Campfire Ghost Stories: The crazy man

by Roslyn
(Netherlands)

At the age of nineteen I decided I was old enough to buy a place of my own. There was this one, very cheap, apartment that I was interested in. I remember asking the man who tried to sell the house to me why the apartment was so cheap, because really, it wasn't so bad.

"Because it's haunted", he said in the most serious tone I'd ever heard in my life. But despite the seriousness of his voice, I started laughing loudly.

"You don't have to believe it", he said, clearly annoyed with my reaction. "I don't, I'm sorry", I said.

"Then buy it", he challenged me. So I did.

After three months of living there, I'd already forgotten about the words of the "crazy" man, as I liked to call him to my friends. I had adjusted pretty well, until strange things started to happen.

First, things disappeared. I blamed it on myself. I must have put them out of sight, I thought. But then stuff started to fall off tables and bookshelves and out of closets, while I wasn't even nearby. I was sure it couldn't be my fault, because most of the stuff was either in the middle of the table or on top of very high shelves where they couldn't fall off. Also the closet doors were locked. It couldn't be possible that my clothes were suddenly spread around my bedroom, right? Well, I saw it with my own two eyes. It laid everywhere and I hadn't put it there.

But even after those things, I still didn't think about the words of the "crazy" man. Until one night I heard voices in the living room. I picked up my bedside lamp, which I wanted to use as a weapon if necessary, and silently walked towards the living room. It was clear nobody was there, but I still heard the voices. Then suddenly someone appeared in front of me. I could see right trough the girl. I stared screaming loudly. The girl disappeared and left me crying on the floor.

Had I just seen a ghost? And right there on the floor I remembered his words: "Because it's haunted."

I started laughing at myself. I must have imagined the girl. The words must have lingered in my head and I've made myself afraid without thinking. But night after night I heard voices and every time I went to see who were there, I saw the same thing. The girl. I remember she was dressed in this beautiful, white nightgown. One night I decided to talk to her, because I could so clearly hear what she was saying.

"Who's there with you?" My voice came out shaky, she must have heard the fear.

"Don't worry, he's my friend, but he doesn't want to show himself."

"Show himself?" I asked in confusion.

"Yeah. You see, he's the reason why I don't live here anymore", the girl said.

"But you do, sort of." Though I felt pretty insane for talking to a ghost. I didn't want to give up until I knew everything.

"Sort of, yes. But that's not enough for my friend, you see." Her voice suddenly didn't sound so nice anymore.

"He wants this place for himself, but there's always a stupid teenager who comes and claims the place as theirs. We want it back, if you like it or not. You see, I used to be like you. A living girl. But my friend over there," she pointed at something in the corner on my left, but I didn't see anyone, "wanted the place for himself again. But I refused to go, just like you, and then he killed me. It was very hurtful. You should go when you still can."

I thought the girl was insane. I shook my head. "It's mine now, I bought it", I said stubbornly.

Suddenly I couldn't breathe anymore. Something was choking me! I screamed in terror, but nothing changed. Until I felt pressure on my belly. The pink shirt I was wearing was red now. Was I bleeding? I wrapped my arms around my waist to stop the bleeding, but it didn't work. The most unbearable pain fell over me.

"Now you'll die too", the girl said. She was now standing a few feet away from me.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because you didn't listen." I screamed one last time and then everything went blank.

The next day I woke up in the hospital. The nurses told me someone had broken into my house and that I tried to stop him, but that he attacked me. The neighbor heard me screaming and called the police.

"Don't make me go back to that apartment", I begged the nurse. She just nodded. Of course I knew that what she told me didn't happen, but I knew better then to tell her my version.

I recovered from all my injuries and decided I wanted to visit the "crazy" man and ask him why the house was haunted. He told me that a young boy had been murdered in that house because his dad didn't want him to live on his own. Because the boy was so fond if his "own" place, he decided to stay and kill everyone who didn't want to go. Just like the girl in the white nightgown, whose name was Judy. She had been killed two years before my attack. I was very lucky that I survived.

So take my advise, always believe "the crazy man".