Many Tales About Lucy Bell from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

Introduction: In 2002, I conducted a 10-week Creative Writing & Research Class. Our primary focus was the Tennessee Bell Witch, the poltergeist who haunted the Bell family from 1817- 1821. This is a compilation of what my 8th-Grade students wrote about Lucy Bell.

The Courtship Of John Bell And Lucy Williams

Adam - 8th-Grade Boy:
I, Lucy Bell, was born in 1770 to my father, John Williams, Sr., and my mother, Mourning. My mother had seven children in all and I was the second youngest. My sister, Betsy, was younger.

A man named John Bell started visiting my father for, what I thought, no good reason. I absolutely adored John and always enjoyed his company. I loved him a lot! He was 32 years old.

One day, my father called me into his office because he wanted to talk to me about something. I had no idea what he wanted to talk about, but I really wanted to find out. When I got into his office, he asked me if I would marry John Bell. I said yes. I was so excited!

At age 12, I married John. We lived in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. For nearly two decades, we lived there in peace. We then moved to Adams, Tennessee, and that is when our problems began.

Donajo - 8th-Grade Girl:
I am in love with John Bell. I don't care what people think. Everyday, I look forward to visiting John and sitting on his lap to look into his darling eyes. I requested his love and court when I was very young; and to my amazement, he did just that. I don't care what people say about the age difference or the deal on the land. All I know is that I love John, and he loves me.

Lucy Williams Bell and The Two Johns In Her Life: John Bell, Her Husband and John Black, The Overseer

Gabby - 8th-Grade Girl:
I, Lucy Bell, was nine years old when I met John Black. He was a very handsome man, but I already had my heart set on John Bell. Maybe if I had not loved John Bell so much, I might have paid more attention to him. However, sometimes I caught myself staring at him walking in the fields. Then he would turn and smile at me. I would turn so red. Sometimes I wished I had never met John Bell, but my heart belonged to him.

Cate, my niece, was in love with John Black too. I was so jealous! She worked with him all day! I knew, however, he loved me, not her. I would have given anything to be his, anything except John Bell. I loved him too much. He was everything to me. To keep him, I myself would get Cate and John Black together.

On the fifth of October, the year of our Lord, 1803, John Black left. He just quit and didn't say good-bye. I couldn't believe it! I knew my husband was lying! I knew it! Something bad must have happened! Maybe John found out about John Black's crush on me! Maybe he killed him! Was he capable of that? Could he do an awful thing like that? Was he capable of murder? I didn't know. John Black loved me too much to just leave! I had to know what happened, but I didn't find out till I was in the Afterlife world. Boy, was it a shocking revelation!

Donajo - 8th-Grade Girl:
I knew of the love that John Black had for me. Every time I saw him, my cheeks became rosy. I hoped no one noticed. I tried to control it, but I couldn't. I loved John Bell with all my heart, but there was something about John Black that gave me butterflies. After his disappearance, it made me wonder. If he were still here, would I have fallen for him?

Jennifer - 8th-Grade Girl:
Lucy Bell, I think, probably had a little crush on John Black. That's probably why she blushed every time he was looking at her. However, I think Lucy had great love for John Bell. Ever since Lucy was younger, she had always longed to marry John Bell. They had many visits together. Lucy would always tell John Bell, "John, please wait until I get older so you can marry me!" She just couldn't believe that he followed through with her wish.

The House Of John And Lucy Bell Is Haunted (1817-1821)

David - 8th-Grade Boy:
Lucy Bell sat with her family at the dinner table. The ghost had been torturing them for months on end. It was becoming worse each night. Even the children suffered the witch's harsh treatment. Her youngest daughter, Betsy Bell, seemed to receive the most grievous treatment. Only Lucy, and she alone, was exempted from the ghost's torture.

John Bell laid his fork down. "The trials we are going through with this Spirit must never leave this house. This is our "family trouble." He started to resume his meal. Then John Bell, Jr. spoke.

"But Father, maybe if we were to have outside help, the Spirit would leave."

