A Spooky Story
When I got up this morning, there was a pot of hot coffee ready. That’s all. End of story.
Oh, except for the part about how I live alone. And I did not make that coffee.
Oh, and guess what: It’s Halloween! O-o-o-o-o-h! And I just happen to live in The Last House on the Left. O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-h! Coincidence? I think not.
I looked around nervously. Could there be someone hiding in the garage who had prepared the elixir? And if so, did he make it for me, or for himself? (Of course it would be a he.) Was he just about to pour a steaming cup when he heard me stumbling down the hall? Was he out there now, fists clenched in frustration, whispering, “Rats” – or worse? (After all, that’s where I keep the chainsaw.)
And if he made it for me, what was his motivation? To scare the living bejesus out of me? Or get me fully awake for the horror to come?
But no, the door to the garage was locked with a deadbolt on the kitchen side. He couldn’t have slipped through that door and then locked it, too.
I poured my coffee, added cream and sugar, humming softly like everything was normal. I started meandering about the house, cup in hand, acting casual. I caressed the leather sofa in the living room and then peered over; was he behind it? No… I set my cup on the bar in the party room; was he crouched underneath it? No… I glanced toward the fireplace; was he standing erect inside, with just his jeans and jackboots showing? No…
I continued wandering. Down the hall, into the guest room to gaze out at the sunny day; was he pressed up against the wall behind the curtains? No… I stepped into the office, turned the computer on while looking back over my shoulder into the closet; was he lurking there? No… In the guest bath, I put the toilet lid down while I peeked behind the dreaded Psycho shower curtain; but was there a figure with a raised arm holding a big knife? No.
At that point I breathed a sigh of relief. I had exhausted the possibilities. Because he couldn’t be in the same master suite from which I had just emerged minutes before.
Could he?
Well, clearly I spend too much time with Investigation Discovery TV. Yes, I watch serial murderers while grading student papers. It tempers my desire to kill. (No, not my students; the grade school/middle school/high school teachers who somehow managed NOT to teach them how to write using proper English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Now that’s a horror. But I digress.)
Secure in the knowledge that there was no hatchet-wielding psychopath in my immediate vicinity, my mind turned to other possibilities. Could I have made the coffee myself? That was impossible. I had gotten up around 4:00 to pee, but I went straight back to sleep.
I do sometimes set the coffee pot up before I go to bed, meaning that I put in the filter, the French Market New Orleans coffee, the water, and a dash of cinnamon (mmm). But I don’t set the timer because I’m too lazy to get out the instruction booklet that came with it and figure out how. Especially when it’s 10:30 and I’ve already been dozing on the couch, or I can’t wait to get back to that great novel that’s open on my Kindle.
Could I have accidentally set the timer while fumbling with the pot? Perhaps it had been previously set for 7:00 a.m. and had just dripped its last drop when I came into the kitchen. Frankly, that’s the only explanation that makes any sense to me.
I never considered the possibility that it might have been a ghost or a goblin or a zombie or some other kind of non-human perpetrator. Even the shows I watch are all about true crime and forensics. I’m the I Fucking Love Science type, not the metaphysics type.
But I do know this: It was almost an other-worldly experience to get up to the smell of that coffee, already made.
So I think I’ll just go and dig out that instruction manual now, while I’m wide awake.
Care to share a spooky story of your own?
I’ve played Elvira for many a Halloween.
This year I decided to kick it up a notch with
Aging Elvira.
Great story. Sorry I don’t have a scary story for you, it scares me just to think of the subject because I’m basically afraid to be alone in the dark. A couple of nites ago I woke up at 4am. The Santa Ana’s were blowing really hard and after coming from the bathroom, and actually thinking of the possibility of the lites going out, the lites went out. I must have looked like a cartoon character trying to find a flashlight. After a few seconds, I remembered the lite on my phone. I commenced going thru the house looking for and lighting candles, instead of just going back to sleep.
I like your story because I could relate to not remembering if I had done something for myself, and it made me laugh.
That’s us getting older, my friend! 🙂 I’m sorry you had a scary night.
Was it possibly Casper? Because that’s definitely one friendly ghost! I’d love a friendly spirit that routinely set my coffee for me! Hopefully he/she wouldn’t mind doing the dishes once in a while too! (;
In all seriousness, I do believe in spirits. From a young age, I’ve always been able to see spirits. My mother who is highly religious (I’m not, but respect everyone’s beliefs) took me to a temple and supposedly my “third eye” was “very open.” The monk suggested that I go through some sort of ceremony but my mom decided against it. I would have to say the strangest encounter was this man that would stare at me while I slept. This “man” always generated an aura of intense fear and anxiety. It’s so hard to describe him but he wasn’t solid, yet he wasn’t completely clear either. It’s like he was this black shadow that was able to move. He also appeared to always have a top hat. I used to always wake up in the middle of the night to him staring at me over my bed and scream – then he’d disappear. He’d only appear in my room and only in the middle of the night. My parents always thought I was being dramatic and dismissed it. That soon changed.
