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Hallway Haunts

 

According to my landlord, the house I live in was constructed around the time of the Civil War. At the time it served as barracks, and later as a hotel, and today it is split into four separate apartments. We live in the top left one, if you are facing the house.

I have tried researching this house as there are many historic houses in this old town, but I couldn't find anything in the library about it, which is quite unusual as I found just about every other house in Oxford there. I even found houses that aren't that old!

The closest I got was the next door neighbors, and I could see a portion of our front porch. I think something happened here or on the property, that Oxford wants to be kept secret. I know me and some sensitive friends of mine have the distinct feeling that there is a very large tree missing from the yard. It is the south, and I wonder if it was a hanging tree that could have been burned down during the race riots here.

We moved in Sept. 11, 2001. That in itself should have been a sign this is an extraordinary place. Considering the age of the place, I figured it would have its haunts.

It wasn't until well after we had settled in, I'd say the following spring, was the first evidence that there was something else living here. I was home alone, completely alone, as in nobody was in the whole building, and relaxing on the sofa in the living room reading. Suddenly I heard the sound of footsteps walking toward me in the hall. (The hall runs past all the bedrooms railroad style, and ends in the living room. The kitchen, laundry room, and back door is at the other end.) I sat up in preparation thinking my sweetie was off work early.

Then as they neared something struck me odd. I realized what I was hearing was the sound of men's dress shoes, or even boots on hard wood, and the hall is carpeted. The sound carried the whole way to the end, stopped and then turned around and went to the kitchen and stopped. I took a look and of course nobody was there, but I still heard it as I looked. That phenomenon happened a few times here and there and then ceased. And it would happen differently every time. Sometimes it would stop at the living room, sometimes it would stop halfway down the hall.

Something that happened recently involving that same hallway happened in August. It happened while my cat Muffin was still alive. I was once again laying on the couch reading, Jeff was behind me at his computer as usual. Suddenly, all three of my cats came tearing into the living room like their tails were on fire! They all three jumped to the back of the couch, where sometimes they would sleep in a line, and I laughed at them. I asked "What are you doing silly kitties?!" At the same time, all three of them looked into the hallway. I looked and I distinctly saw a shadow person. It was the upper left part of him, and he was reaching out to the wall as if to stop himself from running, and then he ducked back out of my view. My hair stood on end! Jeff went to the back of the house to check for me as I was a little freaked, and the back door was still locked.

Another phenomenon that happened after some now ex-friends moved out of the apartment across the hall, (they were bad tenants and friends) and a new set of friends moved in, Jamie and Robert. After they moved in, we would each have our doorbells ring at the same time, and sometimes separately, but no one was ever there. There was one time, that scared the crap out of me, the doorbell rang, and Jamie was there! I had opened the door expecting to see nobody, and there she was, asking if I had just banged on her door. Sometimes you expect the paranormal and it is the normal that ends up scaring ya'! This door activity would occur anywhere form midnight to three in the morning. There came a point when I just took my doorbell down because of the annoyance. But when I did that I would hear knocking at the same time every night.

One night, I was a little tipsy, and the knocking came, three times as usual. Well the verse in the bible about Jesus knocking three times came to mind, and I opened the door and said, "Come on in Jesus!" The knocking ceased for a month. Then it started again, but when it did I was sleeping. I ran to the door thinking it was my sister and there was something wrong, for some reason. As usual there was an empty hall. I yelled into the hall, "Stop it already! It isn't cute anymore!" I slammed the door shut. It hasn't again happened since.

After that, everyone who comes to visit mentions having a really bad feeling in the hall. One of my friends makes me escort her halfway down the stairs when she comes to visit me. I don't always get the feeling, but I do feel the tension sometimes.

A month or so later something wicked happened. I was headed out the door, I can't remember where I was going. I got a really bad feeling. I looked into the open door of my landlord's apartment, and thought the bad vibe had something to do with him. But in retrospect I think it was whatever is in that hall! As I was slowly going down the stairs, and holding onto the railing, looking into the apartment, I felt a hand shove me down the four remaining steps. It shoved me hard enough for me to lose my grasp on the railing! I uncontrollably stumbled to the bottom and my hand went through the window at the end of the steps. I got a nasty cut that needed stitches on the base of my hand onto my wrist. The cut is ironically in the shape of an S, and conveniently dodged a major vein and artery! It was deep enough to sever these!

