A Ghost Story

What you are about to read  is absolutely 100 percent true..true.....TRUE! I can't believe that I have not written about this but I was inspired by The AbFAB Ms. Courtney [she has super cool style] when I read about THIS & for those of you who remember this happening please feel free to add comments to testify and solidify its actuallity!

My first apartment was on Central Avenue in Dover NH. It was a revamped building with 6 apartments in it. Upon walking into the entry way it was almost like walking into a hotel. It had this weird velvet red flower wall paper with a giant chandelier and an amazing stair case. Think - Titanic when Jack and Rose kiss by the clock. It looked like that except where the clock was it had a massive single pane window. My abode was on the second level facing the street.

After I moved all my belongings [which consisted of two lawn chairs a bed a crock pot my books and my 1969 Woodstock Poster]

I did what we all do and set about living on my own and dreaming of decorating. When you walked into the main room which was the living room it had a giant mirror embedded in the wall that went from the trim to the ceiling. This was set between to large windows with Indian shutters. On the right you had a beautiful functioning fireplace with a mantle and gorgeous hardwood floors. To the left you walked into a small kitchen with a little tiny stove and a little fridge and keep going into the bedroom and bathroom. Best first apartment EVAH!

Here's what shook down on 157 Central Ave - Dover New Hampshire

Incident number one: I was reading a book in my lawn chair when I heard a knocking sound. I looked up, looked around and thought it must be wind from from the chimney. I should also tell you that my 1969 Woodstock Poster was in a plastic frame and resting on the mantle. So, on the mantle angled against the wall with two glass candle holders to keep it from slipping.
I went back to reading my book and heard the knocking again. Except this time I was pretty sure that I saw the picture move. I was fairly panicked at this point so I got up to examine the picture. Gave it a hummmph and sat down again to reading my book. The third time the picture jumped up and down violently and flipped off of the mantle top first and slammed down onto the floor in front of my feet. I dropped my book and stared at it for quite some time. I really thought I was going crazy. I left it there on the floor and went to bed.

When I went to pay my first months rent I actually asked the woman if anyone had ever made comment about a ghost in the apartment? I explained what had happened and she said that nobody had shared "ghost stories" and it must have been the "wind in the chimney" that knocked the picture over. I felt kind of young and stupid, so I let it go.

Incident number two: You needed a key to get into the actual entry way. Again, one night alone my door bell starts buzzing [it was more of a door buzzer than a bell] Over and over and over again. When I opened the door the buzzer was still buzzing - coming up the stairs was the bad breakup guy [he who does not deserve to have name spoken EVER]. I spun around in my fuzzy wool socks as he came racing up the stairs after me. And to this day, I do not know how I held that door with a guy twice my size pushing the door with his feet and shoes on carpet while I was on the other side pushing on a wooden floor in fuzzy socks. But somehow I managed to slam that baby shut! That was a terrible ~ horrible night and will never be written about.

Incident number three: Happened when I met Geoff. I told him there were some weird things going on in the apartment. For example, I always shut the shower curtain to keep it from getting moldy but it was always pushed back. I would shut it and come back it would be open. He thought I was a little touched and I actually thought I was crazy so not much was made of it. I came home from work one night and the change jar that I kept on top of the fridge was smashed into a million pieces on the floor. I thought what the heck Geoff! So I began cleaning it up and when he came home [yes living in sin I know] I asked him if he had a hissy fit with the change jar. He just gave me this look. The look of "I can't believe I'm going to say what I'm about to say". He told me that he was sitting at the table reading a magazine when the changed jar slid off the top of the fridge and landed on the floor. He thought it was strange but picked it up and put it back. In fact, he made a point of moving it further back because maybe it was to close to the front in the first place. He sat down and the change jar slid again and landed on the floor. Again, Geoff picked it up. Obviously a little unnerved at this point, set it back on the fridge and sat down. The next time according to Geoff the jar flew across the room, hit the wall and smashed all over the place. So, he left and had zero interest in picking up the mess. Of course me being me I say, see! I told you!!

Incident number four: In the kitchen I had more cabinets than any apartment has ever had. What I'm saying is that everything had its own space and then some. Now we are the kind of people that eat in front of the TV. So it should be noted that the TV was set in front of the GIANT mirror. This mirror always gave me the heebie geebies because I always felt like I was being watched. Which of course you would think that because you're looking right at yourself. While we were eating pizza every single pot and pan that I had flew out of the cabinets onto the floor. [this is usually the point in the story where everyone says NO WAY....] But I have Geoff as my witness and he will totally back me on this.

Incident number five: The final confrontation. On a Sunday morning I was laying in bed and fairly certain that I heard Geoff walking out of the bathroom, around the bed on the creaky wooden floors over to my side of the bed to give me a kiss on the cheek and then go out to the kitchen. But he didn't kiss me on the cheek and I thought - JERK and still with my eyes closed rolled over because I now had free reign of the bed!

Except, I didn't. I bumped right into Geoff. And my eyes flew open and I'm pretty sure I screamed. I asked Geoff. Did you just here that?? Did you? Tell me you heard that!!!!! As I was crawling over his body his eyes were wider than mine and he just looked at me and said. I heard it. I heard the whole thing.

So we did what any early 20's kid would do. We called someone in. The first thing they said? They're watching us right now in that mirror. [shiver, shiver, shiver] And they want you to acknowledge the fact that they live here. Leave out a cookie or some chips a soda or beer. Just something that says you recognize them. They don't want to hurt you. And you know what we did? We left out cookies, chips, soda, beer, whatever. And nothing damaging or terrifying ever happened again.
Over the years since we moved out we have run into some of the people who lived in that apartment building. And we couldn't help ourselves but ask. Did anything weird ever happen to you? The litany of stories of the humming over the baby crib - floating rattles - broken glasses - things being knocked over made us feel so much better. It wasn't just us!! The only information I have recently been able to find is this: 17) Sawyer/Bradley House, 157 Central Avenue: On the site of Dover’s first jail built in 1773. This federal style home was built in 1807.


And to this day when someone tells me about a ghost story I will always advise them to Leave a cookie!

Happy Halloweeeeeeeeen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [no joking, this is all totally true!]