Near Pioneer Park in Provo, Utah sits a cozy genuinely oldtime Provo-esque, brick, early 1900's style house. Blake and I rented it in 2001 with our two kids. It didn't take long to settle ourselves in comfortably. It was the first time we had lived in a house and we were college-poor and furniture-deficient. But we were glad to have room to spread out.
Our first encounter with our ghost occurred during the first week or so of moving in. Blake and I had just gone to bed. Flashing lights and loud music jerked us out of bed along with our 3-year-old's startled screams. His little light-up keyboard had turned on, top-volume. We ran in and turned it off and soothy-talked our poor son back to sleep. But we didn't go back to sleep quite so easily.
During our year there we had a few more 'incidents.' One night (our ghost was a night person) Blake put his keys on the deep window seat like he always did when he was undressing for bed. When we were all tucked in the keys jangled as they fell to the floor. Blake got up and put them back on, this time farther in. He got back in bed, settled the covers up around his chin and then: the keys fell again! Pretty creepy. He placated my jitters by telling me the fan must have blown them off, and then lay in bed awake for a while, wondering....
The best prank our ghost-caper pulled off was after one of the kids' birthdays. We had a helium balloon that was losing air in the front room. When I was turning off the lights for bedtime I realized the balloon was right at the level of a man's head and would be terrifying to see in the dark. So I tucked it into a corner near the kitchen table and went to bed. While we were settling down Blake felt something tickle his hand and looked up to see the shape of a man's head right in front of him! The string of the balloon had run across his hand after the balloon traveled through three rooms on its own accord and ended up in our room. I swear it's true.
We moved to Vegas a year later and our ghost friend was left behind never to bedevil our family again. Something about those old houses creeps me out. Once when I was telling my friend down the street from me in Provo about these weird things she told me that in her similar home she got up to get her son a drink of water. When she turned around to give it to him she saw a little boy in 1800s style clothing wearing a Civil War style straw hat. They made eye contact and then he was gone. Maybe he left to come play with the keyboard at our house.
Today we are seven years ghost-free. The scariest thing in our house today is the dust-eating junk monster that exists under the fridge. And these:
9 comments:
Eerie! I thought you would mention the green floating ghost in your current home! :)
As I read my back in turned to an open door. I couldn't help but turn around and make sure no one was there! You got skill, girl.
I have to say that I HATE horror movies, but lingering spirits don't freak me out too much. There some rules they have to follow right? It's not like they are chasing you around with a fake knife. Needless to say, I don't think I would want to live in a haunted house.
Did you ever think of "dedicating" your home? I have heard of that and wonder if it would help both parties (worldly, and otherworldly) move on with their lives.
Great Halloween post!
Whenever I check blogs and see yours at the top of the list with a fresh new update...I just get so excited! (remember I live in Idaho, and there's not a whole lot going on around here, which is good, but nonetheless...) Kinda spooky stories. Sounds like you should tell your kids tomorrow night and spook them out. We lived with a ghost once too. We bought an old house that a man had built for his wife's wedding gift. Nobody else had ever lived there. And we had several occassions when he came to visit. But my favorite, was when we would walk in the back door after being gone, and we could smell 'old spice' (which only old men wear, right?). He was a friendly ghost though. Just making sure we loved his house as much as he did.
Whatever. I totally think your ghost was lame. Our ghost got us free cable. Beat that.
I love how you made the thumbs up picture look all spooky and blury.
Creepy Jen. I remember you telling me about that. We had a balloon that kept floating into Ashley's room at eye level and would scare her, but it was the a/c. Too funny.
The stories wouldn't be scary at noon, but I read it at 8:30...yeah. A little heart-jumper but not TOO bad. The ones on Rexburbia are dumb.
I miss you! Like the picture.
Post a Comment