this is episode 100 of tales from the breakroom allow me to break character this time around to just say thank you thank you for joining us for these scary work stories and for making this show possible not only because you all have tuned in to support us here at Tales from the breakroom but also because we've received several hundred stories from you since we've begun you all have made this show possible not to mention we're almost at 70,000 followers on Spotify alone that's crazy so again thank you sorry I don't really have anything special planned
for the occasion my schedule is kind of hectic and my health isn't the best lately so it's hard to plan ahead these days here's to the next 100 episodes a toast to you my friends these are Tales from the breakroom last contact from trench coat badger back in 2018 I was coming home from a shift at my day job as a manager to get right to work on my remote job it's important to the story to note that I live next to a fire station with an ambulance it wasn't uncommon to see the ambulance out
front during the day but on this day the back was open I could see paramedics talking with someone in the back of it it was a woman who appeared to be quite agitated I slowed down because unfortunately my town has something of a drug problem so I've learned to assume that any pedestrian may just Dart across the road at any moment in an attempt to get hit by your vehicle why attempt to get hit on purpose the simple answer boils down to painkillers this gal wasn't looking that flighty just yet and this wasn't my business
anyway so I wasn't about to be a nosy Norah about it as I turned down the lane to my place the station was in view from where I parked and the spot the ambulance was parked left a line of sight right down my Lane still in my car I answered a call for my remote job it couldn't have taken more than just a minute or two when I got out I was on edge seeing as the gal who had been attended by the paramedics was now walking in my direction as I exited my car I
could see the paramedic standing by the ambulance and watching her I know enough about first response that she had likely refused their service but that was leaving a lot of questions in My Mind questions I didn't have time to consider as she approached in a quick shamble looking a hair short of frenzied she'd been at the station so she had clearly either wandered there or had been dropped off it wasn't uncommon in the drug crowd up there unfortunately dropping someone off at the station if it looked like they were having an overdose or possibly dying
hey can you give me a ride she asked her speech was a little slow but not slurred I knew she was on something though I knew it in my gut from working at a restaurant where it was common to see people on whatever drug was trending she'd probably been beautiful once with blonde hair growing out Brown but the drugs left her pupils too wide to determine what color her eyes were her skin was so pale she almost looked blue her lips were thin chapped a little burnt looking and teeth yellowed oh uh I'm sorry I
just got home I told her where are you wanting to go maybe I can phone a friend to take you there my plan if she said yes was to call the Sheriff's Office director ly knowing they were likely Keen to this situation already to some degree since dispatch in a small town like this meant all the Emergency Services went through them anyway just outside of the next town over I could give you directions she stepped closer as I closed my car door locking it with the fob keeping a finger on the panic button there were
only two real options as to which town she was talking about one North and one south of where we were like uh town I pointed North to the closer of the two or like town I pointed South Town she pointed South H sorry I just came from that direction I answered with as much sympathy as I could I'm only stopping in here to grab something before I head north I have business up there in about half an hour I was lying out my rear there but I didn't want her to stick around my place and
wait I looked to the paramedics down the lane as subtly as I could I could see them Fring to one another one on the radio oh the gal scratched at her arm I'd maneuvered myself towards my front door now in the tiny front porch I wasn't taking my eyes off of her as I unlocked my front door she had shambled along after me and I was not comfortable with how close she'd gotten but I was out of her Arm's Reach at least well uh good luck and safe travels I told her as I slipped quickly
inside so glad the window on my front door had the blinds down as did all my windows due to some peeping Toms in the past I peaked through the blinds of my living room window to watch her she stood there for a moment looked around and my blood went cold when she went over to my locked car and tried to open the back driver side door thank God I was paranoid about locking it after catching someone rumaging through it before i' had never been paranoid about checking my back seats but now I would be the
whole encounter lasted maybe 2 minutes three tops she moved on though on unsteady feet down the lane I debated calling it in but then I got a message for my remote job I was late for a phone call with my boss the incident faded from my mind quickly during the call and before long I was back on the clock this time for the remote job I was working the atome hustle in my pajama pants with a cat in my lap well before Co made it cool 2 hours had passed when I heard a knock on
