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The Lady At The Door

 

Here's a tale that's always puzzled me. I was a witness to it of sorts, but I was an infant... So obviously I don't remember. However, my mother and my grandmother have told me the story many times over the years. Here goes:

I grew up in a small town west of Phoenix. It was a farming community with no more than 1,500 in total. My father volunteered as an officer with the local police force. He would go out on patrol once or twice each week. Often my mother would take me and spend the night at my grandmother's house so she would not be alone.

My grandmother's house was very small, perhaps 600 square feet, with a large yard (these details will come into play shortly). The yard was completely fenced off from the street by a waist-high picket fence. To reach the front door, you entered the gate next to the driveway and walked up a few steps (perhaps 30 feet) to the porch. This walkway was in plain view of the front door.

One night, my father was on patrol. My mother and I were staying at my grandparent's house, sleeping in the front room. Around 2 or 3 am there was a knock at the front door. My grandmother had been up with me and my mother was asleep on the couch. The knock woke my mother. Both my grandmother and my mother thought the person knocking was my father... Even though it would be a few hours earlier than he was expected to arrive.

Please understand, this was a small town. Crime was not really an issue. So, when they heard the knock, my grandmother went straight to the door and my mother went to gather me and our things to head home.

However, when my grandmother opened the door, it was not my father. Rather it was a woman with light hair, green eyes (my grandmother said she would never forget her eyes) and a fur coat the same color as the woman's hair. My mother, standing behind my grandmother in the small room, saw all of this and confirmed these details.

My grandmother asked "Can I help you?" The woman said "Can I come sit by your fire?" Something in her demeanor spooked my grandmother (who was never much scared of anything) and she said "Hell no." Slamming the door in the woman's face. My grandmother said she never understood why she reacted like that. She immediately opened the door to apologize and my mother rushed to the window next to the door to get another look.

The woman was gone. It couldn't have been more than a second or two from the door slamming to my grandmother opening it and my mother going to the window. Yet she was nowhere. They went out into the yard and looked up and down the street. The lady was not there. The stayed awake the next couple of hours waiting for my father to arrive. They had no explanation. The next day, they asked neighbors on both sides if anyone had knocked on their doors. They hadn't.

Another thing, my grandmother lived in a quiet neighborhood off the main road in town. She had lived in the neighborhood for 30 years and knew everyone on the street plus their extended family, and she knew nearly everyone in town. She didn't know this lady and neither did my mother. The highway (Buckeye Road) was a bit over a mile to the south of my grandmother's house and there were several neighborhoods, gas stations and the like between her house and the highway. If this woman had simply been a lost traveler, it's unlikely she would've happened upon my grandmother's house. Plus, how would she get out of the yard, past the gate and off the street so quickly?

I don't know who/what she was. I don't know what she wanted... Past sitting by a non-existant fire (my grandmother did not have a fireplace). But, I know this actually happened. Love to hear your thoughts.

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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, jrose1967, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Crestal126 (74 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-10-08)
Lady drake I gotta know, is that web site about the black eyed kids creepy? Or scary? Because if I see a picture of that black eyed creep I'll be scared outta my mind! 😭 😭
reddysteady (5 stories) (95 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-08-07)
Ooooo, very cool! Following the 'favorites' of some posters who I feel have really excellent taste, this story is quite chilling and excellent! I admire and appreciate that you make no pretense of being involved - some people don't like 'second hand' stories, but I grew up listening to my Grandmother's ghostly encounters and family lore, so I know: If she doesn't tell you about it, she doesn't believe it herself, and Grandma's are so over being fantastical!

I can't add much to what anyone else has already said, just reinfoce that this is a great story! Thanks again! 😆

Love and light,
Red
parttake (1 posts)
 
13 years ago (2012-02-29)
Hei, I've been reading up on this black eyed children or kids mystery and I've stumbled by mistake upon this blog which tells a rather interesting story.

