Clara and the Nursing Home

All names in this story, are not the person's real names. I had been taking care of an elderly lady in her home. Once she passed on I was looking for another job. I seen in the paper this nursing home not far from me, was hiring people to work there. I applied and got the job.

I had four people to care for, Fred and older man who was in a wheel chair (remember this), Clara an older woman left there by her kids, she was in great health, Candy a 20 year old mentally impaired, and Bill a yeller and screamer, never happy about anything.

Candy had the mind of an 6 or 7 year old. She tell me people came into her room, and beat her up a lot. I do know she had many nightmares.

Clara told me people got beaten and killed in this nursing home, people they got tired of taking care of, or people that told to much what was going on here, in the nursing home.

Bill said he often was beaten up, when he was sleeping.

Fred said some of his friends just went missing and they weren't even sick.

I met Bonniesue, a nurses aide she was very nice and she would be the one to train me, on the job routine. After two weeks of training I was on my own. That twice a month everyone worked the grave yard shift. I usually worked days or afternoons.

The first night of working the grave yard shift. I hear screaming down the hallway. I went down the hallway to see what is going on. I can't find where the screaming is coming from. I checked all the rooms in my area. Everyone seemed to be sleeping. The screaming noise seemed to blend into the hallway walls. I went back to the desk. When Audrey came back from her end of the hallway. I told her what happen. She told me she hears that all the time.

The next time I worked the grave yard shift not only where there noises of screaming, but I could see people walking the hallways. As I watched them they seems to either disappear into the walls or just vanish. I got the shivers and hoped I never have to work the grave yard shift by myself.

I told Bonniesue about this she told me "Many times you see, feel, smell, and something touch you, that you just can't explain". She told me this happens in the day time hours too. The screaming she said she has not been able to find, out where it comes from. But she is sure it's from someone being hurt.

I was off a day came back to find Bill with bruises on his face and arms and a cast on his leg. I asked what happen to him. I was told "He fell out of his bed last night". My gut feeling didn't tell me that. I told that to Bonniesue, she said he didn't fall out of bed. I said so what happen? She told me for my own good, it's best I didn't know.

Candy had just had her 22nd birthday and was found dead in her bed. She was in good health. Down the hallway the other way, another person was also found dead in there bed. I never knew that man. He was not on the hallway, where I worked.

I often took Clara out to eat lunch, get her hair down and do some shopping. She said "People that know too much or are a burden to the people that work there, are killed or beaten up. It happens a lot of the time. Can you please let me live at your house?" I did look into if she could, but her kids were her guardian and they had to give permission and they couldn't be found.

I was with Clara all day on my day off. We had fun, she didn't want to go back to the nursing home, and was crying. She said someone tried to suffocate her last night. I was beginning to believe what was going on there. I wanted to protect her she became a great friend to me. But I couldn't take her home with me for the night. She could be gone from 9am but had to be back by 4pm.

I bought food for us and we ate at the picnic tables on the grounds for dinner time. She liked that. I just felt that I wanted to stay with her forever.

The next day when I went to work, I went to check on Clara. She was not in her room. Just then I seen her coming down the hallway. "Hi Clara how are you today?" It felt as if she walked right through me. I got the shivers. I looked back and didn't see her. I went to the desk ask Audrey, what happen to Clara? "Oh you didn't hear from Bonniesue?" I said no. "What happen to her." "Oh when Bonniesue went to her room to check on her, she was having hard time to breath, she died".

I seen Clara all day that day, down the hallways, in the bathroom, outside by the tree. It was as if she wanted me to know something. But I just couldn't' figure it out and I was frighten too. I gave my two week notice I would be quitting there.

Not long after that Bonniesue called me up. It was not quite 4am. I heard her voice "Come quick to the store NOW". I knew she was either frighten or excited by her voice. I got there she told me this "I went to check on my patients, Fred is one of them along with three others. The others were in there bed sleeping. I couldn't find Fred". I asked Audrey if she seen Fred. She said "not tonight. I walked down the hallway of screaming, into the cafeteria. I flipped on the light and there was Fred hanging". "What? He can't get out of his chair by himself!. Who helped him?". She said she phoned the police. Now they believe me when I say something is going on here.

Bonniesue told me every time someone died, she phoned the police and tell them. But they never believed her. If it weren't for Fred not being able to get out of his chair alone, she said they still not believe her. But he didn't hang himself.

The place was closed down. Audrey was arrested along with some other employees and the owners. They left patients in there beds for days wet and stinking, the kitchen where food was prepared was not up to health standards, people died mysterious deaths, some were not claimed as dead and yet money the nursing home still got.

Bonniesue became a Registered Nurse. She works in a hospital helping accident victims. She loves her job. And told me the last time I seen her. "I protect all my patients the best that I can".

The place was tore down, and a parking lot made in its place. Now that the parking lot is for the nearby Church, a Holy place. Maybe now the spirits of the dead, that died there when it was a nursing home. Maybe they are finally at rest.