my front door then the whole thing came rushing back into my mind had she come back I peered out a crack in the living room blinds there was a younger Deputy from the town north of me his car was parked next to mine I can't say how but the pit that opened up in my stomach told me that it was about that woman I'd spoken to earlier uh one moment I called out letting my remote boss know via text that I had to step away I opened the door with my cat on his walking harness
and Leash normal for me because yes I am that weirdo who walks their cat sometimes evening sir hey bger he sighed small towns man everybody knows everyone we not in trouble we're just hoping you can answer some questions guys at the station he indicated the fire station at the end of the lane said you were talking to someone who refused ambulance services earlier uh yes sir I remember scooping up my cat so the deputy could pet him he did look Haggard and sad but it was just as much for my own Comfort the pit in
my stomach was growing into an abyss that only foreshadowed bad news can you tell me what happened from the beginning so I did from seeing the ambulance and the agitated woman to my conversation with her he took down some notes as I spoke asking me how how she had looked how she acted which direction she had gone after she left during one Lull in the conversation the deputy was taking a moment as if to calm himself a bit by petting my cat who now perched on the porch railing did you guys pick her up is
she okay I asked strung out on drugs or not she was a human being and she needed help he couldn't meet my eyes while petting the cat we found her in the wooded area by the train tracks you were the last person to see her alive none of it is your fault he assured me they think she uh well expired only 20 minutes after she left the station I had been on the phone in my car for only 5 minutes 2 minutes talking to her a minute watching her I learned later that she had been
dumped at the station in her State out of a moving car that was never found and had succumbed to whatever drug she was on after getting lost in the woods only a Stones throw away I still beat myself up for not calling it in even though I've since spoken to the same deputy and a therapist what chills me most about the whole encounter though more than speaking to someone so close to death more than being the last person to see them alive is the fact that if I hadn't locked my car door she'd have died
in my back seat waiting for me to take her into town the lady in the oil Plantation from sanguin sea my grandfather often told us he was one of those people blessed with a third eye as a child I wasn't too sure what he meant by that but he was always too happy to explain my family started out as immigrants coming over from South India to what was then known as Mala my grandfather was a teenager then in the' 40s and worked as a KN guard alongside his father in an oil palm Plantation in malaka
a coastal town in Southwestern Malaysia this story is about an encounter he had which has always stayed with me my grandfather was about 14 or 15 years old back then he was in the prime of his youth hanging around the oil palm Plantation where his father my great grandfather worked as a night guard on paper his job was simple ensure that no one enters the plantation without permission and keep straying animals away from the trees all that kind of stuff on most nights nothing much happens because everyone knows that bothering the plantation owner was far
too heavy a price to pay for any attempt made to trespass so my great-grandfather often took this as a time to bond with his son chatting with him about the happenings in Mala including things about the ongoing War One Fine night my grandfather would emphasize it was a crescent moon night he decided he was growing a little bored and took a short walk from his father's post towards the clearing in front of them this was a clearing a short short distance away from the plantation Gates before the first line of trees started covered mostly in
hard sand caked in by years and years of walking during the day the chilly night air was very welcome in the light of the day's humidity and my grandfather being an introverted man enjoyed the moments of Serenity for himself but then he would often stop when he told us this part as if to gather himself he saw her it was was a woman young maybe in her early 20s dressed in a long white dress held at her waist by a red Sash and her long black hair and a long braid hanging in front of her
she was standing her hands hanging limply by her side her chin tilted slightly upwards and her lips drawn into a soft smile her eyes seemed dazed as if she was distracted by something and at first she seemed to not notice my grand grandfather the dress reached all the way down past her ankles and my grandfather could not see her feet the air about her was pierced by faint floral scent which my grandfather assumed was the perfume she wore or at least coming from the pair of plumaria flowers she had tucked in her hair excuse me
ma'am my grandfather called over to her feeling indignant at the possibility of being the first to track a trespasser before his father got too it I think uh you might be in the wrong place you'll need to leave and return tomorrow I can escort you to the gate the woman just looked at him and my grandfather decided not to repeat his request in case it came across as impolite after all she was a young lady and he was a young man and they were alone out there at night if pressed he worried that she might
