Hauntings: Driskill Hotel

Driskill Hotel (Austin, Texas)

In 1886, wealthy cattle baron Jesse Lincoln Driskill opened the Driskill hotel in Austin, Texas.  It became a popular meeting place for the area’s politicians and celebrities.  Mr. Driskill loved his luxurious hotel so much it's said his spirit remained after he died.  Several people have seen his ghost over the years.  Plus, he was an avid cigar smoker, and the smell of cigar smoke has been often reported even though no one is smoking.

And he’s not the only one haunting the place --

In 1887, the four-year-old daughter of a senator chased a ball near the Grand Staircase and fell to her death.  Since then, the sound of a ball bouncing and a child’s laughter has often been heard by guests.  Her portrait hangs on the fifth floor, and people have reported seeing the painting's expression change -- the little girl smiles at them.

In Room 525, a young bride killed herself in the bathroom, and twenty years later, another did the same thing.  Such an atmosphere of despair permeated the room that it was closed off for many years.  When the hotel was renovated, it was reopened, but troubles continue to plague the room like unexplained noises and plumbing leaks.

A female spirit has been seen multiple times on the fourth floor.  It’s believed to be the ghost of a woman who committed suicide there.  Guests and staff alike have heard a woman whispering and heard weeping, but never found the source of the noises.

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Hauntings: Aokigahara Forest

Aokigahara Forest (Japan)

Aokigahara Forest, at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan, is the site of up to 100 suicides a year.  It’s also known as the "Suicide Forest" and is the world’s second most popular place to commit suicide (the Golden Gate Bridge being number one).  Some people blame its popularity on Seicho Matsumoto’s 1960 novel, Kuroi Kaiju (Black Sea of Trees).  At the end of the book, two lovers commit suicide in the forest, and since its release, suicides in the park have increased every year.  However, legend has it that well before then, hundreds of Japanese people hung themselves from the trees of Aokigahara forest over the years.

The trees in Aokigahara are so plentiful and full of vines that sunlight rarely reaches the forest floor.  Wildlife and birds avoid the forest, leaving it eerily silent.  Because of a high concentration of iron in the soil’s volcanic rock, compasses are useless, so it’s very easy to become lost in the dense, dark woodland.

Many Japanese believe the souls of the dead have been absorbed by the trees, and stories abound of unnatural sounds, strange lights, and travelers being unable to escape the forest’s clutches.

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