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A Small Town Haunting

 

When younger, I was lucky enough to live, with my mom and two brothers, in a mobile home which sat on a piece of land near the outskirts of the small town I grew up in. The land was owned by my grandfather and used for his businesses.

Behind us were the usual small town neighborhoods, but in the front our lawn gave way to a large gravel parking lot where trucks could load and unload things at my grandfather's warehouse. The warehouse was on the right side of this lot, his carwash toward the left and near the highway.

It wasn't such a bad place to grow up, I guess. It wasn't the Cleaver residence, but it was good enough for us. Although she did a great job raising us, my mom was still a single parent so was gone much of the time; either working or painfully trying the dating scene again.

My brothers and I spent a lot of time alone in the house, learning early how to take care of ourselves. The freedom was excellent but we were decent kids...basically...so things were fairly normal except for a certain period of about eight months. For some reason, all the sudden we were hit with...well...I'm not sure what it was, but it was anything but normal.

As far as I can recall, it began when I started hearing my name being called. This happened a lot and it usually sounded like my own voice in an urgent whisper. Only once was it different. I was outside in the yard when I heard my mother shriek my name from inside the house. Sure that something horrid had just happened; I rushed in; only to find her calmly doing dishes. She was fine and denied having called for me.

This may or may not be connected, but a few weeks later I was away and she broke a glass while doing dishes, putting a decent sized gash on her hand that needed stitches.

My name being called went on for some time and then another thing was thrown in. Around 3:15 to 3:20 every morning I would suddenly snap wide awake. Laying there in the dark, a strong sense of fear would wash over me. Still, nothing ever happened, so I would slowly doze back off.

Then one night I woke up as usual and looked toward my bedroom window. By the glare of a nearby streetlight, I could see the silhouette of a man's head. He had a beard of some sort, wore glasses, and as he tilted his head back and forth to get a better look inside, I could hear the soft but unmistakable ½tap, tap, tap½ of a fingernail on the window pane.

The first few times this happened I went from frozen with fear to completely losing it in about five seconds. I shared a room with my older brother Mike and violently shook him awake; all the while babbling about someone trying to break into the house.

And that's what I thought was happening. Still, by the time Mike was awake enough to look, there was nothing to see and he quickly grew irritated with my claims. Soon I became ½the boy who cried wolf½. The only difference being that I actually was seeing the wolf.

This happened a few more times before stopping altogether and I tried to calm myself by believing (or trying to believe) that it was just a friend playing a prank. Still, my window sat about 8-9 feet above the ground and the earth, which was always soft, never had a single mark on it, ladder or otherwise.

Soon we began to hear something heavy moving around up on the roof. It would happen about two or three times a week and everyone heard it. Slowly pacing back and forth over the length of the trailer, it would eventually speed up; becoming louder and louder before suddenly coming to a halt. This would be followed by a series of loud knocks that came from random spots above the ceiling.

Despite our many attempts, we never did find out what caused these noises. Whenever we went out to investigate, it would stop until we were back inside. It was impossible for an animal big enough to make all that noise to get up there and no human could move across the roof as fast as this thing did.

Another odd incident occurred while we were all gone from the house. My grandmother called to talk to my mom and said the phone was answered by someone she thought might be a friend of my younger brother Chris.

When this person told her everyone was gone at the moment, she asked him why he was there while we weren't and he simply said, ½ I'm supposed to be here½, and then hung up.

We were never able to find out who my grandmother had spoken to and to this day my brother's friend completely denies ever being in our home while we were away.

Time passed and Mike began to go through the phase where he was too cool to hang out with his younger brothers. He was only two years older than me, but he felt that was enough to put him in charge. I felt differently and let him know it whenever I could.

One night he was out with his friends and I had opted to stay in alone. I was watching my favorite football team, the Raiders; play (a scary story in itself). I had all the lights off, the volume on the TV all the way down, and my headphones on; jamming to a KISS album with the volume all the way up.

