The following story was told to me by my friend Lana Tiffany Edwards, Lana Edward's grandfather, Elijah Edwards was Benton's undertaker for decades before he passed away from old age. He was also an avid collector of ghost stories. And one of those stories he loved to tell all those who would listen was about a farmer who was expecting his first child, when his child was born he was overjoyed to find out that his exhausted wife had given birth two twin boys. But his joy quickly turned to horror and shame as he noticed that the twins were conjoined.

-15- 
Greensleeves & The Maid that Sold her Barley

A deep blush colored my face as I peered into the floor length mirror. The reflection showed a girl with blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and a petite frame. The girl was also dressed in one of the most embarrassing costumes I've ever laid eyes on. The costume was a short white dress with black spots. The accessories included a purple dog collar with a golden nameplate that read 'Jamie' engraved on it. And last but not least a pair of black dog ears. A small sigh escaped my lips as I spun around. This has to be the dumbest thing I've ever volunteered to do.

One of the most enduring urban legends of Benton is that of a supposed tree that is supposed to feed unwary travelers who stray too near to its trunk. The location of the tree is supposed to be a meadow that is located deep within the marsh that surrounds the north side of Benton. Now, though many consider it nothing more than a silly urban legend, something of an old wives' tale, something to keep curious children from exploring the mashes.

Breakfast was brought to me the next morning, it was a simple breakfast, grits, boiled turkey bacon, toast, and milk. Still worn out from the nights before I ate and fell asleep, I awoke in time for lunch, a piece of broiled fish seasoned with just lemon juice and dill, steamed broccoli, and tea. Still tired I ate and again I fell asleep, dinner was a little better, roasted chicken seasoned with lemon and pepper, more steamed broccoli, a small slice of yellow cake with chocolate icing and more tea. Again tired I ate and fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning feeling a little better, I was starting to breathe a little easier, my throat was so sore and I felt my fever starting to retreat. Breakfast was soon served to me, it was a homey breakfast of boiled turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, without salt and pepper of course. Toast without butter, and a small bottle of chocolate milk. Out of hunger I ate every morsel and left not a scrap of egg or a speck of crust on my plate.

Hospitals are one of the most depressing places on earth. Everything reeks of antiseptic and disinfectant, the food is bland and the portions are small. Plus, you can't have a moment's peace to yourself and you have no privacy whatsoever. And guess what? I'm going to be spending my Easter Weekend here on the fifth floor of Mississippi Medical Center because mother nature hates me.

Carefully I put one foot in front of the other as I made my way from my room, down the stairs, the moment I touched down on the landing was the moment I felt my breath being taken away. The living room was crowded with people. The overflow even reached into the kitchen and down the hallway. The massive crowd then shouted, they shouted all together. And their voices seemed to become one.

Albert Sidney Johnstone Memorial Library was the heart and soul of geek culture in Benton. Here each Tuesday the anime club gathered together to watch a few episodes of any given anime that seemed popular or given reports on the manga we've read that week. And on Friday and Saturday evening the Roleplaying Club would host sessions. Of course Dungeons and Dragons was the main draw, but there were other games people could play. Little Fears was another darling and my personal favorite.

-9-
So This Is A Dungeon?

Hello again my imaginary audience, when you last left me I was walking to the Peppercorn Mountains because I'd heard stories about a king's ransom of gold and jewels. Right now I'm somewhere under those mountains. About a day's passed since I've last encountered you guys, I'd finally reached the Peppercorn Mountains after four or five hours of hard marching. I then took a rest and somehow I managed to find this cave.

-5-
Tale of the Drunken Knight

Ben and I enjoyed the rest of the meal in silence, it was the good kind of silence. Oh the Pecan cobbler was simply amazing, totally off my diet but so worth it. Once we finished eating, Ben paid the check and he was escorted back to his car. It was around ten o' clock at night, and nearing my curfew. Not that Lily would have minded if I stayed out at all hours of the night. She is kind of cool like that, and with mom and dad away and Lily manning the fort I'm sure I could have managed to stay out a little past ten.

