Paranormal Thread

[potatobunny]

With the cultural diversity among Minna's minions, there's bound to be some interesting stories and tropes. 

Guidelines:

• traditional stories, or personal accounts (second/third/etc-hand accounts welcomed), basically no fiction
• nothing explicit, adhering to general forum rules

I'll start off with one of mine:
Every year or so, I'll remember that I love reading creepy stuff on the internet and go into a binge for a few weeks. Things like SCP, creepypasta, reddit nosleep, and regional stories of local hauntings and beasts. The last time this happened, I was living abroad, half the world away from my family. It was late in the evening, I'd been online all day scaring myself silly, and I hadn't really seen my housemates around. I had to go to the bathroom, so I went down the steps from my roomy attic, and looked around the inexplicable wall in front of the bathroom. Occupied.
There was another toilet not fifteen steps away, but I was feeling lazy (I'd walked down stairs already). Instead, I chose to lean against the wall and try not to think about the fact that this house we were living in was over 130 years old. Light spilled into the hallway as the door opened, and there came a shriek...

_{Because at the time I had really long hair, and apparently the sight of long black hair peeking out from behind a wall is kind of terrifying.} 

[Raya]

Instead, I chose to lean against the wall and try not to think about the fact that this house we were living in was over 130 years old.

130 years old? You call that an old house?

I love spooky stories from everyday people, they're always a lot scarier/genuine. I've had several ghostly encounters myself, this was my creepiest:

Several years ago I went on holiday to Whitby in England (of Dracula fame). My hotel room was at the end of a very long corridor; you went up the stairs from reception and walked down a long straight corridor, through a set of fire doors, down another long straight corridor and my room was the very last room, right against the outer wall of the hotel. One morning we were in the reception about to go out for the day when I realised I'd left something in my room. I went back, collected it and started to walk back to reception.

As soon as I turned away from my door and started walking I immediately felt a presence behind me. You know that sensation you feel when someone is standing right behind you? It was exactly like that. I knew it was ridiculous as there was no physical way a person could be behind me, so I ignored it and carried on walking. But the presence didn't go away and instead got heavier and heavier. I told myself I was being stupid but couldn't bring myself to look round. By the time I reached the fire doors it felt like something was literally looming over me, and my walk had turned into a very fast power walk! When I passed through the doors the presence vanished in an instant. At that point I finally turned and looked round...and the corridor was empty. Nothing was there.

I put this down to my imagination until a few days later when I went on a ghost walk. Our guide took us around the town telling us stories and folklore about each location. The final stop was outside the hotel itself. According to the guide in the 19th century workmen uncovered human remains when rebuilding a disused area of the hotel. The remains were believed to be that of a 17th century maid who was thought to have run away, but now was obviously the victim of foul play. Ever since the remains were disturbed the staff have reported strange phenomenon and other spooky goings on. The most common thing they reported?

The sensation of being followed

Certainly made sleeping the following night interesting!

[Sparky Dragon]

Uhh...come to think of it, all of my "creepy stuff" involves fire.

So, at a camp I went to when I was small, there was a burnt-down cabin in the woods, and the general rumor involved a wolf/dog-man, and arson. Basically, it was the ghost story of the camp, but what made it really cool is that one year there were baby vultures living in the ruins. Awesome.

And another one, is that a house in my old neighborhood was supposed to be haunted (weird noises, doors opening/closing). Then the house caught on fire, which would be much cooler if people weren't living in it. But, everyone got out, and it didn't actually burn down. BUT THEN, after they fixed it up and some new people moved in, it started having a bunch of OTHER weird stuff happening. O.0   Glad I don't live there anymore...

[Faust]

I'd post a lot of ghost stuff here from my childhood and our old house except its not believed by anyone. One of my best friends was a ghost. That house was full of them.
Most ghosts look human and visitors need it pointed out, though they only believe when they can't explain something for example when three kids enter a room and only two leave and the room is then empty. He liked playing toy cars and we often left him to continue when we were done. If you looked in a minute later he would still be there though another five and he'd be gone. The only way in or out the play room was through the living room, It was actually one big room divided with furniture. He got the whole visitors knocking on the door bit though he would knock on the door to the room you were in every time and wait to be let in. The toy room was always left tidy at night and always the toy cars would be found scattered on the floor in the morning.

[DzigaWatt]

Yay! I was waiting for something like this to happen!

[potatobunny]

130 years old? You call that an old house?

Cut me some slack; in my home country most of the houses are newly developed.
That said, when I was to move out of the 130+ year old house, I went to look at a room in a 300+ year old house. It was even a Tier 2 listed building, and the room I was looking at was at the time being rented by an opera singer, with an antique four-poster bed and a built-in closet. (I chose not to stay there because it was late summer and ALREADY the place was dark and somewhat forbidding.)

As soon as I turned away from my door and started walking I immediately felt a presence behind me. You know that sensation you feel when someone is standing right behind you? It was exactly like that. I knew it was ridiculous as there was no physical way a person could be behind me, so I ignored it and carried on walking. But the presence didn't go away and instead got heavier and heavier. I told myself I was being stupid but couldn't bring myself to look round. By the time I reached the fire doors it felt like something was literally looming over me, and my walk had turned into a very fast power walk! When I passed through the doors the presence vanished in an instant. At that point I finally turned and looked round...and the corridor was empty. Nothing was there.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggghhhhhhh

Uhh...come to think of it, all of my "creepy stuff" involves fire.

Sparky.... and fire? And baby vultures! What were they like?

