Echoes of the Past: A Step in Time Through St. Augustine’s Haunted Legacy
I have always loved wandering around the historic St. Augustine streets. The clack of my boots on the brick roads gives the narrow, dark path a rhythm. The streets feel alive. The sound resonates through history. Bricks with names like “Graves” next to an Auntie Ann’s Pretzel perfectly encapsulates the essence of this town I love, somehow modern and ancient at the same time. The names remind me that I am one of thousands to step through the city. One day, I’ll be just another echo in the past—a ghost story in a town that feels crowded even on its emptiest days. Walking to the parking garage on a dark street, I see someone sitting on a stoop. They take a sip of a bottle and I have to look twice. They have that shimmer, as though they are not fully uploaded into reality yet. I pick up the pace and hope he doesn’t stand up to follow me. I am not a fan of the drunk spirits.
I am a medium. I know it’s quite the claim—one I don’t share lightly. To me, it always sounded too unbelievable. When I moved closer to St. Augustine and began working ghost tours in the historic district, I noticed how many shadows the city hosted. Bodies without bodies, shuffling through the motions of life. Most don’t even notice the way I pause to stare before shaking my head and refusing to acknowledge what I saw. Some do see me though. A wise man once told me, “If you see them, they see you.” and this fact made my frequent stops at the cemeteries a mostly terrifying experience. Staring through the gates and seeing shadows form into people and those people begin to slide or crawl closer to the gates. If they approach, they usually want one of two things. To be heard or to be released. I can only offer one.
So, I made it my goal to learn their stories. Not the legends created to make the tourists “ooh” and “ahh”. Not a quick script to captivate a large crowd. I love all of those things. I am a frequent guest on the Ghosts and Gravestones Trolley (mostly to get into that Old Jail). I wanted to create something for people like me, for the spirits who are lost. The idea that someday we may die and become legendary sounds great until your hard work in life gets boiled down to a grave robbery and a shambling ghost tale. If I’m going to join the unliving someday, I’m going to make one heck of a story. And for now, I’m going to tell them.