Edna

From: Jeff J. (jeff@copticmail.com)
Story type: Ghost
Location: Minnesota
Source: Form Submission

Just after Christmas in 1999, I moved into a tiny little house in a small town in southwestern Minnesota. I rented this house being fully aware that an 82-year-old woman named Edna had died in the front yard in 1992. I never met the woman, but I remembered hearing about the incident when it had happened. It was winter, and Edna slipped on the ice outside. She couldn't get up and froze to death.

Although I occasionally got a spooky sort of feeling when I was alone in the house at night, I never really experienced any kind of ghostly activity until one summer night in June or July. It was storming pretty bad, and it was late at night. I suddenly heard loud knocking on the back door. I was somewhat confused, as it was so late, but tried to ignore it. The knocking continued, and I went to the door, and locked it. Then I looked out the window, and saw no one.

When I had been settled back in bed for awhile, I heard loud footsteps on the front porch, as if someone was out there stomping back and forth. Since my bed was right by the front porch, I could look out the window and clearly see that no one was there.

I was alone except for my dog, and I got totally spooked out. At first, I thought it was some idiot playing a prank, but I never did see anyone when I looked out the window in the back yard or on the front porch.

I'm not sure if I believe in ghosts, but I can't help but wonder if the ghostly occurrence didn't have some connection to Edna's tragic demise outside the house back in '92. Maybe it was her. It was the only time I ever had such an encounter before I moved out in August of 2000.

To add another sinister note, another occurrence happened in the trailer house right across the street. In 1998, an old man hung himself in the garage. So between my own home and the place across the street, I probably had a number of ghosts lurking around me!