Most ghosts look human and visitors need it pointed out, though they only believe when they can't explain something for example when three kids enter a room and only two leave and the room is then empty. He liked playing toy cars and we often left him to continue when we were done. If you looked in a minute later he would still be there though another five and he'd be gone. The only way in or out the play room was through the living room, It was actually one big room divided with furniture. He got the whole visitors knocking on the door bit though he would knock on the door to the room you were in every time and wait to be let in. The toy room was always left tidy at night and always the toy cars would be found scattered on the floor in the morning.

Whoa. Did the ghosts interact with each other? Did any of the other ghosts interact with you? 

[Raya]

I'd post a lot of ghost stuff here from my childhood and our old house except its not believed by anyone. One of my best friends was a ghost. That house was full of them.

Share some stories with us! Although most ghostly encounters have innocent explanations, it's the ones that don't that are the most intriguing. I'd love to hear some tales from your childhood

Cut me some slack; in my home country most of the houses are newly developed.
That said, when I was to move out of the 130+ year old house, I went to look at a room in a 300+ year old house. It was even a Tier 2 listed building, and the room I was looking at was at the time being rented by an opera singer, with an antique four-poster bed and a built-in closet. (I chose not to stay there because it was late summer and ALREADY the place was dark and somewhat forbidding.)

The problem with old houses is that, basically, they're rubbish. The atmosphere and the history are fantastic, but the actual day-to-day living is awful. I once lived in a house that was 600 years old. The floors were wonky and there was zero insulation, which meant it was constantly freezing. I had to sleep with two duvets on!

Wasn't haunted though, but I did have a suspicion that the fae paid occasional visits to my previous abode on account of all the items that kept teleporting around...

[kjeks]

Share some stories with us! Although most ghostly encounters have innocent explanations, it's the ones that don't that are the most intriguing. I'd love to hear some tales from your childhood

Would love to read about it, too! I had an invisible friend but he doesn't count for a ghost.

As ghosts are turning up mostly at nights I wouldn't see them. My eyes are so bad that I need a walking stick in the dark. That's fine but you have to get used to creepy noises. Espacially when having to walk through a wood it's hard. Mice running behind my beak still make me freak out. But besides that the most horrible thing happening was opening the bathroom door and my boyfriend waiting silently behind it, saying nothing, not even grinning just looking at me. I screamed so loud and really freaked out because I anticipated him to be outside working in the garden. And with that freakish calm face just staring it took me a moment to realize it was him. Heart's still pounding at the memory

[Tazzie]

Wasn't haunted though, but I did have a suspicion that the fae paid occasional visits to my previous abode on account of all the items that kept teleporting around...

That used to happen at the house im in now when i was a kid.
Sometimes it was the fae that did it, but other times it meant that the 'kid ghost' visited the house and wanted to play. By moving things and taking them away for a few months. =_='

[kjeks]

Okay guys, we are having a creepy situation right now. There are sounds in our kitchen. Sometimes from below the stairs at other times it sounds like our oven wants to throw things at us. We looked under the stairs (ok, we really should clean the floor down their) but no sign of mice or large superhero-frightning spiders. Half an hour ago we just heard another bunch of rumbling. We sneaked into the kichen but it turned silent immediatly. We tried to distract the soundmaking something buy playing the guitar. But nothing. The last two days after going to bed the sounds came back. Tomorrow we will start for taking a close look at our attic. Hopefully we have not caught a bird or something above there, poor little thing. Until we have not found a reason for those noises this is a really creepy situation.

[Clayres]

Okay guys, we are having a creepy situation right now. There are sounds in our kitchen. Sometimes from below the stairs at other times it sounds like our oven wants to throw things at us. We looked under the stairs (ok, we really should clean the floor down their) but no sign of mice or large superhero-frightning spiders. Half an hour ago we just heard another bunch of rumbling. We sneaked into the kichen but it turned silent immediatly. We tried to distract the soundmaking something buy playing the guitar. But nothing. The last two days after going to bed the sounds came back. Tomorrow we will start for taking a close look at our attic. Hopefully we have not caught a bird or something above there, poor little thing. Until we have not found a reason for those noises this is a really creepy situation.

Racoons? There's responsible for all kinds of mischief...

[kjeks]

Racoons? There's responsible for all kinds of mischief...

Luckily we never had one of these rascals around and we would smell them at last. And our food remains untuched so far (except for the sweets but I know whom I have to blame that for ). As we found no leftover's or excrements I exclude rats as well. Soooo, off I go and maybe the sounds come back.

[FrogEater]

Genetically modified mice...Muahahahahh you are doooooomed !

[Elrew]

I have quite a few ghost stories.
Firstly, my dad works at a storage warehouse and is usually the last one there at night so he has to go round the whole place locking up and turning off the lights. It's a pretty old building too. One of the oldest parts used to be a mill but it's now rented by a furniture company. Because it's so old, it hasn't got any electricity so you have to go up with a torch. In the corner furthest from the door, people see a little girl watching them. People have taken to only ever going up with someone else so that one of them can stand in the door and let the light in. It's a pretty damn creepy place.
Secondly, I think I might have seen a ghost in our house... The top floor has a short corridor leading to the bathroom. Before school one morning I was about to go into the bayhroom but I saw someone go in so I decided to wait. I'd assumed it was my brother becuase the person was wearing black like our blazers. As I went downstairs, I met my brother. I was seriously confused and then decided to go check who was in the bathroom. Nobody. So I refused to go in again and used the loo at school instead...

[kjeks]

Genetically modified mice...Muahahahahh you are doooooomed !

She looks quite normal. We will bring her to the bus station now. Poor beast.