Mike came back into the house for something and just before leaving, motioning for me to take off the head set. When I did, he told me to turn off the light in my mom's room. He went out the front door and I looked toward the end of the dark hallway. Sure enough, the light in mom's bedroom was on. I could see the glow from under the closed door.

Not about to do anything Mike told me to do, I put the headphones back on, turned the record over, lay the needle back on the spinning disc, and proceeded to finish watching my team lose yet another game.

I was still sitting there in the dark when Mike came home for the night. Jam session was over so I took off the headphones and put the record away.

A little later, we were talking and he thanked me for turning the light off, confessing that he didn't really think I would. I told him that I in fact didn't turn the light off and he got a confused look on his face. We both looked down the still dark hall and the glow from under the door was gone. The light was off.

Because of all the weird things that had been going on, it never occurred to us that the bulb may simply have gone out. We were sure someone was in the house. There was only one thing to do and that was to search the whole trailer. Scared to death, we retreated to the room we shared and rummage through the closet for weapons. My brother got out the ever-trusty baseball bat and I took hold of a long, heavy saber I'd bought years before at an amusement park (it still mystifies me as to why anyone would sell a little kid a very real and very sharp sword).

Our bedroom opened up to the living room and beyond that was the kitchen. We quickly checked these rooms then went slowly down the hall. To the left was Chris's room and at the end of the hall was the master bathroom and mom's room. We searched every nook and cranny, every closet, under every bed, everywhere. There was no one to be found. Nothing.

We checked the light, which was in the ½off½ position and it worked fine. The back door, which was locked as it always was, hadn't been touched. Again, we were left with yet another incident we could not explain.

Summer came and with it an undefeated season in little league baseball. Mike and I were on the same team and, after our final game had earned us each a gold medal, we happily made our way home.

Turning into the gravel lot and walking around the side of the warehouse, we were surprised to find the house lit up and we could hear noises coming from inside. No one was supposed to be home and no cars were out front, so we went in to see what was going on.

There weren't just a few lights on inside. Every light was on. The noises came from the TV and radio, both of which were blaring. All the water faucets were turned on full blast and both phones were off the hook. We turned down the noise and called out. No one answered.

So we searched the house again, our weapons trembling in our hands. We turned off the lights as we went, again finding no one there.

We were just too freaked out to stay inside, though, so went over to the car wash and sat down, trying to think of what to do.

We were sitting there staring at the house and talking when suddenly and at the same time, every light came on in the house. They slowly blinked three or four times, finally staying on for good. Then the noise started. It was quiet at first, but then built up in intensity; the jabber from the TV competing with the notes being churned out from the radio.

That was enough. Without a word, we both jumped up and sprinted to our aunt's home, which was nearby. We stayed there until my mom came home from work hours later. My aunt must have called her because she came and picked us up. Our mom seemed very worried; as if she knew some funky things had been going on but didn't want to talk about it.

Eventually the strange tide that came into our lives finally started to ebb, but not before one last incident.

School had begun and as usual we had to get up every morning and prepare ourselves since mom would already be at work by then. Mike was still into his ½too cool for you½ phase so he would leave for school early. This meant that my younger brother Chris and I were left alone. We would eat breakfast, put on the clothes mom left for us on her bed, then do whatever else needed to be done before heading off.

One morning, we got up as usual and sleepily went about the business of preparing ourselves for another day of learning. Just before leaving, I went through the trailer to turn off everything. Starting with the light in mom's room, I made sure the master bath had everything turned off, and then made my way down the hall to another set of light switches in the kitchen.

Turning my attention back to the end of the hall just to be sure, I saw the hazy shape of a person standing in the doorway of my mom's room. It had no distinct features, but it didn't take much imagination to tell what it was.

I stood there; hand on the switch, staring at this thing in silence while everything inside me began to tighten up. My brother was near the door, tying his shoes and saying something. It didn't register. I had all my attention on the thing at the other end of the hall.

I pushed the switch down and the light in the hall went off. To my horror, the thing in the door immediately floated from the doorway, down the hall, and toward the kitchen. Toward me.

