st. thomas, on.

M.E. told me the "legend of the witch's grave" from st. thomas, ontario when we drove there a couple weekends ago. it was a restless sunday, so we hopped in her car and drove around the london area for a few hours. she showed me her old haunts in aylmer, sparta- a large quaker settlement, port stanley on lake erie (where we plan to go back in the summer for beachness, beerness, and ice cream. then we ended up in st. thomas to see a "surprise"... as she called it.

she recalled the location after a couple zips around town, and we came upon it- a 17th century graveyard. within were white stones with corroded writing, some were completely illegible from years of fighting a losing battle with the elements. a sight to see, for sure. among all of the once-white gravestones, there is one tall, slim, black stone. surrounding it are four black iron posts that connect by a chain to form a secluded courtyard for this particular site, the legend, as it was told to me, is that the preacher's wife who is inscribed to have been buried here was witch. apparently the stone was once white as snow, but then was struck with some fierce lightning and turned black (the colour of ev0l).

it is said that if you stand between all four posts, at midnight during a full moon, you will be cursed. she told me they would hang out there, stoned and paranoid, as teenagers. can you imagine being stoned in a place like this, at midnight, on the edge of a steep hill? do you want to?