The Iron Butterfly: Ghost Stories of Ruby Moss Cheek

The Iron Butterfly: Ghost Stories of Ruby Moss Cheek

Centre College (Danville, Ky. : 1918- )—Anecdotes
Centre College (Danville, Ky. : 1918- )—Buildings
Centre College (Danville, Ky. : 1918- )—History
Centre College (Danville, Ky. : 1918- )—Students
Ghosts—Kentucky—Danville
Haunted places—Kentucky—Danville
Haunted universities and colleges—Kentucky—Danville

Oral history of paranormal experiences in the Ruby Cheek House.

Roark, Lily

2021_01_14

Bosworth, Abi

All Rights Reserved

MP4

English

Oral history (literary work)

Bosworth, Abi

Roark, Lily

Ruby Cheek, Centre College, Danville, KY

Abi Bosworth 0:01
Hi, Lily, thank you for talking with me today. So my name is Abi Bosworth and today I'm
interviewing Lily Roark who graduated this past spring and is now an alum of Centre College.
I'm here with Lily and myself. Today is January 13th-- 14th 2021. We are recording this
interview via zoom with Lily in Nashville and myself being in Louisville. So today we're going
to be discussing Lily's experiences on her during her time at on Centre's campus, specifically her
sophomore year and what was it? 2016? 2017?
Lily Roark 0:38
Yeah, it was actually it was my junior year.
Abi Bosworth 0:41
Junior year. Okay, Junior? Yes. 2019? 2018?
Lily Roark 0:46
Yeah, it was it was 2018.
Abi Bosworth 0:49
Okay, her junior 2018. So we're just gonna dive in. Thank you again, so much for meeting me.
Lily Roark 0:57
Yeah, of course.
Abi Bosworth 0:58
Lily, where did you live on Center's campus? And can you describe the location and the space?
Lily Roark 1:06
Sure, so I lived in Ruby Cheek, which is like if you know, Danville, it's right across the street
from Speedway. And I lived on the first floor of a two story house. It's like an old house that was
donated to the college. And I lived on the first floor within the first room, right right after you get
into the door. The space that I like lived in had really three really big windows, a fireplace on the
right hand side and then two beds for my roommate and I.
Abi Bosworth 1:43
Cool. So, do you know what year it was built in by chance? Or do you know how old it old it
was?
Lily Roark 1:49
I don't know. Um, I eventually, like, did some research on it to figure out like, who the owner
was. Um, so I know a little bit of history about that. But I don't know any of like when it was
built.
Abi Bosworth 2:04
Yeah. That's totally fine. I feel like it was built probably in the 1930s.
Lily Roark 2:09
Yeah.
Abi Bosworth 2:10
Okay, so what strange or unexplained experiences have you had on Centre's campus?
Lily Roark 2:16
Okay, so I had a couple. Um, but they only happened at Ruby Cheek, which is the name of the
house. So the first one, do you want me to say all three of them, like now?
Abi Bosworth 2:30
Yeah.
Lily Roark 2:30
Okay. So the first one was actually not inside of the house, it was outside the house. So my
friend and I would go on these long drives together. And we were parked in the back of the
house, just like talking and listening to music. And we jokingly would always talk about like,
Ruby as a ghost, because we were just like, we're literally just joking. And because like, we live
in this old house, it was just, we thought it was funny. And so there was this light that would
always flicker on the back of the house and like, you can literally walk by it today. It's still there.
It's like this orange light and it would flicker all the time. And so we jokingly were like, okay,
Ruby, if you like this kind of music flicker once if you don't like it flicker twice, and the light
went off. And we're like, huh, like, coincidental. And so we played like, I don't know, like, a
Chance the Rapper song. I'll say, okay, so we played that. And it flickered. Once, so it didn't like
it. And we're like, huh, that's weird because it flickers on and off like this, like all the time. We're
like, okay, whatever. Again, coincidence, like, don't believe that. We just kept going through
genres. And going through and going through and going through, and we and we got two, two of
them every time which I'm pretty sure I said was the no and we got two of them every time. And
it was just really odd and we start getting freaked out. And then we played some classical music
and it flickered once. I was like weird because the light flickers all the time and doesn't like it's
not like a motion sensor light or anything like that. So it's an old broken light on Centre's