Strangely enough, once it reached the place where the hall became the kitchen, the form stopped and just hovered there, a few inches off the floor.

My heart was beating fast and by this time my brother Chris, still at the door, had seen it and was watching. The thing and I were on opposite sides of the kitchen now, about 15 feet separated us. I put my finger on the switch for the kitchen light and turned it off, sprinting to the front door before I could even see what would happen.

Chris was already outside on the porch by the time I got to the front door. I threw my things outside and spun around to grab the doorknob. As I did, I saw the hazy figure slowly leave the hall, make its way around the kitchen table, and then, once again, hover a few inches above the floor; this time where the kitchen and the living room met.

There was one more light to turn off... The living room light. The switch for that one was next to the front door. I stood watching the thing hover at the entrance way to the kitchen. I reached around the other side of the door, pushing in the knob so as to lock it. I grabbed hold of the outer knob and turned off the living room light.

The thing literally rushed through the living room. It came straight for me and just as it was about to reach the door, I slammed it shut, Chris and I making a run for it.

I didn't learn much in school that day and neither did Chris, I assume. Just like everything else that happened during this time, we could come up with no explanation as to what we had seen.

Like I said, things soon went back to normal (whatever that is) and eventually we no longer saw or heard all the weird things that had plagued us for so long. As far as I know, the warehouse and car wash are still there, but the trailer is gone; having been torn apart years ago by the people who bought it from us.

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, troyarn, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

CrimsonTopaz (1 stories) (239 posts)
+1
1 year ago (2023-07-14)
Troyarn, It sure is good to hear all this is behind you. I have also heard that puberty attracts spirits. I don't know enough to discuss it, but maybe that could have been why.
Talk about hilarious with the girl saying *can my boyfriend come too*, to Gene Simmons. Lol. That's a classic!
I was about 18 or 19 when I first heard kiss and couldn't stop listening to their music. When they finally did a tour of Australia, (Nov 1980) I think I was 24. I went with my friend. I remember my friend filling up a cola bottle with a bit of vodka mixed in. (I never used to drink, but my friend thought it would be *cool*). We both had a few swigs and passed out. Didn't see the concert, woke up and the concert was finished and people were leaving. Lol.
Anyway, I'm going to read some more experiences of yours. They look really interesting. Most of the posts on here are. Some more so than others. I've put yours in my favorites.
Troja68 (1 stories) (12 posts)
+3
1 year ago (2023-07-13)
CrimsonTopaz- I'm glad you were able to find these stories and enjoy them!
My latest story is tame compared to these, as some of my future stories will be, but I may have one or two more that are freaky.
And know that I'll look at and comment on both profiles.
Thanks for the kind words concerning my mom, brothers, and me. In the end things worked out just fine and although I often wonder about me, my brothers are doing very well.
I have no idea as to what caused all this, why it happened, or why it suddenly stopped. Some believe it was attracted to some of us going through puberty (I've heard of that but don't know if that's the case).
I've discovered no new information concerning this event. As far as I know nothing had happened on the land and we were the first people to live in the trailer.
Perhaps one of us did something to attract this entity.
Also, I've believed for some time that the person talking to my grandma on the phone was, in fact, the family friend.
It may seem odd or rude, but he had the habit of just coming in without knocking and even entering when we weren't home.
He was, and still is, a beloved family friend and weirdly his actions never offended us.
Now he's a high school principal in another small town (Oh! The stories I could tell to his students).
*
I was a huge KISS fan, preferring Gene Simons although I never kissed his poster;).
Funny you should mention Paul Stanley. A rich classmate at the time loved Paul. He even took me to see the band in 1986.
Years later, in a desolate country while serving in the Marine Corps, I received a letter from him with a photo enclosed.
In it were my friend's model girlfriend, my friend, and Paul Stanley.
My friend and Paul were showing off similar Superman logo tattoos.
It seems Gene Simons had invited the girlfriend up to him room and, her not realizing what I'm sure his intentions were, she asked if her boyfriend could come.
Seems they had a great time.
Again, I'm glad you were able to find these stories and found them of interest. I'll keep tabs on both profiles and submit more stories soon.
Enjoy the upcoming weekend.
CrimsonTopaz (1 stories) (239 posts)
+2
1 year ago (2023-07-12)
Troyarn/troja68, I read most of the comments here and after the rap from members in this thread, I decided to read this posting too. I hesitated because usually, lengthy postings before bed result in the phone dropping on my head alerting me to stay focused.
*KISS - I was made for loving you* was my favourite back in the day. My parents were for ever telling me to pull down the KISS posters off my bedroom walls. My Paul Stanley posters with lipstick on them from where I childishly kissed them. Much to my embarrassed to own up to it up until now, yep - I kissed my Paul Stanley posters. Lol
This story was sad, in the sense you boys had to practically raise yourselves. Your dear mum did everything she could as a single mum to raise you boys. I admire that.
And yes, you kids sound like you ARE really decent. You forged together and are fine adults as a result. You should be proud.
Meanwhile, I think I would have bolted if I was faced with that floating shape. You still managed to turn all the lights off.
I wonder why that spirit hung around for 8 months, made his presence be known and then vanish for good. Do you think it was a time he suffered during his life, did you find out anything else? The trailer having being torn apart by the new owners would make it hard, but maybe locals might know something?
I loved everything about this story, and I can almost say I'm sort of addicted to your experiences and can't wait to find out and read more. Thanks for sharing.
chapulin1234 (guest)
+2
9 years ago (2015-08-27)
Thank you Toryan and Miracles for following up on my post, all the best to you both!:)
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+3
9 years ago (2015-08-09)
Hello, chapulin1234. Thanks for reading and being interested in this old story. It was a crazy time but to answer your question, it all happened and then it quit (as far as I could tell). We sold the trailer and moved into a home (I think they tore up the trailer and used it for scrap or something). I still don't know why it all happened, although some posters have some good ideas. Again, thanks for reading!
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
+6
9 years ago (2015-08-05)
chapulin1234 - don't get discouraged if Troyan doesn't quickly respond to your questions. He doesn't stop in every day, or at least doesn't comment every day. I am sure, though, when he appears he'll answer your questions.
chapulin1234 (guest)
+2
9 years ago (2015-08-05)
Hello,

