She's Like The Wind. Who Is? You Know, Karen....

I’ve been under the weather all week.  My hope is that it’s just the remnants of the nasty flu bug that tore through our house with a vengeance over Christmas break, and that I’m not getting sick again.  What does this have to do with our haunted house?  Well, nothing really, aside from the fact that I tend to feel worse when I’m at home, but that might just be because it’s the end of the day and I’m exhausted.  It simply serves as an explanation as to why I was having a terrible night last night, which is where the story I’m about to tell you begins.

When I laid down to go to sleep last night, my head was pounding.  Not hurting, but literally pounding.  Pulsating.  Throbbing.  It kind of freaked me out.  I thought I was going to have a stroke or a brain aneurysm or something.  Needless to say, I couldn’t sleep.  I would drift off for a few minutes, but then the pulsating would rip me right out of dreamland and drop me back into my cold, uncomfortable bed in my cold, dark room.  Probably around 12:30 or so, I turned off the TV and committed myself to falling asleep.  I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself with my breathing, attempting to ignore the super bass dance party going on inside my brain.  It was working!  I could feel the weight of sleep bearing down on me. 

And then, right before I fell asleep, I heard it.  “Karen.”  A woman’s voice, in my ear, clear as day.  A voice, I might add, that sounded very much like the female voice caught on many of the EVPs during our paranormal investigation.  She said, “Karen.”  I bolted upright in bed, the pounding in my heart now matching the pounding in my head.  I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and turned on my flashlight app, quickly scanning the room.  Nothing.  Not that I really expected to see anything, as I’ve never seen anything (or anyone) before.  Then again, I’ve never actually heard a voice like that before, either. 

Knowing that I most definitely wouldn’t be falling asleep anytime soon after that, I got up.  I decided to research my symptoms on WebMD and self-diagnose my illness, which is never a good idea. Especially not at 1 in the morning.  For once, WebMD didn’t scare the bejesus out of me.  It informed me that I was most likely suffering from a migraine.  I’ve had migraines before.  Usually they’re really, really painful.  This one was just bothersome.  I wasn’t completely convinced it was just a migraine, but I decided to take a couple Ibuprofen anyway.  Couldn’t hurt.  (I also considered taking a Xanax, since one of our ghosts seemed to be in the mood for girl talk, but I refrained.)

In all the commotion, what with me jumping out of bed, turning the TV back on, surfing the internet and getting up to get medicine and water, my husband decided the couch would be the best place for him to try to sleep since he had to get up for work in four hours.  So he left me alone.  With….Karen?  Super.  (In his defense, I didn’t mention to him the whole ghost voice thing, so he had no clue that aside from being sick, wide awake and crazy, I was also scared.)

I propped my head up on a stack of pillows, turned the TV to a home shopping network (boring enough that I wouldn’t want to watch it , but having a little company was nice), and tried to fall asleep again.  SUCCESS!  I didn’t move until my alarm went off, a whole five hours later.  I took a shower, then went upstairs to wake the boys up for school.  They are still enjoying the newness of our homemade trundle bed, so they were sleeping in the same room together.  At some point (probably during my shower), the puppy had joined them under the covers.  Our other dog, Sammy, was passed out on the couch downstairs.

I sat at the end of the bed, talking to them both and gently trying to wake them.  Turns out, I had some help.  There was a loud crash in the hall outside the bedroom we were in, as if someone had thrown something.  They both sat up straight.  “What was that?”  The teenager asked sleepily.  I assured them that “something just fell.”  (Upon investigation, I discovered that nothing had fallen.)  Then, while they were still trying to wake up, it happened again.

It’s hard for me, sometimes, to maintain a calm façade in front of the kids when creepy things happen at home.  In theory, I know our house is haunted and I’m cool with it.  But when things happen, I get freaked out sometimes.  This was one of those times.  “Mama, what was that?”  E-Man asked.  “Ummmm….the wind,” I answered.  Yeeaahhhh, we’ll go with that.  The wind.  Whose name, apparently, is Karen.

Do We Stay Or Do We Go?

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since we moved into our “spirited” new home.  My, how time flies when you’re being haunted!  The end of our first year in our haunted farmhouse means the end of our lease…..which means we have a big decision to make.

When we first got confirmation from bonafide professionals that our house is haunted, most of our friends and family expected us to pack up and move out in the middle of the night, even though we were only about halfway through our one year lease.  Needless to say, that didn’t happen.

I’ll be honest, I’m definitely glad that we’re renters instead of homeowners at this point in time.  It gives us some freedom.  If sh** ever gets all Amityville Horror on us, we can abscond swiftly without having to worry about things like deeds and realtors and mortgages.  I’ll simply call my landlord out on knowingly renting out a haunted house, forfeit my security deposit, and that will be that.  But….for now….

We’re happy.  Things are peaceful.  And I love our house.  It’s spacious.  It’s got more character than just about any house I’ve seen.  It’s home, even with its quirks.  But with our lease ending in a couple of months, we have a decision to make.  Do we stay or do we go?  Our decision might surprise you.

