Jane Ghost and Wisp

My sister takes life in stride, a feat I will probably never master. She always considers herself to be in the right place, at the right time; this optimism and fearlessness in the face of what she may not understand is more than likely what lead her, in the literal and existential sense, to capture this photo on Friday, February 17th, 2017, shortly after six in the morning.

The photo was taken by Kat with her phone camera to capture the warm, water-colored sunrise on the property of a daycare for whom she is still employed, located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She immediately noticed the spirits captured within the photograph; they were not otherwise visible. At 6:06AM, she excitedly sent me the picture, in absolute awe of the early morning phenomenon.

Lancaster has deep historic roots, from serving as the capital of the United States for a day in 1777, being home to the estate of the 15th president of the United States, James Buchanan, to the gruesome past of its county prison, whose walls have witnessed countless last breaths from a noose between 1851 and 1912.

Neither my sister nor I could identify any historic, tragic or otherwise relevant events in the immediate area that would give obligatory reason for spirits to linger, though it is clear they are indeed attached. The day was not associated with any holiday and bore no religious significance that we could identify.

The spirit in the forefront of the photograph is feminine in figure, wearing a dress or perhaps the garb of a nun; in the top left corner of the photo, you can see a ghostly wisp, seemingly afloat within Jane Ghost’s line of sight.

The body language of Jane Ghost seems despondent yet urgent as she appears to pray ardently from her knees - I do wonder to whom she was praying, or if she was instead begging, seeking mercy from some entity or force, or simply willing the Wisp towards her. Wisp does not appear in a form as clearly identifiable as its photographed counterpart. I have wondered if they are of the same “spirit class”, for Jane Ghost rests against the grass as if bound by the same gravity as any ordinary being while Wisp floats effortlessly over the dew. Jane Ghost seems to exhibits a sense of urgency to regain something left behind, while Wisp seems more akin to Kat: always in the right place at the right time, leaving no room for feeling lost.

What would put a ghost to its knees? Are Jane Ghost and Wisp trapped together on a plane of fear and peril, in a dimension more beautiful and exciting than we could imagine, or, is the pose of Jane Ghost instead reminiscent of her last few moments as a living being?

Looking at the photograph three years later still makes my breath catch and gives me pause. I wish I could melt into that moment and ask Jane Ghost as many questions about her existence as she would allow. I have a feeling that Wisp would not be as accommodating - those who cannot keep their feet on the ground usually aren’t.

I ponder if Jane Ghost and Wisp have moved on, or if they still remain? Though Kat still works for the same company upon whose property the spirits appeared, she has since moved to a different location. Kat was alone when she took the photograph, having arrived early by happenstance. These few moments of solitude might have contributed to the comfortability expressed by Jane Ghost and Wisp, deciding to show themselves to someone who always believes she is in the right place at the right time.

Story by - Evelyn Benevento

Photo Credit - Kathryn Lauren Benevento