Midnight Visitors

Another story shared with me. This time by my Mom and Uncle. The house still stands, as does the one on Clinton. They both are in close proximity to the old cemetary I mention, established in 1822. Alot of the houses located here have a history of unexplained activity.

Midnight Visitors (as told to me by my Mom and Uncle)

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I was 19 when I went to stay with my sister. She had one child, was pregnant with another and my brother also lived there. The house was located on Wellman, close to the nearby Maple Hill Cemetery.

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The house was small, one floor, with an attic. Each night I'd make up my bed on the couch while my brother pulled out his own cot and prepared it to settle down for the evening. Johnny loved to talk to me late into the night, we talked until our eyes grew heavy and we finally drifted off to sleep. Each and every night he always told me there were ghosts in the house and I would tell him to stop trying to scare me. After our scare on Clinton Avenue, I didn't take the ghost thing lightly.

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One night I woke to my foot being shaken roughly. I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep. I struggled to open my eyes and adjust my ears to his whispering. His words came out rushed.

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"Marilyn, listen!" he shook my foot harder.

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"Stop it Johnny!" I hissed. I tried to pull my foot from his hand.

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"Shh!" he released my foot and leaned forward to place his hand gently over my mouth. "Listen!"

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I sat still and listened. I could hear the tic-toc-tic from the clock on the wall but other than that the house was silent. I was about to thank him for waking me up when I heard it. At first I couldn't identify the noise, it was creaky and forceful and very loud in the otherwise deafening quiet. It suddenly dawned on me, it was the attic hatch being pulled down.

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"Oh, real funny. Who's in on this? Is that you Marie?" I raised my voice an felt Johnny's' hand clamp over my mouth.

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"It's not Marie!" he tried to keep his words at a whisper. "I told you and you didn't believe me, just sit still and listen!"

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I looked into his face, it was a mixture of panic, nervousness, excitement and I could swear a twinge of fear. I settled back and listened as the sound of the attic steps came down, followed by very soft footsteps. I froze, fear and wonder overtaking me.

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The footsteps continued down the hall and into the kitchen. I gasped when I heard the chairs being pulled out from under the table. Johnny placed his finger over his lips and motioned for me to remain quiet and so I did. I was paralyzed in fear.

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Then I heard the faint voices. You couldn't make out any words nor any voices, just very soft whispers into the night. It was surreal and frightening.

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My brother and I sat there for a very long time, listening to those whispers, until eventually, they stopped. I sat there in the dark living room, huddled under my blanket, afraid to move.

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My eyes open as sun shone in through the window and I was glad for it. I looked to Johnny's cot and it was empty. I realized I had somehow managed to fall asleep the night before. Quickly I made my way into the kitchen, hesitating as I rounded the corner.

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I was greeted by the sight of my niece sitting in her high chair nibbling on dry cheerios, her Mother sat across from her drinking a cup of coffee. I stood staring for second before finally taking a seat at the large round table.

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"Johnny said you finally heard them." Marie took a sip of her coffee. I watched as she reached over to push cheerios back onto the high chair surface before they fell onto the floor.

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"I thought you all were playing a prank on me at first."

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She shook her head and smiled at the baby, she took another sip of her drink before speaking.

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"It started a few weeks after we moved in. Then Johnny came to stay with us. The first time it happened to him, he freaked out. He tore out of the house that next morning, we didn't think he was coming back. He didn't come home until noon and swore he'd never sleep alone here again. I guess it's a good thing you decided to stay awhile."

*****

That wasn't the last time I heard the Midnight Visitors and the nickname came as they always seemed to venture out around the midnight hour. My sister lived for another year or so in the house but my brother and I only decided to stay another few months. It was just too creepy for us to deal with.
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Once, just to see, we placed the chairs on top of the kitchen table before going to bed. The next morning we were greeted by all the chairs placed on the floor, partially pulled out from the table, looking as if someone had just sat down in them.


*please see Jayne's comment about the origin of this picture above. It is very interesting, thanks again Jayne!