Comments for The Architect Who Haunts His Buildings Until Today: Page 1

KikiGirl: thanks for replying.
Just like you, English is not my first language and I can understand your point at using some words wrongfully.

"...I did not provide the correct name of the estate or the architect. If somebody approaches me for more information, I will consider giving out the info."

What I can not understand or even figure out a reason, is why you had to, deliberately, offer false information as part of your story and then expect us to accept it without questioning.
Who is going to believe the paranormal aspects of a story that is, supposedly, based upon a lie?

Yes, I think you own us the right information.

RedWolf! In South Africa we would say, "nog 'n karma punt!" Meaning, another karma point!
There is just two questions I need to answer from you:
Question 1: "I too tried to find Sir Edward Clarkson to no avail, same results with Mysferi Heights."
Answer: As I explained to Manafon1, I did not provide the correct name of the estate or the architect. If somebody approaches me for more information, I will consider giving out the info.

Question 2: "Don't you mean you noticed or saw it? To acknowledge someone you have to say something. Also enraged and wrathful are interchangeable as is bitter and resentful."
Answer: Those are the words I chose to describe his facial expressions and body language. I was frightened because I have never seen a 'portal' or come across such an angry spirit.

Question 3: "Possibly you had a dream, and it is not normal to tell someone you don't know about seeing a spirit or entity."
Answer: Honestly, I do not think it was a dream, but, it is an angle to consider. I had definitely never seen the architect or sculpture before. Can you elaborate on the last sentence, please?

Kiki
You have indicated that you have changed the name and DOB of the architect. Your reason is to "hide" the location, if I am getting that right. Why? You did say that you went up to a total stranger and told him about what you saw. You also mentioned your other stories and state "implications" if it is known where they are. Again, why? Were you threatened about revealing locations? What you said is not enough of an answer to me. The rest of your reply is mostly to Biblio to state that he is right about your poor use of English. You are a young adult but you quit reading a decade ago?
I think that your stories are pure fabrications and I have no intentions of reading another one.

lady-glow! A Karma Point for you! Throughout my lite, I have been the sort of person who has a variety of friends who are all different and are of different religion/s, interest/s and opinion/s. I am the crazy girl who might just approach you and give you the jeebies by talking about ghosts or telling you that a house is haunted. I remember my Brothers girlfriends friend coming to sleep over at our house and I scared her so much by joking that her room and the house was haunted. Eventually, she didn't want to sleep in the room that had been prepared for her and insisted on sleeping on the floor in their room.

Hi Guys! Thanks for looking into my story and there's guaranteed karma points for everyone! Even though, I've read a little bit of the comments so far and they seem from "skeptical to scrutinizing".

Manafon1! You ALWAYS get a karma point from me! Thanks for joining me in working out this event. Let me answer your Q's and A's first (As you commented first):
I think a lot of the questions you had was about the history. The name of the "estate"/place and the character Sir Edward Clarkson and his DOB was changed. I do not know what sort of implications, much like my story, "A Spiritual Physical Encounter" could surface if I divulge the information. If somebody approached me directly, I might be willing to give the the name and location.
Note: I did try and look up the building (specifically), and the sculpture on the net, although the "estate" affiliates are mentioned, there are no pictures or mention of the particular building or him on Google. So, the story seems to be focused as a pertinent point, only for that specific building and its architect.

Biblio! Karma point for you! I have had the privelage to review your comments and participate with you during discussions. Taking that into account, as well as, your perspective into reading an account means I believe, I understand your intentions fully:

Question 1: Biblio - Comment - quote: "Ambience - describes the mood or atmosphere in a given location, usually referring to the background light/sounds. "Variegated" means an item, an object, or a plant characteristically marked by irregular blotches or streaks of different colors, whereas "hued" refers to a shade or blending of shades of one specific color. This may have been simple awkwardness when describing your environment."
Answer: Your last sentence is 100% correct and accurate. It was difficult to describe the garden in a way that I thought would best do it justice and correlate with my story and its relevance.

Question 2: Biblio - Comment - quote: "in paragraph three, you describe: "a man who appeared to be having to be having a troublesome time" when you mean 'a difficult time.' "Troublesome" means 'causing problems for people.'"
Answer: I was indeed making use of a variety of English concepts in this sentence. Troublesome is a synonym of irksome, inconvenient, bothersome and many other words as well. Although, I chose the word to describe his predicament, it was also an association to his temperament and introduction to the account.