I had relatives from Vietnam come to America for the first time and they stayed at my house. In Vietnamese culture, guests are invited to sleep on our beds, in our rooms and since we did not have a guest room, I had to sleep on the couch in the living room. The next morning after their arrival, while we were eating breakfast, my uncle looked incredibly tired. He had dark purple eye bags and just wasn’t his usual upbeat self. Before we could ask him what was wrong, he timidly asked my father why he would come into his room in the middle of the night to watch him sleep. Did my dad need something? Why wouldn’t he answer him? The air was so tense, you could’ve cut it with a knife. After a moment of awkward silence, which I attribute to my parents harrowing realization that I was not lying all along, my father answered ‘No, why would I? I was in my room the whole night sleeping.” My mother attested to this and reminded my uncle that they slept with their door closed, so she would’ve definitely heard him walk out. Everyone was shaken when my uncle described how he woke up feeling the worst dread ever to see a black figure of a male with one of those top hats looking down at him. He quickly shut his eyes, hoping it was my dad and did not dare to open them until he fell back asleep.
My heart dropped. I mean I knew what I was saying, but there was always this bit of doubt since nobody ever acknowledged it. I told my uncle the encounters I had with the strange man. My sweet mother, who always see’s the good in things, told us that he did not harm us and was probably just a lost spirit. Nonetheless, my uncle stayed at a hotel for the remainder of his trip and my parents sought both a monk and priest (my mother is Buddhist; my father is Catholic) to bless the room.
I’ve never seen him since.
Wow, that’s some story! I do not believe in spirits, but I do have to respect what others experience. I guess the way your mom looked at it is the best: Why be afraid if he didn’t do anything to you? I wouldn’t be surprised if you have more experiences with a spirit world because you sound open to it.
What a friendly ghost! I wish I had a ghost that made me coffee every morning, and did other chores around the house. I also have some slightly scary stories. My family has this old mansion in Burma that’s been passed on from generation to generation. The house is now almost 300 years old. When we went to visit the house last summer, we were told stories of how people who slept at the house felt their legs suddenly being pulled and of how cars broke down for no explainable reason and was only restored to working condition when an item that someone had taken from the house was returned. They also told of fabulous antiques and old books that were in the house. When we arrived, my curiosity got the better of my fears and I began to search for the fabulous antiques and books they told me about. I finally came upon a little library, a sort of enclave beneath the stairs, that was lined with several shelves of books. They were the old glass display shelves. I looked through them, and came upon books from the very early 20th century and even some from the 19th century. I looked through, and found three books. As I was rifling through these books, the lights suddenly shut off! I yelped, grabbed the books I had selected, shut the glass shelves, and ran off. The three books I took were “Beric the Briton”, “Twelfth Night”, and a collection of essays by Emerson. I was successful in bringing those books over to the US. I placed the books on the shelf next to my bed, and put the matter to rest. Or so I thought I did. However, one evening, as I lay doing homework on the bed. I heard a very audible sigh next to me, like there was someone laying next to me. I freaked out that night, but occasions like that have never occurred again (which is good). I think about it now, and I tell myself that all these things were just my mind trying to make sense of random occurrences. Then I remember how real each event felt as it occurred. The rational side is probably right, but I cannot deny that the sudden and emotional side felt genuine for those few moments.
Wow! That’s quite a story. I spent some years living in my grandparents’ house, not 300 years old as yours, but 22 rooms with each room having 2-3 entrances and exits. The floors creaked, the lightbulbs were always low, the furniture was tall, and the house was filled with interesting antiques (including old gilt-edged books behind glass cases just like yours!) It was a fascinating place to be, and sometimes a frightening place to be!
How scary! I’d be freaking out for awhile and then forget it ever happened unless I decide to tell the tale. Aside from believing the supernatural which I myself love, it was probably the machine messing with you on Halloween. I love coffee and your coffee sounds good ,although my coffee preference is a dark cocoa roast with brown sugar and Irish crème I recently tried. Anyways, beautiful costume of Elvira the mistress of darkness! I was actually so close to meeting thee mistress herself Cassandra Peterson at Comikaze which is a comic book convention on Halloween. She is usually there every year so maybe I can get you an autograph or something. Sucking up much aren’t I? Just kidding. So I don’t have any scary tales to tell you but I pretty much described my whole Halloween. I dressed up as a female version of Captain America and trick or treated with friends for old times sake. Well I must say your blogs are interesting so this extra credit activity should be fun thanks.
Sounds like you had a fun Halloween! Your coffee sounds good, too. 🙂
My step dad’s mom passed away in January 2010 and my brother was born March 2011. My brother is my step dad’s only biological son and his mom unfortunately never got to meet him. My step dad’s mom had a green couch that she used to always sit on. Whenever she was home we all knew to stay off of it since that was her couch. After she passed away my step dad kept the couch at home unable to get rid of it. When my brother was only a few months old and in his walker walking around the house my mom would hear him laughing by himself. The tv would be off, the radio would be off and my mom would be in the kitchen. My other brother and I were at school and my step dad would be at work so besides them two nobody was home. My mom would look over the fish tank that divided the living room and the kitchen and my brother would be by his grandma’s couch and as soon as he would see my mom he would stop laughing, look at the empty couch and back at my mom. My mom would go back into the kitchen and seconds later she would hear him laugh again and upon walking over to check on him he would do the same thing just look at the empty couch and then at my mom and stop laughing. We all like to think that his grandma would come back to play with him. Just last weekend I was telling to story to my cousins fiancé and my other cousin walked up while I was telling it, it turns out that her daughter when she was a baby would say that she would see an old lady in the living room on that couch. When we moved in I took her room and would always hear foot steps in the middle of the night and I would get scared. My mom would always just tell me to say a quick prayer for her and try to fall asleep. I’ve never seen any spirits or ghosts which I’m thankful for because I’m a baby when it comes to that. I do believe they exist but hope I never experience anything.
