Where the natural ends and the supernatual begins…

Ghosts

Lost in the sea of time…

So it would seem as though I have forgotten about this page for quiet a long time. I can not believe that it’s been 4 years since the last time I logged on. I guess what they say is true, time really does fly when you’re having fun.

The Co-writer on this blog reminded me today of its’ existence. I have some more paranormal fun things happening that I’d love to share with you all. Those of you who basically forgot to unsubscribe anyway. LOL

Let me fill you in on all the current details. On 12/28/2017 I was in a bad car accident. One of the types of accidents that you wouldn’t normally walk away from unscathed. T-boned on the parkway at 65MPH, spun a few times banging off both the center divider and the car that hit us kind of accident. The girl hit my side of the car. Luckily enough the driver and myself walked away with minor injuries. I have a concussion and some vertigo issues now. I’d say I was pretty blessed. It’s not one of those accidents where you hear it could have been worse, it was one of those its a miracle and SHOULD have been worse type incidents. Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this as it’s led up to last nights events.

For the last few weeks I have been waking up in the middle of the night panicked like I’m late for work. Look at the clock and 9 out of 10 times its right between 3 & 3:30 am. A few other times it was around 2 or 4 am. After speaking with my therapist we thought that maybe I would roll over and the dizziness would cause the panic. In an attempt to get to the bottom of it I set up a camera in my room last-night. However the reason I woke had nothing to do with rolling over in my sleep. I did wake up panicked and looked right at the clock. What I did not hear until I got up later was 2 strange voices. You can hear a small boy as I am getting up, and (be-careful I cough and if its really loud it will hurt your ears) after the cough you can hear a male voice. I will not tell you what I think they say, you tell me what you think they say.

 

BTW please excuse the mess, I am in the process of rearranging my bedroom and it’s in shambles. lol

 

I’m going to keep recording and posting the videos, I’ll let you determine what you think you hear.

Another interesting little tid-bit about this video. I texted it to my mother (who lives with me) Every time she attempted to watch the video her phone rang as if I called her, simultaneously my phone rang as if she called me. We both ended up with 5 missed calls in the end. She was unable to watch the video until she went out to her car, at that point we had another 2 missed calls and she gave up only seeing a small portion of it. She was able to finally view the video in its entirety after she left my neighborhood altogether.  The video was sent twice text and once via Facebook messenger, it did not work on either platform until she was completely away from the house.


Apparently the rest room is needed in the after life!!

I always love being awoken by my ghostly tenants in the middle of the night. As all hallows eve approaches is it quiet customary for the spirits in my home to make their presence known. It is said, this time of year is when the veil between the living and the dead is at it’s thinest and weakest.

Originally the custom of dressing up and putting out craved pumpkins wasn’t a hallmark holiday. These things were done for protection from the evil spirits that preyed on the living and our passed ancestors. It was a tradition in old times to leave a plate of food for any of the persons deceased relatives that may visit on this sacred holiday as a welcoming gesture, a carved pumpkin was placed by the door to scare off unwanted and evil spirits, but that is another story to be told another day.

This entry in particular pertains to the ghostly activities that occurred in my home this past evening. The witching hour in my home is typically 4-5 am. In old times 3 am was considered the witching hour. With daylight savings time in my area it is quiet possible that this is still accurate. One can never tell anymore. Some time ago I had installed a remote alarm above my son’s door to alert me if he is up perusing the house at night. This particular evening my son was at his grandmothers house for the weekend.

I retired as per usual around 11 Pm The house was quiet, everyone sleeping soundly in their beds. Around 4: 45Am, I was awoken by the alarm for my son’s room. I woke realizing I had forgotten to turn it off. As I stood to get out of bed the alarm sounded once more, which is customary if someone enters the bathroom then leaves, as the restroom door is adjacent to my son’s and with in range of the alarm. I reached for the alarm and turned off the switch as I listened to what I thought was my mother returning to her bedroom which is also upstairs.

I let my dog out to use the bathroom, still hearing the footsteps above me. Once everything quieted down I returned to my bedroom.

The next morning I conferred with my family only to realize that everyone was asleep. I heard the the alarm sound a few times and random footsteps. II guess even ghosts need bathroom breaks on occasion.


I found this awesome ghost website!!

Ok so a facebook post (again quickly becoming the source of most of my creepy posts hahaha) I found a picture of this site, for giggles I put it in to find it really does exist! Have a little fun ya’ll and happy haunting’s!!

http://ghostsingles.com/

*update* It doesn’t actually let you sign up 😦 wahhhhhh but still a fun site to play on!


So my ghost saves the day!

Night before last, the woman whom resides somewhere in the reassess of my home gave me a wake up call. She has woken me up several times now, calling my name or making loud noises near me while I sleep.

