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Basement Apartment

 

The early years of my marriage to my husband Jim we were looking for an apartment that was cheap and close to his work. This was 1971 in Ypsilanti. In the paper we found one that all he had to do was walk across the yard down the field and over the railroad track and he would be at work. The rent is what we liked the best, it was cheap.

We went to see the apartment. It was in the basement of an elderly ladies home. She took us down many steps to the basement and to the left of us was a door she unlocked and we all went in. The kitchen was small and the living room and the bedroom were actually one only with a curtain drawn across from wall to wall to have a bedroom there. In the apartment was two small windows and the whole apartment was not very big and it was quite dark even with the few lights on in there.

I asked where the bathroom was, she took us out of the door to the apartment down this long very dim hallway. To the right of us was another curtain and behind that was a shower stall, then went to another room with a curtain and that was the toilet and the small sink.

Across from the toilet was a door in which she took us in there and it was the utility room where she had a washer and dryer in there and many shelves and some big barrows sitting next to the washer. She told us we could wash our clothes and dry them or hang them up on the line that was hanging there as long as we kept the room clean. I told my husband that room was cold feeling to me, he said that was because it was the basement.

My husband looked at me and said "We will take the apartment". So the next day we packed up our things from our other apartment and took to our new apartment. We got all our things to the new apartment and then my husband, who worked the second shift, had to get ready for work. I told him I would have plenty to do unpacking and putting things away.

For days I would put our things away and we got a lamp for the living room so there would be more light in the apartment as it was to dim for me, that seemed to brighten up all the rooms since the apartment was so small, but we had no children and with the price we could not go wrong. We had no phone while we lived there but our landlady told us we could always come upstairs and use the one she had when we wanted to. We thanked her and went back to our new home in the basement.

One night my husband woke up and woke me up and asked if I heard that noise coming from the utility room? I said "no what you talking about?" He said it sounded like something being dragged across the floor. I said no I didn't hear anything. We stayed awake for a little while and nothing so fell back to sleep.

About a week later one night, I was not feeling well, so went to sleep, pulled the curtain back to let in the heat. I was woke up by a noise, I rolled over to look at the clock it was nearly 3am, it was long past time for my husband to be home. He was a drunk so I figured he was out at the bars. Maybe it was my imagination working that I heard something as I was very tired. I stayed awake waiting for my husband to come home and listening to all sorts of noises. I prayed a lot to the Lord to protect me until my man came home.

Some sounded like dragging, some sounded like banging on the wall next to the head of the bed. I got out of the bed and sat on the sofa pulled the curtain close. I wanted to go upstairs to use the phone, but to frightened to open the door. So I pulled a chair up under the door knob to keep what ever was out there in the hallway and the other room from getting in. I stayed awake until my husband, who was drunk, came in around 4am.

When he banged up against the door, my heart went so fast I could hardly breathe, then I heard him say "Let me in" I went and removed the chair and flung myself into his arms shaking. He didn't notice, he went to bed and I was next to him after the door was locked and the chair under the knob.

The next day we had a talk he said to me "I told you something woke me up one night, now you will listen to what I say right?" I said yes. We looked into the room where the washer and dryer was in the morning and didn't see anything out of place, no scratch marks on the floor, nothing was out of order in that room. We checked the bathroom and the shower room nothing out of order.

One night I was so cold and so frightened I had to go to the bathroom at the other end of the hallway, I held it as long as I could then I finally just had to open the door and go down the long dim hallway to the toilet. Did my business not wanting to look into the laundry room. I hurried back to my apartment and locked the door. I felt like something was watching me while I was in the bathroom.

Everything seem to calm down and so did we. My husband went to bed early, being drunk and all and I had to go to the bathroom and take a shower. I did the shower first and then went to the toilet, the laundry room door was open and the curtain to the toilet was open a bit. As I sat on the toilet and looked into that room my heart nearly stopped. I could see what appeared to be a man hanging from the neck in the laundry room just swinging around limp. I got off that toilet, went to the apartment shaking, too afraid to stay their flung open the door ran up the stairs and outside.

Our landlady came out wanting to know what all the noise was from, I told her that the basement was haunted, she laughed at me. Then she told me this story.

Her husband was a drunk, he spent a lot of time in the basement being drunk as she would not let him be upstairs. I asked if he slept in the little apartment when he was drunk? She said he might have, she did not chase after him. She said one day she went away and came back, had to do some laundry and went down stairs to find he hung himself in the laundry room and yes, I would be able to see the area where he hung himself when I was sitting on the toilet.

I asked her with a shaky voice. "What did he stand on to do this with?" She told me she found one of those old barrows that was next to the washer rolled over near him and so figured he use that to stand on. I told her of all the noises I heard since we lived there. The dragging, banging and like gasping. She told me she has heard all that too when she has been in the basement. I told her I seen him hanging there, he looked human form to me. She said she has seen him down there too and she just tells him to behave himself and goes on with her work. She told me he would not hurt me, he was dead. I told her I was not going to live in a place like this no more.

My husband and I had to live there for a little longer. The tv went out and the only thing I had that would make noise so I could not hear what was going on in the other room was the radio, which I played loud to drown out the other noises. One day I called my Mom and asked if we could stay with them upstairs and pay them the rent we paid here. She asked why and I told her and we moved out of the small apartment and we went to my Mom and Dads home.