That’s a fun story about the couch! I don’t get scared about spirits because I always look for the logical answer.
This story had me holding my breath the entire time! I am not one for scary stories. I get scared so easily my kids laugh at me. I have tried to watch scary movies with my kids but I end up covering my eyes the whole time and humming so I cannot hear what happens. I find it very brave of you to live on your own! I never have lived on y own. I went from living with parents to living with friends, then had kids and have been living obviously with them. When they spend the night at friends houses I get super scared being by myself! Every noise that I hear frightens me. I have to sleep with the TV on and a hall light. I would be dying if coffee was made when I woke up on one of those days!!!
It definitely is a learning experience to live alone. It’s one I think everyone should have to face their fears.
This story had me holding my breath the entire time! I get scared so easily, I am never able to watch scary movies with my kids because I would be closing my eyes the whole time or covering my ears so I couldn’t hear anything. I freak out when they spend the night at friends houses so I sleep with the TV and hall light on. I find it very brave of you to live lone!
I like the peacefulness. And you get to know all the normal noises in your home, so you usually know when something doesn’t sound right. It does sound like you should not watch scary movies!
First thing first, you are an amazing writer. You should write novels for a living. I had a similar experience but soon later found out that my cousin was at my house and I did not even know it. It scared me for sure I was looking all over to see if someone was there,but I didn’t look in the restrooms. I one scared cat so, I called my mom and she told me that it was probably a ghost (she knows I get scared easily, how mean).It wasn’t till I heard the toilet flush and see my cousin come out that I was able to breath again.
Oh man, that would have been creepy. I would have been out of that house so fast! Thank you for the compliment. Actually it is my plan to retire in June and put more time into writing.
Wow! This was indeed a very creepy story. I love to read scary stories, such as creepypastas and scary stories from others’ experiences. To see that you have had a scary experience is truly a bone chilling thought; it is truly moments like these that make us stay awake with us at night: What if it wasn’t our imagination, but something truly real that occurred to us? Great article!
It definitely was weird and made me wonder for awhile! My scary shows take the form of serial killer forensic science shows, so that’s where my mind goes first.
I love watching murder shows too! My favorite is Stalked on ID, but it made me too paranoid. I actually bought everyone in my house a stun gun. The scariest thing I’ve encountered is thinking someone was on my roof because I heard footsteps running, well I went outside with a knife in hand and found a raccoon snacking on some trash.
I would’ve been scared if that happened to me but i also love scary, creepy stuff and I love watching murder,crime investigation shows. My family believes in the supernatural and at least everyone has had an experience including myself. The house that my family and I live in is supposedly haunted, the previous owner told my cousin (owner of the house) that when her relatives were going to Mexico, the car that they were in got into an accident and sadly they did not survive it. She said that her niece and nephew would always be at her home running around. My cousins husband sometimes sleeps on the couch in the living room and he said that sometimes he wakes up past midnight hearing footsteps running in the corridor where the bedrooms are at. My mom has also seen some kind of shadow that looked like a child in the backyard passing outside our sliding door, she thought it was my cousins 5 year old son outside and was scared he was going to fall in the pool but it turned out that he was with his grandfather and there were no other children at home. We thought it was our neighbor’s shadow but the shadow was too close to our door to be theirs. I also had an experience one night, I don’t remember what I was doing but I was looking out the sliding door and there was a shadow at the far end of our pool, it looked as if it was crouching or sitting by the diving board. There was no one outside past midnight and there were no cats or raccoons passing by. Everyone just assumes that the noises and shadows we see are the previous owners deceased niece and nephew playing around in a place they were happy to be at.
But it sounds like you’re all OK with all those spirits running around!
I keep thinking about how your coffee basically made itself. I would have been freaking out and ready to move. I think having someone in the house who made the coffee would be better than the ghost coffee. I really enjoyed this story.
Oh, it takes more than that to make me move! I love my home and feel very comfortable in it.
This is my first comment on this website. But I had no idea your imagination could run so wild. I have imagined before what I would do if there was a stranger in my house. Would I hide? Would I quickly look for a make shift weapon? A knife or bat or something else perhaps? Just my knowledge of kickboxing techniques from one class I took at Mt. Sac. Who knows; not I. To be honest, it’s actually quite fun to think about.