About 4:30 Friday morning I heard my name, thinking I was merely dreaming I just rolled over ignoring the woman’s voice. A few seconds later, she called me again, “Get up, hurry, Amanda get up!” she exclaimed directly into my ear. I swung around looking but saw nothing, however I heard the dogs out side barking and whimpering. I ran out to find my two beloved pups fighting, my husky Karra had my lab Sandy pinned to the ground face in the dirt, much like an elementary school brawl. Apparently, Karra had found herself a tasty rabbit that she caught and the lab wanted her to share!

Normally I do not leave my dogs outside over night, but with the heat it was cooler outside than it was in, so I opted to let  them relax in the cooler air. Well that was a mistake, however this isn’t the first time that my ghost, this woman had called me for something. A few times it was nothing but mischief, once or twice I adverted disaster by finding my older son had snuck down  and was up to no good. She is my angel, the sweeter side to the two entities that live in my home.  The other, a man whom seems to be a bit distraught about us being there, but has been calm for sometime now but sometimes causes trouble.

After breaking up the fight and cleaned up the mess I simply thanked her before returning to bed. I do not know the reason as to why she is still here, but I sleep much easier knowing while my eyes are closed she is looking over us!


Haunted Houses

Some of the scariest locations in the world are thosehaunted houses in which both visitors and inhabitants have scary experiences. It is said that these locations are populated by spirits form other worlds and souls of the deceased who lived there before or who were familiar to the haunted places.

The supernatural events occurring in such homes are considered to be caused by some terrible events in the past of the residence, like suicide, violent death, murder or deadly accidents. Statistics made in some countries showed that around 30% of the people believed in spirits and ghosts as well as in their presence in so-called haunted homes.

Technological advancements have reached a point in which it allows these homes to be monitored, so with the help of some utensils and special measuring devices one can determine whether there are energies, auras and paranormal energies or not. Most of the “paranormal events” are considered however to be physical or meteorological effects or anomalies of the magnetic and natural fields. Many TV shows presenting ghost hunters in search of some haunted homes can be seen on several channels, presenting such tools used to establish whether ghosts actually exist there.

Ghosts and the apparently supernatural events in the homes need to be declared in case the particular home is sold or rented, as it seems that such phenomena can lead to a drop in the value of the property. The American courts of justice faced some trials in which the accusers motivated their actions through the fact that the bought property was haunted. The haunted homes which are put up for sale should not be hidden from the public apparently, as the initial owner may be accused later of fraud, as strange as it may be.

Haunted homes and literature

Both in the past and in the present, those properties with the fame of being haunted attract the interest of the paranormal enthusiasts. There are also a lot of examples in the literature, in which the residences of the characters were haunted by ghosts, spirits and unexplainable events. Gothic and horror fiction are the perfect homes to hide haunted homes, as they are the perfect setting for the frightening events to take place later.

Since Antiquity, there have been horror stories involving residences haunted by spirits. Pliny the Younger and Plautus are just are just two of the Roman authors to have written about haunted homes, while some stories from the “1001 nights” present similar characteristics. Horror fiction reached a high level however starting with the 18th century and continuing until now, with Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James and Stephen King being among the best known authors, their works being filled by spirits and terrible supernatural events.

Among the best known books filled with images of haunted homes we can count The Castle in Otranto (Horace Walpole), The Fall of the House of Usher (Edgar Allan Poe), House of Hell (Richard Wateson), The Shining (Stephen King) and The Woman in Black (Susan Hill).

Both the scary stories and the horror literature inspired the movie directors to create numerous movies and series in which haunted homes are the perfect location for the development of the script of the story. Horror movies have become a cult, among the ones creating this phenomenon counting: The Haunted House, Poltergeist, Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, The Shining, 13 ghosts, Casper, Rose Red, The orphanage, Paranormal activity and The Grudge.

Causes of the haunted homes

Among the so-called unexplainable phenomena seen in haunted homes there are some quite easy to explain as well. Some of the people living in weird homes may be intoxicated with carbon monoxide, which makes them see strange apparitions as dizziness and hallucinations are among the main symptoms. Also, older residences may have deteriorated floors which make terrifying cracking noises. The points of sudden freeze which seem to be unexplainable can be just a result of poorly-made windows, while changes of temperature between day and night can cause the expansion and the contraction of the walls of the house, which leads again to strange noises and the subjective perception of temperature.

The scientific explanation behind the existence of some haunted homes is quite simple. It is said that apparitions, points of sudden coldness and the sensation of invisible touch are just anomalies perceived by people due to the variations of the electro-magnetic field of the brain. The variations of the geo and electro-magnetic fields can cause certain effects on the rights side of the brain. Thus, people perceive these variations as strange phenomena, hallucinations, the sensation of cold, stings or touches. The left side of the body becomes thus more sensitive and “produces” these new illusions.

The best known haunted homes

Among the best known locations in which paranormal phenomena are believed to exist we can count the Bran Castle in Romania, or the Huniade Castle, some complaints existing here related to apparitions, spirits and unexplained phenomena. The Cismigiu Hotel in Bucharest is also on the list, as the ghost of a young woman who died in a broken elevator is said to appear here.

