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The Shadow And The Closet

 

Greetings again, you wonderful believers and skeptics. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read my first entry.

This is one is more recent. This week actually. I am rather intuitive and a complete believer that there are spirits and things out there in the world that can not be explained. My boyfriend is much more logical and grounded in facts and science- a skeptic, if you will.

The other night, we were sitting on our couch, when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked past me. He's played jokes on me before when he'll do double takes or pretend that he sees someone or something. I thought this was no different, but I turned my head and looked where he looked. Nothing was there- just the landing and entry way to our apartment. I thought, oh good one, he got me again, but when I looked back at him, he was still focused on the landing, very serious. He got up and walked slowly over to the landing, looked into the hallway (which has two closets on the left hand side, perpendicular to the front door). He then went into the kitchen and looked around before coming out and asking if I "saw that". At this point, I knew he wasn't joking and I said, no, what? And he said that he had seen a distinct shadow of a person, like someone had come into the apartment and was on the landing. He showed me where he saw the shadow and tried standing in different areas to see if he could cast a similar shadow for me to see. When he stood in front of the closet closest to the entry, I could not see him, but I could see his shadow where he had.

He rejoined me on the couch and said that he really thought someone had come in. But our door was deadbolted so no one could have entered. Instinctually, I called out and said, Is anyone there? If you are and you're not meant to be, go towards the light. Maybe the strangest thing was that my skeptic boyfriend did not tease me for saying that, like he thought it was a good thing for me to say.

Later that night he brought it up again and said that maybe the reason our cat sits in that entry way a lot is to protect us from whatever that was.

I'm kind of bummed that I missed it and have never seen anything like it in this apartment, but it does make me wonder.

Interestingly, that closet (that he was standing in front of when he replicated the shadow) has always had a reeeeeally distinct, strong smell. Like that old building-mothball-almost-nauseating-sweet-smell-mixed-with-cigarettes. And to be clear, it is NOT like the smell of an animal that has died and gotten trapped. I know that smell, so its not a dead mouse or anything. This is something different. We've been in this place 9 months and we always said it was left over old lady smell from the previous tenants. Or the person below us. Or in the apartment next to us. The whole apartment kind of smells stale from time to time (the building was built in the 1930s), but its most intense in that closet. And even though the rest of the apartment is fine most of the time, it is consistently in that closet. I can't get rid of the smell. I've tried airing it out with fans, air fresheners, charcoal, vinegar, nothing works.

Is it possible that that smell is somehow linked the shadow that my boyfriend saw? Any one have experiences with lingering smells? Is it possible it is linked to something supernatural, if physical remedies aren't working?

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

AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-07-07)
I'll second all de-stinkifying suggestions! I collect and sell vintage clothes and have come up against many an unholy stench while doing so! The options they suggested are amongst the very best! Also try emptying the closet, putting some very cheap vodka in a bottle and spraying the living daylights out of the whole thing (ceiling too) and letting it dry with the doors open. Vodka is an excellent deodorizer. And I apologize in advance if mentioning such things offends any sensibilities but adding feminine wash products like summer's eve in a 1:1 mix with the vodka also works wonders! Then make sure you spray down everything and let it dry in the sun before replacing it into the closet.

In case you may be dealing with something less straightforward than natural (though tenacious) stench, while the closet is empty, place a stick of lit incense on (a plenty wide and plenty sturdy) plate with intent. Say what you mean for it to do before putting it down. Tell anything negative that it is not welcome and must leave etc. Then plop the incense down (well away from walls and door for safety) and close the doors. That's my best suggestion, anyway 🤓such methods have seemed to work fairly well in my 1925 apartment next to the mass grave 🖤
Cuddlebear (4 stories) (173 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2019-06-04)
IntuitiveStarfish ~ Hello!

On the supernatural aspect I have nothing to add. On the smell however... Anything left in the closet, especially fabrics, will take on the odor in the closet, so cleaning the closet and replacing your clothes in it will not help out too much. I like the coffee suggestion for msforgetmenot, makes sense to me. I would empty your closet, clean it as best you can, get some Damprid from a hardware store and leave in in the closet for a couple of days before replacing your clothes (after a complete cleaning) in the closet. At that point I would add the coffee.
msforgetmenott (17 stories) (316 posts)
+4
6 years ago (2019-06-01)
Hi IntuitiveStarfish,

I have little to add on your experience, perhaps more events will take place, and you can obtain helpful information from others on this sight.

I do know of a sure way to get rid of unwanted smells. Buy a small package of strong freshly ground coffee. Place it into a small dish inside the closet, you might need two dishes. Every couple of days switch it out for fresh.

I hate the cedar tree smell they used to line a drawer for the woolens. I have a well cared for bureau that when new was very high end. The cedar smell was too much. The coffee worked... Who knew!

Jan
notjustme (20 stories) (854 posts)
+3
6 years ago (2019-06-01)
Creepy. I think you're right to believe what you believe. I think the connection makes sense. I would try to sage it. Hopefully that will help get rid of it and the smell. As you sage, just think/create positive vibes. Do you ever feel scared or threatened?

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