I do have a spooky story in which I was hanging out with a couple friends in an old two story school building once (now used for Church bible groups, weekend events, etc) where it was around 11pm and we were the only ones in the building…. so we thought. Until out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow go by the small window on the door. I ask my friends, in a serious voice, not a joking voice, if they had seen what I just saw. One guy thought I was kidding but the other said he saw it too. We peek our heads into the the dark hallway (keep in mind the whole building is dark and the only lights are coming from our one room and the little street lights illuminating from outside) and we see nothing. A few minutes later we hear sounds of doors slamming shut. We start yelling who is down there (hoping its a response from someone we actually know) but nobody answers. We decide to do a room to room search of the whole building. (typing this still gives me the chills of that night) We use the flashlights that our phones make and fumble around for the rooms light switch every time we enter a new room praying no crazies are in there waiting to stab us. We search the closets and drawers but find no one. However, one of the classrooms that has a deadbolt that’s supposed to be locked at all times is unlocked. So let’s just say, that whoever was downstairs, we scared off when they heard us shouting who is down there. After that we locked the main doors and went home.
Murder shows are my favorite to watch because they are so interesting. That would’ve gave me the chills, but my cousin passed away back in the summer of 2005. One day i was sleeping and i felt someone staring at me by my door and i thought i was dreaming, but when i opened my eyes i swore i saw him standing there in his uniform just smiling at me. My mom tried to tell me it was just my dad checking up on me, but it happened around 2:30am and at the time my dad was working at 8am.
I hope it gave you a good feeling and not a bad one.
I thought this was funny, pretty suspenseful too!
Glad you’re okay.
Thank you! I was never really scared … ok, maybe a little!
I do have a spooky story in which I was hanging out with a couple friends in an old two story school building once (now used for Church bible groups, weekend events, etc) where it was around 11pm and we were the only ones in the building…. so we thought. Until out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow go by the small window on the door. I ask my friends, in a serious voice, not a joking voice, if they had seen what I just saw. One guy thought I was kidding but the other said he saw it too. We peek our heads into the the dark hallway (keep in mind the whole building is dark and the only lights are coming from our one room and the little street lights illuminating from outside) and we see nothing. A few minutes later we hear sounds of doors slamming shut. We start yelling who is down there (hoping its a response from someone we actually know) but nobody answers. We decide to do a room to room search of the whole building. (typing this still gives me the chills of that night) We use the flashlights that our phones make and fumble around for the rooms light switch every time we enter a new room praying no crazies are in there waiting to stab us. We search the closets and drawers but find no one. However, one of the classrooms that has a deadbolt that’s supposed to be locked at all times is unlocked. So let’s just say, that whoever was downstairs, we scared off when they heard us shouting who is down there. After that we locked the main doors and went home.
Yikes! Maybe a burglar, or maybe a homeless person looking for respite. Or maybe someone who came back for their keys. Or maybe…a ghost?
Hahaha your story gave me a chuckle! I want to say that I’m not a coward, and that ghosts/demons are definitely not real… but I’d be lying if I said I never pull the blankets over my face in the middle of the night because of the “suspicious” shadows in my room (they’re usually just from the jackets hanging off my chair). Luckily I haven’t witnessed any “paranormal activity” in my lifetime but my brother once told me that the kitchen door in my old house would sometimes slam shut on it’s own and that my dog would bark at random corners of the house. Sort of creepy, but I just brushed it off. & I love your “aging elvira” costume. Very funny!
Thank you, and I totally know what you mean about shadows in the night! Not to mention, don’t let your feet hang over the edge of the bed…apparently a universal fear.
This was an interesting story to read!!! i would of searched the house top to bottom, just the way that you did. i would have slept with the lights on and a baseball bat ready that night in case of anything. Don’t have any ghost stories but really like the blog
You know, once I did a quick check it was over and I wasn’t scared. I still think I set the timer accidentally. But you never know! 🙂
I think I would of done the same thing if this thing happened to me. I would pretend that nothing is going on but at the same time be scared to death. But what I would of done differently is that I would of ran out the door when I get a chance and call for help!
I made the story sound a little spookier than it really was. For some reason, I really was not afraid!
What an intriguing story! I do happen to believe in ghost and have a couple ghosts stories of my own. However, there is one story that still haunts me to this day. To start off, I have always felt a presence in my room. This presence did not feel good, for it felt I was being watched. Also, my mom and I always see a black male figure walk in our hall way and leads to my room. Whenever we see this figure, It always heads in my room. Every night, i like to “netflix and chill” before bed on my MacBook. When I am about to knock out, i put my laptop away and leave it on the charger. One time, i wake up startled from hearing a very loud noise next to my ear. This noise is the sound of somebody pounding the keys on my MacBook’s keyboard! My heart starts to beat insanely fast because I immediately feel the same feeling I always feel in my room, the feeling of being watched. I lay in my bed for a good minute just listening to this pounding noise and this intense insecure feeling lingering throughout my body. I kept closing and opening my eyes but the noise continued to happen. I immediately hopped out of my bed without looking anywhere else but the direct of my door. When i come back, my laptop is open facing the opposite direction as me as if someone else was using it.
Till this day, I could not logically explain how this could of happened other than a paranormal experience. Maybe casper was hitting up his significant other via email or iMessage? If so, at least put my laptop back on the charger and don’t wake me up!!!!
I still feel the occasional presence of this ghost in my room. All I can do is accept that it is a ghost and as long as it does not hurt me I have no problems.