land him and by extension his father father in trouble with the boss come mourning and so my grandfather had turned and hoped that the lady would follow as he walked back quickly to his father's post as he marched he heard the soft footfall of the lady behind him who said not a word so he grinned to himself proud of having completed a task without being asked but the moment he arrived and prepared to explain himself he turned around and saw that the lady was gone where she would have stood there was nothing but still air
and when he squinted he saw a rat that scurried quickly past his vision and scampered into the nearby bushes the snakes will take care of it my great-grandfather noticed and chipped in that's why we always tell visitors to never step into the plantations there's always cobras around and we let him be as natural Pest Control he then walked to his post and took out his his thermoflask pouring out some hot chai in the cup then handing it to my grandfather here to keep you awake for the next few hours oh my grandfather nodded forcing A
Smile as he accepted the tea he felt the hairs on his nape stand on end and not from the chilly night air he fought the urge to look back once again where the wi clad woman once stood I thought it was urgent and wanted to let you know his father just shook his head and smiled my grandfather decided not to think about the strange woman any further as the rest of the night passed and his father filled him with more gossip about his boss and his boss's wife the next night when they returned to their
post my grandfather saw her again driven by a sudden urge of curiosity my grandfather left his father's post and walked down the same path as the night before this time he kept a deliberate eye out his ears picked away at the natural sounds of the plantation in the nighttime the screaming crickets the steady cries of toads the occasional Screech of a passing bat then he saw her again this time her hair was loose and the wind was blowing strands about her face in the light of the Moon her face looked almost inhuman white though her
eyes were nearly charcoal black which were now fixed on my grandfather she didn't move and her hands were at her side but her Palms were held out as if she were calling something a gust of wind blew and her hair Rose behind her like a pair of Dark Wings fluttering as they did she still didn't move and her lips were curled into the same smile but stretched just a little too far to be human my grandfather stood where he was terrified and transfixed as he stared at her unblinking until his eyes began to tear up
his heart screamed against his rib cage clattering like a prisoner whose Insanity had been ripped away and in spite of the continued cold of the night and the fact that he wore just a thin cotton shirt my grandfather began to sweat blood screeched in his ears he opened his mouth to scream as the woman suddenly launched herself towards him her limbs jerkily moving with her body her mouth opened wide and her blackened saw-like teeth glistened in the Moonlight though every fiber of his being wailed at him to run my grandfather couldn't move and then screeching
like a pig sent a Slaughter the woman disappeared Into Thin Air just 2 ft before she reached him a gust of wind sent my grandfather stumbling backwards into the waiting arms of his father just as he gathered himself a sudden strong scent of Frangipani filled the air followed immediately by the rancid stench of dead rats my grandfather stood shivering in his father's arms as the older man recited verses from the Quran over him the very next day my grandfather recounted that he and his father visited a holy man in a Muslim Shrine who gave them
each a Talisman containing the same konic verses and afterwards every night since returned to its usual uneventfulness though so many years have passed it seemed that the woman never quite left my grandfather's mind she seems to live on through his stories told to us like the story I just told you whisper from room 7even from Emily P I'm a 32-year-old woman with a past as Tangled as the winding roads of rural Maine where I ended up life had not been kind to me and my choices hadn't always been the best after a series of dead-end
jobs and a failed marriage I found myself gravitating towards this part of the country seeking a fresh start the quaint somewhat isolated towns here had a way of either healing you or swallowing you whole I was determined to be in the former category I landed a job at a small motel a place that seemed to have seen better days much like myself it was run by a Gruff middle-aged man named Hank who didn't ask too many questions about my past the motel was rarely full catering more to Lone Travelers and the occasional local looking for
a night away from home it wasn't much but it was enough for me to keep a low profile and earn my keep the job was simple check guests in and out ensure the rooms were clean and manage the front desk which mostly involved reading old magazines and watching the clock I lived in a small room at the back of the motel which Hank let me have for free as part of my employment it wasn't luxurious but it was more than I'd had in a long time one late evening in Autumn a few weeks before Halloween
things took a turn a storm was brewing outside the kind that made you glad to be indoors the motel was particularly quiet that night with only a few guests checked in I was settling in for a long night of reading when the bell at the front desk rang Standing There was a man so Ed from the rain he looked Haggard and uneasy he requested a room for the night nothing unusual there but there was something about his demeanor that put me on edge he paid in cash avoiding eye contact and asked for a room at
