True Ghost Stories

A haunting in Iowa

September 26, 2019 |  4 comments
Image Credit: sxc.hu When I was much younger than I am today my family and I would drive back to Iowa to visit and celebrate the 4th of July with my grandparents. This was an ongoing family tradition that lasted up until the year 2001 when my grandpa lost his battle to cancer. My grandparents had moved a lot while in Iowa eventually settling down in a small house that was built in 1900 and was located in the town of Central City. It was the first and last time that we would be visiting them at their new house.

We arrived a week before the 4th of July, unpacked our car, and headed inside to engage in conversation. In addition to my family, my two grandparents, their two grandchildren, and their son's dog, Bella, were present with their grandchildren sound asleep in the bedroom that was adjacent to the living room that we were in.

It wasn't long before our conversation was interrupted by the sound of the bedroom door opening. Our conversation paused and our eyes shifted focus towards the bedroom door as we watched the doorknob turn, the door open about 8-10 inches, only to close itself and re-latch. What made this incident odd was the fact that Bella, who was lying on the living room floor facing towards the bedroom, stood up and began growling. Assuming that one of the grandchildren had woken up and wanted to peek out into the living room to see who was there, I stood up and approached the bedroom door. As I opened the door the room was still dark and both kids were sound asleep on the floor not making a sound or any signs of movement indicating that they had woken up.

We all remained silent while exchanging confused glances towards one another. It was at this moment that one of my grandparents explained to us that this wasn't the first odd occurrence at the house. She went on to tell us that she has heard footsteps emanating from the attic and has experienced a general feeling of being watched while in the house alone. My mom, being a devout Christian, was left feeling uneasy by this experience and remained cautious during the rest of our stay. However, it wasn't long before she would have a personal experience that would test her faith. The 4th of July came and went and with a few nights left before we would head back to our home in Colorado we were sound asleep in the living room. My mom and step-dad were on the futon with my brother and I on the floor. It was in the early AM when my mom woke up due to being cold, reaching for the blanket she found herself unable to move and later described a feeling of being forcibly held down by an unknown force. Glancing towards the foot of the futon she observed a mist like substance hovering above my brother and I. She closed her eyes and began to pray asking for help and protection. A few minutes passed, and with warmth returning to the room, my mom was able to sit up and call out to my step-dad for help. Needless to say, my mom spent the remaining nights outside sleeping in our car.

This experience has always left me intrigued, curious, and wanting answers. I've attempted to research the house and the location but have had no such luck in answering any of those questions. However, before heading home, my uncle and I spent some time exploring the attic. Inside of the attic we found an exposed closet and etched into its walls read:

'I hate my life.'
'I want to kill myself.'
'666'

In addition, we observed a handful of pentagrams also etched into its walls.

Could this explain the activity that we experienced? Perhaps, but we'll never know.

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