In Canada, a construction in the old Montreal is said to have behind a long history which involves the French and the English. The construction in the 17th century was almost demolished at a certain point and became in the 2000s a block of homes. It is said that two silhouettes are seen here frequently , one of a woman and one of a man, both dressed like in the 19th century. It is said that the feminine ghost is Marie Louise, being heard and felt between the 3rd and 4th floors. Voices and even entire conversations can be perceived by the entire block while some residents complain about the ghosts not letting them sleep, visiting them at night. Small anomalies were perceived in this location, many being even caught on camera.

The Beechworth Asylum in Victoria, Australia is a location known to the ghost hunters. It is said that the spirits of some patients who deceased while the hospital was still functioning still exist here. This location appeared in numerous documentaries and televised series.

In the Amiidaji Temple in Japan it is said that the spirits of the old samurais still exist. This temple is one of the best known haunted locations, legends being attributed to it. In the same manner, the Aokigahara forest at the base of the Fuji Mountain is a location considered to be haunted by the spirits of those who chose to kill themselves here.

In the United States of America there are a lot of locations and residences considered to be haunted. Homes, mansions, former slave plantations, theaters and hotels, all these buildings hide secrets and mysteries, being feared by many tourists. Some cities are even based on the famous haunted places in order to make profit. The Madame Tussaud’s Museum in Las Vegas, Pemberton Hall (the first boarding school dedicated to women), the Capitol building in New York, the University of Ohio. The State Penitentiary in West Virginia and King Opera House in Arkansas are just a few of the locations in which spirits and supernatural activities are said to exist.

Among the best known haunted homes we can count the ones in Great Britain. The Arundell Castle in Sussex has 4 ghosts of some known noble people who lived long time ago. The Lodge Castle in Ludlow hosts the ghost of a young woman dressed in a dress like the ones worn hundreds of years ago, in the era of the Tudors,Haunted house considered to be Catherine of Aragon.  Raynham Hall is the place where the Brown Lady is seen often, a feminine figure wearing a dress colored like coffee. Temple Newsam is the best known haunted home in Yorkshire.

It is said that the ghost of Mary Ingram can be seen here, or the one of Jane Grey. The Windsor Castle is however the most famous haunted place in Great Britain. And it is not haunted by anyone, but by the ghost of Queen Elizabeth I. It is said that Anne Boleyn can also be seen often in this castle, scaring the visitors with her screams.

Be they legitimate or not, these haunted homes gained their reputation as scary locations all over the world. Many of them are studied, becoming the settings of several shows in which the ghost hunters are trying to find spirits. Tricksters are also part of the story, as they do their best to create their own “haunted homes”, making profit and becoming famous. It was not yet established completely whether supernatural events are actually caused by something beyond us or are simple distorted perceptions of the human brain. Many believe however that such haunted locations are real and spirits have returned to the places they lived in for various reasons.

http://whatafy.com/haunted-houses-the-fascination-that-scares-us.html


The Bell Witch

John Bell house, home of the Bell Witch of Tennessee

Most likely one of the most infamous hauntings in America, the story of The Bell Witch is one that will never lose its power to capture peoples attention.
Jonh Bell was a man haunted by something more than his past. By something that would torment he and his family, months at a time over the course of many years.
Was it a demon? Was it a poltergiest? Or was it what it claimed to be, the angry, vengeful spirit of Kate Batts. A neighbor that John Bell was thought to have cheated out of her land many years before.

John Bell moved his wife and three children, Betsy, Richard and Joel from North Carolina to Roberston County, Tennessee in the early 1800’s. It was here that his story begins.

One day in 1817 John as per usual was checking his crops. During this time he encountered a strange beast with the body of  a dog with the head of a rabbit between the corn rows, he shot at the animal and it vanished.  Hours passed and Mr. Bell put the strange incident behind him until dinner time, when they began to hear noises, something beating against the outside of their log cabin.

The incidents did not stop there, the children began to wake frightened, hearing what they thought were rats gnawing at their bed posts, having the covers pulled off them during the night and the noises only grew harsher and more violent as the nights passed. Mr. Bell often ran from the house attempting to catch the assailant but always returned disappointed and empty handed.

As time passed, the family began to hear voices, and the youngest daughter Betsy was brutally beaten by the spirit. It all came to an end in 1821 when John Bell himself fell ill and passed on December 20, 1820. It was said that the witch poisoned him. From then on, her presence vanished, there were no more occurrences to account as if her sole purpose was to kill John Bell.

Many theory’s speculate the cause of her presence, one of which was she was John Bell’s mistress, or possibly he took her land and the witch took revenge via magic. No one knows, but the fact remains, there are many accounts of the haunting and torment of the Bell family. Enough in fact to make the story not only real but believable…

Now the Bell house is long gone, but the ghost stories have yet to end. Some people say that they still hear the laughter of a woman near the property, sometimes singing. Maybe she still haunts the site, proud of her accomplishment in the death of John Bell…

To find more on the Bell Witch and the full story please visit this very informative site!

http://www.bellwitch.org/home.htm


The Wraith

When I was a kid, there was a really special woman who helped out at my school. Her name was Uhta Simmons. 75 years old, frail and wheelchair bound, but you never met a more alive and active person in your life. She helped out at our school every day, was a mother to us all and helped with all the social events.

