V...is for Vampire...

Could this mausoleum hold more than just an urban legend?

His breathing was labored, and his heart raced as he sprinted through the darkness, his boots pounding on the damp grass. He weaved between stones and markers, barely visible under the faint moonlight. In his left hand, he gripped the ring so tightly it nearly pierced his palm. He pushed through the gate, continuing to run from street to street, occasionally glancing back. Finally, he ascended the front stairs of his home, hurried down the hall, and into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He leaped into bed, slipped the ring onto his finger, and pulled the covers over his head.

He had done it on a dare—breaking into the crypt, seeing the decayed body, and taking the ring from the corpse's finger as proof of his adventure.

The next morning, his friends came by to see the ring. His mother informed them he wasn't awake yet. She walked down the hall, opened the bedroom door, and screamed. Her son lay on the bed, his face twisted in a look of sheer terror. His eyes were wide open as if witnessing something horrifying. Blood stained the sheets where the ring and his finger had been ripped from his hand.

This is just one of the numerous stories associated with the Vampire Crypt, a foreboding, dark mausoleum situated in Erie, PA.

Embedded into a hillside in Erie Cemetery, the mausoleum stands alone and might be easily overlooked depending on your approach. Look for the DO NOT ENTER sign as you head towards section 19. You can park your car and walk up the curved road, bordered on the right by a dense thicket of trees, until the mausoleum appears on your right. Alternatively, drive in the opposite direction and loop up and around until you spot the crypt on your left.

Some believe the legend began with a Romanian businessman who owned the crypt. After his death and burial, bodies started appearing in the area, drained of blood and showing bite marks on their necks.

Another tale suggests the crypt was darkened by devil worship and fire. There's also the story of a man who tried to eliminate the mausoleum by setting it ablaze. Others think it has simply darkened over time.

The crypt bears no name. The inscription has been chiseled away, leaving only the flourish of a "V" above the door. Or could it be a bat?

The name registered with the cemetery is Brown, but no one with that name is buried there. The crypt is said to hold the remains of seven members of the Goodrich family, with their last burial occurring in the late 1800s.

The answers to this mystery may never be discovered. Will the legends continue to thrill, chill, and intrigue each new generation?

If you visit Erie Cemetery to find the Vampire Crypt, be cautious. Urban legends may just be stories, but there's always a chance some kind of ghoul could emerge at night looking for you.

My advice? Bring along a snack. You never know if someone or something just might be looking for a "bite."

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Christine Shephard is a photographer, writer, and avid taphophile. She makes her home in Central New York.

Images captured by Christine Shephard Photographic Design and the written content cannot be utilized in any other format or publication without explicit permission.