"No!" John Bell bellowed. "This subject will not leave this house! Is that understood, John, Jr.?"

"But, Fath- ..."

Lucy cut him off. "Stop it! I shan't have fighting at the table!"

"Very well, Mother." John, Jr. sat down obviously disheartened.

"Good. Now John, you said something about a strange beast?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing, it was nothing." John Bell continued with his meal.

"Does any one want seconds?" questioned Lucy. There were several mumbled words of want.

"Very good, then. Chloe, would you please get us some more food?"

"Yessum," said Chloe. Then the Bell family continued their meal.

Ashlyn - 8th-Grade Girl:
Lucy is talking with some friends after church. A woman asked, "How's John?"

Lucy impulsively said, "He's going crazy. He said he saw some strange looking animal. It had rabbit ears and goat feet. He chased it through the cornfield and finally shot it. But when he went to go look at it, it was gone. He's losing it, I tell you. What should I do - get him a doctor?" Then Lucy remembered what John had ordered. She quickly said, "But we shouldn't discuss this anymore."

Another lady asked, "How's the children?"

Lucy replied, "Oh, not too good. They're terrified." She bit her lip. She knew she shouldn't have said it.

"What's wrong with them?"

Lucy stammered, "Oh, uhuhuh ... they are scared of the dog thing John shot."

The ladies just ignored it, like it was nothing.

Lucy said, "Well, I hear John calling. Nice talking to you, ladies. Bye."

Adam - 8th-Grade Boy:
It started with banging on the doors, scratching sounds, and knocks that we didn't think anything about. It started getting worse though. Our children were getting scratched, slapped, and hurt. We knew that it had to be a ghost. People came from all around to witness the ghost in action, who eventually called itself Kate. For some reason unknown to me, it never did anything bad to me and only caused mischief to my husband and children.

Day Of John Black's Murder By John Bell

Nick - 8th-Grade Boy:
Diary of Lucy Williams Bell: Oct. 5, 1803
It is me, Lucy Bell. This morning, John seemed a little nervous. I asked him what was wrong. He answered me with a reply that he had no problems. I did not believe him, but I nagged no longer. I remembered the quote, "Curiosity killed the cat." I have nothing else tonight. Lucy

Lucy Bell's Thoughts About Cate Batts

Kevin - 8th-Grade Boy:
I wish that my husband got along with Cate. She is nice when you get to know her.

She and I often sit in the field near my house for hours telling secrets. She was my best friend. We often went to what is now called the Bell Ghost Cave.

Carly - 8th-Grade Girl:
No, it can't be true. That can't be true! I won't believe it. But it did say it was her. No, I won't believe it. After all, the ghost has been lying quite often. And I won't believe it because it's hurting my children, and Cate would never hurt them! John said that she was angry at him, but that's still no reason for her to hurt my family. The ghost is extra nice to me. No! No! Cate loves my children dearly, and even if she was mad at John for any reason, she still would not hurt poor Betsy. Should I ask her or should I ask her dear friend Sol? I wish Father was still with us. I miss him dearly. Sometimes I can feel his presence here when my slave Chloe and I are talking. I wish I wasn't so confused. Please, Father! If you're out there, please tell me who is this Spirit.

Kevin - 8th-Grade Boy:
When Cate died, thirteen years after the death of my husband, I was devastated. I saw her in a dream. She was happy with John Black who was our old overseer. He must have died. And I saw another guy with her who I did not know. He looked like an M.D. Now I know she is happy.

Lucy Bell Gets Pleurisy In 1820, A Disease Of The Lungs

Nick - 8th-Grade Boy:
Lucy Bell's Diary: Sept. 29, 1820
I feel worse than ever. The Spirit is still torturing my family. I don't know if it is the weather or the Spirit who has sickened me. At about midday, the Spirit brought me walnuts. I was too weak to crack them. So the Spirit cracked them for me. No more tonight.

October 20, 1820
I have no sign of sickness. I believe the Spirit may have helped me recover. I no longer believe the Spirit had caused my sickness. No more tonight.

