I’ll keep this simple. I believe in ghosts. Thirty years of living in haunted houses will do that to you. I don’t think I had a choice not to believe. I grew up listening to ghost stories about various houses I lived in, and there were too many unexplained things that happened… and still do.

Submitted for the approval of the RevPub readers, I call this story:

A Stranger in the Hall

My son was four days old. We returned from the hospital the day before, and he was asleep. I desperately wanted a hot shower, so I took advantage of the nap. He hardly slept when he was little.

I was alone with him in the house, so I locked all the doors and left his and the bathroom doors cracked open. I got in the shower, and as I was washing my face I heard footsteps in the hall, which is adjacent to the bathroom. (map)

I poked my head out and heard squeak, squeak, squeak, down the hall again.

I knew better than to say, “hello, is anyone there?” That will get you killed. I left the water on, quietly stepped out, wrapped a towel around me, and poked my head out the door. I assumed I would see my husband, but there was nothing.

Cussing to myself, I checked the doors, and everything was still locked. My son was fine, too. I stepped back in the shower, and as I was washing my hair, I heard footsteps in the hall again. Squeak, squeak, squeak.

I listened longer this time, and heard it again. Back and forth, back and forth. Squeak, squeak, squeak. I rushed out of the shower, grabbed the towel (again) and scissors this time, and slowly crept out of the bathroom.

Nothing. Not a sound, not a movement, and my son was sleeping in the exact spot I left him.

Irritated, I checked the doors and made my way back to the shower. I waited a couple of minutes and didn’t hear anything, so I got back in. As I finished and turned the water off, there were footsteps again. Squeak, squeak, squeak. I got out and dried off. Squeak, squeak, squeak. I got dressed this time, with scissors in hand, and was ready to kill someone.

With hair in towel, I stepped into the hall. Nothing. Every door locked, my son asleep, and not a sound or disruption. My only reaction was to get mad, and I simply said, “I don’t know what or who you are, but you can at least let me take a shower.”

———

Later when I told my husband and mother-in-law about it, they were calm and believed me. They explained my deceased father-in-law’s spirit was still in the house, and he was watching the baby while I took a shower. And to this day, I believe it.

Thankfully, it’s never happened again, or I don’t care enough to notice, but sometimes I still hear footsteps in the hall when no one is there. Sometimes while laying on the couch in the living room, there are footsteps in the same room. Squeak, squeak, squeak.

You can think I’m crazy, and I’m sure some of my friends do, but no one has been able to explain it. And I’m okay thinking it’s a good spirit keeping watch. I hope to do the same one day…

Have you ever heard anything and couldn’t explain it? Tell us about it in the comments section!