When they’d finished their walkthrough their real estate agent, Carol, stopped them and asked what they thought of the place.

The wife went first. “I absolutely love it. It mixes that beautiful antique styling with the best refurbs. And the finished out basement means he can have a place all to his own.”

The husband nodded. “Exactly. Not wild about some of the foot traffic, though.”

“That’s the catch of homes in Victorian Village. Surrounding neighborhoods aren’t great. But it is so rare for a house like this to come on the market.”

All at once an unholy scream ripped through the air, making the couple cringe and standing their hair on end. Carol didn’t flinch.

“Good God, what was that?” The husband whimpered.

“That’d be Claude. He’s your neighbor.” She said, mildly.

“Is he an invalid? A mental patient?” Asked the wife.

“No. Claude’s a ghost.”

The couple blinked at Carol, unbelieving.

“Sometimes he screams. Sometimes he rattles things. Sometimes he even possesses cats. Last people that owned this house loved cats. Didn’t work out. So, what do you think?”

The couple didn’t respond verbally, so much as immediately run out the door.

“I hate this neighborhood.” Carol groused.

Memphis Note
Victorian Village is a small neighborhood nestled between the edge of downtown and the medical district. Originally on the outskirts of the city, it was a collection of massive homes built by the city’s elite in the 1800s. As the city grew up, the rich moved farther east, and the village fell into disrepair before being gentrified and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also one of the most haunted places in Memphis.