WitchHaus: A Journey into the Shadows

Bibiana Krall
Oct 21
3 min read

Stories can come from anywhere—a fleeting moment, a photograph from years past. WitchHaus has been simmering in my mind for quite some time. The conservation area near my childhood home is steeped in tales of mysterious hauntings, mythical creatures, and urban legends. I realized at some point that this would become a story I wanted to write. Even as a tiny human, I sensed that something off-kilter had happened there, something that tainted that wild place with darkness. You don't have to believe it or buy into it. If you know, you know.

Seven Gables

The Writer's Journey

A few years ago, I submitted a version of this short story to a contest. It received an honorable mention, but didn't win any prizes. I took their feedback to heart and improved it. The writer's life often resembles this scenario. You edit and revise until you're nearly exhausted, and sometimes, it just doesn’t land. That’s perfectly okay. I’ve learned that to be a writer—one who keeps going—you must embrace both the highs and the lows.

I’ve spent countless hours wandering in the woods. Growing up on a small farm in Michigan, I was fortunate to have nature all around me. Now, I hardly recognize the area. Developers have been busy since I left. Yet, I vividly remember how odd and eerie those untouched spaces felt. The silence was so thick it felt like a ton of bricks trying its best to wall you in. It was as if even the insects knew that certain parts of these woods were off-limits.

Haunting Questions

Is this actually a haunting? Is it something else?

When we’re younger, we’re much closer to our intuition. We notice everything. The imagery in this story paints a haunting picture, one that lingered in my mind every time I visited. As a child, I felt it getting under my skin. As an adult, I still feel it, but things have changed—and to be fair, so have I.

Imagine being out here by yourself.... I heard through the grapevine that part of this land might be turned into a subdivision. If you have not seen the 80s film Poltergeist, you might want to cue it up and take a walk with your shaman, or priest before you buy a house on land that feels like this does.

The Power of Memory

Perhaps it’s all in my head, and the energy has changed? All I know is that memory, especially this kind, is the best fuel for a fiction writer like me. You need unsettling experiences to draw on to tell rich, layered stories—no matter the genre you choose to focus on.

Even if you don’t believe in the supernatural or have never noticed something strange that had no explanation, I bet you’ve felt a powerful shift in energy that made you wonder aloud, “What just happened?” Reading books helps us connect with one another. It allows us to walk in each other’s shoes and see the world through another person’s eyes. It’s clear that we all need to do this more, especially in a world that feels isolating and lonlely. Sending love out into the universe. Our children deserve a safe and peaceful world. If you're reading this, I hope that's your goal too.