Question 3: Biblio - Comment - quote: "A "Porthole" is a circular window on a ship; a "portal" is a doorway or opening."
Answer: A portal would be the correct word. I used to have excellent knowledge and usage of the English language but I stopped reading as much in the last decade. This is why I sometimes don't describe a person, place or object with the right words et cetera. This is incredibly frustrating for me as I used to write with correctness, trueness and accurate description, so I naturally try my very best to use the language correctly, but, I do still fail at times.

Question 4: Biblio - Comment - quote: "A "Cavity" is a concave or hollow opening in a surface; I have no clue what you intended to communicate here."
Answer: Once again, I was making use of various English concepts. I am unsure whether it is a similie or a metaphor in this case, and I could not think of a word that could accurately describe the portal. Google definition of a Similie: "Noun: simile; plural noun: similes
A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid.
* The use of similes as a method of comparison: "his audacious deployment of simile and metaphor"
Did I laugh when I read this definition with the task at hand? Yes!

Question 5: "the phenomena subsided..." "Phenomena" are plural, a "phenomenon" is singular."
Answer: My immediate reaction was, no! The event was a phenomenon, however, I am not sure if the faerie garden dimmed too. I can definitely say that once he disappeared, the atmosphere of the room changed tremendously! Whether the faerie garden dimmed, I don't remember. The portal also evidently added a dimension of light contrast or adjustment to the room.

Question 6: Biblio - Comment - quote: " "from whence he came" is a common mistake; "whence" means "from where," so "from whence" would mean "from from where."
Answer: I had seen this terminology used before, so, that is why I thought it to be correct.

Question 7: Biblio - Comment - quote: " to share my obscure experience" makes no sense, as you've described the experience in detail to the reader and you intend to describe it to the new tenant (thereby terrifying him and getting him to run away?). An "obscure" experience would be one that no one knows about except for a select few individuals; to obscure an event would be to hide it.
Answer: obscure is also used in common discussion to describe an "unusual" event. An event which was unclear or difficult to understand/grasp because it is unclear/uncommon or has characteristics which are unusual, unclear or uncommon. This is the way in which I meant it.

Question 8: Biblio - Comment - quote: ""I went on to describe the pudgy, infuriated man whom had charted to visit me the night before" is a syntactical muddle."
Answer: 100% accurate. I have been in trouble with my Mother before regarding the correct use of "whom". Now you know something personal about me!

Question 9: Biblio - Comment - quote: "What is "a wooden assemble" supposed to mean?"
Answer: The truth is I had difficulty describing the structure. It was about 1 meter in height, wooden and on top of the structure was a stone sculpture of a mans head. I am accustomed to seeing much larger sculptures, typically, historic sites and statues. I couldn't equate the two, it reminded me more of a sizable trophy stand.
" (Additionally, why was a STONE carving of a face mounted on a WOODEN structure? Wouldn't it make more sense to have the stone supported by stone blocks?) " Please see above.

This story sound like one of those "Goose Bumps" stories but very real. DVD and TV knowledge again, there are some tunnels in Japan where people is buried alive during the construction. Their bodies are still inside the walls of those tunnels.

I also have a report saying that in some of the old buildings in our cities blood of the workers were mixed to make the hard cement, eew... Oh yes and most of those buildings have their own ghost stories to tell, so yes those areas are known to be haunted...

Blessing from São Paulo
E.Lynx

I was reading all the comments for this account again and it struck me that the o/p might feel not only overwhelmed by the questions being put to her but that she might also sense there is an edge of negativity and, in a few cases, hostility that might make her feel ostracized.

I posted my concerns and questions too and hoped the o/p was going to respond quickly to answer the queries but soon there was, what might seem to a relatively new member like KikiGirl, a "closing of ranks" that might make her feel that no matter how she responds to the comments she will be received with derision.

As I initially stated, I have questions that I put to the o/p as well but the deluge of negativity and off topic digressions might have scared her off. There are unanswered questions I hope the o/p will answer but before the negativity takes on a life of its own, it might be worthwhile in the future to give the o/p a chance to defend his/her self. For all I know KikiGirl has fled the scene but if not it will be great to hear her explanations.

Biblio, I can see where you get your user name from.

I 2nd 1st, King of Wellington, smiter of evil insurance companies, writer of angry letters, runner of bath, duke of the town belt and laird of all its people do proclaim you, biblio, elevated to the title of Official Group Encyvlopedia.

Arise, Sir Biblio!