I don't know if you would read my post as this is a 2008 story but I read it and now I am interesting to know how did your family make it stop?, or it never did and you just left?, I would appreciate your comments.
Respectuflly,
Claudia
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-07-15)
Thanks very much for commenting, Kathwitt! It's been years since anything paranormal has happened to me and I'm happy with that (better to read about it than experience it as far as I'm concerned).
kathwitt (1 stories) (11 posts)
+3
12 years ago (2012-07-10)
what a fabulous story! I believe every word of it; this gave me chills!
People will believe what they want to believe, but what matters is that it was real and it happened to you (not that that's necessarily a great thing - having a ghost rush at me would make me s#$t a brick!)
We're here to support one another through these scary and stressful happenings in our lives...
This was great - thank you:)
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2012-02-13)
Thanks for the comments, reneespring, but I must say that I don't believe I said either of these phone calls were from a ghost. I just found both of them odd... And the events took place many years apart. Also, I recieved one and in the other story my grandmother answered the phone. It may seem weird, but I did not make any of this up. It just happened. As for you not believing these stories, well, that's fine, but they did happen. I can't prove anything, but then again, I have no reason to make stuff up and post it as true. Thanks again for your comments.
reneespring (148 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2012-02-12)
I love your writing, but having a ghost talking on the phone, mimiking a person you know -happening in 2 different houses-is unlikely.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2012-01-22)
Troyarn,
It's alright, the system has been tweaked here and there to keep things fair, I guess. You can't vote for the same person as often as before. I think it's a good idea myself. Keeps people from padding each others accounts all day in order to give other folks the impression that it somehow denotes wisdom on their part. After you vote a few times for other people, it goes back to zero again.