Sometime after that I went back to talk to the landlady and asked her why she didn't tell us about that before we took the apartment. She said she should have but she needed the money and if she would have said anything no one would rent it. I never went back after that.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

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

Ibelieveinghosts (6 stories) (63 posts)
 
14 years ago (2009-12-02)
Very creepy story! I wouldn't have stayed there after that, either! It was wrong of that old woman to not tell you the place was haunted. That's just wrong! 😠
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-09-13)
We stayed here in this apartment for quite awhile until we saved money to get another one. I was always afraid to walk down that hallway and go to the bathroom after that happen.
Nikki1990 (3 stories) (21 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-09-02)
Wow, that's quite a story. How long did you have to live there after you told her about the noises? I would have just moved out when I first heard them.
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-03-03)
[at] Jennifer40, thank you for making a comment to my story. I think people who kill themselves, never can go to be at rest only linger on in spirit form or other means. Once again thanks for your comment
Jennifer40 (20 stories) (202 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-02-29)
What a truly horrifying experience! My landlord's husband also hung himself in the basement of where I was living and having strange experiences. Thanks for reading my story yesterday and directing me to yours. Our experiences are very similar. I'm glad you are out of there!

Jennifer ❤
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-02-15)
Thank you ChrisB for your comments to reading my stories and making comments.
ChrisB (6 stories) (1515 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-02-15)
That was a scary story. I wonder what happened in that place later. Maybe someone elese owns the place. Maybe they have felt the presence too. I hope to hear from you soon and take care
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-02-03)
[at] whitebufflo no matter which way it may be when a haunting takes place is scarey I think. Thanks for explaining this to me however.
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2008-02-03)
You know what, though Flutter?
I think I have an easier time with a residual haunting (It is a recording on the AIR of the place the haunting occurs, and PLAYS out on that same air. It is like watching a movie of what took place. There is NO ghost or Spirit involved AT ALL, just their picture) than an intelligent haunting (which is when a ghost or Spirit is involved and they can follow you, watch you communicate with you etc.)
The only real problem is waiting out the "movie times" that can come and go. Both experiences can be frightening, though, and both are very valid sightings. I just thought I would give you that bit of an explanation as it may help you "see" things a bit "easier" 😊.
To answer your question to me in a different story page, yes, I am of the Native culture.
Thanks again for letting me comment.
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-29)
Thanks for all your comments. Just before I relocated to where I am now seen a lady who use to live across the street from that tiny apt and she told me a man lived there for about three months and left.
I don't know if it was for the reason it was haunted or maybe he stayed there for only a short time until he got another place. As I have done this myself in the past.
So not sure about that man living there. I would of had to talk to him myself and see what he said about it to know for sure.
Tonith, you could be right, it may of been a warning to my husband about what can happen if your a drunk all the time. I never actually thought about that but you could be right.
All I know is I would never live in a place like that again.
KimSouthO (27 stories) (1960 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-28)
What a truly horrifying tale!

I don't know that I would have been able to stay in that apartment as long as you did, with all the racket and sightings.

I do hope your husband could perhaps see the trouble with abusing alcohol, I mean... How ironic.

God Bless!
Tonith (1136 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-27)
Not being judmental but wonder if any of this had to do with the fact that your husband came home drunk and the man that killed himself was a despondent drunk? Could it have been his warning about abusing drink? His wife heard it as well but just told him to behave so she probably thought he was still hanging( no pun intended) around. If you felt watched I don't know if it was just residual. I wonder if anyone else ever rented it and had the same experiences.
Bellissima (12 stories) (792 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-27)
Hi Flutterofwings. I also think it was residual. I'm glad you got out of there, it would be discomforting to hear what you did and know what had happened there. Thanks for sharing your story, I enjoyed reading it.
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-27)
Thank you for your comments Mustang and Ozonalions. I have moved from that place long, long ago and I have not been back there the place may not even be there anymore. But after the our landlady told of her hubby hanging himself down there and others on here I believe it was the film or resduel from that horrible thing that happen in the basement and why that basement was real cold even in the tiny apartment.
mustang (5 stories) (749 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-26)
Hi Flutterwings. I agree with whitebuffalo and FRAWIN. It sounds to me like a residual haunting. The spirit is not there, just the horrible impression this poor soul left. It would not have hurt you but I could not and would not stay in a place like that. I think I would have pitched a tent outside.
Shelby ❤ 😊
ozonalions (guest)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-26)
❤ Hey, I'm 10 years old. But maybe you could look in to the history of the house. Who knows? Maybe there was something there before the house was built. I really think you have something paranormal ❤
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-26)
Whitebuffalo all the noises we heard in the apartment seemed to come from the utility room on the other side of the wall where the bed set next to. And since the bedroom and livingroom where actually one hugh room, divided by a curtain you could hear it through the whole apartment so was no way to get away from the noise.
The banging noise on the wall must of been like you stated her husbands feet hitting the wall when he hung himself. That makes a lot of sense to me now. Thanks.
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-26)
Thank you Frawn and Whitebuffalo about what took place in the haunted basement apartment. I can tell you that it was very scary living there. We lived there in that apt for not quite a year and I was always afraid to be out in the hallway at the end to go to the bathroom but had no choice had to live some place...
I am learning through others here about stuff like the residual of a person left behind which could not harm me like the land lady said but just the same it was scarey... Once again Thank you for your reply.
FRAWIN (guest)
+1
16 years ago (2008-01-26)
Hello Flutter, Thanks for a great story. I believe that it was residual and the landlady was right. It wouldn`t have hurt you since there weren`t any actual spirit there but it would have been hard to get use to. Take Care.

FRAWIN ❤
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2008-01-26)
Wow, Flutter, I do not know if I could have SLEPT with my head next to the wall that her husband's feet must have been hitting as he was in the process of being hung. How chilling.
I am assuming, through the description in your story, that all the noises and the sightings of this poor soul was all in the utility room. From that assumption only, I would PRAY that this was a residual haunting and that all you were able to see is the film of this horrendous demise.
I am always saddened when I hear about another suicide victim. There is so much to life, perhaps their little corner of the universe felt hopeless, but there is so much more.
Thank you for sharing this.

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