Shadows in Helmsley

[Reddit] Thread Start: I Need Help 21:32 2-7-2020

Good evening, everyone. This is my first time posting in this forum, and honestly, I never imagined I’d end up sharing something like this publicly. I’ve always been skeptical about witchcraft, curses, and all that stuff. I thought it was just superstition or old folk tales meant to scare people. But right now, after what I’ve been going through, I feel completely lost and desperate. My name’s James, and I live in a small town called Helmsley in Yorkshire, up in the north of England. I moved here a few months ago with my wife, Sarah. We bought an old house, pretty isolated, and really cheap because it had been abandoned for years. We were told the previous owners left in a hurry, but we didn’t think much of it. We were just excited to start our life together. From the moment we arrived, we noticed weird things. We kept finding piles of strange dirt and ash right outside our door. Sarah thought it was just dirt blown in by the wind, so she’d kick it aside every morning without a second thought. But it kept happening almost every day. On top of that, we couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched from the nearby woods. It was unsettling, though I tried to rationalize it. Sarah started getting sick not long after we moved in. At first, it was mild—headaches, fever, trouble sleeping—but it quickly got worse. She started losing weight fast, and she kept having nightmares about old women chasing her. She’d describe them dressed in black, surrounded by candles and strange symbols. When she woke up, she’d be terrified, crying and refusing to be alone even for a second. We went to doctors and specialists, but all the tests came back normal. No one could figure out what was wrong with her. Meanwhile, her symptoms kept getting worse, and she started talking about 'the woman in the woods.' At first, I thought she was delirious, but then she began telling me details about encounters with this old woman—how she’d watch her through the windows or call her name at night. Three weeks ago, something happened that convinced me this wasn’t just in her head. Sarah screamed in terror from upstairs. I ran up and found her frozen in fear, pointing at the window facing the woods. I went over, and even though I couldn’t see anything clearly, I felt this chilling presence. She was crying, insisting the woman from the woods was there, smiling from the shadows and whispering things she couldn’t understand. That same night, our neighbors, Arthur and Margaret, came over, worried about the screams. When Margaret saw Sarah’s condition, she got really serious and said, 'This isn’t normal. This feels like witchcraft. You need to know this town has old legends about a witch who lives in the woods and harms anyone who gets too close to her land.' She told us there had been similar cases years ago, always tied to this supposed witch. Since then, Sarah’s been worse than ever. I can see her wasting away day by day. I’m convinced something—or someone—is deliberately hurting her. I’ve started to believe those legends might be true, that the witch Margaret talked about is real, and she’s set her sights on us. I’m posting this because I need help or advice. I don’t know what else to do. Has anyone experienced something like this with witchcraft? Should I reach out to someone who knows about this stuff? What would you do in my shoes? I’m willing to do whatever it takes to save Sarah. Thanks for your help. James.