I've read all of Kiki's stories and I just don't believe any of them. Her writing style makes my head hurt too. As an archaeologist I have a love of architecture particularly from 1700 to 1950 but I have never heard of Clarkson. Granted I am old and my memory is starting to get sketchy but I'm not that old.
This last story just confirmed my suspicions that her stories are not up to snuff. They appear to be elaborate concoctions out of the puffball of her mind. If I have offended any liberals here I will not apologize. I am too old to be taken for a ride.

Biblio, that was amazing. Thank you for all of that information!

Rook:

"Sir" is a Knight's title, and it is a polite form of address used when the speaker is unsure of another person's status. The were peasants, the newly-formed Burgesses (mostly tradesmen and business people) of the middle-class, and then there are the Gentility and Nobility. A "Gentleman" was a title which could be purchased in England, showing status among the everyday lower and middle classes; it entitled the owner to expect a certain degree of civil respect from the upper classes, it entitled him to a coat of arms, and it granted him the right to write "Gent." after his name. Shakespeare purchased such a title for his father, then inherited it on his father's death. (I can never decide if Shakespeare was showing his dear ol' dad some affection, or it was an elaborate way of showing off "Hey, dad, about those 'childish poems' and wanting to be an actor when I grew up...").

A Knighthood could be granted by several individuals, such as "Battlefield Promotions" in the Military, but official titles were granted by the monarch; technically, these individuals are Gentility, not Nobility, but that's a fine distinction that has lost much of its relevance in the modern world. Addressed as "Sir," the title goes with the individual's first name, not his last, ("Dame" is the feminine equivalent). This title often indicates appreciation for a service done for the monarch or for the whole realm. There are various levels of Knighthood (Knight, Knight Commander, etc.), and assorted orders of Knighthood (Knights of the Garter, for example) which is really a "I'm more-elite than you are" thing. Today, this is a title often conferred upon internationally-famous people who dedicate their lives to a craft, a skill, or a charity, and who try to make the world a better place. Actors and Musicians of great skill -for example- are Knighted because their overall participation in the field of the arts and their charity work raises awareness of vital issues and is a positive representation of Britain in international affairs.

The Nobility are easy to remember -in descending order- by asking "Do Men Ever Visit Boston?" This is the mnemonic for "Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron." "Earl" is equivalent to a European "Count," but Elizabethan English was pronounced a bit differently; that word did not sound like **Count** in English at the time. In each level of the Peerage (as in "Peers to the Queen" or "Peers to the King"), the titles are attached to a specific domain over which the monarch has authority, such as "The Duke of Rutland" who lives in Leicestershire, next to Rutland. Because of marriages, politicking, various monarchic favors, etc., it is perfectly reasonable for one person to have more than one title: one individual may be the The Duke of Skye and the Earl of Pitcairn Island, but would only use the higher-level title in everyday business. Any of the individuals in the Peerage could be addressed as "M'Lord" or "Milady, and that's the safe way to speak to a Peer of the Realm, even between Peers who are meeting for the first time, but the higher-status individual would be entitled to address the lower-ranking one as "Sir," too! The titles are most often used with either the location to which they are attached or with the family name of the individual title holder. "George Gordon, Lord Byron" for example, is the Romantic-Era poet "Byron." His daughter, "Agatha Ada Byron, Countess Lovelace," was a brilliant mathematician who devised a computer program to test whether or not a machine was really performing calculations --about a century before the machines were built that could solve the problems within the program.

King James I of England and VI of Scotland bankrupted the British Treasury that Elizabeth had built up, so he created a new level of the peerage, "Baronet," which could be purchased by a Knight or a Gentleman to refill the treasury, but it was a title that had to be purchased by the inheritors of the previous Baronet's estate, or it would lapse. Baronets are allowed to write "Bart." after their names, they are higher in status than Knights, but below Barons, etc.

This was all a big deal in the Elizabethan era, when the Sumptuary Laws were passed, stating that only certain members of the social hierarchy could wear specific colors indicating their status. Buying a title would entitle you to expand your wardrobe and look better-dressed than other people. The titles still have a certain social cachet in English society, and there are more complicated issues with titles that belong to a property (e.g.: the purchase of a Scottish castle *may* make the purchaser a Laird of Scotland, whether he or she wants it or not!), but that's a general overview which should cover the bases for you.

Best,
Biblio.

An aside to Temilicious:
I appreciate your feedback, too. It is good to know that my comments are NOT offensive to someone who speaks English as a second language. I have little to no knowledge of Afrikaans, despite my great-grandmother's being born and raised in S.A. I want to educate people about the English language and to learn new information from others; I do not wish to upset people unnecessarily.
Best,
Biblio.

