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The Old County Home

 

This is actually my friend's story. Let's just call him Rick. He told me a few years ago that he and his mother both had heard different things in their home, and I asked his permission to share.

Before I go off into the story, I want to give you some background on our town and his house. Rick and I live in a small logging town that has been around since the late 1810s or early 1820s, so our town isn't relatively new. The house in question was both the orphanage and county home for our county. One of the two was in operation when the influenza epidemic came through our area. The epidemic was exceptionally deadly in a town a few miles away from our town, so it is assumed that at least a few people have died there.

The first incident Rick told me happened quite a few years ago when he and his sisters were younger and involved his mother. He said his mother was taking a bath one night and heard children running up and down the steps. She let it go once or twice, but soon came out of the bathroom to investigate. She yelled out the door at her children, and then went to each of their respective rooms to check on them. According to her son, none of her children were awake to have been running up and down the stairs.

More recently Rick and one of his other friends, Dustin, were at home alone. (Most of the personal instances Rick relayed to me happened when he was home alone) They were about to go outside and were standing in his living room. Rick was talking to Dustin and saw him glance past him once, closed his eyes tightly, and looked again. When Rick asked Dustin what was wrong, Dustin said he saw a little girl standing behind Rick.

This next account comes from Rick's sister Tanya. He told me that Tanya was sleeping in her room and woke up to see a homeless man walking across her room. Rick said Tanya told him that he pulled up a chair and sat across from her bed and just watched her sleep.

The most recent of activity involves one of Rick's sisters; He didn't specify to me which one. She was showering one night and was walking back to her room. When she went to open her door, she couldn't because her dresser was in the way of the door. I asked Rick how far away the dresser usually was, and he said it was close to six inches away from the door.

I told him not to worry about anything because he hadn't been hurt yet, and I said I doubted he would. I believe everything that goes on in his house is harmless, but I haven't been living there for close to seventeen years. Rick is scared to death and refuses to stay at home alone. I told him all I know, and that's about the best I can do.

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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, elpe12, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-07)
Hey, no problem. That is why there is space to ASK the questions. A little light goes a long way!
I appreciate your coming back to reply.
Thank you.
elpe12 (2 stories) (12 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-07)
Well, I thought I had already posted the answer to this, but I guess not, haha. Jasmin314 was correct with her interpretation of my horrible writing.

I am not close to seventeen, I'm still sixteen. I said I had not been living in the house for almost seventeen years because I was comparing myself to Rick, who has.

I have not been inside this house in length for nine or ten years. I did not believe in ghosts or even know what they were when I was that young.

Whitebuffalo: I count my age from the day I was born.

Sorry for any confusion I caused. I usually do.
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-07)
Exactly my point, StarGazed.
I have yet to receive the answer to the question posted in my second comment, though.
The REASON for the question is: IF you were VERY young and IN this home, IF you are sensitive...
?
Just asking.
Theory seems to support that those of a very young age can experience some of these things more readily than those who are older. I was merely trying to get a feel as to what was going on.
On the other hand, if you are presently 16, HOW could the last time you had been there have BEEN close to 17 years AGO?
In OUR Way (as it would appear there are those here who are thinking something different than what was THOUGHT as I wrote it) a persons AGE begins when THEY do. For instance, if your Mama was pregnant with you for ten months, when you are born, you are ALREADY ten months old...
Culture changes MANY thought processes. This WAS an honest question, though.
Thank you.
StarGazed (10 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-07)
"No, Jasmin... The story line says "...but I haven't been living there for close to seventeen years"."

It's worded funny, but I believe the poster meant: "I have not lived in that house, so I don't know the details as well as someone who has been for close to 17 years (as Rick has) would"

I don't see where the poster implied they lived in that house at any point in time, and they've probably visited their friend's house often enough, since they're friends.
elpe12 (2 stories) (12 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-06)
I wouldn't say Rick is always scared... He just gets nervous when something happens and is freaked out for the next few days when something does.

As for the kids... It would be creepy at first, and I think Rick's parents are really downplaying what happens. I asked Rick if his parents believed in ghosts, and he said they didn't and wouldn't allow an investigation, even by Rick and myself.

Thanks for the feedback!
Tonith (1136 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-05)
ok I was a bit confused about that part too. I would have banked on residual haunting for most of these events but furniture doesn't move itself. That could be the work of an intelligent ghost. I would also say that if your friend is always scared, whatever this thing is, it could well be feeding off this man's fear. First thing is to take back with authority, your own space. Many different views on how this is done but to me the direct approach would be the best. You talk to them like you would any other person with respect but firmness. Keep us posted.
Mickeyticky123 (1 stories) (2 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-04)
WOW! I would be scared if I was rick and had to live in that house!

Maybe, since it was an orphanage before, the abnormal happenings are children trying to tell the family stories of what happened to them...? Maybe?
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-02)
No, Jasmin... The story line says "...but I haven't been living there for close to seventeen years".
I.
That would NOT indicate her friend Rick, but HERSELF. I, too, could reread it to make it sound as if the friend had been living there for that long, but I am asking her if that meant that SHE last visited at a few months old. It was just a question. May not have any relevance at all to the story, but then it COULD in that she was young while there.
Thank you.
Jasmin314 (13 stories) (210 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-02)
Elpe12, hello, and thank you for your posting. I bet that there is a spirit there. Especially because the house has such a history. ❤ Jasmin
Jasmin314 (13 stories) (210 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-02)
hey whitebuffalo, great observations! Hopefully the poster can come back with answers to your questions, but I think that when he mentioned the whole seventeen years thing... He meant that his friend has been living there seventeen years; therefore he is implying that his friend knows better about what goes on in the house than he does. I had to re-read the sentence to understand since it is worded a little funny. ❤ Jasmin
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-02)
Huh, I just left your profile page, as I saw another story was posted under this screen name. On your profile you indicate an age that NORMALLY would mean that it would be rather difficult for you to have last visited this home "close to" seventeen years ago.
Do you mean to say that you were just a few months old when you last visited here?
Thank you.
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-02)
Just how large IS this home?
I get a picture, as it was an orphanage/county home, but that does not mean that it is an accurate picture.
The homeless man. HOW did they know that he was homeless? And was it the homeless that lived in the county home? Was the chair in the MOVED location when she woke up? HOW did she sleep with an unknown MAN sitting there staring at her?
I am sorry for all of the questions, but honestly that is the one that would SEEM to be the most frightening experience (that has been shared at this time). For your friend to be comfortable in his HOME, it would be imperative to insure that there is nothing giving off the negative FEEL.
As you have not been there for seventeen years, you may not be able to answer most of them (even if your friend's sister CAN remember it in detail) and I am hoping that your friend is able to feel at ease in HIS own space.
Thank you.

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