This story a part of the True Ghost Stories page on Obiwan's UFO-Free Paranormal Page. Please do not copy or distribute without permission from Obiwan and/or the original author!
From: "J. Heuer" (foxlord@ix.netcom.com)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Haunted Apartment - -Fresno, CA (archiving of web page)
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 10:09:36 -0700
Greetings:
Here is my story of a true haunting. It has been published on a web page (addressed below) for about one year now. I will soon be dismantling those pages in favor of another project which requires the web space.
You will be able to see the actual web page for awhile, but it will come down by the end of the month (Jun 97).
Here is the text of that page, archived in the ghost-stories newsgroup. Enjoy.
--
Jeff Heuer
Fresno,CA USA http://www.netcom.com/~foxlord/ghost.html
************begin story**********
ABOUT THAT APARTMENT WHERE I LIVE
When I first moved out to California from Idaho in August of 1985- - later to take up residency in this apartment complex in
September of that same year- -I had no idea what I was getting into. The buildings and grounds are older, about 75 years.
A little worn out now, in need of some repairs, and currently being threatened by a redevelopment project to take effect next century. And also a little unique in it's own right. It's haunted. And that is not a joke.
I first started noticing strange happenings in the winter of 85-86.Thumping sounds in certain areas, usually along the walls. I soon adopted a cat; she would not go near the areas where the thumping occurred. During the New Year's holiday of 1987 I came home to find her cowering with fear- -in the bedroom closet. I was beginning to wonder just exactly whatwas going on. In 1988 I brought this up with my landlady, and what she told me- -it's haunted. She apparently knew this for some time. It was not too much longer afterwards that she let me in on something- -the property has had a history of this sort of thing. Past tenants moving out early, some of them even going so far as to tell her up front- -'it's haunted'. This happened again quite recently, only one month ago as of this writing. Never anything threatening- -it would appear that the ghost is more protective as the persons most upset over his presence were really the 'worst of the worse' type of people. Not bad, I suppose- -he is very protective. From the slap across my face 10 years ago from falling asleep in the sofa with a lit cigarette to coming home to find various items moved about the apartment.
So how does one live with this sort of thing, anyway? I learned a long time ago that the key to living with a ghost is acceptance. Sure there are methods of encouraging the spirits to continue 'through the tunnel into the bright light' and some of them are drastic in nature. Just look at it this way- -I am at peace out here, I don't bother the ghost (whom some affectionately call 'Casper') and he does not bother me. Lately, he has been somewhat inactive in my own apartment. He worked on the last of the bad neighbours which might explain why the last of them had boarded up all of his windows- -from the inside (he did complain about someone, or something, spying on him. And his claims could not be physically substantiated by anyone.) He moved in Oct 1996.
When I move out of here sometime in the future, be it from a five year old redevelopment project or whatever else- -I am truly going to miss having him around. Maybe he will make war against that project, as the "sanctity of the American home must be preserved". After all, there are very few country hamlets left in the USA. (For those who do not know what that is- -it is a group of houses and apartments surrounded by farmland and/or wooded areas.) Each has it's own story to tell. This one is ours.
Keep up the good work, Casper (or whatever your name is--I wish I knew).
As of 15 Mar 1997 that redevelopment project mentioned above has becomed snagged with a long list of problems- -maybe "Casper", or maybe a sample of local politics(which is a comedy of errors)--who can say which? Delayed about 7 years (min). That's not all, the 'thumping and bumping sounds' are starting up again as of the 15th of May. And another bad neigbour (in a different apartment than the one above) is getting increasingly paranoid. She (no names, please) is making allegations almost identical to the other neighbour mentioned above. She did move out yesterday (Sun 8 Jun 97), everyone is glad (she was a 'devil').
I will post more about the haunting later as new things arise. It seems to come and go, these things usually do.
*******end story********
Permission is granted to include it in the mailing 'Ghost Story of the Day"