Ethnofantasy

Short forms

　

THE HAUNTED HOUSE

 

Participants in the radio-broadcast:

Borivoj Bukva, a radiesthesist, bioenergeticist, crystaltherapist, astronumerologist, writer, haiku poet, painter, theosophist, jogger and mountaineer

several inhabitants of Lovranska Draga – a village nearby «The Haunted House»,

and a waiter in the Hotel «Draga di Lovrana».

Translation: Ivana Krencer

Editor: Nada Zoričić Sound: Anka Savić Author: Ranka Mesarić

Croatian Radio Drama Program, 2009.

BORO : (in the car, on way to Haunted house) A long story is related to that place. It began with Urm, that Austrian, who married a woman from Lovran. They had the hotel «Draga di Lovrana» up there, till one day he burnt that house down. He got the money and that story was finished for the time being.

LOCAL MAN 1: (in a nearby village) The Hotel existed, and in 1923, when Italian rule began here, it was closed already 'cause he had emptied it already and once, during the night, everything was burnt down.

BORO: (in the car) Eh, here we go right. And that house stands on the edge of the cliff, the road goes up under the right angle almost, and according to feng shui its position is not good, it doesn't suit well. Then comes World War 2, when a customshouse stood nearby, where young soldiers, the Czechs, were tortured. And also the case that happened with those poor people, the man who cut his wife's throat with a sickle... One day they went up to reap and then he did it – he killed his wife, and afterwards, allegedly, he undressed himself, completely, and threw himself into the abyss.

LOCAL MAN 1: (fade in) ...we hear such things every day, see, yesterday one killed his wife, and her daughter, and so – that is a normal thing, love, it was a love story.

BORO: (in the car) On the crossing nearby that house three big crosses stand, carrying a particular meaning: three killed women, they are those three crosses. A lot of things have happened here, and lately it has been heard that two Czechs died there, a father and a son, who had gone up there to find a shelter from the storm...

LOCAL WOMAN1: (longer fade in) ...there was a house, the hotel was there. Ah, people talk about witchcraft going on up there, ah, the hell it exists - it doesn't exist, and won't ever exist...

BORO: ..uhm, and found shelter in the house, to be... killed there by the lightning... and were found carbonized.

LOCAL WOMAN 1: ... the storm by accident...... and the lightning hit them inside and..

(in the forefront) I remember that, what, the lightning hit, so what! Like in any other house. They thought it was witchcraft! Yeah, right! (laughs) I do not believe in witchcraft. (laughs)

LOCAL MAN 1: ... that those were ghosts, and two poor Hungarians got killed there by accident, hit by the lightning. And then the newspapers wrote about ghosts livin' there, house bein' haunted...

BORO: (in the car) I've been observing that house for years, I use to climb, asking myself – what a magnificent view at the Adriatic sea down there, you can see the whole bay of Kvarner – and no tourists!? And then one day, as I was descending the hill, a strange thing happened: downstairs of the house was completely cleaned, as someone had cleaned all the dust with a broom, put a beautiful carpet, and a wicker furniture set on it – four chairs, a table, a tablecloth, plates, I don't know, one candlestick was there, too... I threw myself into that armchair and took my plumb-bob out... 'n' come, let's see... I asked if I was welcomed in that house. It said no. I asked if there were any ghosts in that house. It said yes. And I left the place.

(in the village)

LOCAL MAN 2: What would you like to drink? Here is domestic juice, domestic wine, or..

LOCAL WOMAN 2: I'm timid by nature, but I have never been afraid there, no. But, you know what it is – the crossing is there, the crossing and the south wind, and when the south wind blows, it does its share. And who believes in what, I don't know. (laughs)

BORO: (in the car): So I went to the village a week after that event, to ask what had been happening there that day, maybe some filming or something, but I didn't get an answer. Every time I used to go to that house while it was in dilapidated state I felt strange. I was feeling very... much strange. The parking place should be there. You see, what a sharp bend it is.

RANKA: Eh, here it is.

BORO: Eh, here it is. (car stopping)

(in front of hotel, sound of airplane)

WAITER: We had some guests who couldn't sleep. They were awaken the whole night 'cause they were thinking – who knows what'd happen to them or somethin'. No one has ever got hurt here, never. No one has ever died a violent death, I've never heard of someone murdered somebody or something like that, starved somebody to death... It was renovated and opened three years ago, almost. (sound of airplane)

(in Haunted house)

BORO: I am establishing convention, by my plumb-bob, in connection with the Hotel «Draga di Lovrana», or in other words The Haunted House. First question: Is that the ghost from this house speaking?

It says yes.

Is there only one ghost or more of them? Is there only one ghost?

No.

More of them?

Says yes. More than one.

Two of them? Three of them?

Yes.

Four?

No.

Three ghosts are here. Next question: are those people who suffered, in person, in this house?

It says they are.

Can that suffering be canceled or stopped?

Says no.

Can ghosts be loved?

Says yes.

Does the suffering of the spirit have the intensity over time, does it change?

A bit strange, it says no. I've got a negative answer.

(laughter) Am I welcomed in this house?

Says yes.

No longer angry with me?

Says no.

(in the village)

LOCAL MAN 2: Come, sit down...

BORO: Can you tell us a couple of words about the house?

LOCAL MAN 2: What house? I won't tell you a thing (laughs). I won't tell you a thing about that house.

RANKA: It's too close...

LOCAL WOMAN 2: I do not believe in any ghosts. And if they existed, that'd be Casper, a good ghost.(laughs)

BORO: (in the car): The story is not over, it goes on and on, and how it will continue, we shall see.

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