Courtney - 8th-Grade Girl:
Dear Journal: Oct. 8, 1820
It is now the year 1820 and I am suffering from pleurisy. "Kate" is still torturing my family on a daily basis. Out of all our children, the one to get tortured the most was our daughter Betsy. The reason that "Kate" is torturing Betsy the most is because "Kate" didn't want Betsy to marry Joshua Gardner. I didn't really have a certain opinion about Joshua Gardner, because I didn't want Betsy to be upset if I chose to like or dislike Joshua.

The reason the ghost was being called "Kate" is because one night, in our very home, the ghost said that it was Cate Batts' witch. From then on, people started referring to it as "Kate." I specifically asked them to call it "Kate" with a "K," because my niece's name was Cate with a "C." I didn't want them to convince themselves or anyone else that this false rumor was true.

Well, I guess I better go to sleep now. Talk to you later.

Jennifer - 8th-Grade Girl:
Dear Diary: Oct. 10, 1820
I lie here in my bed, sick, not able to move or breathe properly. I can't eat a thing. My stomach doesn't agree with anything!

My children and Chloe are sitting with me from time to time. They are in a fright. They hardly ever get any sleep. That Spirit is always bothering them! It says it is Cate's witch. I don't believe a word of it. I trust the real Cate Batts. She wouldn't do that! Never!

My poor husband, John. He is very worried about something and I don't know what it is. I wish he would tell me. Oh, well!

My poor Betsy. I do hope that she answers to Joshua Gardner. Whatever the decision, I hope she is happy. She doesn't know what to do. That Spirit is giving her a very hard time about the engagement.

Early today, out of nowhere, these walnuts fell in my hand. There was a voice who asked, "Luce, aren't you gonna eat them?" It was Kate asking. I said, "I have nothing to crack them with." And all of a sudden, the walnuts were cracked. Scared at first to eat them, I took one and ate it. It agreed with me and soon, I ate them all. Later on the Spirit brought me some grapes. They were delicious! Also, the Spirit sang the most beautiful songs. The beauty of its voice brought tears to all our eyes.

Well, I'm all better now. I think I'll go visit my niece and best friend, Cate Batts. Well, good-bye. Lucy Bell

John Bell's Coma And Then Death

Nick - 8th-Grade Boy:
Lucy Bell's Diary: Dec. 18, 1820
My John, my love, is sickened to his bed. His medicine is of no help. I don't want him to drink, but he insists it will help the pain. Many believe the Spirit is to blame for John's sickness. I do not believe that the Spirit was capable of that act. I have wept myself to a dreamless sleep every night over the pain of my John. Nothing more tonight.

Dec. 19, 1820
I can not wake my John. He is in an uncontrollable sleep. The doctor said it was a coma. He does not know the cause. We later found poison in our medicine box. We tested the clear liquid on the cat. The cat began jerking violently. Then it died. No more tonight.

Dec. 20, 1820
John is now dead. He died at night. I am unable to sleep and I am unsure if I can make it. But I must for the children. I can't write of this any longer. No more tonight.

Donajo - 8th-Grade Girl:
After the death of my darling husband, I was mortified. The Spirit that had been haunting my family for so long was admitting to the murder of John. I somehow think they forced the substances that took his life into his mouth.

I try my very best to be nice to everyone, but sometimes it is hard. Some people love me for my niceness, and some people take advantage of me. One day, I fear I will snap! People wouldn't know what to do.

Adam - 8th-Grade Boy:
My husband died at age 70. Kate, the Spirit, said that she had killed him by poisoning him. I didn't believe that though. Later, I found out that John died because he had drank bad moonshine and mixed that with his medicine. A short while after John died, the ghost left my family and me alone. It said that she would be back in 7 years to visit me and 107 years later to visit my descendants.

Jennifer - 8th-Grade Girl:
After the death of her husband, Lucy was so sad. The Spirits who had been haunting her house kept telling her that they did it. So, she had no reason not to believe it. She kept believing this until she died and went to the Spirit World. Then she found out that John had killed himself by drinking bad moonshine. Wonder why the ghost said they did it?

