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House On Erie Road, Willoughby, Ohio

 

It took me over 40 years to write about this account with a calm, & analytical frame of mind. Initially, every time my husband, & I 'tried' to write about it we'd get rattled & discontinue it. We wanted to send this account to the well-known parapsychologist, Hans Holzer to add to his files, but we never got around to it. I assume if you're reading this that you're a believer. So, here goes!

One of the most powerful experiences happened in my mid to late twenties shortly after my divorce from Bob, my first husband. I met John as a blind date, & amazingly we immediately clicked. He fell for me at first sight. It was a second marriage for both of us & it took us a few months to get adjusted to each other, but we were so very much alike it was spooky. Pardon the pun!

He was living in a house on Erie Road not too far from downtown Willoughby, Ohio. This particular house I was familiar with since I was a kid. The neighborhood kids, & I used to ride our bicycles past that house on Erie Road in the Summer months. Every time I looked at 'that' house I got the crawling scalp. I could just sense something wrong about it. My gaze was usually drawn to the 3rd floor upstairs window that I, later discovered, was an attic. I felt something up there to be looking back at me & letting me know "yes, I'm here. Just keep riding on!". I instinctively knew the house was haunted. Not just because it was a decrepit, run-down dwelling over 100 years old, but because I just 'felt' it.

Many years later I never imagined that I'd actually be living there with my second husband, & his mother, Mary. Mary was divorced from Tom her second husband & needed somewhere to live. John, & his sister, Jean invited her to live with them. John, & Jean are the ones who originally found the house & rented the upstairs portion. It was an old farmhouse that was converted into up,& down apartments.

However, when John, & I got together Jean had married, & moved out. Mary was a wonderful mother-in-law, & on top of that, she was incredibly psychic. John was psychic, & I, likewise, was slightly psychic. Now, you get three psychic individuals in a haunted environment with an electrical power sub-station in a wooded area not even 80 yards behind the house, & you're looking at paranormal disaster. As we were later to find out.

It started out innocuous enough with very little drawing our attention. We'd just shrug those little things off. However, the more we settled into a home-life routine, the more things began to get noticed. Incidents like apports. That is to say, solid objects disappearing into thin air & turning up in the most unlikely places. When you put a coffee pot on a stove, leave the room for a few seconds, go back, the pot is gone, & cannot be found 'anywhere'. A day later said coffee pot turns up in the refrigerator. Gimme' a break! All sorts of items were going missing to be found hours, or days later.

We'd hear our names called with no one there. Being touched with no one nearby. Hearing sounds that cannot be accounted for. Going away for a few hours, & coming home to the kitchen floor having 2 inches of ice-cold water on it. No water was left running, there was no rain, & the roof didn't leak. We began to doubt our sanity until we 'realized' that the house was, in fact, haunted.

Mary being Catholic sprinkled Holy Water around, but it may as well have been chocolate syrup. In fact, things escalated to a fever pitch. Outbreaks of millions of baby spiders swarming all over the ceiling of John, & mine bedroom. Later, there was the outbreak of millions-no exaggeration-of millipedes. Little wireworms crawling all over the inside, & outside of the house. Even spilling out into the front yard.

Super nightmare.

Another time I was alone in the living room seated on the couch with the dog, Bumpy at my feet, reading a book. Suddenly she rose, stared at the ceiling, began a low growling with all the hackles on her back raised, & trembling against my legs. From the far end of the house, directly over the kitchen, I heard up in the attic, heavy footsteps. It sounded like a very large man with work boots on walking from that end to the living room right over my head. I even heard the boots squeal as they did a 180, and marched slowly back over the kitchen area. That was too much. I tore out of the living room, down the hall, through the kitchen, and into the imagined safety of the bathroom with the poor dog hot on my heels. Her, and I just waited in the bathroom for John to come back home.

We burst out of the bathroom, and I excitedly told him what just transpired. He grabbed a bat, and went up the attic stairs. I followed him. Of course there was no human intruder found. I knew that there wouldn't be either.

In the attic directly behind the railing at the top of the stairs was a tremendous cold cubicle. It was about 5 feet wide, & 8 feet deep. In the Summer months the temperature up there rose to almost 120 degrees. Yet in 'that' one area behind the railing it was like a meat-locker. You could stick your arm in & feel the ice-cold & see your breath. We deduced that the 'thing' was concentrated in 'that' area for the most part. However, it still had the ability to make 'us' miserable.