Biblio,

Thanks for that... I was just happy to find mention of an individual with that name...

Question: In the context of the time periods mentioned, the 1500's and the 1800's, what level of 'Royalty' does the 'Title' Sir refer to? Or is it used as an honorific to denote an older gentleman only during both time periods?

Respectfully,

Rook

Rook:

St. Michaels-on-Wyre is to the East of Blackpool (North of Liverpool) on England's West Coast. While it is not impossible that an Elizabethan-era gentleman of that name not only lived in the village of St. Michaels-on-Wyre but also undertook a voyage to South Africa -say as part of the lucrative spice trade- this would not conform to the timeline of the narrative.

I wonder if the name of the South African location could be "Mysafari" or a similar example of wordplay in naming the loction? Perhaps KikiGirl has misremembered the name of the person commemorated by the plaque, but she'd be more likely to remember the name of the location of her apartment.

Pondering,
Biblio.

hello Kiki

Do you mind sharing the name of the place you had this experience? E.g town, area.

Honestly I've BEEN waiting for someone to comment about your encounters. Maybe it's your style of writing, but for me something always seems "missing" in your encounters- "off".

I didn't (and hope am not) want to come across as rude or attacking before cause you're a new member and I wanted to give you a chance but the more I read...
I'm sorry girl. It's no attack on you as a person. I think I've become less trusting in my old age.

BIBLIO: As a second language English speaker, I enjoyed the lesson a lot 😊. I always enjoy your comments.

It's a wee bit obscure (matches the experience) but I found a clip concerning Sir Edward Clarkson...

It's on page 60 of this book...

The History of the Parish of St. Michaels-on-Wyre in the County..., Volume 25

(Could not post a link... I get told it's 'to long'.)

The dates are not even close to matching as with in the text it's in the early 1500's. (1523, 1577 are two of the dates I read.)
Heck I'm not even sure if the property in question is in South Africa... But it's called or was called...St. Michaels-on- Wyre (Mysiferi?!?)

Just saying. 😕

Respectfully,

Rook

elnoraemily - I'm waiting to see if KikiGirl responds to your questions before I say anything. I think I can clear up the confusion on one of your questions.

I hope I don't come off as rude, but I'm really confused.

I also tried to find Sir Clarkson or Mysiferi heights and came up with nothing at all.

You also mentioned that you lived in a brand new apartment block, but then said that the architect was haunting his buildings. Well... If the apartment was new and he died in 1909, how could it be his building? That felt odd to me.

The idea of a wooden based for a statue (I think?) with a stone sculpture is a little confusing to me. If it had been there for a long time, or was memorial plaque to Sir Clarkson, the wood surely would have been decaying and I don't see how that could properly support a stone sculpture that easily weights well over a hundred pounds, depending on the size of it.

I feel the story started in a new, modern apartment building by accident and then tried to make it seem like this apartment was actually old, or was part of an decades old estate, which is a weird place to put a modern apartment building.

KikiGirl

I too tried to find Sir Edward Clarkson to no avail, same results with Mysferi Heights. In fact whenever I typed Mysferi in I got the red underline letting you know the word is spelled wrong or the word doesn't exist. The only word that spell check gave me is mystery, which this story seems to be.

The way you described the way this man trying to get out of the porthole (portal) you say you acknowledged his enraged,bitter,wrathful,and resentful disposition. Don't you mean you noticed or saw it? To acknowledge someone you have to say something. Also enraged and wrathful are interchangeable as is bitter and resentful.

Possibly you had a dream, and it is not normal to tell someone you don't know about seeing a spirit or entity.

Red

Oops! I mean 'talking'.

Need more characters, need more characters.

"The following morning, we had a new tenant and such it was that I could not resist the anticipation and thrill to share my obscure experience with him..."
Er...No offence intended but, taking about ghosts to a complete stranger is not the best idea... Or something people normally do. 😐

Nice writing style, if a little hyperbolic.

Greetings, KikiGirl.

I've read your accounts thus far with some interest; I've had an unusual reaction to your stories, in that I fail to connect with your narrative intentions. When I read, I usually get a sense of the writer as a person, an individual, and that feeling makes me feel comfortable reading the story. To the best of my knowledge, this is not a supernatural gift of any kind, it's merely the habit of an English teacher shifting my mental gears to synchronize with the writer's perspective. I only comment on those narratives with which I get traction through my mental gear-shift, or upon those I feel are unclear, even fraudulent.