It relates the black eyed children to none other than vampires, the queen of them actually.

This story is so real, so well written, that it shook my beliefs from the core. It really makes you wonder... What if?

Here's the link if you care to read it, mind you, it's rather big:

Http://onvampires.wordpress.com/
aya22 (guest)
 
13 years ago (2012-01-03)
Well... I searched and I swear I've read more similar stories before on this website! But nope! From what I can see it must've been elsewhere. Bah. Oh well.

But I did find these two, which are interesting. Look up "Little Scary Girl" and "Man In Black."
wolfeyes72206 (32 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-31)
sometimes there are those that come knocking on the doors to warn you of something bad that is coming, but in your case you did the right thing by no letting it in to your home as you didn't know what it was... I wish you well and god bless
aya22 (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-12-30)
Hmmm... Ladydarke, I think you might be onto something here. Now I remember reading similar stories to this one, and the ones you're describing, on YGS. Might have to do a bit of searching, though.
ladydarke (115 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-30)
Jrose, have you ever heard of the black-eyed kids? Apparently the first sighting was in 1997 by a journalist named Brian Bethel, but there's been a rash of sightings worldwide since. Google it for yourself.

The hallmark of these encounters is that usually two kids approach a person asking for access to a house or vehicle. Sometimes they ask for help. Although the kids look harmless and are polite, the person feels an instant visceral feeling of dread and danger, like they are being hunted. They feel compelled to obey the kids' request for access, many saying if they had waffled longer, they may not have been able to refuse. They notice -- usually not right away, but eventually -- that the eyes of the kids are completely black. No sclera, no iris, just black. Everyone speaks of slamming the door in the kids' faces or driving away -- just as your grandmother did. There are no known stories from anyone who let them in.

The story of your grandmother predates the 1997 sighting of Bethel considerably, nor did she see black eyes. But the way she remarks on the eyes is curious. Accounts of the black eyed kids (BEKs) usually say the person takes a while to notice the eyes; that at first the eyes appear shadowed or inconspicuous. Sometimes there is an odd blur described over the face. I wonder if your grandma was seeing black eyes with her unconscious mind, knowing something was wrong, but hadn't yet pierced the illusion consciously, and that's why the green eyes haunted and bothered her so much.

I also wonder if your mother or grandmother happened to look at this odd woman's feet? There are a couple of stories I've come across, one with a woman and the other a child, asking for help or entrance. They set off a vibe of terror with no apparent base for it, making the storyteller question their gut, until the storyteller sees the entity's feet. In the case of the child, its feet were clawed. Here's a link that account:
Http://www.ghosttheory.com/2010/03/15/the-strange-creepy-phenomena-black-eyed-kids

I couldn't find the other story again, but it was by a male college student who had gone down to the entrance of his dorm, where he noticed a college-esque girl standing outside. She asked him to let her in. There was no one else there and the glass dorm doors locked automatically so she legitimately could not let herself in. He assumed she needed in and was approaching to let her in when she set, flat and dead, "Let me in." That made him stop at the weirdness; if she'd said something more joking or normal, he said he'd probably just open the door. But this made him pause long enough to realize the awful vibe he was getting. She repeated her request, and he felt somewhat entranced, reaching for the door despite a state of pure fear, when he looked down and saw her feet. They were cracked and yellow, with long nails, like the feet of a corpse. He called her out for an evil thing and ran back to his room. At the end of his account, he said he thought she might be a ghoul.

Whatever the woman may have been, I'm glad your grandma didn't open the door!
KRYSTALLIA (64 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-12-28)
Aya said it all for me and so did 510mot...
Chilling story jrose, quite a while since I last got heebie jeebies! Going to faves... Thank you for sharing...

Krys
aya22 (guest)
+2
13 years ago (2011-12-27)
Personally, I LOVE this story but chose not to comment because I felt I had nothing further to say that already hadn't been said... These kinds of ghost stories are the ones that really intrigue us. They're absolutely fascinating because there is no obvious answer. They appear to not be paranormal in nature (or so it seems as it's happening).

