This continues the story I started regarding a haunted house in my family which was titled "The House on North Street". If you'd like to get the whole story and haven't read that first installment yet, you may want to before reading this 2nd part, it'll definitely make more sense!
Most of this time I remained unaware of what had happened at that house. My parents would take us over a lot when we were younger to play as it seemed to be a popular family hang out when so many people were staying there. This was in the early to mid 80's. I did spend the night more than once and I know my brother and cousin and I slept on the fold out couch in the big living room the night before we went to Arizona to vacation. I didn't even start hearing the stories about the place until my aunt and uncle got ready to move and were going to rent the place out. I do remember the bathroom gave me the creeps, as when I was at the toilet, I always felt watched, from the area of the bathtub but there was never anyone there?
One time my brother and I had been asked by my aunt and uncle to watch their dogs while they were on vacation. As we approached the house I felt like we were being watched from the window of the upstairs bedroom, the one without electricity. We only found the dog up there laying on the bed in that room. This was before I knew it was haunted. We found one of the dogs had gotten off his chain, so while my brother was out looking for him, I remained behind in the living room. I felt watched from the area of the kitchen and kept turning around. Then as I was watching TV, I felt a brush of air behind me, like someone walking at my back going toward the stairs. I shrugged it off as my imagination but found out later this was a common experience for others.
My brother told me years later that the night we camped out in the living room, that he was awoken to the feeling of someone shaking the bed. He opened his eyes to a rather stern looking man standing at the end of the bed. He was wearing a white shirt and brown slacks and he straightened up when my brother saw him and turned around and walked into the kitchen. There was some light from the light over the kitchen sink. He whispered to my cousin asking him if he was seeing this. My cousin calmly replied, oh that happens all the time, like it was a common occurrence! I was there, but asleep sandwiched between the 2 of them. My brother watched this 'man' start to walk straight up into open air, right where the stairs used to be!
My brother told me that later that night I got up to go to the bathroom and that I ran into the infamous 'lady in the purple dress' Apparently it scared me, but I don't remember a thing. I do remember that night, but none of that.
My aunt and uncle moved out around 1990. They rented the place out and then sold it. I heard that the new owners had admitted to some strange goings on, but wouldn't elaborate.
I have been fascinated with the place ever since. I know at almost every family reunion, someone would invariably come forward with another story about the place. It seemed many of them kept it under wraps until others came forward and then the floodgates opened so to speak on the various experiences.
As far as my own experiences, they were mild, at least the ones I remember. I can't say whether what my brother said happened with me seeing a ghost or not really happened, as I do not remember it. I do know some of my memories of my time there seem to be missing, and there are other issues in my childhood dealing with anxiety starting at that same time with no real determinable cause. I can say for sure that for years my dreams were 'haunted' about that house. I would be alone in it and I would 'know' that SHE was there waiting for me. The upstairs was her domain. I know that when something traumatic happens to us, if it's bad enough, our mind can block it out. Again this is conjecture, I have no real proof, but I do think there is something to it.
I tried to search for answers. The library records held no help and even my cousin who became one of the regular contributors to the historical society couldn't find anything. I know it was built in 1895. I contacted the county historian who at the time was writing a book about unsolved murders in the area I grew up in. I figured she would be interested. She researched what she could, she informed me that the house had been owned in the early 1900's by a wealthier individual who rented it out. She came up with a list of names of women who she could trace to living there in an attempt to find out who the mysterious woman was. She found out though that they had all moved out and died in other places, she couldn't come up with anything ever having happened in that house. She surmised that in those early days, if a murder or something had taken place, it might have been covered up, as the wealthier owner certainly wouldn't want his name associated with such a scandal. The look of the woman's dress had been of the 1920's or 30's and it was harder to trace the identity of the various renters in those early years.
I even consulted a psychic who told me that a woman had drowned her children in the bath tub and if someone dug under the house they would find something. If that is in any way true, no wonder I got such a creepy feeling from that bathroom! There is a crawl space at the front of the house, that is accessible. As kids we played near there and it had kind of a weird feeling to it. In fact us kids played "Witch in the Cellar" ironically enough at that spot. The neighbors claimed their house was haunted too. The kid who lived there and someone I went to school with, claimed to see a fishing pole levitate on its own in his home.
The house has changed hands once or twice since then and had actually fallen into disrepair and been reclaimed by the bank. It's privately owned now and even though I still visit the area and drive by once in a while, I haven't actually tried to speak with anyone living there to see if they had noticed anything.
As I mentioned I stayed there a lot as kid, but never found out about the hauntings until I was a teen. While staying at my grandparents, I was privileged to listen in as they retold these old stories and their own experiences. My grandmother and great aunt would talk about it openly, though they never did admit whether they believed it or not. My grandpa would listen but would dismiss the stories as 'nonsense'. Afterwards I became fascinated and visited the actual house again once or twice just prior to my aunt and her family moving out and renting the place.
Again, it's good to get it off my chest! I welcome comments and questions!
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I agree about a reputable psychic and may do something like that in the future. I come across a lot of fascinating people with incredible talents, so who knows! A good psychic doesn't necessarily have to be onsite to get a read on a place. It helps a great deal of course if they have full access to a home or building but just as you noted these places give off an energy signatures and a unique vibration. It's how people can walk past a haunted house and it feels spooky, they don't have to go inside to know it. All a person has to do is tap into the home's energy and it contains a lot of information. They generally can see a photo of the place or know the location and do it like that. It's kind of how remote viewing works.
For some psychics it's easier that way, when they are onsite, they can get overwhelmed and the only escape is to leave the house. Those that tap into a haunted home from a distance can 'cut the cord' anytime. Many people do distance clearings on houses in a similar pattern and I'm sure you've heard of people doing long distance healing and Reiki sessions in a similar manner. Of course, some believe, some don't but there's a lot of evidence and information out there supporting it, and it all works in a similar fashion. People can be like radio antenna's and we can pick up frequencies from far away and close by (like walking into a room and 'knowing' people have been fighting in there recently) It's all energy!
If I had my way and I could gain possession of the house, I would have someone immediately excavate the crawlspace beneath the place as I have a strong feeling it would yield some answers.
My brother still lives in the area and has some good connections, if anything is found, he'll be one of the first to know and since he and I always have been fascinated with the house and it's history, I know he'll let me know immediately and then I can and will post an update!