Late one summer night after a meeting at the school, Miss Simmons was stabbed to death by a junky for her wheelchair and the two dollars she had in her purse. We didn’t hear those details when we were informed of her passing during the moring announcement the next day, I foud those out watching the news that night.

Right after class I had to use bathroom. The ones in my school were located in the basement. The school was built in 1878 and all the rooms where huge, but the basement was a different world. I’ve seen things down there, but that’s for another story. Small halls, carmped narrow passages that lead to hidden places and two bathrooms. Large dark caverns were these bathrooms, urianls lining the walls, stalls hidden around a corner and a lager round water fountain in the middle for washing your hands. I made for the stalls as that was where I needed to do my business and pushed open a door expecting to see the toilet waiting for me…but there stood Uhta Simmons.

Her white hair hung limp around her small head, her face a writhing mask of anger and sadness. And large gaping black sockets where her eyes should have been. I realized the man who killed her had not intended to, as he had cut out her eyes so she could not identify him. She was very real and solid and not like other spirits I had seen. I was about to call her name when she screamed. It was like no sound I had heard in my life. Filling the room with a deafening wail and my blood with ice. She started to advance on me and I ran back to class faster than I ever thought I could run.
I never saw her specter again…and never went to the bathroom alone.


The real silent hill

Something quiet interesting was brought to my attention today, the town of Centrilia, PA. Upon seeing the video it indeed had similar qualities to the game. If a place were to be haunted in such a manner Centralia would be the place. Silent hill is based on a town with fires still burning deep with in the ground, gasses rise up leaving the town with an eerie fog that hangs over what once was obviously a thriving town. As you move through the game you can see schools, stores and homes, what was left of the town before it died, as you will find in the movie. The small quint town was settled in 1841 and incorporated in 1866, Centralia thrived mining  anthracite  coal, not just any coal, highly desired coal, coal in its purest form. This type of coal was and still is highly desired because it burns hotter and longer than other types of coal. As you can remember in the 1800’s they did not have modern boilers, or electric trains, everyone survived on wood and yup you guessed it coal. Centralian’s provided coal for homes, trains, industrial enterprises as well as anyone who would have use for the rock. For almost one hundred years Centralia provided homes and jobs to over two thousand people at it’s peak and thrived wonderfully mining the coal, until one fateful mistake that would  change the town forever.

In 1962 a garbage fire sparked a fire that still burns this day. Workers were burning trash, which was quiet common in the day, behind the cemetery when the fire caught a vein of coal. Firefighters fought the fire and thought they had put it out, until it sparked again a few days later, but by then it was far to late. The blaze became out of control and destroyed more than half the town. Forty years later ground temperatures still rate over 447 degrees Celsius or 836.6 degrees Fahrenheit just a foot down below as the fire continues to burn deep within the ground. Like the haunting in Silent Hill gases emanate from the ground giving what’s left of the town and erie cloud that looms over the abandoned streets.

Overgrown road

Much of the town has been torn down as you can see, but you can still see evidence of the fire still burning deep under the ground through the rising smoke through the breaks in it’s desolate roads. The old roads remain, though now covered in shrubbery and cracked from the fire but that is about all that remains of the town. You can find the municipal building and the only remaining home that I believe belongs to the mayor that refused to leave, other than that the government destroyed all evidence that to town existed. Definitely a topic to research! Very interesting, hope you enjoy!


Last night was fun!

Last night was party time for the spirits in my home. I haven’t gotten to that story here yet so I will give you little info, I presently have two spirits in my home. A male and a female. The man is much more aggressive when he wants to be, he makes sure his presence is known, as for the woman, she is relatively quiet most of the time.

Well last night she decided to wake me yet again. I was sound asleep comfy in my bed to hear a woman’s voice call out. She said simply

“Amanda, time to wake up.” Her voice was soft and soothing.

I woke up and looked around and nothing, the room was quiet and dark, I looked at the clock, three thirty am. I whispered to her, shhh you’re two and a half hours early.

I rolled over onto my side, annoyed but still semi calm. Just as I started to drift off to sleep once I heard a slam come from the kitchen. I got up annoyed to check on the dog, whom I found cowering under the table. I searched through the house for anything left askew or what may have caused the bang I heard, I found nothing. I called out to my friends once more, “Enough is  enough I have to work tomorrow.”

Well they continued to have fun, the T.V. turned on and off repeatedly, and a few other noises, but I drifted back to sleep not to be awoken again until the alarm went off…


Penny

They say you always remember your first love, but after what happened, I will never be able to forget her.

