ELKMONT GHOST STORIES - JASPER AND THE DISAPPEARING KEYS

These have been sent in from Elkmont residents or from published sources. Do you have one from the Elkmont area to share? Hill Spirit has not experienced any of these but one never knows...

The old buildings line downtown Elkmont. The last two next to the trail used to be the site of the Sugar Bucket Mercantile.  It has moved down the the road but some believe the old buildings have a ghost.  Curious things happen and an invisible prankster continues to make its presence known; little things such as objects not quite being in the same spot the next morning as they were before; little things such as quiet whispers, unexplained gentle breezes and cold spots but especially when things disappear. 

One such event happened soon after the Sugar Bucket opened for business.  Amanda, a dear family friend, was helping out in the store. She had been there all week. However on this day, safe in the knowledge her keys were put away, the invisible prankster was out and about.  All went well through the day, but when she got ready to leave for the night, grabbing for her keys, they were gone.  Everyone joined in the hunt, but alas, the keys were no where to be found. 

For the next several days, everything was moved, every box, container and sugar bucket was checked but no keys were found. Finally, in desperation, Amanda called out to what  had they had started to call Jasper over those earlier weeks. "Jasper, I really need those keys.  Please put them back."  To everyone's amazement,  the keys were laying on the second  counter shelf where they should have been from the beginning.  How many times had they looked there? How many times had others looked? She couldn't count the number but there the keys were. Could it have been the mysterious prankster, Jasper, proud of his little joke, who put them there?

It has happened more than once that keys disappear and end up in unexplained locations.  Another friend came to Sugar Bucket to visit and put his keys on the counter and when he looked around to get them, they were gone.  Of course the search began; each room the friend had visited was checked but they could not be found.  Finally, in the back room where he never entered, the keys were found...... found in the very bottom of a hobby lobby bag tucked in a corner. Jasper had struck again.  Now, whenever this friend comes through the door, he smiles and tucks his keys securely in his pants pocket.

....... So when you visit the Sugar Bucket, remember Jasper.  Say hello; he may be listening but be sure to hang on to your keys. He may be up to some tricks instead of treats.