Zach - 8th-Grade Boy:
Year Of Our Lord, Dec. 19, 1820
Today, John is feeling worse. He is having to take many different drugs to help his muscles and his poor throat. He has been drinking liquor or something of that nature. I can smell it on his breath. He may die soon, but I hope to God he doesn't.

Year Of Our Lord, Dec. 20, 1820
This morning when I woke up, I found John lying dead in his room. There are many things that could have killed him. We found a liquid in his medicine cabinet. Kate, the Spirit, says that she did it. We gave the kitty a teaspoon of the liquid. Seconds later, the cat went into convulsions and died. We have no clue what the liquid is, but the family and I are in great pain.

Melinda - 8th-Grade Girl:
Dear Diary: Dec. 20, 1820
Today, John died. He had slipped into a coma yesterday. The Spirit claims to have killed him with a poison. My boys took the dark-colored liquid and gave it to the cat. The cat went into convulsions and died immediately.

Dec. 22, 1820
John has been dead for two days. The Spirit still haunts the house even though John is dead. She or he or whatever it is, is still pleading with my darling daughter Betsy not to marry Joshua Gardner.

Easter Sunday, 1821
Betsy said "yes" to Joshua Gardner today. The Spirit has not left her alone since she answered Joshua.

Day after Easter, 1821
The Spirit did not leave Betsy alone last night. Betsy sadly gave Joshua his ring back today.

1817-1821 Overview

Dee - 8th-Grade Girl:
Hello. My name is Lucy Williams Bell. My house in Adams, Tennessee is haunted. The house belongs to my husband and me. We have eight living children. Five of them live with us.

It all started with knocking on walls and doors. This increased slowly to talking, telling jokes, and also brutally abusing my family. It ended sadly with the death of my husband. It started in the fall of 1817. We would hear knocking on the door. Each night, we would have some invisible visitor knock. When we went to the door, nobody was there. The "Ghost" then started pulling off covers and slapping the children. Betsy was one of the worst treated of my children.

My daughter Betsy started being courted by Josh Gardner when she was 13. The "ghost" didn't like that. Once it started talking, it begged Betsy to stay away from him. They later became engaged. The night they were engaged, the ghost kept Betsy awake all night begging her to break the engagement. From fear, Betsy gave back the ring. And even to this day, no Gardner will marry a Bell.

After John Bell's Death

Kelly - 8th-Grade Girl:
My name is Lucy Bell. I want to tell you everything that happened to me while the Spirit was at my lovely home. The Spirit has haunted my house for quite some time now. The Spirit has been hitting and pulling my children's hair. It makes me want to cry every time I hear one of them scream. It has been this way to my husband, also. It has always been nice to me though.

I've never known why my niece, Cate Batts, has been blamed for the Spirit's hauntings. I'm a little scared of the Spirit, 'cause it claimed to killing my husband. When we used the liquid in the vile and gave it to the cat, it died. I loved that cat and I wish we had never used it on him though.

I thought the Spirit was thoughtful when it helped me while I was sick. I hope the Spirit won't hurt anyone when I die.

Meredith - 8th-Grade Girl:
It is now 1823. John, my loving husband, died three years ago. I miss him dearly. He

was and still is the best man in the world. Now, looking back on my life, I realize that it was

filled with love and happiness. I still remember when Father said "No!" to John's asking of my hand in marriage. I was so happy at my wedding. Yet, I still remember John Black. Yes, I liked him, but John Bell was the one I love.

Whatever happened to John Black? It is like he fell off the face of the Earth. I wonder if he is still alive? Most likely. He was very healthy and strong. What is this I see? Is it my husband's journal? He always loved to write in it. It isn't my right to look through it. It just wouldn't be right.

Now it is 1828. The ghost is supposed to be back any day now. I'm not sure if I want it to come back. Maybe I should read John's journal. I want to find out his thoughts and feelings about the Spirit.

