Hi! Garfield here. I'm going to tell you this story just as I heard it (and they say I'm deaf!).

Once upon a time - 50 years ago this very Halloween - there was a family living in an old house in the country. One of the young ladies in the family - Frances was her name - was in bed at night feeling a little sad and worried because her youngest sister - Valerie Jean - was in hospital and very, very sick. Valerie Jean had been sick since she was just a little baby, so this was nothing new...but still.....that night things just seemed a little different.

One of Frances' cousins - Elva - was staying with the family and was sleeping in Valerie Jean's bed, sharing a room with Frances. The house seemed very still, although there were lots of people staying there, and usually the old house was full of creaks and shadows. Sometimes the girls thought there were huge spiders on the ceiling, but when they turned the light on to have a look, they would find it was just a teeny, tiny, spider but - because of the way the shadows fell - in the semi-darkness it made the spider look huge! So, sometimes it was a spooky sort of house, but the family loved it and felt happy there.

As the girls were tucked up in bed talking to each other, Frances mentioned that Valerie Jean's slippers had been kicked out of place. Usually they were placed very neatly,side by side just by the bed. Maybe Elva had knocked them when she got into the bed, or maybe Frances' mother - who made up the bed for Elva - had kicked them by mistake and not noticed what she had done.

'Valerie Jean wouldn't like to think of her slippers being like that' said Frances to Elva - both girls smiled, thinking of how super-neat she was - a bit unlike the rest of the large and sometimes boisterous family. As the girls lay there in the dark, half-drowsing, Frances was roused by Elva whispering 'what's that?' - Sitting up Frances looked towards the door of the room, where Elva was pointing, and they both saw a small bright light about two-thirds of the way up the door - at first they thought it must be a reflection of something outside...then they realised that the room had no window which faced the door.....They might have felt frightened, but there seemed to be something quite calm and peaceful about the light which gradually started moving towards them, still quite high up! It stopped briefly over Elva, then moved towards Frances, and sank lower and lower, until it was just over her head! The girls both sat still, looking at each other, but didn't say a word! Again, they still felt quite peaceful, and somehow warm. Elva could see the light over Frances' head getting brighter and brighter, so bright that she actually put her hand over her eyes to protect them. Then, all of a sudden the room went dark - the light had disappeared!

Now, the girls both jumped out of bed, aware that something very strange had just happened. Just then, the bedroom door opened and in came Frances' and Elva's Uncle Frank. Before he spoke the two girls knewwhat he was going to say and spoke almost before he did: 'Valerie Jean has passed away'.

Then, looking down, Elva saw something very strange.....Valerie Jean's slippers were back just where they should be....side by side, neat as a pin on the floor at the edge of the bed!

How do I know this story, you ask? Well, a while ago a lady came to see my human. I was sitting on the couch as they talked, only pretending to be asleep, and - although they think I'm deaf - there are sometimes I can hear very well. The visitor lady told my human the story of Valerie Jean - just as I have related it above - and my human said 'Oh, yes, I can remember my mother telling me that story many years ago'. Now, I just happen to know that my human's mother was called Frances and - call this a coincidence if you will - but the lady who came to see my human was called....Elva!