campus. And so it's just very strange. So like, we like slowly got out of the car and like, went
back to our rooms and like went straight to sleep. It was just such a strange experience, but I
didn't really buy into it. Like I just am a very like if you know me, but you do, like I'm a very
like practical and logical person. So like, that was just not even like something I really thought
about. And then about a week later, we were...am I allowed to curse if it was a quote?
Abi Bosworth 4:58
I think that's totally fine.
Lily Roark 5:04
So, a week later, I lived so I lived on the first floor. And I didn't know any of the girls on my first
floor. But I was friends with all the people on the second floor. Because they were all football
players, like the entire second floor was football players, which was insane. But they were all
watching football. Classic one Sunday. And we were joking about that experience we had had
like me and my friend, and we were just talking about it. Like it was really weird, dude, like, it
was so strange. Like, I really, like kind of felt something there. Like, I don't know what it was,
but it was weird. I don't know if I buy into it. And one of my other friends who's sitting in the
room. And I quote, "I don't believe in Ruby, I', not scared no ghosts, especially an old fat bitch of
one". And I kid you not. And I can look for the videos. But the-- so we have these light bulbs.
And they were like the long, almost cylindrical looking ones on our ceiling. And they just went
completely out. And then the TV we were watching that was-- that had the football game on it.
Like went black. And it's like smoke started coming out the back of it. And also I know this
sounds absurd. But I legitimately have like, video footage of it because it was so scary. And the
lights--what's that?
Abi Bosworth 6:36
I would love-- I would love to have that and see that.
Lily Roark 6:39
Yeah no, I'll I will find it and send it to you. And the lights were going like-- it was so the lights
kept going, like, up and down this way. White, black, white, black, white, black. And it was
really freaky. And-- I was like again, coincidence, right? Like, we insult the woman who own
this house. And this happens.
Abi Bosworth 7:08
Yeah.
Lily Roark 7:08
And, so I was like, super freaked out the video is honestly hilarious, because it's all these like
shirtless football players screaming, running through the halls running out of the house because
they were so freaked out. But it was just it was just a really like creepy and weird experience.
Abi Bosworth 7:27
And did that like--
Lily Roark 7:29
And we had maintenance come down. And they looked at the lights. And they're like, we don't
know what to do about these because these lights shouldn't be moving in this direction. He was
like the lights can only go on and off. They can't move side to side. It's like not physically
possible. And so we were like, well that's scary. And so maintenance came in, my friend had to
buy a whole new TV. Because it just like was completely fried like couldn't work at all. There
was no like they looked there was no spilled water, there was nothing like they have no idea why
the TV broke. And then maintenance came in and tried to fix the lights to twice. And maybe it
was more than that might have been three times, the lights were just off in their room for months.
They couldn't turn them on. And it was just so strange. That would have been my second
experience.
Lily Roark 8:24
And then-- this is just a little background to my third and like final experience. And also just to
put into context, I was only there for one semester, because I went abroad my junior year for
Centre Term and spring term. So this was just the fall of my junior year. And so I have these
family friends. I call them like my Danville grandparents. I literally didn't know them until I
moved to Danville, but they were-- they're the Garrett family. And they were librarians at Centre
for years. And I just would get dinner with them once a month. And it was just kind of nice to
have like a little, little family in Danville. Um, so I was at dinner with them and I was like, I have
to be honest, you guys, I've been experiencing really weird stuff at this place Ruby Cheek where
I live. And Mary Beth was like, she was like, "Oh, we know about that." And I was like, "What
do you what do you mean?" And she was "Like, oh, like we we knew the woman who owned
that house." She was like, "she was one of our good friends actually, um, she was a classical
music teacher at Centre College." And so immediately I was like, when we played the classical
music, that's the only thing she liked. And I hadn't even told Mary Beth about any of this stuff
yet. And I was like, "Oh my god, like, tell me more." And I again, have not told her anything
about my experiences. I was just telling her like it was I've had weird experiences. And she was
like, "Yeah, Ruby was just this, like-- I think her name was Ruby, I'm pretty sure-- was this
really like, kind and generous and sweet person. And when she passed away, she left the house
and her will, and when she left in her will she said she wanted people who were kind and loved
Centre College to live in the house. And like she wanted it to be like a gift to Centre and a gift to
its students because she thought the students were really kind and that she wanted the house to be
treated well with like good people." So, when my friend so again, I'm thinking I'm like, when my
friend Hagen said the comments about Ruby being a "fat old bitch of a ghost", I'm sure she did
not take that very kindly, and didn't think it was like a very, like, good or kind student, or a
person that was treating Centre well. And so I ended up talking about, like, my experiences there,
and at Ruby Cheek, and Mary Beth was just like, "Oh, my God, that makes so much sense". She
was like, "Honestly--" like, Mary Beth is like, "I don't particularly like believe in I don't know, if
I believe in spirits." And I was like, "I don't really think I do either". And she was like, "But if I
had to believe in one, especially from your stories, I would believe that Ruby would be looking
over that house, because in her will, it was so important to her to have that be with good people.
And I was like, "Okay, interesting."
Lily Roark 11:29
So, I go back home that night, and just go to sleep. The next few weeks, nothing really is
happening. And it's getting to be like, early October at this point. I don't remember the exact day.
But again, I've told you like I lived with all these football players. Sorry, the story so long.
Abi Bosworth 11:52
No, it's ok!
Lily Roark 11:53
But I lived with all these football players. So I was like, were really my, some of my best guy
friends. And they would just, which was definitely like a breach of boundaries, which we would
talk about, but they would just come in and check on me at various points in the night. Like
throughout the day, they just be like, "Hey, just checking in. How are you?" So like, a lot of
times, I was like, "I'm fine. Get out of my room." But often what they would do is I mean, they
had to go through the front door. And right when you go through the front door, my rooms right
on the left, so they were just, like long night of study and whatever, come in and come say hello.
So I had gone to bed like pretty late that night. So it was probably around like, two or three in the
morning. I had already said I got already hung out with my friends upstairs and had gone to bed.
And I was like in that state where like, I wasn't asleep. But like I was I was getting there. You
know what I mean?
Abi Bosworth 12:59
Yeah.
Lily Roark 13:00
And I--my eyes were closed. And I was on the bed underneath my sheets and and I my bed was
the one next to the fireplace. And I just heard the door open. And I-- there's no although there are
no locks on the doors at Ruby Cheek whatsoever. So if you're planning on living ever, just keep
that in mind. So, the door just open and I was like, "Oh my god, it's another one of these boys
coming into my room." It's 2:30 in the morning, like, I'm going to pretend I'm asleep. Because if
I wake up like I'm like, "Hey, what's up?" like, they're gonna try and talk to me and I don't want
that. So I was like, pretending I was asleep in this room. And again, it's a really old house like
anytime you walk across the floorboards anything it's like creak, creak, creak, creak. And I heard
that, like I heard like, weight on the floors. Um, which was weird. Because in the past, I
pretended to be asleep and my friends would come in and try to talk to me or whatever, they
would open the door slightly and then they would just close it. Like, if I was asleep they weren't
coming into look at me sleeping like we did have boundaries in that sense. Like that would have
been really weird.
Lily Roark 14:30
But I...but I...I was like, Okay, this is kind of weird, but whatever. I'm just gonna again pretend
I'm asleep. And then I've got something super strange, which was I felt this compression on the
bottom my bed like someone was sitting on the bottom of my bed. Um, and like, I could feel like
I can feel a body on the bottom of my bed. And like literally like chills right now just like
thinking about this feeling that it was because the initial reaction for me was someone, someone I
don't know who's come into my room. Um, I'm really terrified. I'm really scared. And I don't
know what to do. Um, and then as I sat there, it was like, I like I feel so stupid saying this
because it like, it sounds so fake. Like, it sounds like I've fully made this up, which I'll get to in a
minute. But it sounds ridiculous when I say it. But it's like, when you experience the ridiculous it
almost feels more ridiculous. Do you know what I mean? Like it? it? Yeah. So I felt this
compression on the end of my bed and had that initial initial, like, terrifying feeling like just not
knowing what, what to do very fight or flight. I was like, do I, like try to grab the lamp on the
side of my bed? Do I-- like I know, my friends wouldn't do this.
Abi Bosworth 16:16
Yeah.
Lily Roark 16:17
Like, that's not something I know--someone I know would do. So. So what does this mean? And
my roommate, by the way, had moved back to Louisville, so I was living in this room alone. So
no one should have been there. And. . . all of a sudden, I just had this like, wave of feeling like
comfort and like, safety and love. Um, that was like, emotional. Like it like it...like I felt really
safe. Which was also again, scary [laughs]. Because you're like, someone's on the end of my bed.
And I feel safe. Like, what how do you like mix, like, feeling genuinely terrified with feeling
also like really protected and safe and calm. And I just kind of laid there and I actually Kara
Tipton interviewed me about a month ago for this [laughs] local first lady here. And I told her I
was like, it could have been two minutes. It could have been two hours. Like I've never felt like a
genuine loss of time before. But I felt it like in that moment. And I didn't check my phone
afterwards. So I actually just don't know what time it was. But I just laid there with my eyes
closed and like, just intuition, like gut feeling knew I was going to be okay.
Abi Bosworth 17:53
Yeah.
Lily Roark 17:53
And eventually I felt like the like feeling of the bed like the weight decrease. And there was one
creak. And then I heard the door shut.
Abi Bosworth 18:04
Oh my gosh.
Lily Roark 18:06
Yeah. And that was it. And like, I just want to emphasize I don't know, are you presenting this to
your class?
Abi Bosworth 18:12
No, I'm doing it's like a transcript. So...
Lily Roark 18:14
Okay. Okay. Like, I'm a very practical person, like, I think logically
Abi Bosworth 18:25
Yeah.
Lily Roark 18:25
And analytically. And like, this didn't line up with my logical or analytical reasoning whatsoever.
And so I felt like after that, like, I was really struggling because I was like, I... where do you go
from that? Like, when you have an experience like that, people are gonna think you're crazy. If
you say anything about it, so the only person I really told was my friend Caroline, and then a
couple of my really close girlfriends and I didn't tell anyone else about it, because I was like, I
feel insane.
Abi Bosworth 19:03
Yeah.
Lily Roark 19:03
And then I felt you know, like, not scared being in Ruby Cheek, but nervous, because, like, I'm
one of the only people that have had this experience that I know of, and like, that's really like a
scary thing. And so sorry, just keep having to drink coffee [Interruption]. So I-- whatever, I just
kind of like, put it on the back burner moved on with my life, like, didn't really think about it
anymore. And it never happened again, like it never happened again. It was one time. Um, and so
Theta, as you know, does like a haunted I don't know the exact phrase for it [Interruption]. It's
like Spooky Stories with the Thetas or something. Okay, so it's like something like that.
Lily Roark 19:59
We're basically like we get a bunch of professors to come in and tell like Centre ghost stories.
And like, I was, admittedly, I've kind of gotten out of the events since my freshman year when I
rushed. So it hadn't really been. But like I just remembered it has like, kind of like, some cheesy
ghost stories. Like, that's what I remembered it as, but like, a really fun event, but like cheesy.
And I got there and Dr. Egge was presenting one of her ghosts, some of her ghost stories. And I,
we were all just listening to them. And some of them are super eerie. And some of them like, I
don't know if you've heard her stories yet, but like, some of them are, you know, kind of weird
and creepy. And she told this one that I'd never heard about from Ruby Cheek.
Lily Roark 20:59
And she said that there was a girl who is in her bed that opened the door and saw a woman
outside of her door. And she was scared and that there was another story of someone feeling a
compression on a bed, and that it wasn't a scary feeling for them. And literally, I mean, I'm not
even going to go into detail on her story, but like, I was sobbing in the warehouse, like I literally
had to go to the bathroom. Like, I was not doing well. Like I was literally like, crying. Because it
was the first time I felt validated. And like, the story in and of itself, like, okay, this has just
happened to me like other people have experienced this too. Um, are you in this? Is this for Dr.
Egge's class?
Abi Bosworth 21:53
Yeah [laughs].
Lily Roark 21:54
Oh, hey, Dr. Egge [laughter]. But [laughs] thanks for validating me. But yeah, it was just like a
super strange and eerie and, like, off putting experience and, and for someone to be saying, like,
"Hey, you're not the only person that's happened to" was like, really amazing. And I ended up
talking to her about it later, and emailed her all the videos as well that we had from the time with
the TV. I'm so sorry. No, that was a really long winded story. But those are basically the
summary of my experiences that I've had with the other worldly on Centre's campus.
Abi Bosworth 22:47
Well, that's what I was gonna say like, how did it because like you said, you're a very logical
person. And when these unexplained things happen to you, did you like how did it shape the way
you thought of Centre's campus, but also like your view of like the supernatural and ghosts and
stuff like that? Like, I can't imagine because I've always believed in ghosts, I can't imagine like,
not believing in ghosts, and then, and then having so many weird things happen to you.
Lily Roark 23:16
Yeah. So I got really deep into it [laughs]. I went down a god damn rabbit hole. Um, [laughs] I
think, for me, it was just like, I--believed that there was something like I've always I grew up in a
really religious--pretty religious household. But it wasn't like, forced upon me, like, I got to have
my own views on everything, and my dad's a priest. But I always said, I believed in something
with like a capital "S". Which to me means like, there is something else at work, but I don't know
what that something else is. So I guess that's like, the basic principle of being an agnostic
[laughs]. But I didn't really believe in anything other than that, like, I was always fascinated by
ghost stories, but I never really like believed--I didn't truly believe they could happen. And I
think this was these experiences for the first time that I truly felt like there was more than just
that capital "S" something like that there was far more at work than like, I can personally
understand or anyone can really understand.
Lily Roark 24:45
And this is actually something I have not shared with anyone. So I'll tell you,
Abi Bosworth 24:49
What a treat.
Lily Roark 24:50
Literally, just my parents.
Lily Roark 24:52
Um, so after everything happened at Ruby Cheek, I was just like, really rattled. And like, after
hearing everything from Dr. Egge in October, I just didn't really know what to do. Like, I did
feel like exactly what you're saying, like, in this like super gray area where I was like, I don't
know what I believe, I don't know what like, is going on. Like, I don't know why it was me.
Like, that's having these interactions like why am I more easily--like, if there are spirits like why
are they more comfortable speaking through me then like--or comforting me than others like,
like...why? Why me? Like, what's special?
Lily Roark 25:41
And so I'd actually seen a medium before. I know they're really controversial. So I take that with
them with a grain of salt. But I'd seen a medium before and had a really profound experience
with one in New York when I was in eighth grade, after my grandfather passed where the
medium basically just to give you like contexts, the medium I had, I had two little, two younger
boy cousins at the time, and no other cousins. And my grandpa had died really tragically. And
really suddenly, and I connected with this medium who like, I wasn't paying her anything. I just
was literally like at a restaurant and she came up to me. And she said that my papa had a
message for me, which is what I called my grandfather. And she was like, he wants you to know
that he is "Sorry I couldn't say goodbye." And he's looking out for the two little boys and the girl
Miri on the way. And I was like, okay, like, cool. Like, you knew I called my grandpa "papa". So
does like, probably eighty percent of America. And like, you know that I have to, like boys in my
life, like or whatever. I was like that second part, the third part doesn't make sense. Like, Miri on
the way doesn't make any sense to me.
Lily Roark 27:18
And I got a call. Two weeks later, my family got a call two weeks later from my aunt, that she
was pregnant, and they were naming the girl Miriam. So it was like a super vivid and like, weird
experience. Which I think it was the first step of me like, feeling like there's something else like
that there is a way to communicate. And so actually went back to the woman in New York,
because she had like, passed on her information, and I just, like, kept it. And I went back to her, I
didn't tell her any of my experiences, I was just like, I've had really weird spiritual experiences
while I've been in college and like, I don't know, what to do with them or like how to unpack
them. And she was like, they she said, they, which is also interesting, so alludes to, like, not just
one person in the home, or, I mean, I don't know, she means just at Ruby. But she was like, all
they want you to know, is that you're safe. And like, you're cared for your safe. And like, that
was the overwhelming feeling that I had gotten. Do you know what I mean?
Lily Roark 28:41
Like that was like, literally, and I've literally told no one, like, none of my friends anything about
that. Like, that was like the overwhelming like, feeling that I had gotten when I was-- when that
compression was on my bed. And to hear it like, again with Dr. Egge, and then again, with a
medium I was like, okay, like, something else is going on here. And like it's--I think, since then,
because it's been almost three years. Since then, like, I literally still get emotional about I'm
tearing up, but like it's it's not like a sad or like scared emotion. It's like a like, I feel very grateful
and hopeful that I have been able to have these experiences and to have, like, had these
connections with other people that I haven't been able to know personally and like, more than
anything else. Like these aren't spirits that want to scare me there are spirits that just want to
know-- want to reassure me. Like they just want me to know I'm safe and protected and like
during that time in my life when I was like really struggling with like my anxiety and depression
and other things like that was such a great message to receive. And I do believe that like, it was
intent..intentionally given to me for those reasons. I think that's what helped me getting back to
your original question. Sorry, my ADD is off the walls. But like [laughs] I like I think that was
like, the answer to my "Why me?" was being able to see that, like, their message is intentional,
and it's not, you're not randomly picked. And I mean, she said other things too, which just like
aren't really like super relevant but like to to this, but I think that one like stood out the most to
me and like, how genuine it was.
Abi Bosworth 30:45
Right. That's--
Lily Roark 30:48
Yeah.
Abi Bosworth 30:48
Those are all so crazy. I mean,
Lily Roark 30:51
Yeah.
Abi Bosworth 30:52
And the fact that just, it's, you know-- I mean, you've had validation on so many different
platforms from so many different things that you know, validated your experience. Well, those
are super scary, but also very reassuring, but yeah, and nice.
Lily Roark 31:11
Yeah, it was definitely.
Lily Roark 31:14
Yeah, it was definitely like a good mix of the two. Like, I'm like, if you are confronted by a spirit
and you're not like a little scared, like, what's up? [laughs]
Lily Roark 31:26
Like, that would be kind of strange. Yeah, like it's weird being connected to another realm.
Abi Bosworth 31:34
Well, Lily, thank you so much for talking with me and opening up.
Lily Roark 31:39
Of course.
Abi Bosworth 31:41
I really, really do appreciate it.
Lily Roark 31:43
Yeah, of course. I'm happy to do it.
Abi Bosworth 31:45
Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm gonna hit the the end. Stop.

MP4

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