He killed him! John! My John killed that poor man! How? John Black is the Spirit? No, it couldn't be!

The Spirit is back now. What should I say or do? I'm going to tell the Spirit I know who it is.

Lucy said, "Kate, I know that you are not Cate's witch. You are ... John Black!"

The poltergeist said, "Luce, you know? I'm sorry you had to know this way. Also, Luce, I'm in love with you."

Joe - 8th-Grade Boy:
All of a sudden, I felt something grab my neck and squeezed it so hard, boogers came out of my nose. So I went and wiped them off my lips. I was a little hungry, so I went in to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator. It was empty. So I sat at the table and looked around the room. Then I glanced in front of me. On the table was a brown paper bag. I opened it. It was a ham sandwich. I was very hungry you know, so I ate it.

Lucy Bell's Afterlife

Austin - 8th-Grade Boy:
I, Lucy Bell, want to tell you what happened to me after I went to the Promised Land. When I went, I saw John Black and Nathan Briscoe. John and Nathan told me the whole story of how John had a crush on me. Nathan told me how he was visiting John Black and how John Bell, my husband, hit him over the head with the butt of his gun. Now I know why my husband went to the other place and John Black and Nathan came up here.

I think they did the right thing by haunting him. I can't believe I married such a man. When I was little, I thought he was a great man. Now I know the whole story. John Black told me in detail how my husband killed him and how much he loved me. He told me how he longed to say good-bye. John Black and I got married in the Afterlife. But the bad thing is, we couldn't kiss 'cause we are ghosts.

David - 8th-Grade Boy:
Good day. My name is Lucy Bell, the wife of John Bell. I now know of the double murders that were committed on October 5, the year of our Lord, 1803, by my husband, John. I will now impart to those of you who wish, my memories of this supreme ordeal.

It all began in 1779. I met someone very dear to me, John Black. We quickly became very much more than friends; although, no one else knew. Soon after, I met a man you are all too aware of, my husband John Bell. I fell madly in love with him and made him promise he would come back, God willing, and ask for my hand in marriage. He agreed.

When the year of our Lord, 1782, arrived, I was filled with bliss. We were soon after married. I received, as a gift, Chloe, as my personal slave. And to my surprise, John Black had come with us to be our overseer.

The years passed like blossoms from the tree. John Black would sometimes stare soulfully at me. I tried my best, but I knew my face was as scarlet as a rose.

This kept up for quite a while, until the day of October 5, the year of our Lord, 1803. On that day, John Black suddenly disappeared. I was devastated, but thought, "It must be for the best." And so I went on with my natural life. As soon as I died, I learned of the horror my husband had committed. It was already forgiven, and my soul was at peace with him.

That is the final speaking of this event. I am returning to the Great Beyond. Good-bye and good luck!

Jenny - 8th-Grade Girl:
Hello! Please, oh, please, do not be frightened! You are one of the few who can actually hear me! My name is Lucy Williams Bell; although, I'm not proud of that last name. I mean you no harm. I just want to tell you my story - my story about the two Johns in my life.

I was deeply and truly in love with John Bell, but the age difference did bother me. Twenty years difference would bother anybody. After John and I got married (I got over the age thing a little), John being very greedy with his money, and his love, wanted someone to watch over the slaves. So he hired John Black, my dearest friend in the world. He had lived with us when I lived with my father and mother.

John Black was my first love. He was nine or ten years older than me, and I really didn't get over that crush on him until I really started noticing Mr. Bell, or so I thought. I am mainly going to tell you about John Black and me. I never told anyone this, but I was still in love with John Black when I married the other John. I would never have done anything to ruin my relationship with my husband. I am a Christian woman, so an affair and a divorce was out of the question. Sorry, I ramble when I'm nervous. I really loved John Black to a point. And so that is my story. I never kissed John Black while I was married. But we did hold hands a couple of times. So that's all I have to say. Thank you for listening to me. Good-bye!