Thank you for trying though, you made my smile much brighter this morning for saying that.

Jav 😁
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2012-01-22)
Hey, Javelina, I've been trying to vote an "up" comment on some of the things you've written on other stories, but I keep getting a "please vote for someone else" thing. So just know I'm enjoying your comments nonetheless.
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2012-01-20)
Thanks for the kind comments, Javelina! No need to worry about taking so long to comment, I've done the same thing a million times. Again, thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2012-01-17)
Holy Crapoly, Troyarn! I had forgotten how truly scary this story was. I'm glad I came back to read it again as I failed to comment on it my first time around. (again, I was new back then) This one does give me the shivers though. Thanks for that, it does a person good to remember how we dealt with the frightening things we experienced as children.

Jav
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-05)
Thanks for the comments, Flutterofwings. All this happened quite some time ago but I can remember it very clearly. I have to agree with you on what you mentioned concerning trailers and the energy that comes with them. Again, thanks for reading!
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
+3
16 years ago (2009-04-03)
For some reason a lot of trailors are haunted, but I would assume as most are occupied with many people who live in them. Perhaps having bad things happen from time to time and they built up for the final round with whom ever is inside. Thanks for your comment to my story haunted trailor. Entities love to build up energy from people that are frighten, the more frighten the person is the more energy that an entities get. I do believe there was more thenone entity in this mobile home you and your brother and mom lived in. Well written story thanks for sharing it with us.
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-24)
rhodes68, I was very happy you enjoyed the story.
It happened some time ago and I must admit that I never even thought at the time to dig into the past of the house or the land or anything. I was just a scared kid.
I too thought poltergeist, but now am unsure. I really do not know enough about the paranormal to decide exactly what it was.
Thanks for commenting and again I am glad you were able to enjoy it.
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
+3
16 years ago (2008-08-23)
Wow, Troyarn, talking about having your own experiences!

At the beginning I was just about to cry "poltergeist" but soon changed my mind completely. This is not poltergeist of any kind. You know what's strange? There were times he would have me believe he was there to protect you but at others it seemed as if the energy was disturbed by you. "I'm supposed to be here" rings 'past owner' which might explain the lights switching off, things being dragged upstairs... It's almost as if he was rearranging things or taking care of the house. What I find completely unexpected and inexplicable was the last encounter during which it seeemed as if he charged on you as if he wanted you OUT. Something tells me if he was indeed a past resident-owner, he was a loner having little patience with teenagers.

Thanks for another great account-it goes straight to my favorites.
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-22)
Brownie09, I never did find out who bought the home so have no idea as to why they actually tore it down (it was actually in decent shape).
As for your own stories, make sure to post them! This is really a great site and you might just find out a thing or two as to why you had your own hauntings.
Thanks for the comments and have a great weekend.

Glad you enjoyed this, IBelieve. I was quite young so very scared (especially since no one really wanted to believe anything paranormal was going on).
Brownie09 (6 stories) (293 posts)
+3
16 years ago (2008-08-22)
Troyarn, hi you are probably right about the new owners, they could have torn it down for various reasons, I just don't see how some of the people can think someone is making stuff like this up. I have a lot of encounters, and I am hoping some of my stories get published. That way ya'll can read about some of my experiences. Thanks for sharing though. 😊
IBelieve (3 stories) (31 posts)
+3
16 years ago (2008-08-22)
Very good story. Well put together. I really enjoyed reading it. I could almost feel how scared you must of been.
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-22)
I am glad you were able to enjoy this Frawin (as I enjoy your stories). This was basically the first weird thing I ever went through and no, we never found out what caused this stuff. I was just too young to care and when it left I was happy with that.

Brownie09, like I said, we never found out anything about what was going on. We were not into getting psychics or anything like that. It was just a weird time. I have no idea who bought the trailer or why they tore it up (probably something lame).
Thanks for reading and enjoying! And I do have a few more stories (although not as many as some on here, sad to say).