It began to affect our moods in the most negative ways. We'd fight for the most inconsequential things. Leave the house, and then wonder 'why' we fought in the first place. It even drove John to drinking and charging up the steps to the attic to do battle with it. I managed to sober him up, calm him down, and rationalize with him. We made the decision to sell whatever we could to earn extra money in addition to our work paychecks & get out. If something doesn't want you there you 'cannot' reason with it. Just get out.

When we found a nice mobile home in West Park Cleveland we loaded up the car with all our belongings, and 2 dogs and left so fast that we left a vapor trail behind us. We never looked back.

It took us the better part of a year living in the trailer adjusting to relative normalcy, to stop jumping at our own shadows. This is no Amityville Horror. This really happened. No one would live in the house too long after we left, & it was sold to a preacher that turned it into a Church. Eeeesh! I hope the religious influence has made a dramatic difference, but we wouldn't even 'drive' by that place anymore.

To those of you that are skeptics no amount of convincing will sway you. However, to those of you that are dealing with, or have dealt with something like this, I'm sure you more than understand.

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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, Linjahaha, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments but I won't participate in the discussion.

Linjahaha (22 stories) (109 posts)
 
7 months ago (2023-09-02)
D.A.-Hi-I'm impressed that you identified with my account. Sounds like you've had some interesting encounters yourself.
I have posted a couple more true accounts that I hope pique your interest.

All the Best- 😊 😁
Darkangel73 (4 stories) (127 posts)
 
7 months ago (2023-09-01)
Linjahaha
I had experiences with objects apportion but they never where found. I have felt something crawl in the bed with me, I have been physically rolled on my side and felt the hand of the invisible force. The house that this happened in was in the county of Rowan, first experience was hearing people talking. But Ohio has a lot of hauntings going on. Have you ever heard of the Foreman Brothers? They have a YouTube channel called paranormal nightmare. Rockey, Josh and Shawn. They do investigations and help people rid themselves of the paranormal. I had something happen to me today 9/1/23 I had a hair brush just droo on the floor for no reason. So I am VERY familiar with the paranormal ❤
KenS80 (1 stories) (40 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-24)
It is always great reading new paranormal tales of sorts Linjahaha.

I very much look forward to seeing your next tale.

Cheers,
ᕕ (°_°) ᕗ
Linjahaha (22 stories) (109 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-24)
Dear KenS80: Thank you for reading & enjoying my account. Yes, it was a 'very' unpleasant, & unnerving experience for all of us [at] that time. Believe you me.
We never could find anything out about the house. Except that it was an old farmhouse once, & well over a hundred years old when we were living there.
Sorry, but when we got out, we never looked back. To this day I won't even drive by it. It was sold & turned into a Church. However, I just stay completely away from it. Can you blame me?
I have recently submitted another paranormal account that happened when I was a kid in 1968. I hope you enjoy that one when it's posted also! Thanks, again for reading- 😉 😁
KenS80 (1 stories) (40 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-24)
I must say, this was a very fascinating read Linjahaha.

I haven't quite read all the feedback here, but it sounds like a really negative experience and one that I am sure you are pleased to be rid of.

I do hope to see more on this, in terms of what happened next.

Cheers,
Ken
(⁠◔⁠‿⁠◔⁠)
Linjahaha (22 stories) (109 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-22)
Crimson-By all means, keep the posts coming. I really do enjoy reading them.
I, also appreciate any/all comments, or insights I receive from you, & others. I hope my comments are, likewise, helpful to you, & others.
Does your sister know anything about the history of her home? It may help in a resolution!

