The Sallie House Haunting: A True Story by Debra Pickman Read Free Book Online

During the drive, we tested the automatic shutoff. It seemed to work perfectly, taking the normal three minutes to shut down. We did the math—Tony had left for work more than an hour before Karen or I got up, which meant he couldn’t have caused the camera’s “ready” mode. When I asked Tony about it later, he said he hadn’t touched the camera.
    Although we talked as we drove the rest of the way to the airport, we avoided any talk of ghosts. As Karen started to board her plane, I said with pleading eyes and voice, “Hope you had a good time.” We both laughed as she responded, “It sure turned out to be an interesting visit!” The sound of her laughter and the happy look on her face assured me that she had enjoyed herself despite the last twenty-four hours of hair-raising experiences.
    On the long drive home my mind wandered over the many odd things that had happened during Karen’s last night. Before I knew it I was parking the car in front of our house. I really didn’t feel nervous or scared as I opened up the front door. I was, however, anxious to see if anything would happen while I was there alone. I decided to make every effort to go about my normal activities as naturally as possible.
    As I walked through the house, I could feel my muscles tighten with each step. I scrutinized each room, trying to note where and how various items were placed. I felt like a soldier walking around in an unfamiliar jungle: eyes focused forward, neck stiff, and mind acutely tuned to my surroundings. I paid especially close attention to what I could see in my peripheral vision.
    Although I was quite eager for something to happen, I was also very apprehensive. I had always hoped for the experience of turning around to suddenly see a ghostly figure standing or floating behind me, unable to make itself disappear before I caught sight of it. But now that it was actually a possibility, I wasn’t sure how I would react. Would I be able to handle it calmly or would I jump out of my skin?
    As the hours went by with nothing ghost-like happening, I began to suspect that ghosts were active only during darkness. The uneasy feelings and elevated stress diminished, and before long my sense of curiosity began to surface. The events of the previous night seemed like a movie, something that hadn’t really happened. To validate that we really did have paranormal activity, I needed to experience it again. Feeling much calmer, more collected and clear-headed than the night before, I began to think about how much I had wanted such an experience. The opportunity to experiment with spirit communication was at my finger tips, and I was actually getting excited about it.
    Tony was often late getting home from work because he’d stop at his parents’ house for a visit. On this day, however, he was unusually late and I began to worry. Had the events of the previous night gotten to him? Had he decided not to come home at all? When he finally he showed up, he was barely into the living room before he began telling me what his mother had just told him.
    After Tony’s phone call to her the previous night, her curiosity had gotten the best of her. While I was taking Karen to the airport, Tony’s mother, whom I’ve always called “Mom,” contacted a long-time acquaintance who happened to be the mother of the house’s previous tenant. Mom had asked if the woman had ever experienced anything odd while living in the house. This woman volunteered to call her daughter who was currently living in another state. Later in the day, the woman returned Mom’s call with some interesting information.
    Her daughter reported that she would often smell something odd or foul in the house. She also said that her young son had slept in the corner bedroom, now the nursery. She went on to say that she was always picking up his toys and reprimanding him for not putting them away. The boy would often retort, “But, Mama, I didn’t play with those toys.” The mother