The only way our house being haunted factored into whether or not we wanted to renew our lease was if A.) scarier, more serious incidents started occurring, or 2.) the kids were too freaked out and uncomfortable to stay.  I’m happy to say, neither has been the case.  So we’re staying.

YOU’RE STAYING?!?!  Yes.  We are.  We have a reasonable landlord who’s flexible when it comes to paying rent a little bit late (and unfortunately, that happens occasionally.)  If something breaks down, we don’t have to cover the cost out of our own pockets to fix it.  Our kids are just now starting to feel at home.  And…we HATE moving!

Reading this, you probably think we’re insane.  But here’s something to consider: this is real life, not a scary movie.  Most people who are afraid to come to our house (and there are a lot of them) are pleasantly surprised by how homey, laid back, and un-haunted it feels when they finally work up the courage to come visit.  There aren’t apparitions hiding in the shadows, waiting to jump out and possess people.  There’s not ominous music playing in the background.  (Although….that’s a good idea. I should try that sometime.)  Ghosty things don’t happen ALL the time.  In fact, they either very rarely happen at all anymore, or I just don’t notice them as much.

Besides, if we do move, who’s to say our next house won’t be haunted?  Who’s to say YOUR house isn’t haunted?  Have you ever had it investigated?  No?  Then you can’t be certain, can you?  Chew on that while you’re lying in bed tonight.  You’re welcome.

               

Unsolved Mystery

Now that we've established that our house is haunted, the question is...WHY?  Unfortunately, the paranormal investigators did not have time to research the history of the house before the investigation, so very little is known about what happened here.  But...

One of the investigation teams that was present has expressed an interest in turning the house into an investigation site, which would mean attempting to determine why the property is a hotbed of so much paranormal activity.  I'm tempted...but also afraid.  I feel like, the more time goes by, the more I'm leaning towards letting it happen.  My curiosity is bound to get the best of me sooner or later.

Also, I've been paying attention to the names on the random mail we receive at the house, as I'm assuming they are prior tenants.  I've been able to locate two of them on Facebook.  I'm toying with the idea of reaching out to them to see what they know, to see if they have any stories.  But I feel like a total stalker/weirdo...so I haven't done it yet.

I feel like the answers are RIGHT THERE.  They're so close, and I know what I need to do to get them.  They say knowledge is power.  I just don't know if I'm ready for that kind of power just yet....

Holiday Spirit

About a week or so after the paranormal investigation at our home, things began slowly getting back to normal.  The spirits settled down, the kids bought into my whole "it was all just for fun" story, and I started sleeping with the TV and the lights off again.  Only every once in a while do I get creeped out now.

Oddly enough, the one part of the house that still really bothers me is the bathroom.  (And not  just because it's disgusting due to the fact that I live with five boys.)  For some reason, when I walk into the bathroom at night and all the lights are off and it's pitch black, it terrifies me.  I start scrambling in the dark to flip the light switch on, which of course makes it that much harder for me to find.  My heart starts pounding so hard, you'd think I was locked in the basement with our grumpy man ghost and the incinerator.  But the bathroom?  The investigators didn't find anything in the bathroom. Then again, they didn't really investigate in there, either.

The other night, I was making one of several middle of the night pee runs (my bladder is seriously ridiculous), and I was too tired to even bother to turn the bathroom light on.  I was so out of it that when I first heard the sigh/moan of a child, I thought one of my kids was outside the bathroom door, trying to get my attention.  It was very loud, unmistakable, and distinct.  It was a little "mmmm" like they wanted my attention, but were too tired to speak.  But.  My kids weren't home.  And the bathroom door wasn't closed.  And the noise wasn't coming from outside it.  It was coming from inside the bathroom, in the corner.  I jumped up so fast, I'm surprised I didn't get pee on myself.  (TMI, I know...but it adds to the humor of the situation.)  I bolted out of the bathroom, almost crashing head first into the wall at the end of the hallway.  I raced into the much-brighter-than-the-bathroom kitchen to wash my hands, then hurried back to my bedroom, buried myself under the covers, and cuddled up next to my husband.

He woke up just long enough to ask me what was wrong.  I told him I'd heard a noise in the bathroom.  He jumped up, still half asleep, ready for battle.  I tried to explain to him that there wasn't anyone "real" in the bathroom, and that I didn't need him to go running in there like a bat out of hell to protect me.  I'm pretty sure the only part he heard was "you don't have to go in there," and he was back asleep.  And I was terrified.  I never fell back to sleep after that.

Last night, while we were sitting on the couch catching up on our DVR'd shows for the week, I told my husband about what had happened in the bathroom the night before.  Before he could respond, the door to an antique Army ammo crate we use as a display piece came unlatched and flying open.  Not creaking open, not swinging open, but bursting open.  With force.  I turned to my husband, who was staring in disbelief.  "You see?!"  I squealed.  It's funny how, even after all the things that have happened, I still feel like people think I'm crazy when I talk about our house being haunted.  Even my husband.  "Did you see that?!"  I asked again.  He let out a long sigh and shook his head.  "Yep.  I saw it."  Validation.  I shouldn't need it, but I do.