Jessica - 8th-Grade Girl:
I am Lucy Bell, wife of John Bell and mother of his children. That doesn't really matter now, because that was my life and this is my death. But I feel like my story should be told. The story of what I knew when I was alive and what I learned when I died and went to Heaven. To some it may seem complicated, but listening to it is no more complicated than living it. So here is my story.

I married my husband when I was a child of 12. I loved him and continued loving him until I found out the truth. We had nine children. Nine wonderful children! They are what pushed me through. We had six children when we lived in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. But soon after our sixth child was born, we moved to Adams, Tennessee along with my niece Cate Batts and her family. Some other families came too. I had a great life until the fall of 1817. That's when the hauntings started.

There was something or somebody in the house. We soon found out that it was a Spirit. At first it was small things like scratching at bedposts and pulling covers off of everyone as they slept. Then she or he or whatever it was progressed to hitting, spanking the children, pulling hair, and pinching. We soon found out that it was a she or so we thought, for she started talking and always used a feminine-sounding voice. She hated my husband and my daughter Betsy. Betsy was supposed to marry a young man named Joshua Gardner, but the Spirit did not like him.

The Spirit left after four years - after my husband died and Betsy did not marry Joshua. What bothers me is that through all of the torture, pain, and violence to my family, it never touched me nor said a cruel word. It seemed to care for me. I died in the year of 1837. When I got to Heaven, I found out the truth about my husband and the Spirit. And this is the second part of my story.

I always thought my husband John Bell was a great guy, but he truly wasn't. When I found out the true identity of the Spirit, I was devastated. The Spirit was truly a ghost, and 3 ghosts at that. The 3 ghosts were John Black, our slave overseer in North Carolina, Nathan Briscoe, a young doctor, and my own father, John Williams, Sr. John Black was murdered by my husband because he loved me. Nathan Briscoe was murdered because he saw John Black dead in his cabin. My husband also killed him. And the third ghost, my father, wasn't murdered. He died peacefully, but didn't like my husband because of some Indian land. They had all three haunted my family. And I soon found out that John Black loved me. My father, John Williams, Sr., loved me also. So they would not let Mr. Briscoe haunt or torment me. So that is my story of being spared from the so called "Bell Ghost."

Cory - 8th-Grade Boy:
My name is Lucy Bell. I was 12 years old when I married John Bell. I had loved him ever since I was a little girl. I always fantasized about what a life of marriage with him would be like, even though he was old enough to be my own father. If I had known of the murders he committed before my death, I would have left him so fast it would've made your head spin. I wouldn't want to raise my children in an environment with such a violent man. The Spirit scared me bad enough, but I never really knew its actual identity until the Afterlife. If I had known who they were, it would've scared the begeezus out of me. I never could figure out why it always picked on Betsy and the rest of the family and not me. It even helped me get well when I had pleurisy and was coughing up who knows what. That Spirit had to have some kind of attachment to me.

I was distraught when my lovely husband, John, died. I was so lonely those 17 years leading up to my death. Without him by my side to comfort me every night, it was almost too much to bear. I was happy when I died. I felt like I was being set free. I saw everything that I ever did wrong. This cleansed my Soul and I was propelled into the Afterlife.

From The Cat's Standpoint

Amanda - 8th-Grade Girl:
"Please, can you hear me? Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty! Are you there?" Amanda asked. She was trying to get the Spirit.

The cat said, "Coming. Did you bring some catnip?"

Amanda said, "Yes, and I brought you some toys."

"Thank you," the cat said.

Amanda asked, "Will you tell me about Lucy Bell?"

"Sure. It will be another long story. And this time, Amanda, don't fall asleep on me."

Amanda said, "Okay, but don't get into so many bloody details."

"All right," the cat agreed. "But I don't know much about their marriage. But I'll tell you her life story. She married John Bell when she was 12. They had gotten busy after that. They had many kids. Yada yada yada. While she was married to John Bell, John Black was working for her. She was rather sad when Black just left. Well, anyway, they moved away after that. Quite a few years later, the hauntings started. Lucy feared for her children. What's the matter?" the cat questioned.

