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Carol And The Man With The Top Hat - My Daughter's Ghosts

 

It all began when my daughter was around 2 or 3. I had put her in her crib for a nap and told her I wasn't going to turn on the ceiling fan because it wasn't that warm in the room. The only way you can activate the fan is to pull the chain from the fan itself which is above most adult's heads, or the switch on the wall which was several feet away from the crib, by the door. Neither would be possible for a 2 or 3-year-old to reach from her crib. Standing, her head was level to the top of the crib. The fan was absolutely turned off (the switch in the off position) as I walked out of the room.

About an hour or so later, I walked past the room and the fan was on! "What in the heck?!" I thought. I walked into the room and the switch was in the ON position. Perplexed, I looked over and there was my daughter sitting up in her crib. I half-jokingly asked her "Who turned the ceiling fan on?!" Of course not expecting an answer. Without hesitation she simply and matter of factly stated "Grandpa Breda."

My blood ran cold. My daughter was born nearly 15 years after my father died in a car accident. She only knew of him through an old photo and mentioning him rarely, in passing. She never wavered, always insisted that it was him who turned on the ceiling fan.

About a year or two later my wife and I were watching TV in the family room downstairs. We had one of those baby monitors in her room turned down but where you could see it light up if there was noise (like crying or talking, etc). We both noticed it starting lighting up. Assuming she was crying, we turned the volume up. Instead, what we heard was her carrying on a conversation with somebody. Laughing, answering questions seemingly, just what you would expect if someone was talking to her. So I went upstairs and asked her who she was talking to. She simply responded "Carol."

And thus began the story of Carol. She would describe her as blonde, older teenager or so. The first time she saw her she walked right through one of her bedroom walls which scared her. But she eventually learned that Carol was friendly and meant her no harm. Through the years she would add some detail mentioning that Carol had a little sister and brother who died in a fire and the father was very mean. She was both descriptive and adamant in what she was saying. My wife and I couldn't find any source at the time where she could be influenced by such accounts. This was long before being exposed to ghost/paranormal/crime shows.

Carol And The Man With The Top Hat 1

Carol And The Man With The Top Hat 2

One time when we heard her talking in her room again, I asked her if she wouldn't mind taking a photo of Carol for me. With a simple shrug of her shoulders she said okay. I showed her how to operate the camera and off she went. I stood behind the closed door and heard the familiar click of the camera. Then I heard her say something, and another click. When she came out of the room I asked her if she was able to take a photo of Carol and she said yes. The first photo simply showed her room. The second however, was nearly pure white. I asked her what that was and she said that was when she asked Carol to appear. I've attached the before and after photos below.

She would see Carol on and off until she was about 10 or 11 (she's 15 now). Carol never frightened her but the man in the top hat most certainly did. She would run out of her room screaming at night, saying there was a tall man in a top hat staring at her at the foot of her bed. Poor thing was clearly petrified of something. She described him as very tall, no features, more like a shadow/silhouette with a "old style" hat like a top hat.

This went on also until just about two or three years ago. There were times we could not get her to sleep in her own room for months at a time, instead sleeping in our room or the spare room. It may be worth noting that one time as I slipped consciously out of my body during an astral projection, I too noticed a dark figure in the room wearing a hat of some sort. I didn't get a good look as it was in my peripheral and I didn't want to stick around so I quickly left the room.

Another time my daughter was taking a shower and noticed in the fogged up mirror tiny hand prints. She swore it wasn't hers and sure enough they were too small to be hers or anyone else's in our home. That went on for about a week or so. We almost had a psychic medium come out to the house but didn't have the money to spend on that at the time. To this day, we still have activity but neither of us feels there's any real demonic entities, at least nothing has happened (outside of the tall man sightings) to suggest that. However, there's no doubt we have/had spirits in our home. Including my most recent sighting, a full apparition (my first) in the daytime! You can read about that account in my story "I Just Saw A Full Apparition Ghost!" on this website.

