A Spooky Story.....

[Meg888]

A friend of mine has a 22yr old daughter and a 2yr old grandaughter, who, until a few months ago lived with her. When her girls moved in to their little flat, they began hearing awful noises - similar to someone's (or several) footsteps running up the stairs. The 2yr old became very nervous and kept talking about the 'man at the top of the stairs', she would often wave to him, although 'he' made her seem anxious. Anyway, the noises continued for 3 months, terrifying the mother of the toddler witless. They had the flat blessed to no avail. A Medium was called in, this medium knew nothing of my friends family. Within minutes he was talking about a 'man, who died in the 80's and was only 30 something at the time of his death, leaving behind two children of the same gender, called John, he described the man's looks. My friend's Dad passed away in 1983, called John aged 32 leaving behind my friend & her sister then aged 13 & 14!!! There was a lot more said in terms of what type of man & father this John was, and it all fits with my friends Dad! The medium claimed the spirit in the house meant no harm to the girls, and he suggested (once he realised that it could possibly be my friends Dad) that he was merely watching over them, and making some attempt at entertaining the little one with his 'antics' on the stairs. My friend was devastated and gobsmacked, as she idolised her father and watched as her daughter became more and more terrified at the goings on in the house, whilst constantly trying not to frighten her toddler. She found it hard to believe her Dad would scare them in such a manner as he was a doting dad and truth be known, she never got over him dying. I know this sounds crazy, I'm quite the sceptic myself, and my friend even more so, she is not easily taken in by such things and is quite wise and I know she would not have given away so much info to the medium so that he could maybe second guess the situ. She has never encountered anything like this before, and does not find it comforting - to the point she's taken down the photos of her Dad. I wondered what other people's opinions are, and if they've experienced such a thing.

[pixie373]

What makes you say he knew nothing about your friend's family? He had her name and address presumably and could have looked into it before he arrived?

[bednobs]

in my opinion, it's a load of rubbish. I would be doubly suspicious if the medium asked for a fee. Things are so easy to find out about people on the internet these days

[viv38]

The thing that gets my attention most in this story is that the little girl saw a man at the top of the stairs. Children are innocent, so she could not be making this up, surely and she's only two.

[pixie373]

They can, viv. My nephew always has. I assume if they are in a flat, other people can be heard.

[Meg888]

Well we have to 'assume' he didn't know, my friend confirmed that neither she nor her daughter discussed father/grandfather with the medium before his 'explanation'. There are only a select few people who know about my friends Dad, as it affected her deeply (she was just 13 at the time of his sudden passing), she does not openly speak about him and has only told a mere handful of friends any details of his passing. She is not the sort, nor is her daughter, who live there lives recording every detail on facebook or other such sites.

[pixie373]

I wouldn't assume he didn't know- he clearly did.

[bednobs]

however, birth and death records are a matter of public record.
If the girls are that worried, they should move out

[cazzz1975]

you have to have some accuracy to order a death certificate, plus it will have cost him around a tenner for the privilege of conning a woman..

[Meg888]

@ Viv - the little girl is the usual boisterous, chattery little thing; she would often be found staring at the top of the stairs and waving nervously stating that the man was waving at her. One night her Mum was woken by footsteps running about the hallway, assuming it was her toddler, she got up, but then found her in bed - she awoke when her Mum entered her room and immediatley stated the 'man' was behind her Mum on the stairs. She became quiet and a bit withdrawn during these few weeks, and continued to mention the man. My friend stayed over a few nights, convinced her daughter was mistaken about the noises, but she heard them herself and admitted to feelin absolutely terrified. I'm unsure whether or not a fee was given to the medium.

[Meg888]

Also, forgot to mention the noises have since stopped (I'm not exactly sure what the medium did to put a stop to everything) but my friend's daughter still feels uneasy in the house. She also lives right next door to her grandma who was the wife of the 'man' at the time of his death.

[naomi24]

I wouldn't like to make a judgement on the story you were given, but I lived in a seriously 'haunted' house for several years and, regardless of what sceptics say, I have no doubt whatsoever that things do go bump in the night - and during the day!

[ck1]

Have for sure experienced some very strange goings on in various houses, why did she feel the need to take the photo of her dad down though, without the experience of losing a parent I would assume it would be quite comforting knowing that he was in the house?

[Meg888]

@ ck1; she took the photo down because she found it hard to believe that her dad would terrify her daughter & grandaughter in such a manner. That was not the man she knew, and he was a loving dad of whom she has lovely memories of. She said she felt as if she had grieved for 30 yrs for him, and now she doesn't want to think of it anymore. This was her daughters first home, and they were all delighted when she got it, and were devastated to have it marred in such a way.

[viv38]

A truly, loving Dad wouldn't terrorise like this. Maybe an exorcism is in order, but I've never had an experience of anything of this nature myself.

[237SJ]

I agree with Naomi in that strange things with no explanation can happen in houses. I (and quite a few other people, apparently) experienced that in an old house my friend lived in in North London. However, that doesn`t mean that the medium is correct in assuming the 'presence' is the child`s grandfather. A man who died in the 80`s, leaving two kids could have been anyone. It could have been someone who wasn`t related to the family at all and that the medium is just "making it fit". Reminds me of the psychic medium sketch on Smith and Jones :-)

[Meg888]

I suppose it's possible the medium could be 'blagging' it, but I'm unsure how he would have been so well informed as my friend is adamant, they gave nothing away about her Dad as they didn't think or suggest for one minute it was him - hence the shock at the suggestion that it is. It was all spurted out to me in a bit of a rush, so I will have to find out more re the medium.

[237SJ]

I do think mediums/psychics or whatever can read you though. Years ago I had an evening bar job and word went around about a clairvoyant who lived a few miles away. Half the customers had gone to see her. All of us staff went along (with an open mind) and my mum even went. The lady told my mum my name, my boyfriend`s name, the name of the couple who were my and my boyfriend`s best friends and quite a lot of other things that were correct. However, just because someone can do that, it doesn`t mean they can predict the future or are speaking to the dead. From that experience though, I`m convinced some people have a sixth sense and can "read you". There is a chance that the medium is reading your friend and her past and everyone is assuming that the 'presence' is the grandfather.

[Meg888]

It's more the medium that's suggesting it's my friends Dad/Grandfather, she's not happy to believe it - despite the supposed accuracy of how he has been described by the medium - right down to his name (I suppose JOhn is not an uncommon name). Thank you all for your answers, it's interesting to see that it's 50/50.

[naomi24]

You say a ‘Medium was called in’. From where? Was he from a local spiritualist church, or did your friend find an advert in a newspaper? Since the wife of the ‘ghost’ lives next door to the house, perhaps he spoke to neighbours who might have known that her husband had died young. Your friend obviously told the ‘medium’ what the problem was, and if he’d known only that the father had died young, it would be a very simple matter to concoct a story around that. I’m very wary of ‘mediums’.

[Octavius]

Some noises and the imaginations of a child have created an atmosphere of spookiness, which has in turn been manipulated and reinforced by a suggestable charlatan in the form of assimilation. Your friend will now be convinced this indeed a ghost and will become a quivering wreck leading the child to become even more insecure, afraid and suggestable, probably traumatised.

The seed is now planted. I'd suggest you drop all the ghosty nonsense and tell them to move house.