The Voice

The Voice

By Dan

Shortly after, my wife and I got married in 2000 and moved to Pennsylvania from California. I had been offered a job after graduating in California.

My wife Jennifer and I were both from California and hadn't spent much time on the east coast. We were both nervous about moving across the county and excited to start our life.

We found an older home for rent and fell in love with this home. It was built in the 1920s and had all the original woodwork outside. It was a gothic-looking home, but that gave it great character.

Until this point in my life, I didn't think of the paranormal. I didn't know or believe it. I remember thinking people who saw ghosts were crazy or looking for attention. Boy, was I wrong.

Everything was normal for about a month then my wife started talking about hearing footsteps in the hall. I tried to explain that it was an old and noisy house, but she insisted there was something in the house. She started to have things go missing, like her watch, which showed up a week later on the table. Jen got increasingly creeped out, and I told her she was being silly. Then I had my first encounter.

One night Jen had left to go to a girl's party from work. I was sitting at my desk working upstairs. Jen had been gone for about 30 minutes when I heard Jen's voice call me from downstairs, "Dan, come help me!"

I jumped and called out, "I thought you left!"

The voice of my wife replied, "Come help me!"

I walked out of the office and to the top of the stairs, "Jen, why haven't you left yet? You'll be late!"

I was met with a harsh laugh that started in my wife's voice, changed into an evil cackle, and then stopped.

My blood ran cold, and I called out, "Jen if this is a joke, I'm not laughing."

I was met with silence.

I walked downstairs and searched the house. I found nothing. After a second look, I walked upstairs and sat in bed, trying to rationalize what I had experienced. I turned on the tv to calm myself down, and after about half an hour, I was calm again. Suddenly, I heard my wife's voice coming up the stairs, "Dan, I'm waiting for you…"

I froze as I heard a laugh coming up and moving up the stairs. I could hear the steps creak as the laughter got closer. I grabbed my phone and called Jen. Frantically I told her to come home. Jen could tell I was scared, and she said to call 911, and she was on her way. I got up and grabbed a bat I kept by the bed. Suddenly it went quiet in the hall. I stepped to the door and threw it open. I was met with nothing. I walked the house again, my blood running ice cold. I found nothing in the place. Suddenly I jumped as the back door swung open. Jen came running into the house and grabbed me. We sat, and I told her what I had experienced.

Jen explained all the experiences she had experienced. She had been afraid to tell me because I had not believed her. Jen explained as she left for her party. I stood at the window with a creepy look on my face waving as she pulled out of the driveway. I looked at her in shock, "I was in my office when you left, Jen. I never left the offices until later."

I hired a company to move us out, and we ended up paying our year lease, but we didn't care. We packed an overnight bag and spent the night at a hotel. We never spent any more time in that house.

Jen still won't talk about it, and I have a different view of ghosts and the paranormal. I no longer mock those with strange stories.