Coleman's Steakhouse was a small little restaurant that was located at the far end of Main Street. Beside it one would find Benton Laundromat and across from it one would find Benton Auto Glass Works. Many people in town considered it a hidden treasure, unlike the newest steakhouse in town, The Cow Pen Jr. Located out on the highway this one was located in the heart of Benton. Many in town considered The Cow Pen Jr. a place for tourists to go too.

La Petite Mardi Gras: Part Three
A kiss ushers in the season of Lent

This is my third story I've shared with my little sister for her ongoing project of chronicling all possible  ghostly and paranormal encounters that have taken place in and around Benton. I'm flattered my stories are included. According to an old family legend, the gift of clairvoyance is supposed to run in the Bell family. My late mother Lisa Avery Bell was supposed to have the gift. I suppose she passed that gift onto me and my sister. Anyway putting that aside let's get down to business shall we? You want to be scared, and I have just the tell for you.

The movie was amazing, the animation amazing, the story touching. In short 'From Up on Poppy Hill' made me nostalgic for a time I've never experienced. It was tinged with sadness, heartache, and the pains of growing up. A window into a world in transition. And like Mr. Hayao Miyazaki's movies it was sure to become a classic as the years rolled on by. Lily even found herself getting swept up in the story line, and that's pretty amazing since she has never been the biggest anime fan.

I took a deep breath as I peered out of the window of the car and onto the passing landscape. The hills were covered in snow and the glass was starting to fog from my hot breath. Autumn had come and gone and my older sister Lily some twenty months late had decided to finally take me out to the movies. I'd been in something of a melancholy mood all week. Sulking some would say, pouting others would say. Brooding was another word for it I guess.

Vicksburg, Mississippi is an historical city located on the banks of the Mississippi River. As a port on the Mississippi River the city of forty thousand souls is far more cosmopolitan that the surrounding area. Vicksburg is also one of the most haunted cities in Mississippi. The city itself endured a terrible forty day siege by Federal Force's during the Civil War.

I was just eighteen when I attended my first anime convention and crossplayed in public. The year was two thousand five and anime was still new in the west, as were anime conventions and publications that focused on the budding culture of the scene. It was something of a gilded age for us. The art flourished, and we were striking sparks in all directions. Social media was just starting to gain traction and grow from bud to bloom. And Tokyopop, a manga publishing company had reached the zenith of its popularity and power.

Gakkou no Kaiden:
The Revenge of the Bakeneko

Gakkou no Kaiden:
The Wrath of the Kuchisake-Onna

Going into my second hour in the dunking booth and the Summer Soiree had reached its supreme zenith of madness. The hot tarmac pavement was filled with people. From the start of Main Street all the way down to the end you could hear the hawking of arts and craft vendors as they peddled their last remaining goods. The sound of laughter filled the air along with the sound of children running about and screaming the care free way they often do when a festival happens. And there I sat, still peering out at the sea of faces that had surrounded the dunking booth.

I felt myself starting blush as a feeling of embarrassment washed over me as I stepped out of the portable restroom and onto the hot tarmac. For the millionth time that morning I wondered what had I gotten myself into by volunteering to staff the Elk's Lodge dunking booth. And for the millionth time that morning I found myself giving myself the same old answer. That nobody would ever know it's me, and so slipping on a pair of matching red flip flops I started to make my way toward the attraction.

Like most small, rural, townships in the mostly agricultural heavy south. The heart and soul of Benton was its Main Street. Here one could find just about anything one needed. And on this Monday morning both sides of the street were crammed full of parked cars and the sidewalks seemed almost bursting at the seams with people as they rushed from one shop to the other. Each little shop and boutique seemed to be filled with people. With the crowds spilling out onto the concrete sidewalks.