If I had to guess, I think most of the spirit activity is family, perhaps both my sister and father at times, and possibly others. Recently my daughter asked for dowsing rods so we have been experimenting reaching out to spirits using them. We've had tremendous luck (I was always skeptical but once I tried them I was floored by how strongly they would move to either the YES or NO positions when I would ask a question). We have deduced that there is currently a teenage boy hanging around. He allegedly committed suicide in his late teens and lived somewhere in the region/State. My daughter says she has seen him in her dreams and knows what he looks like. We don't think he means any harm but we are unclear what brought him here. We asked if my sister was "Carol" and I got a hard and emphatic YES. While on one hand it would completely make sense (my sister would be a guardian angel to her one and only niece no question, and she had blonde hair and while died at 25, would likely present herself in her late teens), I struggle with the other elements surrounding Carol's story (the siblings who died in a fire, etc).

Perhaps I will get that reputable psychic medium to come out. We would love to have answers to all this spirit activity through the years that continues to this day.

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

Aros (6 stories) (57 posts)
 
3 years ago (2021-05-18)
Thank you Lilcat21310. Camera isn't a bad idea although the activity hasn't been much as of late. Then again you never know when something will ramp up. Thanks for the comments!
Lilcat21310 (2 stories) (12 posts)
+1
3 years ago (2021-05-18)
Honestly this is quite interesting, and I'm sorry for the lost of your father. But its quite obvious that these ghosts are protecting your daughter. Maybe put a camera in her room to catch the action, if you can see them with your daughter it may give a better idea of the ghosts and possibly why there here.
Aros (6 stories) (57 posts)
+2
3 years ago (2021-05-17)
Hi RCRuskin, no there was never a fire in our home, however it's an interesting thought if there was ever a fire in the location our home was built on? I don't think there was ever anything but woods before the development was built but we do live in a historical area so that's food for thought!
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+2
3 years ago (2021-05-17)
Hi, Aros.

Just a quick question, wondering if there was ever a fire in the house where you experienced these things?
Aros (6 stories) (57 posts)
+1
3 years ago (2021-05-17)
Hi valkricry, Not confusing at all! In fact quite insightful actually. Those are very interesting questions and you could very well be on to something there. As I mentioned to Rajine, I am skeptical of the dowsing rod session as I feel the young man coming through has an attachment to my daughter for some reason and perhaps is simply giving us responses he thinks we want to hear? Otherwise it doesn't make any sense as far as details. Your theory of the past life is entirely intriguing though! Thanks for the thoughts!
Aros (6 stories) (57 posts)
+1
3 years ago (2021-05-17)
Hi Rajine, thanks for the comments! My sister's name was D'Lea and it's confusing to me too since I don't know why my daughter would say the name "Carol" and speak of the back story with the mean dad and other siblings who died in a fire if in fact it was my sister all along. I'm skeptical because the dowsing rod session could easily have been that young man who committed suicide either messing with us or just responding with what he thinks I wanted to hear.

I've read about and seen shows about the shadow man with the wide-brimmed hat. Absolutely no clue why he would be here or what he wants. At least he's never done anything malevolent other than appear to my daughter at times. Let's hope it stays that way!
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
+3
3 years ago (2021-05-17)
Aros, I've had a really odd thought, one I'm not even sure will hold water. I don't really understand reincarnation, and it's something I'm on the fence with, BUT... I know many believe in past lives, and there is a belief that spirits can become slightly confused. What if "Carol" is your sister, but recalling a past life (the siblings, etc.)?
Another thought I had, is it's possible that your sister was also present at the time you asked your question. So, an overlap response? You asked of Carol but your sister answered type thing?
More confusing than insightful...sorry.
Rajine (14 stories) (734 posts)
+3
3 years ago (2021-05-17)
Hi Aros

I enjoyed the part about your dad visiting his grand-daughter, I firmly believe that loved ones that pass on are always around us even though we can't see them.

I'm really sorry about your sister, to go at such a young age, it's good that she's also around, however I'm a bit confused, I'm assuming her name wasn't Carol, your narrative suggests that you didn't know until you asked Carol if she was your sister, also why would she give a different story of having a mean dad and siblings dying in a fire.

The top hat man is a mystery, I've come across quite a few stories here describing the top hat man and each person's story is scary, I wonder what it really is and what it wants.

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