I think we still have some of that 'animal instinct' (or whatever it may be/called) still wired into us. That immediate warning of danger that surges through. Your grandma felt it that night, and I would say it's for the best that she did.

OKAY... Bah! I know I wrote on my profile I won't respond to obvious trolls anymore... But... I... Just... Can't... Resist! That didn't last long. 😳 😭

Oh, Cristine, Cristine... Is your head screwed on correctly? And I really mean that in the least offensive way or at least I am trying to.

Not that you even read what others have commented back to you... But if I knew you'd personally, I'd give you a dictionary and an encyclopedia for Christmas. Please pick one up. Btw, the Earth is NOT the center of the solar system. I believe they debunked that one years and years ago. 😆 (That one REALLY made my day, thank you) I've thought that true psychics/mediums were people who could easily identify with others and are very compassionate souls. Apparently you had nothing else to do on Christmas other than spout nonsense and negativity. PLEASE find better to do with your time. Troll somewhere else, pretty please?

510mot said it a lot better than me and a lot more to the point: NOBODY cares for your opinion.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-26)
zzgranny,
I knew we were singing from the same page! And you know how I love the Troll Tunes.
But this little troll is busted now. She is not very good at math it seems. 😆 😆

Jav
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-26)
To add on to Rook's comment, I should also point out that many times it is those little fillers that have led to a resolution of that persons particular situation.

Jav
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2011-12-26)
The so called 'fillers' you wish people would stop including actually help to 'set the scene' so that we as readers may understand what was going on at the time of the experience and offer our opinions as to what may have been happening.

Without the 'fillers' we have an incomplete 'picture' and are unable to offer any ideas or advice on if we think the experience was truly Paranormal or if all or part of the experience may be 'debunked' due to natural 'effects'...

Just Saying...

Respectfully,

Rook
aussiedaz (19 stories) (1566 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2011-12-26)
Very little story filling there Granny and straight to the point with that link...😆😆😆
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
+3
13 years ago (2011-12-25)
510mot: 😆 This, from someone who thinks the Earth is a solar system, Walt Disney wrote the story lines for all the princesses, and doesn't even know it was JR who got shot! 😆 😆...

Cristine: This link is for you:
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na675QXAtS4

What'dya think Jave?
teneki (10 stories) (140 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-12-25)
jrose, Interesting account, I always find it fascinating when the encounter is most likely non-ghost in nature, as in your account and mine. Have you found anything remotely like the woman in searches online to see what it could have been?

If my experience is any example, you may want to widen to accounts outside your country as well, as the thing we determined mine to be is from Africa while I'm in the US.

Cristine, please, this is one of the few places we can safely relay our experiences, please do not continue to be hostile in your further postings.
Argette (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-12-25)
Siri, you are so on target here! A stranger trying to gain entrance is terrifying, and so potentially violating. This is one of my favorites, too.

Cristine, you must be one unhappy camper.
Siri (18 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2011-12-25)
Personally, I think the only person here full of... What did she call it..."hoopla" is Cristine. 😕
[at] Jrose1967, I love the story. There's something inherently creepy about a stranger attempting to gain entry to our homes, however innocuous it seems. Definitely going into my favorites, thanks for sharing!
510mot (3 stories) (262 posts)
+8
13 years ago (2011-12-25)
In effort to comply with the strict new guidelines for story telling enacted upon YGS by the power that is Christine, Let me go straight to the facts. (Ahem!)...No one carees for your opinion, though I am sure that we each have an opinion as to what,exactly,your head IS filled with. Thank you,sincerely.510mot. 😆
Argette (guest)
+2
13 years ago (2011-12-25)
I don't mind what you call "story filler," Christine. Yes, it is always good to edit yourself and determine which details don't matter, but some of them help set the scene.