the far end of the motel I gave him room seven the last room in the corridor handing him his key the night wore on and the storm intensified the wind howled like a chorus of Lost souls and the rain battered against the windows relentlessly around midnight as I was about to turn in myself I heard a sound that did not belong to the storm it was a muffled scream coming from the direction of room 7 my heart raced as I approached the room my mind reeling with possibilities I knocked tentatively calling out to the guest
but there was no response in the case of an emergency I grabbed the master key and creaked open the door I didn't see anything through the creek the room was completely dark and I couldn't see anyone so I called out into the room sir are you all right do you need help I heard nothing but silence and the storm raging outside I opened the door and stepped inside the bed was untouched and the only sign that anyone had been in there was the wet floor from the rainwater the man had brought in I searched the
motel and the surrounding area but there was no sign of the man it was as if he had vanished Into Thin Air leaving behind only the echo of that scream and a growing sense of unease in my mind the next day Hank dismissed my concerns suggesting that the man had probably left due to the storm or than I had imagined the scream in my half asleep state but I couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible had occurred as the days passed I began to feel like I was being watched and strange occurrences began to
happen around the motel one evening as I was closing up the front desk the lights in the hallway flickered erratically even though the weather was calm and there was no logical reason for it another time I found found the door to room 7 a jar in the morning though I distinctly remember locking it the night before I tried to convince myself it was just stress and isolation getting to me but deep down I knew something wasn't right despite Hank's dismissive attitude I couldn't shake off my unease my nights at the front desk became a time
of vigilance with every shadow and sound causing me to startle then as Autumn deepened and the trees lost their leaves another unsettling guest arrived it was a rainy evening much like the night of the first incident a woman looking wary and troubled checked in she specifically requested room 7even her voice barely above a whisper I saw her eyes darting around nervously that request sent a shiver down my spine but I obliged handing her the key with a trembling hand as Knight cloaked the motel I found myself straining to listen for any sound that might come
from room 7 the hours ticked by slowly filled with an oppressive silence then again sometime after midnight the silence was shattered by a scream it was coming from room 7 again heart racing I rushed to the room the door was already already open swaying gently I pushed it open half expecting to find another empty room but this time the woman was there sitting on the bed her face buried in her hands sobbing uncontrollably when I cautiously entered room 7even I found the woman crouched in a corner her body trembling and her eyes wide with fear
she was at first incoherent her words muffled by sobs and quick fearful glances around the room gradually as she calmed down her fragmented sentences painted a disturbing picture though she avoided going into explicit details she said that when she entered the room she had an unnerving sensation of being watched she began to hear things too like someone was in the room with her before I could get much else out of her she was adamant about leaving the motel right away insisting that staying any longer was Unthinkable her urgency scared me and I found myself glancing
nervously around the room too helping her gather her belongings as she quickly left the motel afterwards her car disappearing into the rainy night I was left with a deepening sense of unease whatever had happened in room 7 it had Disturbed that woman yet the mystery of what it was remained that a mystery I tried to investigate the motel's past digging through local news archives and online forums there were apparently some rumors unsettling stories people wrote in the reviews about the motel former guests spoke of feeling watched hearing strange noises in the night but there was
nothing concrete nothing that might explain what was happening in room 7 I even began to keep a journal documenting everything unusual that happened happened at the motel especially anything related to that room one night I decided to spend the night in room 7 myself call me crazy the room was especially cold and as the night progressed I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched myself but nothing happened no screams no mysterious disappearances just a growing sense of paranoia maybe I should consider myself lucky as the sun I left the room feeling more confused than ever
was it all in my head were the incidents with the guests just coincidences Amplified by my own fears or was there truly something sinister about room 7 something that lurked just beyond the grasp of understanding in the end I left the motel leaving the mystery of that room unsolved I moved on with my life but the memories of those events still lingered every now and then I wonder about it and I can't help but feel maybe it's better not to know Route 66 from Miss travel test in the early 2000s I had the wind knocked