Wow, that’s quite a story! But I guess if he was going to hurt you, he could have already. So maybe he’s just sharing your space. Or maybe you’re sharing his! LOL
That was a very interesting story. I kept waiting for an answer to what it was at the end. like you forgot you invited someone over for the night or something , I dont know. I have always believed in ghosts (or spirits) since I was a young kid, there was one that would wonder my hall at night. But when I moved into my new house I never expected that there would be one. My husband and I, and pretty much all our friends hate going into the back bedroom. why? I have no idea but man do you get an unsettling feeling in there, my friends like to challenge each other to spend time in there but they never last. Have never seen or heard anything in there but I will not stay in there!
That’s very weird about your back bedroom! Maybe you should do some kind of a ‘come and meet us’ seance or something. No, I never found out, I had to guess.
I think I would of done the same thing if this thing happened to me. I would pretend that nothing is going on but at the same time be scared to death. But what I would of done differently is that I would of ran out the door when I get a chance and call for help!
Haha! For some reason I did not really feel scared.
thats really weird that you would drink the coffee lol you got me messed up. no way in hell id do anything except run for my protection. this is interesting, im getting to know you and your personality much more clear through your writings. I can see your book having substance that will bring a good size of viewers. when you brought up your book and how u were working on a chapter, i thought of myself and it inspired me to finally begin a book or journal type to start. i look forward to your new and old post
Thank you, Michael! And I’m glad you were inspired to start writing. I was starting to get published in my mid-20’s, but then I dropped the ball and didn’t write much for a couple decades. I think I’d be a better writer today if I’d kept going, whether published or not.
LOL THIS IS SO ME! I get scared over everything, so pretty much all my stories are scary. I could literally be walking upstairs in the dark and I will run like it is the end of my life. But already-made coffee in the morning? Sounds more like a dream than a nightmare.
That’s a funny image of you running up the stairs. 🙂 Except that feeling scared isn’t really funny. 🙁
Wow the suspense in this story is real. I also experienced a spooky situation like this before. My siblings and I used to do pranks on each other like hide stuff move things around or just hide on the corner or behind a door and pop out. But one time they all had left to my grandma’s house and I was left alone at home. I was watching a movie in the living room and I heard something fall in the back room. A little insider the room was not attached to the house and there was a patio between the room and the actual house. It was loud enough so I went over and I didn’t see anything different. Then I went back to the living room and the control was missing. I called out my siblings’ name, but I didn’t get a response back. I searched the house and nobody was there. I was sure I had left the remote on the couch and when I went back to the living room I saw it on a different couch. After that I never liked to stay on any place alone.
I can see why! That was a scary experience. When I was young I lived with my grandparents for some years. They had a big spooky house with creaky floors and dim light bulbs. I always heard things in that house.
What a great story. I could visualize you walking around the entire house with the cup of coffee looking for the invader. I did not know what to expect!
Me neither!
The first line cracked me up haha I was going to exit out from my screen already. Lol JKJK Anyways this really was a good, entertaining story and i hope i never encounter similar scenes from what you described (x i would just move out right away. 😀
It’s not so easy when you own the house! But nothing like that has been repeated. I’m glad you kept reading. 🙂
Wow that is freaky. I have never had a scary experienced. My stepfather and I do not believe in things like ghosts. I wonder if that’s the reason why I don’t see ghosts. I have been to things like the queen Mary hoping to see something but I never do. I have a friend and a priest has come to his house to bless his sisters room because there have been about 10 people who been in that room and said they have experienced some kind of ghost activity. I slept over my friends house countless times and always sleep in his sisters room and I never see or feel anything everyone says it is because I look for a ghost so they avoid me. In the end I don’t think I will ever believe in ghosts until one comes and slaps me in the face.
Interesting! I don’t believe in ghosts either, and I did not feel it was a ghost that day. Weird that it was Halloween though, ha ha.
This is really interesting. I remember one morning that I woke up and the dryer was running. My husband was no where in sight and I assumed that he was at work. My next thought was maybe the dog turned on the dryer. As I continued to ponder, my husband popped up out of nowhere and literally almost made me have a heart attack. He didn’t have to work that day. Thats my only instance of a scary moment. I hate being in the house by myself. It gives me anxiety.
I guess we’ve all had some kind of moment like that. I enjoy being peacefully alone and quiet at home – but not when appliances start turning themselves on!
I love spooky stories they are my favorite maybe because my birthday is 2 days before halloween so I am into the whole scary stuff. Anyways what a nice ghost you got around the house, I wish I would wake up to a cup of coffee. I myself have not experienced a scary story, but failing a test is always scary to me LOL. Great story by the way, I enjoy reading your articles.
Thanks, Amy. Maybe it’s best not to experience a scary story!
What a crazy story! I kept reading it thinking there would be a logical conclusion but the story just kept building with no satisfying answer at the end. I think maybe somebody was messing with you. Like kids who break into houses just to dress up in other people’s clothes because they’re bored. Too many teenagers are out on Halloween night. Or maybe you sleep walk?
The closest I have to a ghost story is that I once did my homework in my sleep. Or that’s how I assume it got done. Because when I opened the discussion board I found 3 paragraphs of bio research with citations posted on the discussion board under my name. I have no recollection of how it happened even to this day. Was I really that tired……?
