Coming to Northeast Pennsylvania...   

I have lived in Luzerne County (mostly Mountain Top, PA) on an off since I was 11. I was terrified as a 11 year old moving away from Southern California to a town I believed was just like Transylvania.   The picture above was taken as we were ready to get in our car and start our long drive across the country. 

* In the photo left to right is me, my BFF Carla (holding my dog Mitzi), my mom Colleen,  my sister Sandi, aunt Mary with Carla's little brother Eric and their mom Nianne. (Carla, Eric and Nianne were our neighbors).   Aunt Mary took the ride across the country with us and the dog.  

We arrived in October when the trees were bare and winter was coming.  My family had purchased a home in Mountain Top and ALL I could see was that it had a basement!   

The only time I had ever seen a basement was in an old hospital where my sister played a joke on me.  She made me believe the hospital was haunted.   I recall the one door in the bathroom was nailed shut.   Somehow the handle jiggled and we screamed and ran to the car.  Unfortunately, the car was a convertible and offered no protection.  After our mom came out to see what all the noise was about we left and instantly got in a car accident.   I was convinced the ghost who followed us from the hospital had caused the crash. 

After many years of terror, I have overcome my fear for basements.  I am now pretty sure that most of them are not haunted.  I can even tolerate the most terrifying ones in homes that I now show as a Realtor.