As I'm not getting that sense from your narratives, there is a good chance that my reading of your stories may be tainted by this lack of synchronicity. It is possible, therefore, that my comments will appear to be abrasive or offensive. I've offended people by asking honest questions when I only wanted an answer; I've upset people on YGS, too, doing the same thing. This is not an attempt to upset you, merely an exploration of what you've written.

My first issue is in your second paragraph: "the flower garden outside of my window which would have an ambiance of variegated and hued lights..." "Ambience" describes the mood or atmosphere in a given location, usually referring to the background light/sounds. "Variegated" means an item, an object, or a plant characteristically marked by irregular blotches or streaks of different colors, whereas "hued" refers to a shade or blending of shades of one specific color. This may have been simple awkwardness when describing your environment. However, in paragraph three, you describe: "a man who appeared to be having to be having a troublesome time" when you mean 'a difficult time.' "Troublesome" means 'causing problems for people.'

To save time, I'll list the remaining problems--

Paragraph 3: "through some sort of saturated, blackened porthole" A "Porthole" is a circular window on a ship; a "portal" is a doorway or opening.

Paragraph 3: "he was held back within the thick, smokey cavity." A "Cavity" is a concave or hollow opening in a surface; I have no clue what you intended to communicate here.

Paragraph 3: "the phenomena subsided..." "Phenomena" are plural, a "phenomenon" is singular. As there was only one issue for concern here, the only justification for using the plural form is that the faerie lights vanished, too.

Paragraph 3: "from whence he came" is a common mistake; "whence" means "from where," so "from whence" would mean "from from where."

Paragraph 4: " to share my obscure experience" makes no sense, as you've described the experience in detail to the reader and you intend to describe it to the new tenant (thereby terrifying him and getting him to run away?). An "obscure" experience would be one that no one knows about except for a select few individuals; to obscure an event would be to hide it.

Paragraph 4: "I went on to describe the pudgy, infuriated man whom had charted to visit me the night before" is a syntactical muddle, as your direct object "pudgy man" in the first clause is restated with the pronoun "whom" (which would make sense if you had written "by whom I was terrified," as "whom" is the object of of the preposition "by" --it can also function as the direct object of a verb, by the way), but now the pronoun is the subject of the remainder of the sentence (essentially a dependent clause), but as you've switched from your being the subject to his being the subject, you've created an anacoluthon (lack of logical flow in a syntactical structure). The verb in your erstwhile dependent clause "charted" means "mapped out" or "sailed according to the pre-planned route on the map." It can also mean to keep track of data through a diagram, but I suspect that's not the point, either.

Paragraph 5: What is "a wooden assemble" supposed to mean? An assemblage is is a grouping or a gathering, an assembly is a meeting of people, and "to assemble" may mean either "to build according to a diagram" or "to gather people together for a purpose," but I think you need the word "structure."

Additionally, why was a STONE carving of a face mounted on a WOODEN structure? Wouldn't it make more sense to have the stone supported by stone blocks?

I've spent some time typing this out, and others may have commented on your story by the time I've edited this message, but I am perplexed by your use of language. If English is your second or third language, for example, and you've been using the "Thesaurus" function on your computer, it has led you astray. There's nothing wrong with writing a story in simple words, as simple words communicate the idea to a wide number of people; the more complicated the words are, the more likely they are to be used incorrectly.

Slightly bewildered,
Biblio.

H KiKiGirl--This was an interesting account. The "fairy lights" you would see in the garden sound enchanting. The apparition of what you believe was Sir Edward Clarkson appearing at the end of your bed emerging through, "some sort of saturated, blackened porthole", would have been unexpected and alarming!

His angry appearance and your feeling that you, "incited something of hatred within him or provoked him in some way", made me wonder if you had said something derogatory about him or the estate, even jokingly, when you moved into your new apartment?

I wanted to know more about Sir Edward Clarkson and Mysiferi Heights but found nothing on either online. I was curious to find out about Clarkson's disposition and the circumstances of the building of Mysiferi Heights along with any events around the place that would give a clue to the apparition's wrathful and frightening demeanor.

Without being able to uncover any information at all on the man or the estate it's hard to even speculate what the deal was with the visitation. I was also interested in knowing more about the estate. You wrote that it was built in 1870 but that you were living in "a new apartment block which was modern." Was the original estate demolished to make way for the new apartment building? Maybe Clarkson was taking out his anger on you about the destruction of his estate because you are sensitive to spirits and were able to see him. What the blackened porthole was might have something to do with whatever Clarkson's occupation was, or possibly how he died. Do you know anything of his life and times? This info might go some way to solving at least a couple aspects of your encounter.