Your
True Tales
November 2005 – Page
13
Behind
the Door
by Joe
This happened to my wife about seven years ago. She was a great soccer player in college and did some coaching out out of college. One summer she coached at a soccer camp, held at an old school in Connecticut. The "old school" was and is currently used as a prep/boarding school for very wealthy yet troubled teens. The school, in its former "life," has been used as a college, barracks, private homes, etc., and the buildings date back to the early 1800s. It would not remind you of a school, but more like an old 19th century village, with the homes/buildings built in a large circle.
After her arrival, she put her belongings in the house she and her fellow coaches were assigned to stay in. They would be staying on the top floor of this three-story old house, now used as dorms. Upon entering her bedroom, she immediately felt uneasy. It was partly because it was just an old, "spooky" house and atmosphere. But specifically, she couldn't help but focus on a particular door in her bedroom. It was closed, about three feet tall with an old black latch on it, located on the wall opposite the bed. It gave her a feeling of uneasiness, which she originally dismissed as just her imagination acting up – it's just a door.
After each coach inspected their rooms, they all met in the hallway and remarked how they must find fans! It was extremely hot out and of course these old building had no air conditioning. They talked about how nobody would be able to sleep in the sickening heat. They agreed that my wife and one other coach would ask around to see if there were any fans to borrow or where they could drive purchase some. (There were several students occupying the bottom floors of other adjacent buildings for summer school.) She first went downstairs and into other buildings to ask any of the kids. They told her that there weren't any extra fans around unfortunately, but gave her directions into town. My wife went back up the stairs and into her room to get her purse. She glanced at the small door before she walked out, then stopped abruptly and stared at it; doing a double-take. It was now opened about 1/4 of the way. Being a little freaked, she immediately yelled out to the other few coaches and asked if they'd been in her room. They all told her no. She went back in, more freaked, and kicked the door closed, making certain it was latched so that it could NOT be opened by the wind, vibration etc. She left, LOCKING THE BEDROOM DOOR BEHIND HER. Everyone left the house at that point to go buy fans, get dinner, etc.
As this was a small town, there were not a lot of stores around, but they did find a drug store that sold some very small fans – not much help from the blazing heat, but better than nothing. They returned to the school. She went up the stairs, thinking about how she needed to STOP dwelling on that stupid little door in her room and getting spooked! After all, she was going to be sleeping here for a few nights! She took a deep breath, shook her head and unlocked her bedroom door. She walked in and of course looked at the door. It was open, this time even further than before. A cold shiver now shot up her spine. She walked out of the room, very disturbed. She wasn't sure if she should tell the other coaches (all of them male), because they would probably make fun of her. Side note: My wife is a tough cookie, not easily intimidated and extremely competitive. So she decided to keep her mouth shut and convince herself that there was a logical explanation. Once more though she asked the other coaches- "Do you all swear nobody has gone into my room?" They were now confused because it was the second time for the question. They all said no, absolutely not. One asked, "No, but why do you keep asking that? Are you missing something or what?" She told them never mind and that she spooked herself (trying to be nonchalant about it, but inside feeling very scared.)
She decided, ok, she was determined to "win this thing." (I know what you are thinking by the way- Why didn't she look inside?! I asked her the same question and she said she was just too scared.) She shut the door again (for the last time she thought) and double, triple-checked that it was secure, then left her room, locked her bedroom door and left with the other coaches. About a half hour later, she and the other coaches got back to the house and went upstairs. At this point, she didn't even want to go in, almost dreading looking at that damn door. She unlocked her bedroom door anyway and could not believe her eyes- the door was open again, this time almost all the way. Something was taunting her and she knew it. Now she was so scared that she trembled and began to cry, walking back into the hallway. The other coaches of course came to her aid and asked her what was going on! She confessed as to what had been happening since they arrived. She added that she could NOT stay in that room. Who could blame her? Seeing how scared she was, none of the guys made fun of her. In fact, they were shaken by the story, agreeing with her that this house was very spooky.
So, out of chivalry, the guys decided that one of them would sleep in the same room with her or just switch rooms (or so they thought at the time). But first they would investigate this door, the source of her fear and something not yet explainable. They all went into her bedroom, prepared to open the door and look inside. Slowly, because at this point everyone was scared, two of the guys opened the three-foot-high door. It was very dark inside and difficult to see. As they peered into the blackness, they could make out something shiny, perhaps metallic. As they got closer, finally the silhouette materialized. It was an old, circa 1900s, electric fan. At first they were confused, then the chills came again. It suddenly dawned on them, had something heard them talk so much about the heat, the need to find fans? Why did the door keep opening, perhaps beckoning her?
After further investigation, by asking around the small campus, they found out several things. First, in that very room, a young boy had lived their in the early 1900s. He died quite young from a childhood illness with high fevers, in his bed, in that room.
Is it possible the spirit of the young boy was there, playing a sort of game with my wife? Was he trying to be helpful to her by showing her where the fan was? She believes that's exactly what he was doing. She said that the whole 'school' had a unearthly feel to it and she disliked it immediately upon arrival. She agreed to sleep in the room, as long as someone else was on the floor/cot and that the small door was barred shut. They slept with the door barred shut and with the bed pushed up against the door for the next three nights.
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