In about 1967-1970 my parents and I lived in a flat
(apartment) behind a milk bar (convenience store) in a
strip of shops in Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia. We did
not run the store, but it was rented out. My parents were
young, in their early twenties, and I was a about 4ish
years old. It was a dreary little place, with a small yard
outside. You entered behind the shop, of course, on the
right of the back door there was a small laundry, and a
toilet. Turn left and you enter the lounge (living) room,
where we had my grandparents old lounge suite, coffee
table, kitchen table and chairs, and TV. This was a
smallish room, you had to go to the two bedrooms up a small
staircase at the end of the lounge room, which turned right
about half way up. There was a small upper hallway, with
my room on the first right, and my parents room at the
end. These two rooms were immediately above the lounge.
My parents were young and broke, Dad was completing his
electricians apprenticeship at a leading Melbourne
newspaper, but nights he would drive taxi's for some extra
money. Mum and I were often on our own at night.
Mum would put me to bed at night, she would stay up till
later. The hallway light would be left on for me in case I
needed to go to the toilet. I hated wanting to go to the
toilet unless I absolutely had to!
You see, when the house was settling late at night, when
Mum and I had gone to bed, it was very quiet apart from the
old place creaking, BUT we knew we were not alone!
I have always been wakeful in the night, even when very
young. I would stir from sleep, or be woken by the very
loud "clumping" sound of workboots starting up the stairs,
but ending at the top. They would not come up the small
hallway where the bedrooms are, and they would not retreat
down again. There would be a lull, and the workboots would
start up the stairs again. Well, this used to freak me
out, to say the least!
I would be dying to go to the toilet, but afraid the "man"
would get me if I did! Some nights I hung on, on others I
would "do or die" and make my way down the stairs, through
the lounge, to the toilet. Of course I would not encounter
anyone on the stairs, or anywhere else, and there would be
no more "clumping" in the night. There was never a shadow
on the wall, but Mum and I knew a male presence was there.
It was only a few years ago during a discussion with Mum
about places where we have lived that I mentioned that I
didn't like that old shop residence because of the man who
always walked up the stairs, never down, and started over
again. She said, "Did you hear it too?". I was relieved
that it wasn't only me! The funny thing is, that I always
thought the spirit was an older man, maybe in the silhouette
of Freddy Kruger, but not malevolent - thank goodness.
It has been many years since I was in that area, my
grandparents lived nearby, it was their local shops. They
moved away in about 1986. I have wondered at times, if any
other residents of that flat have heard the "clumping" man
in the night.
We have had many strange, paranormal things happen in our
family, it is comforting to know that strange things happen
in other families, too. I have three children of my own
now, one daughter at 5 years of age said she thought she
had been alive before this life, my younger daughter says
she sees things that should not be there from time to
time. My son in the middle doesn't say much, but he is
very sensitive. Things "disappear", and return from time
time, and events turn out favorably sometimes when they
shouldn't have.
Like many who have submitted their stories before me, there
are some I would like to share. One day I will write
about "The Digger". Until then, happy reading!
Submitted From: