The year was 1970 when it happened, I still remember it all like it was yesterday. I was a nineteen year old kid taken in by Woodstock and other groovy things.
The story behind Mr. Cooper was pretty interesting. It was 1956 and he was the best barber in town. Everyone respected him as a good person and war hero from WW2. They said that he was always busy cutting hair. One day he closed shop early and walked two miles home to surprise his wife. He looked through the window and she was mounted on top of his best friend. He went back to work and came back at the usual time. His wife didn’t know he knew.
Next day, his friend came in for a cut and he kept his composure until it was time to shave. He slit his throat with a straight razor. People panicked and ran out. He barricaded himself in his shop and shot himself before authorities could get in.
The rumor always was is if you followed the rules in his abandoned shop that he would give you a hair cut. But if you disrespected him, he’d kill you.
The rules were simple.
Most of us thought it was just crap. We didn’t have TikTok or YouTube. All we had was each other’s words, which quite frankly is crap.
My dad was the police chief in our town. Our town was a lot like Mayberry but more PG13. Not much crime, everyone knew everyone. I always heard him talk about people sneaking in the shop and fornicating, drinking, and how it was a bad area.
Curiosity began to take over and I made a lie that I was going to a friends house. I did consider asking a friend to come along but if this thing was true, multiple people would be a disaster.
I pulled up to the building and seen some busted windows and no other cars near by. I grabbed my candle and said a prayer before I walked in the door.
I looked around and seen some rats scatter across the floor. I stepped on some empty beer cans and seen graffiti on the walls.
I lit the candle and held on to it and chanted.
“Barber, barber in the shop.”
I felt my teeth begin to chatter. I let out a deep breath.
“Would you take some off the top?”
Nothing happened…not at first. The room began to become colder and I heard some footsteps crunch over old papers. The chair turned around. I looked as the dust covered mirror spelled “sit.”
Everything in my body was telling me to run, but I remembered not to break rules. I slowly stepped up to the chair and sat down.
The chair turned around and faced towards the mirror. There was a great silence.
“Thank you sir, I’d like a trim. Do it how you think would be best.”
A cape flew around my body and I seen a straight razor and pair of scissors levitated towards me. I closed my eyes and heard as my hair was being snipped.
Occasionally I’d feel his breath blow against me. Sometimes my hair felt like it was being pulled. I almost let out a scream at one point then I heard a noise from him. “Shhhhhhh.” The razor dangled in front of me.
I stayed quiet for the remaining of the time just hoping I didn’t piss him off somehow. He took the straight razor and began shaving near the top of my neck where he missed a few spots.
Then I felt his hands push down on my shoulder as I faced the mirror. Slowly his apparition appeared. It was somewhat transparent and you looked a lot like the old pictures we seen of him looked like. I looked behind me and seen nothing.
“This is a great haircut, thank you.” He started to remove the cape when I heard the door open and footsteps.
“Come on babe. We’ll make it quick.” A kid I went to school with and his girlfriend came in. They both stopped walking when they seen me.
“What the hell are you doing in that chair? Trying to scare us of some ghostie?” He began cackling out a laugh.
I look in the mirror and Mr. Cooper turned towards them. The pair of scissors he had rushed towards him and plunged in his head. His girlfriend let out a scream.
I bit my tongue in hopes I wouldn’t scream. I was paralyzed with fear. A straight razor slid across her neck and blood began to spew to the floor. She dropped moments later.
The cape around me was removed. There was silence.
“Thank you for a very nice cut, Mr. Cooper. “ I reached in my wallet and pulled out seven dollars. “I don’t know if you’d care for the money, but I’ll leave it on the counter.”
I walked out carefully and drove off slowly. I didn’t go to a friends house afterwards. I pulled into a factory parking lot and waited til about noon before I came home. I tried my best to sleep but it didn’t happen.
I pulled up to my house with a cup of coffee. My dad picked at me thinking he didn’t think I’d get a trim up ever. I lied saying I went to a newer shop that opened weeks ago. The phone rang and he answered.
“I’ll be right in.”
My mom rubbed his shoulder. “What is it hone”
“Two kids were found dead in that abandoned shop.”
“Oh my goodness.”
“This town hasn’t had a murder in five years. Ain’t no telling what happened. Hopefully no gang violence or a serial killer. Last murder was in this same location.”
I kept quiet. Either he knew the truth and didn’t want to say it or maybe he just didn’t think it was real. I wondered how many people truly knew. I was always too scared to ask.
I’ve stayed in this town my whole life. I used to drive by the shop and I swore I seen that couple standing in the inside.
After a few more incidents, the city knocked it down and it became beauty salon recently on the land. Before that, it sat empty.
The legend seemed less and less talked about. Every now and then you would see a kid dress up like Mr. Cooper.
But the reason I typed this, I was getting gas when I seen some kids making a TikTok. They found out the history of the area and told their followers that they are gonna break in tonight and try to see if they can summon Mr. Cooper.