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The Uptown Rose

 

I don't know why on the last story submission I made I was thinking I had no more tales to share. Lack of sleep and new motherhood I suppose. I was rummaging through my desk drawers and found a picture that reminded me of all the things that happened when I worked at "The Uptown Rose..." It was by far the favorite of all jobs I ever had, bar tending and managing the place on some nights. But unfortunately due to the state of the economy, the place closed down. I know it's supposed to open back up in August, but who knows if it will happen. We'll call my employer Missy for sake of protecting identity, and I will change the names of other employees as well.

Missy designed the building and it was built in a decrepit building that was originally Rose Gin Company. There are old pictures of all of Henderson in that restaurant, even of the restaurant itself when it was a Rose Gin selling and caring for horses. There was one picture where there are model A or T cars, not sure, and some horse and buggies on the main street. She told me the place was in shambles with beds were pulled in by drug addicts who had made a homeless life there. She took nothing and turned it into a beautiful building with hardwood floors accented with deep red carpet. Rose wood accented the walls in the dining area, and the pub had rose wood paneling for walls. I was taken aback by the beauty of the place with its high ceilings, and the way the eye was drawn around the room by the keen design of the architecture.

I was ecstatic to work in such a beautiful place. I was even more intrigued with my first encounters. It started as I was checking out the duties to be done on the check off list. As I looked down at the list reading, I could see someone walking in front of the booths. They were going from the front of the restaurant to the back and stopped at the last booth as if they sat down. This particular phenomenon would happen nearly every day, in the morning when we were beginning, and sometimes in the afternoon. There were times I and other waitresses thought there was a customer there and would trot on over to an empty booth. There were also times that the thing would seem to go up in the mezzanine. The stairs to that was directly behind the last booth. That phenomenon would only seem to happen at the end of the shift or at night. I would constantly go up there to check things out.

I am beginning to get off track here. I should tell you all the story behind the picture. It was the first week I had been working there. Well we got a special guest, I knew he looked familiar but two and two didn't make four as I waited on his table. I just thought I probably had seen him around a lot. Well it turns out that he was the guy who played Tommy in the TV show "Martin". So some of the chicks were in a tizzy looking out the kitchen door like "He is fine!" So Tammy decides she wants a picture and calls up Alisha, who is in stripes next to me in pink in the picture, to get her camera and fresh batteries for it. Alisha shows up just as he was finishing his meal and we get him to come in the kitchen to get a picture. And by the way, he was seated at the last booth that we always the entity go to.

The Uptown Rose

So I felt weird as I find it rude to bother people, celebrity or not. But he comes in the kitchen and she takes five pictures. The first two were dark and bad quality because the flash didn't go off. Wrong setting and all. So we got on the right setting, and the flash went off. We didn't know at the time as it didn't have display as most digitals do. But what got me was, when they took the picture, I remember hearing something, and I turned my head to see the door behind us closing. Now that is an out only door which is big and heavy! And we were the only ones in the kitchen to go out that door. Alisha noticed it too and said that she was getting cold chills.

As for the kitchen, that was the scariest place to be, especially alone at night. And from what I heard from the chefs, early in the morning when they would do prep for banquets and parties and such. After hours, I would be counting the drawer and doing paper work in the office, and I would hear pots and pans banging around in the kitchen. Sometimes it was like someone cooking with the bigger utensils, and sometimes I would literally think someone had broken in and was making a ruckus about their thieving. I called the cops once in the beginning only to be embarrassed, as I had locked myself in the office until they arrived and there was nothing out of place. I was the only one brave enough to walk through that kitchen at night to get to the office. I would get the most horrible feeling of dread, but something in my head always told me, don't run, don't let it know you are frightened. I pretended I couldn't sense it.

Another thing that would happen there is in the banquet room, you would sometimes here singing. While doing rounds to be sure all was locked up after a shift, I would often go in there thinking the radio had been left on. Also the door would seem to unlock itself even though we were positive that it had been locked. I had tried this myself a few times thinking that maybe my coworkers were to blame. I would lock it at the beginning of the shift, granted we weren't using the room. At the end of the shift, it would some times be unlocked.