I yelled at the spirit in the hall that if it ever pulled a stunt like that again I would have it exorcised so fast it would make its head spin! Nothing like that happened again, but sometimes going down those steps I feel like someone is behind me wanting to push me down! It is a really nasty feeling when you can feel that spirit. I don't blame anyone who would want an escort out of the building with that thing there!

I still live in this old apartment, and have had a couple other experiences in it, as well as in my friends' apartment across the hall. But I will post it later!

I hope you all enjoyed!

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

kailay (1 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-06-24)
sounds like yoou have a intelligent and residential haunting...
hope that nothing bad happens:)
good luck!
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-13)
Kind of funny, though, isn't it? The reason I pointed THAT out, was that it takes entities energy to manifest themselves. Perhaps this was a being that just did not have enough energy to completely show itself, and was perceived as a shadow. Because of the lack of energy. WITH that, perhaps this is a ghost that does not KNOW that he is dead. And THEREFORE protected himself from smashing into the wall and causing himself personal harm.
Just a thought. I could be wrong. But it would make sense.
Thank you.
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-13)
Ya' know Buffalo... That is exactly why I told Jeff to check the house to make sure nobody was here! The action was that of a living person in my mind!
I really felt like the shadow person didn't want me seeing him! 😊
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-12)
Hi faerielike,
It almost sounds like the shadow person was playing with your cats. Only because he put his hands and arms up to stop himself from running into the wall. What I find ironic is: Really, what difference would it really have made for him not to be able to stop? But then again...
Thank you.
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-12)
Oh! One further comment in regards to being pushed... I really almost feel like it happened because I had let my guard down. It's just a feeling I get.
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-12)
Thank you all so much for your comments and advice! As soon as I have some time, I am definitely going to take the advice given and get some serious researching done. I actually am going to mail this page to my neighbor so maybe she can do the finger walking for me and get the info... Considering she is involved in this place as much as I am, and has her own stories to tell!
I will definitely get some pictures up as soon as I can. Hopefully I can catch something as well! 😆
Someone mentioned a male spirit that didn't want us here, that is what the previous tenants said. They said it was a Ameri-french soldier that died in a well under the house. I have yet to see this basement with the supposed well!
I noticed too that since I have had my son, the major experiences have died down. Though, there was one night while feeding my son in his nursery, I suddenly had to leave because of such a strong bad feeling in the room. I was scared to look over my shoulder where my son was staring with the most god awful look on his face. There's more to that but there will be another whole story to post!
Thanks again everyone! 😁
BriFischer05 (14 stories) (169 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-11)
Where at in NC is this? I live in Clemmons / Winston-Salem. The south is riddled with civil war sites etc so it would be of no surprise to me if these occurances are linked to that time.
Biemaster (7 stories) (192 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-10)
Whoa that was really scary! There is something in that place, all right! But one thing is for sure, its a man and it doesn't want you all staying there. Maybe some incident happened there that nobody wants anyone to know about (since you said that the oxford didn't have anything mentioning this). I suggest that you again take a look somewhere about the history of this place. Maybe there was something that you missed? Or better yet, ask some person who was or had a relative of that time. Maybe they know as the story might have been passed on? But I am only guessing. Anyway, keep informing us!
Biemaster
Tonith (1136 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-09)
I never thought spirits could hurt someone because my thought was the dead can't hurt you only the living can. Well so much for that theory in regards to you being pushed. I have also heard of others having been pushed, slapped, scratched, and pinched. Guess it has to be a spirit with some anger issues. At first it seemed like a poltergiest with the knocking and door bell incidents but I think it's somehting more being that the physical stuff started happening. I would be concerned for my child and would not want it harming my child in any way shape or form or they would see one angry live spirit who would be demnanding they get out and stay out. Don't know about your religious beliefs but maybe a blessing wouldn't hurt or a cleansing if you are not religious. Would be interesting to get some info on the house just to see if you could find any reason for a ghost haunting the place. Great story.
Jennifer40 (20 stories) (202 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-09)
Wow, how scary! I liked the line you used when you said about how so many paranormal things have happened that when something normal happens you don't recognize it. I never thought of it that way. 😉

I'm glad you told it to knock it off. That's terrible that you got hurt by something you couldn't see. Not to mention truly frightening!

Jennifer ❤
RoseForEmily (34 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-09)
I agree with Ohiowatha, pictures of your place would be nice, the hallways anyway. Who knows someone might see something!
It's really creepy what that spirit does to you, but apparently it seems like he knows you're in charge, like when you say "come on in Jesus..." it stops for a period of time, until it starts back up again.

Anyways, hope it calms down a bit.

