Apparition balks at change

By Elizabeth Libby
Daily Staff Writer
(Oct. 27, 1995) People give her odd stares when she tells her story, but Susan Homan still believes.

Mrs. Homan rented an old home in Frederick County for three years, when the owner decided to sell the property. (The owner has asked that the home's location not be revealed.) For the first time in more than 100 years, the furniture and pictures in the house were moved in preparation for the move.

One evening, Mrs. Homan awoke to see the transparent image of an elderly woman in the corner of her bedroom. The woman had her gray hair pulled back in a bun, wore glasses and a long navy dress,Ms. Homan said. She spoke, pleading with Mrs. Homan not to leave.

Each night for two weeks, the woman appeared to Mrs. Homan, and made the same desperate request. One night, Mrs. Homan awoke to find the woman inches above her face. The apparition walked to the end of Mrs. Homan's bed, grabbed her quilt and walked away.

Although she had never been scared of the ghost before, Mrs. Homan said she left the house that night in fright. The woman never appeared again.

During those same two weeks, noises could be heard all over the house, as if someone were walking in the attic and on the steps, Mrs. Homan said.

Later, as the home's owner sorted through old photos of her family, Mrs. Homan saw a picture of the same woman who visited her each night.

"It was kind of sad," Mrs. Homan said. "She was really upset that everything was being moved out of the house."

Note: This story is reprinted from The Northern Virginia Daily's Oct. 27, 1995 Real Estate section.