Well that is all I can really recall for now. I feel like I am leaving something out! If I am, it will be another story for another day.

Good night, and happy hunting to you all!

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, faerielike, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Biemaster (7 stories) (192 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-13)
Wow! This was a really interesting story faerielike! I would love to work in this type of a shop!

The picture is very interesting. I have to agree with all of you guys who commented. I too see a lady's yellow face. But unfortunately, that is all I see. I have a computer that doesn't show too clearly but it shows clearly enough the yellow faced lady. If you have any more pictures like this one, please post it! I would LOVE to see it! Thanks!

Biemaster
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-11)
Thank you so much Bellisima. She told me that this picture was the best out of all of them. She said the rest were even worse than this one, which led me to believe maybe there was a crescendo in activity after this picture. I had asked her what she did with them and if I could get copies of those too once she had shown me, but she had deleted them. She was a person that thought ghosts were sacreligious (sp?) so I didn't push the issue with her. When/if it opens back up, I will be taking some pictures around there again! Thanks again everyone!
😁 ❤
Bellissima (12 stories) (792 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-11)
faerielike, hi. I enjoy your stories and, as usual, this one didn't disappoint me! Your stories are always interesting and so well written, your way with words makes it easy to enjoy the things you have to tell. Now this story had an awesome bonus - a great picture to go along with it!There's definitely something/body wanting into the photo. I can't see any obvious reason for the misty figure. The rest of the picture is clear so it's not a shaky hand and I don't see how it could be any type of reflection. The first 2 pics didn't turn out, maybe the reason was more than just the wrong setting (?) You never know. So this was pic #3?How did the last 2 turn out? Thanks for sharing your experiences and photo, I'm looking forward to more.
JamesRobiscoe (419 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-11)
No pun intended, but photos like this are mystifying. It's like reading clouds. Faerie, have the other women in the photo made readings of the forms?
I cannot see the horse or the winking old woman, but the big broad blue face seems to grow out of and turn apart from the alluring female face I also see, which is, in its way, subsumed by his.
It's this kind of breaking of earthly rules of "single object occupies single space" business I believe is commonplace on the other side (although "the other side" itself is a rather flat description using our earthly terms). More, please.
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-11)
Yes James and faerie, I'm seeing most of the things you see but just wanted to make sure we wouldn't influence one another in any way.
I see the shadow on the door at the back but that could be Tommy's shadow, there's a face also on Tommy's chest, I see a head between faerie and the other woman turned to the right and, like you said faerie I see what looks like a mask to you over your head. To me it looks like the face of an older individual, a little overweight. I can even see the wrinkles around the mouth. I know there's more in this picture but I wish I had the original so I could see more clearly.
There are too many people posing for the shot. I only wish I could see a photo of the great grandfather from the stables.
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-11)
I don't know if I have been staring for too long, but am I seeing a horse? Where I thought I saw a superman pose, I followed the lines further past the lady's face and I think I see a horse...
Maybe it's matrixing! 😕
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-11)
What I am seeing is what looks like maybe an old woman right next to me, just her face in yellow, to me it almost looks like she is winking. On my chest I almost want to say I see a face too, but I think I might be matrixing. But that is a v-neck shirt I am wearing and you can't even make that out. I think I see a blue man on the door behind us, wearing glasses and a hat. With the picture blown up to 75% on my Microsoft picture manager, it looks like a head diagonal but almost horizontal, on "Tommy's" chest (forgot the actor's real name!LOL) going over the one lady's face distorting her eye, and the lighter line on Alisha's chin is like the back of its shoulder or something, almost like it is flying like Superman. I do think I see some of a head resting on mine, but I am not sure if that is the flash's light glaring back from the cabinet or not. Okay I have looked at it too long and am beginning to see all sorts of things! 😆 But that yellow face seems more definite than anything. The blue face was the first thing I had notice in that picture.
It's interesting to hear all the different perspectives on this photo. I have found a few more photos with different tales where it seems I am being crowded by spirits. I will scan them and post a story as soon as I can!
As soon as I have fresh eyes I will look at it again to see if I spot anything else. 😁
Tonith (1136 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