That is weird about your homework! Want to hear another weird one? I have a bar of soap that I keep next to my pillow like a sort of aromatherapy (I love the scent). But I woke one night to a terrible taste in my mouth – I had bitten into the soap!!! What the hell???
Clicked this because I love a good spooky story. This one had me wondering the whole time! and the fact that it ends without a true answer to your question……who made that pot of coffee?? and what was their intention??? Whoever or whatever it may be, at least you got your morning cup of coffee out of it 🙂
I never got the answer, either! I sort of settled on the idea that I had set the timer inadvertently. But you’re right – that morning cup sure tastes good!
Hahahaha I definitely thought that this story was heading to a conclusion but turns out the answer will remain unknown. My parent’s coffee pot would sometimes turn on and make coffee out of nowhere and we thought that it might be defective. Turns out that they had just set the timer wrong!
That’s what I suspect, too, but I’ll never know for sure!
That’s super creepy that the pot of coffee has no maker. My spooky story is after my father passed 3 years ago, being on the varsity dance team I did a solo at competitions decicated to him to
“See you again.” Shortly after the song would randomly play on my phone with out me even touching it. And this happened every couple of days. It would also tend to be on the radio all the time when me and my mom would get into the car. She says its him talking to us but I don’t know if i quite believe it because i think it was conincidence the song was getting popular at the time. For my phone, I can’t say.
Those events can really make you wonder, can’t they? I don’t believe in the supernatural or paranormal things, but that doesn’t mean I can explain everything, either. Like your phone, or how, on the night of my mom’s funeral, as I lay crying in bed, a little light in the ceiling started blinking on and off. It turned out to be the smoke alarm, but once I discovered that, it just stopped and didn’t blink again. I didn’t change the battery. 😉
I love that you mentioned how you don’t want to kill your students, just their previous teachers that didn’t teach them proper English and punctuation! Had me laughing out loud. I would share a spooky story of my own, but I’m usually the one doing the spooking! There’s really noting quite like hiding behind a concealed doorway and jumping out and screaming at an unsuspecting victim! Needless to say I was my mother’s least favorite child.. at least during Halloween 😉
That’s funny – I used to do the same thing when I was a kid and my friends would visit – I’m surprised they continued to visit!
Oh wow! That sounds very unusual and basically there’s no real explanation. Maybe you forgot you made it?
I do have a story though where I was also home alone and did hear some screeching down the hall. I was startled and got very scared. What I did was slowly creep down the hall with a shoe.. but nobody was there. I felt as if someone was there though, staring deeply at me. My sister says she has had an experience like that before so at least I’m not going crazy. The world may never know…
Those experiences are so strange! I remember being at my grandparents’ house, playing with friends in my room, and we all heard someone creeping down the hall. We thought it was my stepdad and raced downstairs, but there he was sitting and watching TV. Hmmm…
If it was some ghost or unwanted intruder it was really nice of them to make coffee for you to wake up to in the morning! I was born on Halloween and my friends would always joke about being the “devil child” even though I was born to a very religious family. Spooky story!
You’re right about a thoughtful ghost! It must be funny to be born on Halloween.
Very creepy, and well told. I was able to imagine this in my head as if I were in your situation! There are countless of stories within my family or even just me. I try to ignore and carry on because it is scary, yet kind of normal at the same time. I’m not sure about everyone, but there is a lot of talk about superstitions, spirits, etc. in the latino culture as well so maybe this explains some of it haha
Yes, it is cultural – but most cultures have some versions of it!
That was creepy! I remember when I was renting out a room in somones house that I always felt a presence there. Then one morning as I was taking shower, I heard footsteps outside of the bathroom. I stopped the shower and checked and no one was there. It freaked me out so much that I left the house right after. I didn’t want to go in until someone was home. Freaky!
omg that’s spookyy! I myself personally love to read about people’s experiences with anything paranormal so I found your story captivating and great to read!
I’m not interested in the paranormal, but this was a perplexing experience that I can’t explain…
I loved the beginning haha it got me hooked even more. Also as i was reading it felt like i was in a horror movie.
Well, then that means I did my job! 😉
First of all you are an amazing writer!! But, I would have been totally freaking out! Lol Great read and perfect Halloween story!
Thank you! And I’m glad you enjoyed the story. 🙂
I love a good mystery! That doesn’t mean I want to experience something like that, I can be a bit of a scaredy cat. I once had to spend a whole month by myself in my house, and boy was going to sleep a problem especially considering I’ve had my share of bad sleep paralysis experiences. Any little noise would wake me up and keep me on edge. Safe to say I got the eye bags to prove how scared I was those nights.
I think staying home alone – or living alone! – can take some getting used to! It doesn’t help me when I’m obsessed with Investigation Discovery channel. 😉
The most spooky moment I ever experienced was the night when my parents left town and I was alone at home. I was paranoid when I heard knocking sounds on the window but it wasn’t your typical knock, it was a weird pattern of knock. Every 3 minutes there’d be a weird knock and all I saw was a bright light near the window. Who could it possibly be? No one should be home except me. If it was family, they have their own key. When I finally mustered up my courage and looked at what it was, I literally found my brother’s phone glowing at his face as though he was some ghost. All he said was simply, “What took you so long?! I’ve been out here for 15 minutes, open the damn door!” So what happened? There was a change of plans and he wasn’t sleeping over at his friends, oh and he lost his key. :’D
Oh my gosh! Scary! I wish he would have said something so you’d know it was him.
