The Bell Ringer
Ray had just finished High School and was now attending a small college, close to where his Aunt Maude
lives. She offered to let Ray stay at her house while he attended college. She rents out several rooms to
college students. Ray gets to stay there at the regular rate his Aunt charges everyone else to rent a room.
His Aunt warned him to stay away from the "The Bell Ringer". That’s what everyone calls him, no one
knows his real name. Sometimes the man walks up and down the street, ringing a cowbell for hours, he
usually does this after a storm, or some other bad thing that has occurred. They all say he’s possessed by the
Devil and he is a drunkard too. Some of the women seen him coming out of the liquor store with a gallon
bottle of wine.
The gas man went to the bell ringers house to check his furnace before cold weather started. The gas man
knocked on the door and the bell ringer let him in, then he showed the gas man to the door leading down
into the basement. The gas man ran back out of the house, to afraid to go down there. The bell ringer had
painted- "This way to Hell’s fire" on the door leading to his basement.
Ray was a strong worker in the church back home, and he planned to be one here also. He started going to
the same church that his Aunt attended. Ray talked with a lot of people his first week there and invited all of
them to church. Many people Ray talked to said the same thing his Aunt did - That Bell Ringer is possessed
by the Devil, you stay away from that evil man.
Ray didn’t usually think people were as bad as other people say they are. But everyone was saying the same
thing about this man. Could everyone be wrong? Ray started several times to go meet this man and see for
himself, but Ray always got side tracked to help someone in need. Ray was in good standing with about
every member of the church, they liked Ray and the work he was doing in the community. Even the people
that he couldn’t get to attend church services liked him. Ray would help out anybody he could, no matter if
they came to church or not.
One day Ray was helping a man plant some tree’s in his front yard. That man just happened to live across
the street from The Bell Ringer’s house. The man said, That Bell Ringer must have got on a real drunk, I
haven’t seen him out for a while. Ray said; Does he do that alot? The man said, I don’t know; he’s in and
out all the time. Ray stopped and said; I’ll be right back, I’m going to make sure he is all right. The man
tried to get Ray not to go, he said; You haven’t seen the things I’ve seen, you’re new here. You don’t know
what you’re getting yourself into if you go over there.
Ray knocked on the front door of the house. Then he looked into the front window and called out - Are you
OK, do you need help? Ray didn’t hear a reply, so he tried the door, it was unlocked. He opened up the
door. The hair on the back of Ray’s neck were standing on end.
Ray called out again - Are you OK, do you need help? Ray thought he heard a noise, but he wasn’t sure.
Ray said, I’m coming in to make sure you’re OK. Ray stepped in slowly, looking around in every direction.
The Bell Ringer could be waiting on a chance to jump out and attack him with a baseball bat. Ray had to
remind his self that Jesus is with him always.
Ray walked into the kitchen and there was the door with- This way to Hell’s Fire - written on it. He heard a
noise, it was coming from the other side of the painted door. Ray’s mind was racing with all kinds of
thoughts. Each thought scarier than the last. Ray imagined opening up the door and coming face to face with
the Devil himself. Ray remembered what his preacher had told him once - That when you place yourself in
Jesus’s hand, that nothing can snatch you from it. Jesus is also wrapped in God’s hand and none is mightier
than he. Ray said, “Get out of the way Devil, the Lord and I are coming threw!”
Ray opened the door to the stairway leading down, the light switch didn’t work. Down below in the
darkness Ray heard sounds like what an animal would make and some loud breathing. Ray didn’t even have
a match to see by, he would have to feel for his way. Slowly he found his way to the bottom of the stairs.
The sound was off to his right now. Ray moved closer towards the sounds he heard in the dark, trying to
fight off visions of a beast with fangs and claws ripping his flesh away when he came with in reach of it.
Finally he reached the spot from which the sounds came and very low towards the ground. Ray reached
down with one hand, when he felt hair he snatched back his hand quickly. A hand grabbed his ankle and
held on. It was the hand of a man in need. The Bell Ringer had slipped on the cement floor after the light
bulb went out in his basement and he fractured a hip. Two days he laid there, unable to drag his broken
body up the stairs. After the first day his voice gave out from yelling for help. He thirsted but had nothing to
drink. Now only semi-conscious of anyone’s presence he reached out and held on.
When Ray realized what was going on he ran back across the street and dialed 911 for help. The man that
Ray was helping to plant trees was too afraid to enter the house. The ambulance attendants were also afraid
to follow Ray down at first. Ray rode with him in the Ambulance to the ER, and waited on him to get out of
emergency surgery. Later that night about 3 Am the man (still not fully awake) started thrashing his arms
around.
Ray was at his bedside and took hold of his hand to calm him. The Bell Ringer said; Lord is that you? Ray
said; Your in the hospital and I’m just a man. I found you hurt in your basement floor, your hip was
fractured in a fall.
Ray said; You know people say your possessed, thats why no-one came to check on you. The man said, I
was possessed a long time ago, then a preacher named Brother Lee prayed for Jesus to cast the evil spirit
out of me, and Jesus did. Demons have different ranks or levels of power. I was possessed by a real
powerful one, high ranking like a General. Once cast out the same demon can’t come back around you but
others sure can. Every so often I see one watching me from a distance and waiting on his chance to posses
me.
Ray said, How was it that you got possessed? He said, I started playing with Tarot Cards when I was
younger, I didn’t know any better and thought they were just for fun. Now I see where they have Tarot cart
readings on TV, people paying money to give Satan a invitation to slip in.
Ray said, Why did you write “This way to Hell’s Fire” on you basement door? He said, Every time I look at
the door it reminds me that Hell is real. I have- “This way to Heaven” - painted on my attic door. It reminds
me that Heaven in real also. Ray said, What about the people who seen you in the liquor store, if you don’t
mind me asking? The man said, Each night I drink one cup of wine with my supper and break bread. Jesus
said, for us to do this and remember him, so I do. But only the one cup and with a full meal.
Ray said, Why don’t you think about coming to church with me Sunday when you get out. The man said, I’d
like to but the people around here would throw me out the back door of the church. Ray said; People always
wanted to throw Jesus out. By the way, what is you real name anyway? The man said; Matthew.
Matthew started going to Church with Ray and the others. After a while they made Matthew the official bell
ringer of the church bell. The Bell Ringer has a different meaning now. The house Matthew lives in is very
large , and now he allows college students or others in need to stay there free of charge. Matthew also
painted these words on the front door of the house: "Knock and it shall be opened unto you".