I'm not sure what I'm seeing in the picture. It did obliterate the face of the person in the striped top. It looks like a mask not a face. Odd to say the least. You can see everyone else's face without a problem.
JamesRobiscoe (419 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
Rhodes--I do see the face I believe you're pointing out--a woman's face, partially turned to (her) right, eyes alluring, lips delineated. It's the lips I can see as the "old man's" right eye, the crown of his head curving up and around under "her" eyes. The yellowish mist I see as his beard goes between Faerie's left cheek and crosses to her friend.
I also cannot quite explain what looks like a small pre-columbian stone mask that seems to be setting on the left side of Faerie's hair. I feel as though this could be a mass of spirits, all in different size and dimensions and degrees of visibility. Notice how Faerie's most proximate friend's face is almost lost in the fog that shreds and stretches across the group. It's as though a company of spirits came to visit. Personally, I feel that spirits don't always "keep to" the nice and neat size dimensions we know as human on this earth. Any thoughts?
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
Oh, I don't know if I'm influenced by your comment James but I'm looking at the spot you indicated and suddenly I realised I'm seeing sth else. Look at faerie's forehead and upwards. Do you see a head and facial features? It's yellow alright but I'm not saying what I see at the moment. I want faerie to check this out.
JamesRobiscoe (419 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
From the other comments, I cannot tell if I'm the only one who clearly sees a man's head resting against yours, Faerie. His head goes almost up to the black line of the background board, his right eye against the left side of your hair just left of the part, the yellowish mist between you and your friend, a beard. Does anyone else see this? Does Mr. Rose have a photo of his grandfather?
Jasmin314 (13 stories) (210 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
wow! That is a crazy picture. I looked closely at it and the blurred figure is in the shape of a man! That was a great story.
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
Thank you all so much! I was thinking it kind of looked like maybe a head and slight body, but I didn't want to say anything to see if anyone else picked up on that.
It was mainly residual hauntings in that building. Though there were definitely times I felt watched, especially in the kitchen. And I was the last person to work there as I was hired to detail clean the place for people to come look at it to possibly buy it. But nobody did.
I did leave something out of the story! We also would here the employee entrance door slam, a big steel door, and there would never be anyone there!
When the place opens back up I intend on being a regular customer! 😁 So I hopefully will have the opportunity for investigation.
I do know a little bit about the history of the property. I met the great grandson of the former owners of the Rose Gin. He said the family owned the place until the 60s? I think it was. And he said his great grandfather died of a heart attack in the back of the stables, which would have been where the back door area/ employee entrance was in the restaurant. Also the banquet room had at one point been the hardware store of Rose Gin. I will look up more if I ever seem to find the time! Hopefully I will run in to Mr. Rose again and he can freshen my memory. One thing I love about the area is that a lot of the descendants still live here, making it even more rich in history! People stay in tune with their family ties here.
Thanks again everyone! ❤
ChrisB (6 stories) (1515 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
Wow great story. I checked out the pictures and indeed it looks scary. Maybe it was the camera or something but since you heard the door closing maybe this is something. I enjoyed reading your story. Too bad the place closed down but maybe if it opens up youll go and check it out. All the good memories and the bad ones to 😁,I hope to hear from you soon and take care
bruwx (2 stories) (78 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
i see a body form, I agree with you rodes68 =]
Very nice story! 😉 ❤
And very interesting photo
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
Well, looking closely at the photo, I think the bottom part of the mist looks like electrical discharge while the top resembles a head?! Or maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me...
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
Faerie, it's so nice to have you back with another fascinating story! I was really sad when in your last story you said that was the end so today, it was a pleasant surprise to see your post 😊!

There's definitely some sort of energy in this picture in the kitchen and as I see it's concentrated mainly on your friend's and your side.

The rest of the events you mention though sound residual to me like somebody's left behind-someone who lived in that place long long ago. Could you research the history of the stable?
rootwomin (28 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-07-10)
nice story!

Do you know of any other history of the property?

Did anyone ever attempt to contact the spirit?

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