Justine is a firm believer that if something is too good to be true, it is. As a 15 year-old teenager, she found herself the victim of several angry ghosts. After her parents separated, she sought a new home with her mother and siblings.
The family found a large Wisconsin home that was impressive and had enough space for everyone to have their own space. The house was perfect for several children, two dogs, a working mother, and her boyfriend.
When the family first walked into the house, they knew something wasn’t right. The family described a feeling of an uncomfortable feeling of suffocation. They also couldn’t believe the deal they received on renting this beautiful house. For the 70s, the $350 monthly rent seemed reasonable.
But the family did have a concern. Since the landlord had his own family, why didn’t they just live in the house instead of renting it out?
Little did Justine know, the terror she endured would haunt her forever. The family’s terror began with the constant slamming of doors and strange noises. Then came the sounds of shuffling boots walking up and down the stairs.
Justine also said the voices she heard terrified her. She heard men and women talking, laughing, and dancing to someone playing a fiddle. It sounded like a regular party—only she wasn’t invited. To join the party, you had to be dead.
It became clear that several spirits roamed the halls of the old home. The place became especially hazardous for the children. While standing on the second story balcony, something pushed Justine’s younger sister off the balcony. The child was rushed to the hospital and treated for a broken arm.
Family members said they felt hands touching and pushing on them. Even the dogs were smart enough to either stay outside or sleep near their owners. It got so bad the family stopped sleeping in their bedrooms. Everyone slept in the living room.
Justine said it got so bad no one used the bathroom alone. The family also kept the bathroom door open because the ghosts enjoyed locking people in the bathroom. Unfortunately, a simple trip to the bathroom required an assortment of family members as no one did anything alone. There is something truthful about safety in numbers as washing laundry even became a family affair.
It didn’t take long for the family to arrive at their own conclusion. They lived in a house once frequented by a cast of unsavory characters. Family members thought the house may have once been a brothel hosted by ladies of the night. These ladies catered to the hardworking cowboys who sought refuge from driving cattle and breaking horses.
Justine said she had a relative who tried to encourage them not to rent the home, but she never said why. When spring arrived, the family would leave the haunted house and find a safer home.
Justine and her siblings knew their mother had seen something terrifying inside the house. She refused to discuss it with anyone. Before she died, family members asked her to reveal what she had seen. They would never find out as their beloved mother died without speaking about the incident.
Today, Justine is a mother and grandmother. She has never returned to the old house that once terrified her family. Still, she wonders if the house still exists. I suggested she try a Google search. She refused because she felt fortunate to have escaped the house without any spiritual hitchhikers. So far, she hasn’t tried her luck a second time with any further investigations into the old house.
Hoover is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his twitter account @themarcabe. And be sure to listen to his podcast at www.spreaker.com/show/the-marcabe.