Take care! 😊 😊
CrimsonTopaz (1 stories) (238 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-21)
Linjahaha, funny you should say you were drained when you were there and revitalised when you left there. That's how I feel when I visit my sister's place. The place is definitely harbouring something. She continues to do a regular cleansing which seems to work, but I still sense something when I visit her.
I suppose I could write about that. Thanks for reading my post and replying.
Linjahaha (22 stories) (109 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-20)
Crimson Topaz,
You sound like you had a very open-minded Mom. That's good that she discussed those topics with you.
My late husband's Mom was, likewise, very open-minded also. Of course, being psychic herself helped her to realize those possibilities [at] an early age. She was Catholic, & in the time period she grew up in (i.e., the Depression), the Church didn't recognize a lot of the paranormal. They refused to even discuss it. At least that's what she told me. It was a different time. I always thought that if one believes in the Holy Ghost, then why not believe in ghosts per se. Not like I'm pushing religion on you. I'm merely making a statement.
My late husband was psychic as well. Him, & I constantly read each other's minds. It amazed us early on, but we became accustomed to it after the first few months. It even amused us. Of course, that could also be an indication of how close we were.
However, being psychic was also fodder for whatever was in that house. It drew on us.
Frequently we felt so drained when we were there. Once we left the house for any period of time we'd feel different. We would feel rejuvenated, & our moods would improve.
I have actually still tried to learn about the place's history. With no success. Maybe it's best that we never learned.
I suppose it will always remain a mystery in that respect. Maybe, it's better that way.
I have enjoyed reading 'your' accounts also. I hope you post some more soon. Best Regards! 😊 😁
CrimsonTopaz (1 stories) (238 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-20)
Linjahaha, funny you should mention UFOs. I just finished watching a movie called *The recalls*, starring Wesley Snipes. It was quite good, and it certainly made me open my mind to the possibilities of what could be out there.
Thank you for recommending the Hans Holtzer book. I will definitely look into that as soon as I get a moment free.
You mentioned back in the 50s and 60s people didn't talk about the paranormal. My mum talked about spirits openly. So I grew up believing in life after passing. May she RIP.
I can't seem to give you karma upvotes. I think I have voted for you often. I'll have to wait and try again.
Linjahaha (22 stories) (109 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-20)
Crimson Topaz, We never did find out too much about 'that' house! As far as the Church that is there now, we never went back.
Once we got out of there it took us almost a full year to recover from that experience. We wouldn't even drive by the place.
I hope the religious influence has had a positive impact, but I'm too traumatized to go back to inquire. Some things are better left alone.
I hate to sound like a nervous Nelly, but after 4 years in that house I guess just maybe I am. Sorry.
I'm glad that you read my account. I really enjoy these discussions as I learn some new things from them by reading the comments.
I love reading all the various accounts on this site. Back in the 50's, & 60's-I know I'm dating myself-many people were intimidated, or afraid to discuss paranormal experiences for fear of ridicule, or being looked at askance.
Now, I have noticed that a lot more people are coming forward, & opening their minds up to the possibility of the paranormal. They, now, seem to realize that there 'are' things in this world that 'are' going on around us. Even if 'we' can't see them.
I even believe in UFO's. My cousin, & I saw one many, many years ago. Of course 'that' is a story for another time. My opinion is that if 'we' are 'all' there is, then it's an awful waste of Space. I got that line from a movie, but I tend to agree with it.
I do not go on ghost hunts. Nor will I ever engage in one of those. I don't believe that the spirits 'want' to perform for our entertainment. I believe in respecting them. They will reach out to those that are sensitive, or those that once were close to them if the need dictates it. They have free-will choice in that realm like they did in the flesh. Of course, this is an opinion that I share with the famous Parapsychologist, Hans Holzer.
If you get the chance to read some of his material, I strongly suggest you do so. His books enabled me to understand so much about the paranormal. He approached the subject with an open-minded rationale combined with scientific observations.
Thank you, & Lost Voyage for your insight, & comments. I enjoy reading them! 😉 😊
The_Lost_Voyage_11 (7 stories) (233 posts)
+4
7 months ago (2023-08-15)
Hello Linjahaha, it's quite amazing how having such a large quantity of electricity nearby can affect things.

I know in one of my stories, there had at one point been a lot of electrical power run into an abandoned building I had been drawn too. However that building was of a high vibration, almost like a portal with a lot of good energy. It recharged me and my camera! I also seemed to gain time considering how long I had been in there. So it seems that such power can be used by both negative and positive entities for sure.

I'm wondering too, if your 'guest' was so confined to that one portion of the attic, that it wasn't drawing the energy it needed to reach out to different areas of the house and plague you and your family, in an effort to force you out. Certainly the power plant would have sufficient energy for this to be accomplished.