-Sadie
Ohiowatha (11 stories) (415 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-09)
Faerilike, you've done it again--thoroughly creeped me out.

I ask this often and nobody ever humors me... Can you PLEASE please please take some pictures and post them here? I would be very, very interested to just get a visual feel for your place. Who knows--maybe somebody will see something you don't. Could be quite revealing.

PLEASE?!?!? Thanks.
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-09)
Great story faerielike although quite frightening.

It seems that more than one or two tormented souls are still around apart from the nasty one who pushed you down the steps. You've got a lot of portals open there considering the history of the land.

Like Kecoughtan suggested try to see if you find anything at all about the house through the fire insurance maps. Learning a bit more about the place will give you a good start before seeking the deeper history behind it.
Kecoughtan (1 stories) (211 posts)
 
17 years ago (2008-05-09)
Libertybelle has provided you with a great description of how to do deed research. If your county records survive, I hope you have an opportunity to follow up on her advice. You might also consider looking at fire insurance maps. In the nineteenth century companies that insured homes and businesses against fire made detailed maps of most towns in order to assess fire liabilitiy. The maps depict the size and arrangement of buildings and detailed structural information such as the location of windows, doors, heating sources, outbuildings, porches, and construction materials. Depending on the efficiency of the local agent they were usually updated every few years. So, by starting at the most recent and working backwards chronologically you can see changes to the shape and use of your house as well as other features on the your lot. They provide a glimpse at how the neighborhood has physically changed and what buildings predated your house (if the maps go back far enough). One of the most common fire insurance companies was Sanborn. Most public libraries (and some historical socities) have these on file either in book form, microfilm, or digitized. If you ask, the reference librarians should be able to help you locate them. Of course, this only helps to determine when your house was constructed and how previous owners altered it--not why or who lingers within its walls.
velvet1 (4 posts)
 
17 years ago (2008-05-09)
All I can I say is that old buildings carry energy from the past. Always do research on buildings that you're interesting in living at, because they have history in them. If you're thinking about having kids where there's paranormal things, kids are much more sensitive to this kind of things. They can easily see ghost, even at a really young age.

If you're uncomfortable then I would advice to move specially after being pushed. Try to protect yourself by praying and making a shield to protect yourself. Maybe this ghost is still lost and has not seen the light. Sometimes ghosts have no idea that they're dead or they still have more things to do that they haven't finish. Good luck and I hope everything goes well, keep us updated.
faerielike (15 stories) (268 posts)
 
17 years ago (2008-05-08)
Chris B thanks, no not scared, I know there are lots of spirits here! I was once told by a witch that there are a lot of portals on my property and through the house. He said he closed a few that apparently somebody opened, as it is supposed to wreak havoc on a house. I don't know much about that, but I thanked him all the same!
I have a few more stories about this place, and an update on the story of the Hancock house! I move slowly! Hard to post them all at once with a little one around. A nervous first time parent I am!
I had the opportunity, by chance, to speak to the president of the historic society here, and she did tell me to go to some building other than the courthouse to check the register of deeds. But I am well aware that that can be a very time consuming process, so it might be when my son is older and I can trust a sitter! LOL 😁
libertybelle (14 stories) (207 posts)
 
17 years ago (2008-05-08)
Great story! Too bad you couldn't get any information on the house--did you try seeing how far back you can trace the chain of title? The records would be at your county courthouse, likely in the deed vault.

Checking a chain of title for a purpose such as yours wouldn't be too difficult--it's not as if you're trying to find any liens or judgments, as you would have to do in a title search.

First step is to find out who owns the property now. Then, once you know that (and the approximate date he/she/they acquired it) you go to the Grantees' Index, where it will show you who owned the property immediately prior to the current owner (s), and it will, if memory serves, give the names of the party or parties who conveyed it to THEM. You look that deed up in the appropriate volume, and before you know it you can find out whose property it has been for the last 100 or more years (in the county where I live, the earliest land grant goes back to, I think, the 1730's!).

Once you've done that, try researching old newspapers from the various eras since the house was built.

Who knows what you'll discover?

Keep us posted--and let us know if your researches turn up anything of interest! 😁
ChrisB (6 stories) (1515 posts)
 
17 years ago (2008-05-08)
Wow that sure is a mean spirit. But I'm not sure there is only one spirit there. I have a feeeling that there are more. I hope I'm not scaring you to much 😜.I wonder about the historyt about that place. It must be frusturating for you that you can not find information about the house. I liked your story. I hope to hear from you soon and take care

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