I'm not sure what's caused the surge in "activity" over the past few days or how long it's going to last, but I don't know if my nerves can take it.  Maybe it's because I rearranged the furniture and got out the Christmas decorations.  Or maybe it's the time of year.  This is going to be our first Christmas in the house, so I don't really know what to expect from our "housemates."  Maybe the spirits are just getting into the holiday spirit.

Breakdown of a Haunting

It dawns on me, with as much talking and writing as I've done about the results of our paranormal investigation, that the one place I never talked about it was here, on the site designated for posts and stories about the house.  Ummmm.....sorry about that!  Rather that rewrite or copy and paste all the stories from the websites on which they were posted, I will provide you with a comprehensive list of links so that you can find everything about everything all in one place.

But first.......the verdict.  After a wild and crazy and insanely spooky night, three teams of paranormal investigators and two local radio personalities all came to the same conclusion, the one I came to after less than a week of living in my country castle: MY HOUSE IS HAUNTED.  Not just haunted, but EXTREMELY haunted.  We don't just have a ghost, we have several spirits occupying multiple rooms in our house.  The master bedroom, the basement....even our yard is haunted!  Not only are the ghosts "intelligent" and able to communicate with the living by responding to questions asked and completing simple tasks (whistling, dropping things, etc.), but they communicate with each other, which, by all accounts, is extremely rare.

So, without further ado, here is the breakdown of our haunting, complete with photos and audio files: (Disclaimer- Stop reading now if you're home alone and get spooked easily!)


Here is my original blog post for Army Wife Network's Loving A Soldier blog, where I explain why I think our house is haunted, and what led to us being chosen for 97.5 FM's fourth annual paranormal investigation: Paranormal Activity: Army Edition.

After an absolutely insane night during the investigation, and a pretty spooky few days that followed, I wrote about what happened that night.  Here is my personal take on the investigation after it was over, but before we got the "official findings" from the investigators: Others.

Even though I knew our house was haunted, I was absolutely not prepared for what the investigators found during their review of all of the information gathered during the "ghost hunt."  Read about it here: Paranormal Activity: Army Edition- The Conclusion.

97.5's Josh Strickland wrote about the experience as well.  Read his take on it here: Paranormal Investigation: The Shocking Conclusion.

One of the paranormal investigation teams, Marter Paranormal, posted their findings on their website.  See what they had to say here: Marter Paranormal: Grand Ledge Residential.


Are you freaked out yet?  Ready to hear the craziest part of all?  We have ZERO plans to move.  We love our house, ghosts and all.  I even find myself talking to them sometimes when I'm home alone.  We don't feel threatened, and according to all of the "experts," we're in no danger.  So, for now, we're staying put.

The Little Ghost Boy Caught on Film?!

These photos were taken by investigators during our paranormal investigation, just seconds apart.  In the first photo, you see a very distinct mist surrounding the tire swing.  In the second photo, it's completely gone.

Paranormal Investigation

Last week I got an early morning random text from one of my very best friends.

Her: "Please tell me that you tried to get your house on 97.5 for their paranormal investigation!!!  Call Strickland right now, last chance to nominate your house!!!"

My immediate response: "Noooooooo!!  I don't want to make 'them' mad!!"

But then I thought about it.  I've listened to the Paranormal Investigation every year.  And truth be told, the thought crossed my mind that I should submit my house this year as soon as I realized that it's haunted.  BUT.....I feel like if we do have a ghost (or multiple ghosts), we're currently co-existing peacefully.  I really don't want to disturb that peace.  But.....how freakin' cool would it be to be "The Paranormal Investigation House"?!

I struggled with my buts (insert joke here, then notice that I only used one "t" in the word but), and then gave in to my adventurous side.  On the last day, at the last minute, I submitted our house for consideration.

AND WE WON.  Won?  I don't know if that's the right word.  I guess we'll see.  I'm really excited at the thought of having the house researched and investigated.  But I'm also really, really nervous.  Because I REALLY don't want to make "them" mad.

The ideal result of the investigation would be to find out that there isn't a "them" at all.  I realize that would make for a disappointing story, but I would be thrilled to have an official "ghost free" stamp on our house.  My second choice?  To have my thoughts confirmed....that there are "others" here, but they're not dangerous.  To continue in our peaceful coexistence, with maybe a better understanding of each other.

But what if something goes wrong?  What if we find out that what we're living with is something that's not safe to live with?  Or what if we upset them, and what was once a peaceful coexistence becomes very unpeaceful?

Only time will tell.  In the mean time, I'd appreciate any kind thoughts, prayers, etc.  And I'll keep you all posted on when/where you can hear all about our Paranormal Investigation!

Visit the 97.5 webpage for more info:   97.5 FM Paranormal Investigation