[Reddit] User Responses

Helen_Bright: Hi James, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. My grandma used to tell similar stories about witchcraft in northern towns. If I were you, I’d reach out to someone who knows about this stuff as soon as possible. YorkshireMystery: You’re in Helmsley? That area’s full of witch legends and old rituals. I’ve heard of an older woman named Edna who lives near the woods and knows how to protect people from this kind of thing. Has anyone else heard of her? Sam22: @YorkshireMystery Yeah, my grandpa talked about Edna a lot. She’s pretty well-known for helping in these situations, though I wouldn’t know how to find her. LunaBlue92: James, have you thought about leaving that house? Maybe the problem is the location. Sometimes walking away from a haunted property is the best solution. ArthurH99: @LunaBlue92, but if it’s direct witchcraft targeting them, it doesn’t matter where they go—the curse would follow. SkepticJohn: Honestly, this sounds more like a psychological crisis than a paranormal issue. Have you considered seeing a psychologist? MargaretWise: @ArthurH99 I agree. From how James describes it, this seems personal, not just a haunted house. GhostHunter88: James, have you found any strange symbols in the house or yard? James_Helmsley (OP): @GhostHunter88 I didn’t mention it before, but we’ve been finding dirt and ash piled up outside our door almost every day. Does that mean something? GhostHunter88: @James_Helmsley That could be a sign someone’s trying to harm you through witchcraft. I’d recommend looking for that woman they mentioned, Edna. HelenM: I’ve read that some people use ash mixed with dirt for curses. I wouldn’t ignore it. MrFrost_13: What worries me is Sarah talking about 'the woman in the woods.' It sounds like someone might be messing with her psychologically. Sarah1987: Have you noticed if Sarah talks in her sleep? Maybe you could record her and show it to a specialist. PennywiseUK: @YorkshireMystery I live near Helmsley, and yeah, I’ve heard stories about Edna. She lives in a cabin on the edge of the woods, but they say she only helps in really serious cases. YorkshireMystery: @Pennywise_13 Do you know how to contact Edna? That could be key for James. Pennywise_13: @YorkshireMystery Not directly, but I know a neighbor named Margaret who usually gets in touch with her. Maybe James could ask her. James_Helmsley (OP): Thanks, everyone, especially @Pennywise_13 and @YorkshireMystery. I’ll talk to Margaret, our neighbor, and see if she can help us find this woman. I’ll keep you all updated. LunaBlue92: Take care, James. Don’t take this lightly—if it’s real witchcraft, things can get worse fast. GhostHunter88: @James_Helmsley Good luck, and please keep us posted. James_Helmsley (OP): Thanks, everyone. I’ll update you soon.

[Reddit] Final Response from James_Helmsley

Thank you all for your responses and advice on my last post. Honestly, your help and support have given me the strength to face this situation. After thinking it over and reading your experiences, I decided to go to Margaret, our neighbor, and ask her to take me to someone who could help us. She agreed right away, saying she knew an older woman named Edna, a healer who lived in a cabin deep in the woods, near where Sarah kept seeing that strange woman. The journey to the cabin was nerve-wracking. Sarah, barely able to stand, was silent and distant, like her mind was somewhere else. When we arrived, the feeling was indescribable. The house was old and dark, with strange symbols drawn on the windows and dried plants and rusted iron objects hanging around the door. Edna opened the door before we even knocked, like she was expecting us. She was small, with silver hair and piercing eyes. She looked us over and said quietly, 'I’ve been waiting for you for days. You’re dealing with very dark forces, but there’s still time.' We stepped inside nervously. The cabin was lit only by candles and smelled strongly of burnt herbs and incense. Edna asked Sarah to lie down on an old wooden bed next to an altar covered in strange objects—black candles, jars of murky liquids, and symbols drawn on parchment. The old woman took a thick, yellowish liquid and began rubbing it gently on Sarah’s wrists and forehead, whispering words in a language I didn’t understand. Instantly, Sarah started thrashing and screaming. We tried to hold her down, but her strength felt unnatural. Edna, staying calm, shouted with authority, 'The witch of the woods can’t hold you any longer!' Sarah responded in a different voice—deep, angry, and full of rage, hurling threats and insults. Edna quickly grabbed a jar from the altar and made Sarah drink a thick mixture, causing her to let out a scream I’ll never forget. At that moment, a sudden wind blew out all the candles, plunging the room into total darkness. In the gloom, I felt a terrifying presence—a heavy breathing that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Edna quickly lit a candle with trembling hands, and I saw Sarah lying still, calm. Edna looked at me and nodded slightly. 'It’s over. The witch has let her go.' Sarah slowly opened her eyes, her usual sweet self again. Confused, she asked where she was and what had happened. I broke down in tears of relief and hugged her tightly. Edna warned us that the witchcraft hadn’t been directed at Sarah but at me, likely by someone from my past who wanted to hurt me deeply. She insisted we be very careful and gave us several protective charms, telling us to place them around the house and carry them with us. It’s been a few days since we got back home, and Sarah’s been doing much better. But I still can’t sleep peacefully. I’ve been going over every past relationship, trying to figure out who could’ve done this, but I’m coming up empty. I’m writing this not just to thank you for your support but to ask for advice again: How can I make sure this doesn’t happen again? Is there anything else I should do to protect us from that damn witch? Thank you for being here. You’ve all been a huge help. James.