Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Good evening. I'm Ben, and welcome to the show, where you and I gather around this campfire to share our scariest experiences. So whether you're a new or returning camper, I am happy to have you.
[00:00:19] Most parents would do anything to keep their children safe, but what happens when that potential threat is supernatural? Tonight, we're headed to Florida to hear Melindas encounter, the tale that highlights just how strong a mother's love can be in the face of the unexplained.
[00:00:35] So, without further ado, do you want to hear a ghost story?
[00:00:44] In the summer of 2018, my daughter Lily and I moved to an old, beautiful victorian style home just outside of St. Augustine, Florida. We moved there from central west Georgia near the Alabama border. I would love to say this move was one of desire, but unfortunately it was a move of necessity.
[00:01:05] Lilys father and I were not the best match, and he often acted more as a hindrance to raising our daughter. On his worst days, he acted more like a child than Lily.
[00:01:15] I dont want to drag him too much because he was always kind, but at some point, every step forward I took to give our daughter a better life was met with some of his shenanigans, pulling us all back four steps or more.
[00:01:30] It was exhausting, to say the least. And eventually, something had to give. So I saved up what money I could, and I took Lily one night.
[00:01:40] I hoped this move would be a fresh start for us, an escape from the previous chaos of our life into the foundations of a more stable future.
[00:01:50] While the home was old and needed some work, it seemed poetic for us because, as many know, when you live in chaos for so long, peace can feel boring and your instinct is to fight it.
[00:02:04] So I thought the visual representation of restoring this old home might mirror our restorations and help keep us on track.
[00:02:12] Lily was hesitant when we first arrived. It's so squeaky, she said, commenting on the noises of the old house when we were moving in. But when I showed her her room, she instantly became thrilled to have her own walk in closet. She immediately started decorating and arranging her toys within, filling the space with her vibrant energy, and happily proclaiming it Lily's queendom for her and her loyal subjects. The toys she had just placed in there. And there were many, such as Sir Ken, Lady Barbie, and her favorite fluffles, the fuzzy night, an old teddy bear her father had given her.
[00:02:53] But the world didnt even give me one night to bask in this pseudo success of moving us before it pulled me back down. Just like my ex, it was after dinner and I had finally gotten Lily to settle down and go to bed, I was on the couch, up late applying for jobs on my laptop.
[00:03:12] There was a noise from the kitchen.
[00:03:15] Lily. I walked into the kitchen and saw a cabinet door open and one of my pans lying on the ground. Lily must have heard it too, because when I was putting it away, she came shuffling into the kitchen with fluffles held tightly against her chest.
[00:03:29] Mom, I cant sleep. Theres something in the closet.
[00:03:34] Oh, honey, im sure its just the house, but if it makes you feel better, we can snuggle tonight.
[00:03:40] She just shook her head in acceptance.
[00:03:43] I had to stop myself from smiling, but it was so cute and I found some humor in living such a stereotypical mom moment. But over the following weeks, Lily wouldnt let it go. She started complaining about things moving around in her closet on their own. Toys would be found in places different from where she left them and clothes thrown all over her room.
[00:04:06] One night, I again found myself on the couch. Overwhelmed by a sense of deja vu.
[00:04:13] I closed my laptop and headed over to the kitchen just to look.
[00:04:18] I flipped the light on, but the cabinet was closed and my pan nowhere to be seen. I heard Lily screaming from her bedroom. I rushed up to find her standing in the middle of the room, pointing at the closet, which was now wide open.
[00:04:34] She was shaking and crying.
[00:04:36] She said she saw someone inside. I tried to calm her down, telling her it was just her imagination, but deep down I felt unsettled. Too determined not to let my effort to give Lily a better life evaporate, I decided it would be best to spend the night in her room with her.
[00:04:55] Everything was fine until around 12:00 a.m.
[00:05:00] when I heard a knocking coming from the closet.
[00:05:06] I looked over and saw Lily staring at the closet as well.
[00:05:11] Then her little face looked towards mine.
[00:05:14] See? I told you.
[00:05:20] Gathering my courage, I slowly approached the door.
[00:05:25] As I reached for the handle, a cold breeze swept the room and the door slammed on its own.
[00:05:31] Mommy. Luli ran over to me. It's okay, honey. I accidentally kicked the door. I'm sorry.
[00:05:39] A lie. She happily embraced.
[00:05:43] After that night, I couldn't deny that something was off in the house.
[00:05:48] I started researching, hoping to find some logical explanation, like lead paint fumes or something like that.
[00:05:56] But my searches led to various forums and articles about paranormal activity. The most poltergeist.
[00:06:07] Lilly then moved into my room, but each night we could hear the tapping coming from her former room.
[00:06:16] Lily is now entering high school, and the house has been mostly redone. She doesnt remember much, and what she does she brushes off as childhood fears.
[00:06:26] But I remember it all.
[00:06:31] The most chilling part of this story to me is that I never really learned what was happening.
[00:06:38] One night, about a year into living in the house, it just stopped. But it was the only room in the house I could never get myself to fix up. I use it as storage and I rarely go in there.
[00:06:50] Sometimes when I am home alone, I think I convince myself that I still hear the tapping once again, but when Lily is home, it is always quiet. I often wonder if this was a poltergeist and my best attempts at ignoring it or what eventually got it to stop. I dont not believe in the paranormal after all, I did witness it firsthand, but I am always weary of those who claim to know what it all is.
[00:07:17] In my experience it didnt feel evil. It didnt feel like a person.
[00:07:22] It just felt like something.
[00:07:25] I dont know how else to describe it. I apologize if this story is not quite as exciting as others, but it is my experience with the paranormal.
[00:07:35] Im curious to hear if anyone reaches out with a similar one. Thank you Melinda.
[00:07:43] No thank you Melinda for sharing your story.
[00:07:48] I think its actually really common for these encounters to leave you with questions and I love all ghost stories. They dont have to be straight out of a movie to be told at this campfire. I want to take advantage of this weeks shorter story to give a quick update on the show. I am incredibly overwhelmed with the support and interest the show has gotten in just seven weeks.
[00:08:09] According to some feedback, many listeners are asking for more than one story per episode. I want to let you know that that is something I am working towards and if my current timeline holds, you should expect to see that change around episode 15.
[00:08:24] I am also humbled to be able to give my first patron shoutouts. This episode was brought to you by Karen and Danny, my first two patrons.
[00:08:33] If you would like to support the show and get a shout out of your own at the end of another episode, check out patreon.com doouwantahearaghoststory I post mostly free content there too, but paying patrons receive things like early access to the show, shoutouts, bonus episodes, and more.
[00:08:51] But at the end of the day, I am just happy you are here. So please keep sharing the show with anyone you think might like these stories or someone you are just trying to scare. And if you have a story, please send your submission to do you want to hear a ghoststorymail.com?
[00:09:07] you can also follow the show want to hear a ghoststory on Instagram and TikTok.
[00:09:12] All this information from the Patreon to how to connect with the show can be found in the episode description.
[00:09:19] I will leave you with this to ponder in preparation for next week's episode.
[00:09:24] Sometimes the paranormal is the least of your worries.
[00:09:28] Thank you for listening to this episode of do you want to hear a ghost story? Until next time, stay spooky.
