Kids on the Stairs

It was 1976. I was 12 years old and alone in our new house for the first time ever. My father was out until 10.00pm and my mother was recovering from surgery in the hospital. I was making a toast in the kitchen when I heard loud slow footsteps. There were 14 steps in the hall leading to our apartment and someone was coming up them, slowly. I slid the bolt on the door to lock it and my poodle began growling. She was normally a sweetheart, but now she was freaking out. I'd never seen her this way. The doorknob turned slowly. I was so glad I'd locked it! All at once, I heard children's laughter and doors slamming down at the foot of the stairs. There were two doors there: one led to the downstairs apartment, but the occupants were far away on vacation. The other led outdoors. They both sounded like they were slamming. The child's laughter chilled me! My poor dog continued to growl as the knob turned and then it sounded as if lots of people were running up and down the stairs. I got my mother on the phone and she could hear the dog going crazy and so she knew it wasn't my imagination. She had the woman in the next hospital bed call the police. While I waited for them to arrive, I peeked under the door but could see nothing. We had no neighbors! I was surrounded by cow pastures in this remote house. As suddenly as it had started, it ALL stopped: the laughing, running, and slamming of doors stopped all at once. I heard more normal footsteps and was told by a policeman to open the door. He told me it was probably garbage cans blowing around outside! He then showed me the downstairs doors. They were both open but shouldn't have been.

We toured the downstairs apartment and it was completely empty. Many years later when I was in my 20's I took a picture of a dog out in the yard at that old house. In the top near the dog's head is a disembodied little head that appears to be that of an old man. I'll never ever be a skeptic and I'm glad I no longer live there!

Submitted From: Connecticut, USA