out of my sails with the recession I had a stable job in it and was working towards a manager position when all the layoffs at the company I was with started I missed the first round watching co-workers pack up their desks and leave but I could sense my time was coming oh boy did it happen and fast I packed up my items from my desk into a white box and I was escorted by security to the parking lot the next week then desperation kicked in I knew I had to find another job immediately but there
was no work no one was hiring every time I turned in a resume I had the feeling it went straight to the shredder one day I was doing laundry in my apartment complex while studying the newspaper marking off jobs that I'd applied to I was loading the laundry into the dryer when I looked up at a flyer on the wall it said in big bold letters sales people needed good pay no experience travel all over experience Financial Freedom call 1 1800 blah blah blah I pulled the flyer Off the Wall Shrugged and mumbled what's it
going to hurt to try I folded it in half and shoved it into my pocket carrying on with my laundry duties that next week I called the number and scheduled a quick interview with a chipper lady over the phone the day of the interview I was dressed to the nines in my best suit with my resumé in hand I tried to Fain confidence as I sat in the waiting room in front of the receptionist desk but it was muggy and sweat was starting to drip down the back of my neck as the time ticked by
I watched a dirty fan with ribbon tied to the cover rotate back and forth I watched an ant crawl on the floor I folded the corner of my resume back and forth and finally the receptionist said Mr woolly will see you now and pointed me to a brown door I walked in and stuck my hand out to the balding man covered in sweat sitting behind the desk he waved my hand away he then adjusted his chair as the buttons on his shirt strained showing a bit of belly then he coughed did you fill out the
paperwork he grumbled as he pushed his glasses up his nose yes sir I did I also included a copy of my driver's license and my resume he cut me off with a wave of his hand opening the drawer of his desk and pulling out a card he tossed it to me this is your gas card keep track of your miles and make sure you have receipts pay is weekly and will be deposited into your bank account remember you only get paid if he makes sales so I'd get on that road as soon as possible and
don't forget this he tossed a beeper at me then he handed me a list of states and companies that I would need to make one-on-one contact with me and sent me on my way okay then I packed my bags emptied my fridge got my map and hit the road the job had me in the southwest going to each medical facility selling the products that would revolutionize the medical field supposedly I admit I even got to the point where I felt confident I was actually making decent money and my bills were getting paid life was looking
up around the end of my fourth year with the company being on the road didn't feel like such a bad gig however I was more than ready to take a small vacation and relax around the holidays I stopped at a rest area to read my map as the sun was going down I ate my sandwich and walked around stretching for a few minutes then I decided to get back on the road and head home I passed a sign on my way that said Route 66 Scenic tour I decided to wing it it sounded like a
great way to make my trip home the moon had come out and the desert was a desolate Wasteland of C Cactus and brush as I turned up the radio I looked at the time and knew I would have to stop soon checking in with my family I didn't have any signal on my cell phone of course I set my phone on the console and focused on the road my eyes were starting to become blurry and unfocused then out of nowhere raindrops began to Pelt my windshield the drops soon turned into a torrential downpour and my
wipers could barely keep up I slowed down reaching for my map realizing that it wasn't on the seat it wasn't anywhere near me I could have sworn I sat it on the seat then I remembered I'd sat it on the hood of my car at the rest stop I cursed under my breath hitting my palm against the steering wheel luckily not too long after that my headlights lit up a sign that said gas and motel up ahead I turned and followed the road for a few minutes thinking it must have been an outdated road sign
then a gas station sign appeared I sighed with relief as I pulled in it was closed and I rubbed my forehead in frustration looking around me as the rain poured down I saw a motel light down the street that had a vacancy sign that was half lit and flickering I pulled out and slowly made my way down the street to the motel and pulled up to the front office I squinted through the rain on my windshield to see if anyone was at the front desk I sighed and made a quick exit of my car darting
to the door and pulling it open I shook off as the desk attendant stared at me any rooms available for the night I asked she nodded yep any preference she asked I pulled out my ID and a credit card whatever you've got really I said laying the items on the counter she nodded again handing me a paper to sign she said that'll be 40 bucks check out as noon I swiped my card she handed the items back to me with the room key I grabbed the receipt and headed towards my room I opened up the
door to the room and quickly got in shutting and latching it behind me I looked around it was mediocre at best the carpet was a little worn and the bedspreads had seen better days I set my stuff down down and took off my wet coat I hung it up in the closet and shut the door I found the TV and turned it on glancing out the window for a moment I noticed a few other cars in front of the motel I could faintly hear other TVs crackling in the rooms next to mine I pulled down