In many ways it sounds like the inverse of the place in my story, a negative portal. I think this would explain why it could seem to move or transport solid objects around, inside a portal space this could be possible. Space and time in such places doesn't operate by the same laws of physics as our natural world. The Bermuda Triangle would be a perfect example of this.

The other events you describe seem to support this, bugs and water appearing out of now where as well as the voices and touches, this house seemed to be out of sync with the rest of the world.

As I mentioned, I experienced a positive gate, yet the building had no remarkable history. I would expect to encounter what I experienced in a church or a temple, not an abandoned building out in the country. Like your story however, there is an electrical substation not a mile away and this particular building had a lot of electrical running through it in it's prime. In fact it had all kinds of fuse boxes on the wall and in a nearby building.

The links in the stories seem to be the electricity. I'm not sure of your beliefs, and I wouldn't want to encroach, but from my experience and what you went through in this house, it would seem beings/spirits can harness electrical energy of a great supply to manifest in whatever way they want. Like I said, it almost seems as if the house in your story seemed like some sort of negative portal. People talk of similar gates being opened in Ouija board sessions and seances and who knows what can come through.

In either case, it's good you got out and I'm glad you were finally able to share your experiences, as unpleasant as they were. I'm not sure if I was able to provide an explanation that helps you at all, it delves down some rabbit holes, but it sure gave me a few things to ponder!
CrimsonTopaz (1 stories) (238 posts)
+2
7 months ago (2023-08-14)
Linjahaha, The craziest thing, I started reading this and realised I've read it before. I actually thought I left a message, but as per usual, I must have fallen asleep without publishing my comment. I do remember googling the area to find out about the area and even tried to see if I could locate the Power station on Google maps in hope of figuring out where the church would be today before commenting. It all came back as I started reading this evening. Reading this second time round made it clear that you made the right decision to leave.
All that aside, I enjoyed your post and I'm glad your safe now.
Have you heard back from the church? Have there been any more paranormal activities?
robmkivseries70 (1 stories) (35 posts)
+3
2 years ago (2022-03-23)
[at] Linjahaha,
An interesting account, WOW! I was intrigued by your mention of the near by power station. I guess there is some thought that a power station or other near by electrical faults can lend energy to a haunting? I was also interested to hear Hans Holzer mentioned, one of his first books was my intro to the paranormal. Thanks for the account, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Best,
Rob
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+4
2 years ago (2022-03-23)
Hi, Linja. I prefer to think of myself as an open minded skeptic. I do not have all the facts. I have a few, but not all of them. 😊

Whatever it was in that house, it seems demonic. Or at least, very unfriendly, argumentative, desiring to drive a wedge between you. It is fortunate you, and your husband and mother in law I assume as well, were able to recover after getting out.

I would be interested in knowing what has happened since the church moved in.
BaiAnina (3 stories) (41 posts)
+4
2 years ago (2022-03-23)
I suppose some histories are meant to stay untold. Maybe there is a compelling reason why people are so hushed about it.

It seemed like a malevolent entity to me if it has managed to get into your head like that. That's super scary! I'm glad you got out before it did any more harm.
Linjahaha (22 stories) (109 posts)
+4
2 years ago (2022-03-23)
I'm glad that you read the account. As for 'learning' any history. We 'tried'. We couldn't get 'any' information out of the landlord. All he was interested in was collecting his rent for that dump. City Hall was of no use either. All we could learn was how old it was, & a couple previous owners. We couldn't even get 'any' history from the old-timers that lived around us.
We never knew 'what' happened there to cause such a haunting, & never will know. I'm just glad that we got out. We were there from 1979-1982, & even 'we' don't know 'how' we endured it. In an apartment, now, & quite happy. Never want to go through anything like 'that' again. I wouldn't even wish that place on my 1st husband, & he was a snake, lol!
Thanks again for your interest!
Rajine (14 stories) (740 posts)
+4
2 years ago (2022-03-23)
Hi Linjahaha

I know what you mean when you say a certain house can give you the creeps just by looking at the outside of it, I've felt the same way about a house couple of doors away, as a kid whenever we'd drive past it I would just get a scary vibe from it, it really spooked me out although it was a inconspicuous looking place.

I can't imagine to begin what it must have felt like living in your previous house, but perhaps if you know the history of the place you could learn more about it.

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