This story is so scary yet also entertaining. The first two sentences literally had me saying ” Oh Sh**” lol. It’s a mysterious act and I would’ve been so freaked out if it had happened to me. I’ve never experienced anything like that but I do have dogs and there are times when I’m alone with them and they start barking towards a corner in the house when nobody is there. Sometimes it makes me wonder if they can see something I cant.
Yes, I would wonder that, too! Glad you enjoyed the story.
I have had similar experiences…. I’ll come home and the dishwasher is going tr the dryer…. I realized the kids were trying to help around the house and turn things on before going outside to play. It was like I had a nice ghost living with me. It was actually my sweet children.
That’s a lot better than a ghost!
It is very scary especially on Halloween! Wow your brave for looking around the house by yourself! I would of called the authorities lol
OK, I made the story sound a little scarier than it really was. I was more perplexed than anything!
I live with my parents and every summer they leave on vacation leaving the house entirely to me. Its a dream come true; I have had a similar experience however that makes me wish I had a roommate at the every least. I find panicking may get me killed, so I act casually as you did, to establish some (false) confidence incase my intruder is watching me… Ive done it to intimidate. 😉
For unknown reasons, I have thought of how to handle intruders since I was a little girl. I think because I spent several years with my grandparents, and their house was mega-spooky. The first things that would come to mind now: phone, hiding place and weapon (I keep a bear spray for that reason).
That was an interesting read. I don’t really believe in ghost but it was mysterious to find out what happened at the end of the story.
Yes, although I never did really find out; I just had a hunch.
But you drank the mysterious coffee?!?! I would have been scared out of my mind if I was the only one living in the house. But if the ghost made me a delicious feast every night… I might reconsider. I’ll do anything for a good meal haha.
Actually I didn’t think twice about drinking the coffee!?! I sure love my morning coffee LOL.
As I was reading, I kept thinking that maybe it had to do with the coffee pot timer as well! This also reminds me of the film Poltergeist, and maybe you have a friendly one in your home. I definitely would appreciate a ghost in my house that liked to wake me up with a fresh pot of coffee. I also just saw watched a Halloween DVD set of Elvira specials where she introduces/narrates classic scary movies. It was great!
I love Elvira! Aging Elvira has been my Halloween costume a couple years – with gray hair, walker and glasses LOL.
That is crazy . I like how you didn’t run out of the house . you tried to think what if you had set the coffee your self. whoever made you coffee was nice. You know I have a few experiences with ghost encounters. One is my grandfather every year around his birthday I dream of him then he will appear out of no where. when he does show up he smiles and disappears. I wish he could bring me coffee. I am glad no one was at the house to harm you. just a freshly made coffe ready for you to start your day.
Coffee is a nice way to start the day! I hope you enjoy your visits from your grandfather.
Im surprised that you were calm enough to act normal in your house and pretend you didn’t see the person that made the coffee is there was one. Im not a believer in ghosts, but that’s because I’ve never had an experience myself.
I don’t believe in them either, so it was easier to keep a calm head, search the house, and decide that it must have been the timer.
What a creepy story, my guess was that you had a timer on it and it was automatic but since you mentioned that you never figured out how, that was chilling. Also, I LOVE your Halloween costume, she is one of my favorites, as are you!
Haha, thank you, Rachel! No, I never figured out the mystery for sure, but I agree with you about the timer.
So brave. Knowing me, I would’ve walked out and hired the Ghostbusters. I can’t handle anything spooky especially in spooky season. I believe it was probably the timer. I wonder if its happened since with the coffee.
I didn’t change any settings, yet it has never happened again!
I would of reacted the same way and looked around to find something/someone. I hope it is not someone though. Nevertheless, there is something magnificent about the smell of coffee. Fun fact about me is that I set time for a whole month to search for the best coffee; meaning I tried many and now I can say I have found the one “Bru instant” coffee.
I really enjoyed reading your post Professor Hoggan!
-Omar Mercado Soto
Wow, a coffee lover like me! I’ll have to try yours. My favorite is French Market New Orleans coffee, which is really strong and I make it with heated cream and brown sugar, plus a little cinnamon. Yum!
When I first started reading the post, I gave a little chuckle. Definitely my kind of humor. It was funny that you decided to pour yourself a cup of the hot coffee that mysteriously appeared in your kitchen. Definitely a great idea. When I head “Yes, I watch serial murderers while grading student papers. It tempers my desire to kill.” I just about lost it. I love this story! I would classify this as a comedy in my book. 😉
Thank you! And you know what, Myra? I never thought I was funny until I started writing this blog. Some posts are serious, but some definitely brought out my humorous side.
I’m super scared of ghosts and anything that deals with them but for some reason i like to scare myself more and read about them so for sure this blog title got to me! If I had woken up to that I probably would’ve freaked out and left the house lol. I have had my own fair share of ghosts and things of that like so maybe that is why I would’ve left instead of trying to see who’s in the house. I most likely would not have tried to go near the coffee either. With my ghost experiences, I have heard them, seen them or they have done something totally weight. My first ghost experience was when I was in junior high or high school at my parent’s house and I saw a lady in red standing in our living room who looked exactly like my friends mom who was over at that time but she was already outside in the car. So ghosts and me are a no no and the dark is not my friend!