the bed spread and sat down tired cold and ready for sleep as creepy as The Vibes were this place was putting off it was better in my opinion than being on the side of the road in the rain my TV crackled as I hit the channel button on the remote searching for the news I landed on a channel and decided to lay back and rest keeping my attention on the newscasters as they spoke about the economy with the only light in the room the glow of the TV I nodded off at some point the phone
rang and I jumped grabbing it quickly and muttering as sleepy hello but there was no one on the line startled and confused I hung the phone up confused I picked up the phone again and there was no dial tone I put the phone in the Cradle then I realized there was no cable connected to the phone at all even more confused I looked around the nightstand picking up the whole phone before sitting it back down I mean I knew I was tired maybe it was a dream I sighed and leaned back and to the pillow
closing my eyes again then I heard a click and the light from the bathroom came on I shot straight up in the bed staring towards the bathroom my eyes focused on the light now I'm really thinking this moment that I've been on the road way too long I got up and walked to the bathroom flicking the light off on off then back on I rubbed my face in disbelief I turned the light off and walked back to the bed sitting down and looking around the room I must be losing my mind I thought it's all
in my head I leaned back against the pillows letting myself relax sleep was about to take over again when suddenly the microwave in the corner beeped turning on and the phone rang at the same time then the volume to the TV went straight up to Max I jumped up running to the door putting my back against it my heart was pounding out of my chest now as I shook violently looking from corner to corner I glanced at the clock 2 a.m. it was the middle of the night and this storm outside was not letting up
I was stuck in this room with whatever this was and I was terrified I opened the door and stared into the downpour my eyes looking across the parking lot at the other side of the Motel where construction looked to be taking place it was creepy dark and the wind was howling as the rain came down I thought about my options sleep in the car or stay in this room I shut the door slowly I packed my items back into my suitcase then I slowly sat down on the bed my eyes darting around the room still
I spoke out loud my voice cracking a bit please leave me alone whatever you are I'm tired and I want to sleep I lay down again turning my attention to the infomercial that was now on the screen Suddenly at the foot of my bed I saw a shadow run through the door across the room to the opposite wall then through the closed closet door I heard screaming and something crashed onto the floor in the room on the other side of the wall I jumped up and walked over to the closet my hands trembling as I
raised them up to open the closet I stood there for a long time then I heard more screams on the other side of the wall again I flung open the closet door and what I saw would be forever etched into the corners of my brain it was that shadow a woman her eyes sunken in mouth stretched ear to ear SC in palor her hands had ghastly long fingers that grabbed the frame of the closet as she leaned towards me she opened her mouth and screamed a scream so loud my eardrums popped as I fell to
the floor on my back she crawled her way out of the closet towards me her neck cracking and her mouth clicking as I crawled backwards trying to get away I got my footing grabbing my stuff off the bed and I ran towards the door trying to escape I saw her figure out of the corner of my eye leaping from the bed her shape changing and stretching as she leapt it looked as though many many hands with long gross fingers were reaching out from her in every direction grasping at the air she screamed again and went
through the window out into the darkness I turned around with my back to the door clutching my suitcase I was frozen in Terror what I saw made no sense what happened made no sense I was never one for the Paranormal not until that moment for whatever that thing was it definitely changed my mind I sat with my back against the door my suitcase against my chest I stared at that room until the sun came up I then seized the moment flinging open the door and running to my car there was a man parked next to
me loading up his suitcases he stared at me as I shoved my suitcase into the back seat and jumped into the driver's seat I peeled out of that parking lot when I got back home I started to apply for other jobs realizing the road wasn't where I wanted to be I don't know what that was maybe I don't want to know I never should have opened that closet I should have just slept in my car regrets aside I still see that thing in my dreams sometimes I'll wake up drenched in sweat and trembling thinking I'm
back in that room all I can really say is if you're lost in the desert avoid any motels under construction on Route 66 and stay safe spirit in the museum from Victoria g at the time of this story I was working as a museum collections professional my job entailed conducting inventory and documenting the artifacts and archival items this story happened at a small Historical Museum in Colorado in the winter of 2022 for anonymity I will not specifically state which city or Museum this occurred in this specific museum is known as a House Museum it was