Back in the late 1800’s, “old money” gave way to “new money” and many rich families lost all that they had. Most lost everything, but some were able to hold on to what little bit they had left and for the most part that meant their homes. Those with large expansive mansions turned many of the rooms into “apartments” and they rented these out to guests. The “guests” consisted mainly of other old money, those who had lost it all. Of those who had smaller homes, they divided them in half and sold or rented the other half.

I grew up in one those homes with a large porch that ran the length of the front of the house with no divider. So every day I saw the beautiful 14 year old girl who lived next to me.

To call Penny beautiful would not do her justice. Fair skin, deep sea blue eyes, a light spray of freckles across her nose and cheeks and the most amazing strawberry blond hair you have ever seen. Depending on the light it would be blonde or red and when the bright sun hit it just right her hair seemed to glow like it was on fire, she looked like what I assume angels would look like. It’s that vision of her that still haunts me to this day.

I guess this all starts on Christmas day 1984. Like any normal holiday with gifts and fun and food. Much of that morning I don’t remember, maybe I’ve blocked it out or maybe my head was filled with thoughts of her. I say this because until then Penny had not paid much attention to me or any other boy for that matter, until a few days before when she stopped me and asked if it was ok that she stopped by on Christmas day because she had a gift for me. I’m sure I said yes because she seemed very happy, but just the fact that she was talking to me and thought about me enough to buy a gift, drove all coherent thought from my young brain.

I was lost in thought that morning when someone started banging on the front door. I heard a scream for help, ran to the door and yanked it open. Penny was standing there, the bright sun making fire in her hair, but something was wrong. A second later she ran past me and headed down the hall. I realized what was wrong. It was not the sun. Penny was on fire. I was so scared for a moment that I could not move. The beautiful girl who had captured my heart was now a flaming shape running down the hall, leaving burnt foot prints in that carpet as she went.. I ran after her. She made it to the washroom at the end of the hall, hit the side of the tub and fell in taking the shower curtain with her. All I could think to do was turn the water on and then I started yelling for my parents to come.

She was looking at me, the water from the shower spraying between us and weakly held up her shaking hand. I wrapped my hand around hers, she screamed and the darkness took me.

After that I can only remember sitting on the porch in the freezing cold, crying and being very angry. I wanted to go to the hospital to see her but they would not let me. I remember one of my parents asking someone if I would be ok and the reply to that being I had just passed out and I would be fine. No one would tell me what happened to Penny.

Still crying and full of hate, though what the hate was and were it came from I don’t recall. Maybe I felt I could have done something more to help her. As an adult, thinking of it now I know there was nothing I could have done, but I was not an adult then.

Time was just a blur until late that night.

I was lying in bed. I had cried for so long that I had no more tears and my body ached. It was then that I heard a voice. Penny’s voice. Not in my room, it seemed to be in my head. “Hey Sweetie, be happy.” I sat up really fast. Penny was standing there looking more beautiful than I ever remembered, and after a moment she just faded away. I tried to stand but my legs would not hold me. I had to crawl to the washroom and lost what little food I had been able to eat. I don’t remember going back to bed, I may have slept on the cold tile floor.

I found out many months later that she had been using the toaster that morning and what they think had happened was that the cuff of her bath robe had touched the element when she was putting the bead in and caught fire. Some time the next summer her mom came to my house. They were moving and while packing things they found her Christmas present to me and wanted me to have it. It was a little dog tag on a silver chain. Engraved on it were the words “Be My Sweetie.” I can’t remember crying as much as I did that day.

I know that I should be happy she came to me that night and that I should hold that in my head and my heart. But when I think of her the image of her standing in my doorway with her hair on fire and the burned footprints on the carpet still tries to creep in. The nightmares are not much better.


Pepper’s ghost theory

I decided to stray for the real over to the fantasy for a spell. If you haven’t heard of what this is, well it’s a very convincing way to invent a ghost.

Ever heard the term, with smoke and mirrors, well this is why. Through the proper use of lights, glass and mirrors you can create a very convincing spectral image. For example


you can see in this video a very real looking ghost that play’s the piano, quiet convincing correct? You can not see any mirrors, glass or lights to project the image. If you read the comment section you can see that there was a piece of poster board just out of view. The image is projected onto that board which reflect off the screen and into the glass which is right in front of the window. The glass has no border so it blends quiet nicely into the background making you think it’s not there.

Another example:

This clearly shows how the ghost is executed.

Pretty convincing huh? I am currently in the process of generating my own ghost for a haunted house that I do. I can only hope I can pull it off in time!

Hope you enjoyed and now you know how to spot a fake!


We are here to help too!

While this blog so far has been geared toward ghost stories and other phenomena we understand that not all ghosts are welcome in our homes.

One of my future stories will tell you of a ghost that I lived with, a rather nasty being that I gladly would have been rid of.

I am in touch with a number of paranormal researchers on Long Island that may be able to help rid a home of a nasty spirit or demon that may be plaguing you. If you have such fears, I am more than willing to lead you in the right direction of getting help and getting you in touch with people that believe you! We will take every story under consideration and help in any manor possible!