Wow, I’m sorry the ghosts are haunting you! This was my only ghost experience, and I don’t even think it was a ghost.
what a creepy story! Good thing you handled the situation very calmly and didn’t called the cops immediately. if you’re going to ask me, i think you just forgot that you had set the timer on it. Great story by the way. 🙂
Good guess! I know I didn’t set it, but I think it was set from when my sister had it. Still scary!
Undoubtedly a creepy story. I have had similar experiences and never really come to a realistic conclusion on how the event may have occurred. I love science and the brain is a powerful tool. But I do not question the existence of spirits.
I don’t believe in spirits, which is why I look for scientific explanations. But to each his/her own!
This is neat. I like how I can see the vivid image as I read. When you touched the sofa I felt the soft leather on the tips of my fingers. I could imagine myself doing something like that. Yet, who am I kidding; I would of ran out.
Oh my gosh, you’re funny! But where would you run?
What an interesting story. Definitely spooky but interesting. I say that the timer must have been on though. Perhaps you had a friend over the night before and they set that up for you?
Nope, no friend, it was just me. But I’m a believer in real things (as opposed to paranormal), so I go for the timer theory too.
I don’t think I would’ve investigated as much as you did, I can vividly picture myself running out of my house. Probably upset if my dogs didn’t bark, if the timer wasn’t set lets hope it was a friendly ghost.
I guess not believing in ghosts gave me the courage to investigate. Although if I had found an intruder that would have been more scary! But I just couldn’t imagine an intruder making me coffee LOL. But actually going to a neighbor if you think something seems wrong is not a bad idea.
You’re brave for investigating on your own. I would have instantly called a friend or family member while I looked around the house. I have had a few spooky encounters myself actually. My most scary one was hearing a knock at my front door at midnight and seeing a child-like shadow figure through the peephole. I instantly ran for my brother upstairs, who was the only other person in the house. We came back downstairs together and he didn’t see anything through the peephole, nor did I anymore. To this day, I question whether or not I heard the knock or even saw the figure. After all, I may have been sleepy since it was so late… right?
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Lynda,
Luckily, I live with my family so I have someone who I can blame on who started the coffee machine. This blog was j about the same coincidence with me, but without the paranormal and scary parts, well one day my coffee maker just suddenly turned on and started heating itself up, never in my life have I ever gotten afraid of an automatic machine! Well, at that time I did not know, but my brother was the one who programmed the coffee maker to automatically warm up in the morning.
Oh, that’s funny! And that may be what happened to me, that my sister had programmed it before giving it to me. I’ll never know!
Such a interesting, yet scary story. I loved the way you wrote this piece, I was very intrigued.
Thank you! It was fun to craft these scenarios.
I too am a true crime junkie, and I have lots of paranoid thoughts because of it. My anxiety ridden mind would not have drank out of that coffee pot! I would have walked around looking for someone, but not with the calmness you seemed to have had! Especially on Halloween? No way! I did enjoy the story, though. You have a way with words that captures my attention, and that says a lot because I’m a horrible reader!
Apparently you just need a good story! 🙂 I hope you keep reading my blog.
I thought this story was creepy and funny. It kept me on the edge the entire time and I liked how you remained calm throughout the entire search for this mysterious person. If I was alone in my house and a pot of coffee was there in the morning, I would have left the house and drove to a friend’s or start panic texting a friend.
Haha, that’s understandable, too!
This story is one hell of a mystery and it makes me question if it was actually serial killer, or a supernatural force trying to show you a sign. I know if I was in your shoes, I would call one of my friends to come get me as I would not be brave enough to explore my house alone.
I will never know for sure what that was. About calling friends, unfortunately none of them lived that close to me.
okay… creepyyyyyy. While reading your comment about acting casual around the house as your trying to find someone kind of reminded me of how a person might go into their bathroom and think someone is behind their shower curtain so they try to act normal and then suddenly pull open the curtain only to notice there’s no one there (maybe its just me). I would not have taken the time to look around the house. I would have grabbed my car keys and left the house. Glad that you are okay though!
Yes, I can see why this reminded you about the shower situation. One reason why I keep my shower curtain open, LOL. As far as taking keys and leaving … then what?
That is very creepy considering you live alone! I have had my fair share of spooks and tried to blame it on other things. The common one I get the most is hearing my name being called in my house when no one was looking for me. It’ll happen out of the random when I’m deep in thought.
Wow, that is kind of creepy too! I’ve heard other people report that as well.
I would’ve been either out of the house or back in my room with the door locked, I would have not looked around to see, I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to scary stuff in general. I have yet to be able to watch a scary movie during nighttime, or even go to amusement parks during Halloween, I honestly can not handle the idea of being scared or filled with anxiety that something mighty happen.
I sometimes get scared, too. Not sure why I had the courage to go look! But I’m also lazy and don’t want to leave my home if I think I ‘really’ don’t need to, LOL.