Why on earth would you pick Christmas Day to swoop down on people here and be nasty? No matter what you believe or don't believe, for many people, today is a holiday. (I'm checking e-mails, etc., while I make dinner; how's that for unneeded detail?)
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-12-25)
Wow! Cristine,
That didn't take long, now did it? Darling girl, either your spring is wound too tight or it just sprung.
Hold it together would you? Pretend your sanity is on the mend. Whatever it takes. But cool your jets either way. This is getting to be a pattern for you. You are pretty new here, and yet you feel entitled to shout out all manner of craziness when the urge to resist is no longer bearable.
Do yourself a favor and write it all down in story form and submit it for publication. Get it all out in one fell swoop. You'll feel better. Maybe.

Merry Christmas to you!

Jav 😊

This comment from Cristine is hidden due to low rating. Show comment

princessLotus (2 stories) (555 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-12-24)
Dude, this is goin in my fave file for sure. Thank you so much for sharing it. Sometimes the smallest occurrences leave the biggest impressions. Bless you & yours. MCL.

~LSD~
Argette (guest)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-23)
Nysa, what you have written sounds very familiar to me, and I guess that must be what I was getting at. The question seems to be asked on so many levels, "Can I come sit my your fire." It is timeless!
Nysa (4 stories) (685 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-23)
Actually Argette that is what made me think of folktales & the "test." In the distant past to refuse someone shelter & hospitality was basically viewed as refusing to be part of civilization. At one time it was one of the worst "sins" you could commit. As recently as a few centuries ago refusing someone could lead directly to their death, so denying a harmless stranger was viewed similarly to how we view negligent homicide. In the folktales the stranger is usually an older woman so as to underscore both her frailty & status as a nonthreat.

In vampire stories when a vampire must be invited in, that is to establish him as a guest, a role which had as much moral responsibility as that of host, mentioned above. Only a truly evil soul would harm their host after being invited in to a home. The detail supports the idea of how bad a vampire is. In modern times it works in stories as more of a cautionary detail, to warn us of the dangers of the outside world. It's funny the moral of such stories has almost completely flipped.

I am not sure how any of that is relevant when "something" is actually knocking on the door, rather than being an element in a myth or folktale. But it does seem relevant because of how out of place the whole thing is.
Argette (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-12-23)
The question, "Can I come sit by your fire?" is the key for me. Parallel universe or time slip? I don't know a time about wandering spirits, evil or benign.

To sit by a stranger's fire: What does this mean? Taking something essential from a stranger (heat). There is something here for me, some code.

Or maybe I am making something out of nothing. I'm just intrigued. The request would be as frightening as the site of someone with memorable eyes...
Eclipse2000 (1 stories) (68 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-12-23)
Wow interesting story... Do you know what era the clothing was? So she lived there for nearly 30 years. Did you ever check the history of the house? I would do that.

But... It could of had a fire place before? Idk.

~Eclipse2000~ 😊 😐 😊
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-12-23)
[at] bluefoxx01,
Thanks for that. You just put this whole thing into perpective for me 😆.And you make perfect sense.

Jav 😊
bluefoxx01 (81 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-23)
Yes I tend to do the same thing to the Yettie's that wander in from the neighboring bushland, they always request to use the use the bathroom. I did let one in, he made a hell of a mess missing the bowl. And then he ate all of my bananas, with not even a thank you.
LouSlips (10 stories) (979 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2011-12-22)
jrose,
What did your father think of all this. Since your mom and grandma didn't seem to have any connection, and you were just an infant; it seems obvious this visitor had no connection to any of you. Did your father have any stories from that night... Maybe she was related to his patrol that evening.
Whatever it was, I think it chose an appearance that it thought would not be menacing; but instead, it stuck out like a sore thumb.

Good account!
Lou
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-12-22)
Oh blast! Sorry for the typo granny, I guess I did it again.

Jav 😲

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