George

George was kind of like Casper the friendly ghost. He flushed toilets in the middle of the night, opened cabinets and left us wondering who was walking around in the middle of the night when no one was home. He even made sure some of us were awake when we over slept, but I am jumping the gun here aren’t I? Let me fill in the time between Heampstead and now.

After living on Washington Street I had thought I had seen it all. The Victorian woman that I played with on a daily basis, the dark man that plagued my dreams for a few years and the few shapely mists that floated around the apartment building, but as I had said, I have accrued many stories in my life.

After the murder happened it really sank into my father’s head that Hempstead was no place to live. So he found us a nice ranch style house in Hicksville. The house was unique, when you first walked in you were in a large living room, there was a narrow path way that had four little steps that lead to the upstairs bedrooms midway through on the right, straight ahead was the kitchen and to the left was the dining room. The second floor held three bedrooms, to the far right was my parents, center was my brothers, he was only two when we moved in and to the far left was my room. The only other room on that floor was the bathroom, that was right next to mine. Pretty much sounds like a normal house right, well lets walk down to the basement, a fully finished room with a large stone fireplace on the right from the stairway, to the left was a built in bar and a very small bathroom that only housed a sink and a toilet, just off the the stairway was a door, when I opened it I found yet another stairwell, two basements in this house. When you descended there was one large room and two smaller rooms on the right, one housed the boiler, the other was empty. Now that you have the lay out of the house you will better understand just what happens and where every one was.

When we moved in we were all pretty excited, a nice big house with a huge back yard, it was the best thing that could have happened to us. So much different than the small one bedroom apartment we had just came from. We unpacked and decorated our rooms and prepared for our new lives here. Little did we know there was an extra person living with us.

The activity started immediately, the first night I was awoken to the toilet flushing. At first I thought nothing of it, I figured that maybe one of my parents had woken up. I took note of the time which was three am exactly. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next morning my alarm clock went off and I was hesitant to start my first day of school. The day progressed as it normally would, I went to school, dragged through my classed and boarded the bus to come home. When I arrived I walked in to see all the kitchen cabinets opened, I proceeded to close them then went to my room to listen to some music. After some time I became hungry and went to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat, all the cabinets were open again. I knew right off the bat what was going on. I called out to the empty house, telling the ghost that I wasn’t going to get scared of him, half jokingly told him to pick on my mother. From that day on the cabinets only opened when my mother was working in the kitchen.

That night again the toilet flushed at exactly three am. I decided to get up, annoyed that I was woken up yet again, but found everyone to be sleeping. I rolled my eyes knowing who the culprit was and climbed back into bed. I went to school the next day and told a friend of mine what had happened. She had the idea of bringing the Ouija board to my house that weekend to see if we could make contact with him. The remainder of the week progressed pretty much quiet, the toilet flushed every night right on cue and the cabinets held a mind of their own. My mother believed that there was a spirit behind the cabinets, however my father did not believe my tales of the supernatural.

Friday night was finally here, my friend Michelle came with the board, we decided to sit in the basement where it was quiet, both our hands on the oracle as we asked it questions, what unnerved me was that I heard the answers in my head. First they were simple yes and no questions, are you a ghost?… yes it went to, do you want to hurt us…. no it hovered over, then she asked what his name was. Now mind you I could see the board clearly, we took notes as to the letters it spelled out, G.O.R.G… Then I heard the argument in my head, he was having trouble seeing the board and I feel he was trying to use me for guidance. I remember getting angry, and yelling out “Where the hell is the God dammed E?” Well of course now Michelle thought for sure I was pushing the eye making the whole thing up, but it wasn’t me, it was George using me. I remember pulling my hands off the oracle and they were cold, and actually sore. Well none the less I knew it was him, and he had used me to operate the oracle. This was the first time that a spirit had used me for anything. I was actually excited about it.

A few days passed and nothing other than the toilet flushing on cue really occurred. My Aunt and Uncle moved into the basement, limiting my time there. As soon as they did things began to happened to them as well. In the third week my dad was at work, my mom was downstairs with my aunt and uncle and my brother and I were sleeping upstairs. The three of them heard someone walking around on the first floor of the house. My mom thought at first that it was my father, but he was working the late night shift and wouldn’t be in till morning. My uncle went upstairs to check it out thinking maybe my brother or I were up roaming the house. He checked on us first finding us sound asleep, he then searched the remainder of the house, all the doors were locked and no one was there. He came back downstairs to report to my aunt and my mom that indeed George was on the prowl.

The cabinets opening became a daily ordeal, my mother would close them and he would open them all right back up. She had gotten to a point where if she were cooking she would just leave them all alone. The toilet flushed every night at three am, like clock work. I tried to talk George out of relieving his ectoplasm so late at night so I could sleep, but he ignored my pleas, footsteps were heard when no one was home, and all this just became a part of our daily routine. If something went missing, we just blamed George.

