it 1,000,000 stars baby!!
Posted by: ashley.p | February 7, 2011 03:05 PM
you go polly
Posted by: Anonymous | February 12, 2011 01:10 PM
Polly always wins...three cheers!
Posted by: Mary | February 17, 2011 02:10 AM
This is a weird story somebody tell me wat the man died of and polly go back to DEAD LOL
Posted by: Casey Lawson | March 6, 2011 10:53 AM
it was scary but i've heard better! xxx
Posted by: Hollie | March 14, 2011 12:29 PM
he got what he desevered no girl should ever be treated in such a bad way
Posted by: raven | April 11, 2011 02:45 PM
why does she still want Geogre in the first place???
Posted by: Anonymous | April 19, 2011 03:10 PM
GO POLLY!!!
Posted by: aly | May 18, 2011 05:20 PM
I really like it! I hope George gets what he deserves!
Posted by: Happyplz | June 13, 2011 03:52 PM
GO POLLY!!!!!
ps not really that scarybut lol
Posted by: Anonymous | June 19, 2011 07:23 PM
It waz fine.
Posted by: Cola Roc | June 21, 2011 05:00 AM
why did polly have to go :,(
Posted by: kailahn omar | June 22, 2011 11:14 AM
omg this is so wierd but most of all sad. :[
hey but she did get the man!
:]
Posted by: katelyn foxie | June 24, 2011 08:42 PM
Aigoo.....that's creepy!!!
Posted by: Phianh | June 30, 2011 09:48 AM
Creepy...... but not that scary
Posted by: Anonymous | July 4, 2011 01:17 PM
Wow, that was so beautiful.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 8, 2011 04:42 AM
if i ever marry, im telling this story to my husband. :P
Posted by: jessica | August 2, 2011 01:30 PM
this story was great
Posted by: sarah | August 9, 2011 09:53 AM
I love that story! I thought it was terrific!
Posted by: Jane | August 12, 2011 04:49 PM
its kinda sweet that she loved him that much and sad.
Posted by: m | August 20, 2011 03:56 PM