JamesRobiscoe, although I am into paranormal stuff to a degree (interested), I admit that I never did anything to call forth these things and really have no idea how to do so (yes, this happened before the 'Burns Ranch' story).
As for the brothers, they refuse to even talk of it and have no interest in these things whatsoever (one brother even gets angry whenever I bring it up).

Lupeux, thanks for the best wishes! We were never a family to deal with psychics (regardless of their powers), so never did bring one in. It was one of those things were most people wanted to "keep it to themselves" (much to my dismay).

Tonith, I am glad you believe me on this one. Back then I never knew of kids going through puberty and spirits and all that, but you might be on to something.
My older brother and I were at the age when we were growing so maybe we did do something that caused all this, but we never knew it.
The trailer was not old, so I doubt anyone died in it, but it was strange that when we sold it and got a new one things went away.
As for my Grandfather's land... He was a very great and decent man and I doubt anything weird happened there (still, he bought it only ten years before I was born so who knows).

Ladyannne, Thanks for enjoying this! As fortune would have it, although my brothers and I get along well, we rarely talk much (I am a traveller and even now outside the USA).
Still, to bring this up in front of them is to cause much discomfort. They simply do not want to believe it happened (although they admit "something" happened").

As for anyone who reads, this is completely true and not embelished or faked at all. Like I always say... If I wanted to write something truly scary, I am sure I could come up with something better.
But then again...isn't the truth scarier than fiction?

As my very sceptical and unbelieving wife always says, "It is not the ghosts I am scared of... It is the living..."

Residing here in Bosnia for three years now, I have come to agree with her.
FRAWIN (guest)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-21)
Another great story troyan, thank you for sharing it with us. Did you ever get any idea what was causing it or did you really care -just glad it stopped. I guess if I had to live there and it stopped, I would be afraid to do anything in fear of it starting back up. Take Care.

FRAWIN 😊
Brownie09 (6 stories) (293 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-21)
WOW, that was a breath catching story, I probably would have done the same thing too. You said the people that bought the trailer from you had the trailer tore apart, Maybe they experienced what you did and decided to forget about it, did you ever find out if anything happened there? Please share some more stories. 😊
JamesRobiscoe (419 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-21)
Troyarn--Another chilling story well-told. From your stated age, I gather these encounters took place before your stay at the Burns Ranch. With your sensitivity, did other events occur in the intervening period? And from the Burns Ranch days until your more recent mountain hike with your wife and friends in Bosnia? Have you tried to cultivate it or do you just let it happen when it will? And what of your brothers, who also wtinessed the phenomena. Would you say they still have the gift? If you have more stories, please share them. You breathe real vitality into them. Peace and all good wishes. -- James
Lupeux (2 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-21)
WOW 😲 That was a good story & I'm glad you told us about your experiences, and that is weird, but maybe your family should have brought in a psychic or some one with special abilities, so that you and your family can clear your mind off all the experiences you've all have had during your stay at your former home.
With much love ❤ and happiness 😊,
Your friend, Lupeux
Tonith (1136 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-21)
While I think teens can cause a lot of poltergeist activity from their own kenetic energy this doesn't explain everything you related. A phone call can be explained as crossed wires or dialing the wrong number. The man you saw at your window is a bit harder to explain. The entity you and your brother both saw is another factor that doesn't add up if just imagination. The lights going off and on and tv and radios blasting on their own reek of something playing with the electrical system in your home. Spirits are known to use electrical appliances and phones being that they are energy and they are attracted to energy sources. I think you had a spiirt there for whatever reason. Did you and your siblings create it or was it feeding off your energy? I don't know. Your story sounds like the truth to me. What it was I have no idea. It would take investigating the history of the land and possibly the history of your grandfather's business to find out if someone died on the land or in the trailer before you lived there. I enjoyed the story and I think you were very brave considering all that was going on.
ladyannne (11 stories) (91 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2008-08-21)
Wow, good one, Troyan! I would love to have that one in my experiences. Your writing is a delight, too, keeps you right there in the living room with you two! Thank you for sharing that.

Do you and your brother ever talk about that day?

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