One morning we had all gotten up and went about our usual routines and left the house, my brother and I went to school, my parents went to work, my aunt took my baby cousin to the doctor, and my uncle was alone in the house. He was sitting in the basement on the sofa watching T.V. when he fell asleep. Sometime later on, he heard a man’s voice call out to him.

“Bill get up, you’re going to be late for work.”

He murmured his thank you before realizing that he was alone in the house and nearly barrelled his way through the door. Now he didn’t believe our nonsense about ghosts or George for that matter. Well this was the turning point for him, he realized everything that was going on was in fact a ghost.

When we all convened for dinner that night, my uncle told us all what happened. We couldn’t help but give him a big fat helping of I told you so’s. He couldn’t believe it, he couldn’t believe that George was real, and helped him out none the less.

The day’s passed on and little more really went on, the foot steps were normal, and so was the rest of his behavior. A few weeks later, my aunt and my mother were sitting on the sofa in our living room chatting when they heard a large bang come from upstairs. Both women jumped wondering what had happened, my mother went upstairs to check things out. She looked from room to room only to find that nothing was askew in anyway. She told George to knock it off and went back down stairs to my aunt.

They went to the lower basement portion of the house still talking, my aunt proceeded to tell my mother, “That’s it, if one more thing happens I’m outta here!” To which George turned on my aunt’s broken clock radio, that mind you it was not plugged in nor did it have a battery back up source what so ever. My aunt freaked out while my mother laughed at her, “See Sally, even the ghosts don’t like you.” She laughed at my aunt. Well my aunt was furious, but it wasn’t long before her and my uncle found a new place to live.

Time went on, my parents ended up getting a divorce, George had stopped his nonsense for a while, I guess he understood what was going on. My mother moved out taking my brother and I stayed with my father. I began to revolt as teenagers do and George just remained quiet.

My father was working late one night and I decided to throw a party at the house. Well I guess George knew better, when things began to get a little out of hand he decided to scare everyone off, things flew off the shelves, doors opened and slammed shut, the whole house practically shook from his energy. Scared stiff all my friends ran for the hills and refused to come back.

Again the house remained quiet. My father and I moved, the owner of the house decided to sell. we didn’t have a choice. I left George reluctantly, staring back at the house as we drove away. To this day I still drive down Peachtree lane hoping the house is up for sale again, wondering what ever happened to my good ghostly friend named George.


How do you feel about ghosts?

Do you believe they exist or do you feel they are just a fictional thing made up to give us hope that life doesn’t end here?

With all the T.V. shows it’s hard to tell what is real and what is made up, however since the beginning of time ghosts have been a reality. From holiday’s dedicated to celebrating life after death, to monuments erected by the Egyptians solely for death because the afterlife was more important the the physical life.

Even though there is a pleather of proof in pictures, audio and videos there are still skeptics. There are those that feel, if I can’t touch it, see it or talk to it, it doesn’t exist. I want to know what makes those people tick, but in the interim I want to hear our believers as well, maybe combined we can change a few minds about the supernatural!

So Tell me, how do you believe in ghosts?


The Haunting at Washington Street

In my thirty one years I have accrued many many tales to share with you.  So please feel free to follow these posts, there will be many more to come.It all began when I was a child, about 5 years old. At least that is as far back as I could remember. I lived in a large old apartment building that was built in 1938, in a now not so desirable neighborhood. It was 1986 and my father worked two jobs, my mother at the time was a stay at home mom and took care of me. Even though things weren’t so safe, our building was locked and you could only gain entrance by the use of a key, so I was allowed to run through out the building to play.Every Thursday my mother would take me to the basement to the laundry room. This is when i first realized the building was haunted. The basement, was largely used as a garbage room/storage for the tenants. In the far back you could find the laundry room. My mother would stay while she allowed me to explore the rest of the dark, dismal room.Among the oddities that were lost, or forgotten about was a large old piano, ripped, or otherwise damaged furniture, some old broken toys and other miscellaneous items I just don’t recall. It was the piano that I remembered the most. I would play it through out the duration of my stay down there. For the first few weeks that I could remember nothing out of the ordinary happened.

One night my mother was running behind schedule, we made it to the laundry room a bit later than usual. I was playing with a new entrant to the storage room, a tricycle, when I heard the piano strike a key. I jumped looking around to see no one was near it. I went back to playing, riding the bike in circles until I heard the piano play again. I looked to see a dark shadow sitting in front of it, it wasn’t just one key this time but played a melody. I watched in awe as the darkened cloud swayed as it played it’s melody. I stood frozen in fear just staring wide eyed, after a moment which seemed like hours, the cloud disappeared and the music stopped.

I ran to the laundry room as fast as my little feet could carry me. I yelled to my mother telling her what I had just seen, she merely chocked it up to a vivid imagination of a child and disregarded my tale.

It was on this day that the activity began.

That night my mother told me to go to bed and I did so very warily. I remember leaping onto the bed out of fear something may grab my ankles. Now that I had seen the boogie man I was sure he lived under my bed. The remainder of the night went quiet and uneventful.

