08/06/2025
Ben was 29 when he passed in 1912. He was a traveling violinist, moving from town to town along what is now Interstate 10, offering his music in exchange for food, shelter, or simply a moment of connection.
In life, his melodies brought peace. In death, his song was cut short. He played his final tune in an abandoned barn, as a storm took his last breath. Now, he waits, not to be freed, but to be heard.
His story is part of The Scrolls of Souls, a one-of-a-kind memorial project. Each scroll holds a real forgotten voice, and each video gives their spirit a way to be remembered. Ben doesn’t want release. He wants remembrance.
If you feel a connection to him, you can become his caretaker.
Adopt Ben’s scroll here: https://branchingplotbooks.com/collections/the-scrolls-of-souls/products/ben
About The Scrolls of Souls
Some souls were never meant to be lost. Their names faded from memory. Their stories disappeared. Their voices were silenced by time. Now they'll be heard.
The Scrolls of Souls is a memorial project created to honor and preserve the spirits of forgotten people. These are individuals who died alone or were never identified. Each scroll contains the voice of one soul. Their story. Their request to be remembered. Their hope that someone still cares.
These aren't fictional characters. These are sealed spirits. Each one is bound to parchment by ink, preserved in scrolls, and waiting for someone to become their caretaker.
Some passed recently. Others died more than a century ago. All were overlooked. None of them want to disappear again.
Who Was Mr. Smoe
Before this project began, I was contacted by a man named "Mr. Smoe." He said he had experienced spiritual encounters and wanted to tell his story on a podcast. He passed away before we could record it.
After his death, I was invited to collect what remained of his belongings. In the attic, I found sealed boxes filled with scrolls.
Each scroll was carefully bound. The parchment felt unnaturally smooth. The ink was unlike anything I had seen.
As I unrolled one, I heard a voice. Not with my ears but inside me. It was clear. It was personal. It was human. I hadn't discovered writing. I'd discovered presence.
These spirits were never meant to return. They were boxed away in the dark. Silence. Forgotten.
But silence isn't what they wanted. They want to be seen. They want to be heard. They want to matter again.
Becoming a Caretaker
To adopt a scroll is to care for a soul. You aren’t receiving a product, you’re preserving a presence. Each scroll carries a name, a voice, and a story once forgotten. Now, through your care, that spirit will be remembered.
Some caretakers feel a presence, a shift in the air, a whisper, a moment of peace. Others find meaning in reading the scroll aloud and speaking the name of the spirit they now protect. However it unfolds, one thing remains the same: the soul is no longer alone.
This Isn't About Ghost Stories
The Scrolls of Souls isn't about fear. It isn't about collecting haunted relics or telling scary stories. This is about remembrance. Dignity. And the belief that no life should be forgotten.
Each scroll is a body. Each line of ink is a voice. Every caretaker plays a part in making sure that voice isn't erased again.
Watch the video. Listen to the spirit's voice.
If the spirit speaks to you, adopt the scroll.
Become a caretaker.
Let the spirit matter.
https://branchingplotbooks.com/pages/the-scrolls-of-souls