"Sorry," Amanda said. "I'm sill not used to a cat talking, even though you are a ghost."

"Get used to it," the cat ordered. "Where was I? Oh, yeah! When Lucy feared for her children, she thought it was horrible how they were getting tortured. When the ghost started talking, she felt a bit relieved. At least it was a woman, or so she thought. Later, Lucy fell ill. People started to tempt her with foods. It didn't work. Nothing agreed with her. The ghosts got the idea. I saw them speed out of the house. Later they returned with baskets full of walnuts. They told Lucy to open her hands. She did. The walnuts pored into her hand. A couple hit me in the head."

"Guess they didn't have perfect aim," Amanda said with a fit of the giggles.

"I guess not," the cat agreed. "Anyway, a few moments later, the Spirits asked Lucy what was the matter. She said that she had nothing for cracking. Both men hit their heads with their hands. They pressed on the nuts and they all opened. They agreed with her. While she ate them, Nathan sang so beautifully that tears came to everyone's eyes. Except mine, of course. I don't cry. Afterward, the men left again. This time, they brought things like wild grapes, bananas, and more. Lucy got better soon after. Let's skip ahead a bit. More time passed. The Spirit was giving reasons for haunting the Bell house. One time they said that they were none other than Cate Batts' witch. Lucy went crazy. She asked that they spell that name with a K for Kate instead of a C for Cate, as in her niece's name. She wanted to protect her niece. One day, a girl from town said her butter wasn't churning right. She said that she stuck a hot poker form the fire in the mixture. Then she said, "Take that, Cate Batts." Then that girl went to visit Cate. Later on, Lucy went too. Sure enough, Cate had a burnt hand. Lucy asked how Cate burnt her hand. Cate explained that she picked up the poker on the wrong end as she was so busy worrying about her family. Lucy took that for a logical explanation, but that girl didn't. She started spreading more false rumors."

Amanda asked, "I wonder why that girl was so mean?"

The cat continued as if it hadn't heard Amanda's question. "Cate was chewing out those two men for what they said. To continue, things got worse with Cate Batts. One time a ghost layer (like a ghost buster) gave Betsy a drink that made her puke and get diarrhea at the same time."

Amanda asked, "Why did Betsy drink it? It sounds horrible!"

"Betsy drank it as she wanted to convince people that she wasn't the guilty party. You see, some people blamed Cate. Some people blamed Betsy. Lucy was shocked when she saw all the brass pins in the vomit and excrement. They didn't know that the men put them in at the last moment. I saw them. She was very relieved when the doctor said that Betsy was all right. Not long after that, John got sick and died from drinking bad moonshine that didn't mix right with his medicine. Lucy was so depressed. When she finally stopped crying, they decided to test the potion on me. And you know the rest. The bad moonshine killed me even worse than it killed John Bell."

Amanda said, "Thank you so much for sharing that story. Do you see the light now?"

The cat said, "Yes, but I'm not going. Thank you for these toys and the catnip. I'll be here if you have any more questions. Good-bye for now."

Epilogue: These stories were written in 2002 by my 8th-Grade students after being exposed to what the archives say and what I had found out through doing two years of research on the topic of the Tennessee Bell Witch. The above tales and anecdotes are a compilation of what they wrote about Lucy Bell.

Through some rather strange circumstances, I spent from 1993 to 1995 researching and writing the real story of what happened to the family of John and Lucy Bell. My book also proves the innocence of Cate Williams Batts who was wrongly accused of being the poltergeist who haunted this family from 1817 to 1821, even though she was a living woman at the time. After meeting with actual descendants of Cate Williams Batts and her husband Frederick, visiting courthouses and libraries in four states, consulting psychics, and twice visiting the Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee, the book practically wrote itself. This book made up of 85 chapters and 365 pages is called "The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist" written under my pen name of DJ Lyons. For more information about this book and my one-woman show, please visit http://bellwitchunveiled.com.