A few day’s later my aunt came to baby sit. After a night of playing games and watching television, bed time came  upon me once more. Again I leaped across the floor to my bed. By now this had become an every night routine. My aunt tried to assure me that there was nothing living under there but I knew better, she shut the light and left me for the night.

At the time my parents rented a one bedroom apartment, to make amends my father had built a wall a little more than half way through the room so I had my own private space.

I laid in the bed staring at the bottom of the top bunk, the house was quiet except from the noise that came from the old T.V. in the living room. I began to hear a rustling noise coming from my parents side of the room. I lay ridged in the bed hoping that it was my aunt looking for something, then I heard her talking on the phone in the living room.

The noise sounded like someone tapping on the ash tray on my mother’s dresser. (In the 80’s parents didn’t really know how harmful cigarette smoke was.) I laid so still closing my eyes hoping it would stop. Listening to it get louder and louder until I heard it slam against the other side of the room.

Terrified I screamed for my aunt to come in the room, seconds later the light flicked on and the room was still. She rushed in asking me what was wrong, with her there I had the confidence to get out of bed and look to see what had happened. I told her what I heard and she too did  not believe me. The ashtray lay untouched on my mothers dresser only enhancing my aunts beliefs that it was nothing more than my vivid imagination. After she left the room I walked slowly over to my father’s side of the bed to see all the ashes and cigarette butts laying on the floor. I wanted to tell my aunt but I knew she wouldn’t believe me anyway. So I climbed back into bed with my bunny clutched tight in my grasp until my eyes could no longer stay open.

In the following nights I took to sleeping on the top bunk, fearing I was way to close to the underneath of the bed where all the ghouls lived. I surrounded myself with all my stuffed animals hoping that the tale’s uncle Ray told me about them coming to life when I was sleeping were true. I had hoped they would protect me when I was most vulnerable.

A few weeks passed and little more happened, a few strange noises but nothing truly notable. I began to grow comfortable once more, big mistake. I woke up one night needing to use the bathroom, I was by now pretty well accustomed to life with ghosts and ghouls, I had my flashlight to ward off any demons that may try to yank me under the bed, provided they could catch me after I jumped the four feet from the ladder.

I slowly walked through the house and into the bathroom, it was when I was leaving that I saw him again, the man that played the piano. The dark figure stood imposingly in the door way to the living room; again my legs failed me, I was frozen in panic as his gaze burned a hole of terror in my little heart. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t scream I just stared at him hoping he’d disappear. He said nothing, he didn’t move an inch, he just stood there staring at me, I began to realize he was as motionless as myself, I had wondered if maybe he was just as frightened as me. I gathered all the courage a five year old could and I reached my tiny hand out to him thinking maybe he just needed the reassurance I needed. The specter let out a loud shrill, that nearly pierced my ear drums and vanished. I ran, my heart in my throat back to my room and leapt on to the bed. I sat in the mass of stuffed animals, pulling my bunny close, my eyes wide from the sight I had just seen. I searched the room with my little flashlight hoping the demon would not find his way back to my room, I scanned the edge of the bed half heartily expecting to see the hands of various demons trying to make their way out from under the bed, but alas the house was still. The only audible sound was my father snoring like a hog. After some time, what felt like hours eventually I drifted back to sleep.

Months passed with out further incident and I did not see the man for a long time. I no longer played away from my mother when we did laundry, nor did I wander the house at night, I simply stayed in my room. My sixth birthday came and went, Christmas passed just as quickly and the new year was upon us. I celebrated with my parents and watched the ball drop on T.V. before being rushed off to bed.

I lay still hunkered down with my army of stuffed animals just looking at the pretty china doll my mother had given me for my birthday. I remembered watching the doll begin to move. Her arms moved and her hips swayed as the little doll danced on my dresser. Mind you this was not a pose-able doll, she really had no feet because her dress served as a stand, and her arms were affixed in one position, yet here she was dancing on my dresser. I thought of Uncle Ray’s tale of about my toys coming to life and was no convinced they were real. I watched ever so still, hoping she would not realize I was awake and stop dancing. She looked right up at me, her gaze piercing my heart and I heard a wicked laugh echo inside my head as the man rounded the corner to my room. By now I have had enough, surrounded by my little army, I knew I couldn’t be hurt, I sat up and gave him a piece of my mind. The figure faded and that was the last I saw of him.

We lived in the apartment for several years after that, by the time I was eleven I had seen about 10 ghosts roaming the halls of the building. I had grown accustomed to their presence in my life. None of them ever scared me like the man that haunted me for a small time. There was a Victorian woman that lived in the building next door, I often visited her and she never spoke, but was very peaceful to be around. The others were more obscure than the man and the lady, showing me nothing more than a mist in almost human form. In the summer of 1991 there was an awful murder two floors below my apartment and my parents moved out.

We moved to a nice ranch style house in Hicksville with a ghost named George, but that is another story…