originally home to an individual about 100 years ago it was preserved to then become a museum after her death because of how limited Financial Resources there were for this Museum the board of volunteer directors shut it down and it remained shut down for quite some time including the time I was working there because it was around by a volunteer board of directors who made many of the higher level decisions they brought me in when they received a grant to fund my position as a collections manager this made me the only paid staff except for a
part-time administrative assistant named Denise Denise was brought on a month after I started the museum itself is in a gated residential area it's a century old with three levels the basement a first and second floor the first floor was the entry floor where people would come in and learn about the history of the area and who owned the home previously the second floor detailed specific artifacts military history related to the demographic featured in the museum and other interactive displays to the left of this house Museum was an administrative building used for the storage of artifacts
admin functions and general office storage this is the building where Denise would most often work I was mostly in the museum basement which was vacant and unused it made for a great place to inventory a high number of collection items this meant I was in there alone as visitors were not allowed due to the closure of the museum this was in a quiet neighborhood and there was a wooden ramp and old floors it was very easy to hear when someone would come in or when someone was walking up the ramp or the steps to the
building on my last day there due to an issue with the administration I was in a rush to finish my work and tie up loose ends with documents and final emails on that day I recall being on the computer in the basement I began to hear the sound of footstep likee noises these footsteps were not the typical footsteps you would hear on the first floor or the ramp those made a very loud and distinct sound being there every day made me familiar with the sounds of the environment in the building common sounds would come from
the construction nearby geese migrating overhead and the air conditioning system would often cause certain noises sometimes Denise would come in the morning to inspect the building and say hello to me in which case I could always hear her enter on that particular afternoon when I heard the footsteps I thought oh must be a Denise she just arrived a little later than her normal time but the foot steps I'd heard were not those of her entering the building her footsteps were always extremely Audible and distinct as she moved across from the north to the south side
of the building you could even feel the vibration of the door closing when she would come in it was also normal for members of the volunteer board to come in and check things out and it would sound the same way as anyone entering the building I knew some of them didn't even drive in the snow at this particular time it had just snowed and it was towards the end of the year around the holidays the footsteps were distinct enough to where I thought maybe Denise could be on the second floor or maybe it was just
the Echoes from the construction work but I was hurrying to finish my work so I could leave and be done with the job so I didn't give these sounds much thought and I just wrote it off afterwards I left and went home when I walked towards the back parking lot I saw that there were no other cars there which meant none of the volunteer board was there at the time Denise took the bus so there wouldn't have been a car there to see if she was there or not after getting home and decompressing for the
evening reflecting upon my job experience I began thinking about that afternoon it was then when I recalled that it was the leadup to a holiday and Denise specifically told me she would not be there that day this was was information I had forgotten until that very moment I then thought that I likely heard footsteps on the second floor because it sounded like it was coming from the second floor I had heard rumors previously that certain members of the volunteer board and construction workers were having issues reporting unusual things at first I gave it no attention
because I prefer to keep that out of my mind when working with artifacts many of which belong to the deceased I I also had no prior experience of note that would make me think there was something there the only thing I could remember that made me feel uneasy was the General sense of having to look around to make sure nothing was there from time to time then again the place could be very quiet and it could sometimes feel like something might pop up out of nowhere on one occasion I was going in between the admin
building and the museum itself and I heard pretty strong sounding banging coming from the second floor when I was alone there after learning about the building I thought this might be a part of the air conditioning system perhaps it was getting ready to turn on in my first month one of the volunteer board of directors by the name of beatric told me that another board member thought she had heard footsteps on the second floor while doing a walkthrough one day since then that board member always thought there was something on the second floor the story
that made me the most uncomfortable was the one about two construction workers during the pandemic the museum received a grant to do some remodeling to restore the building this included new paint new light fixtures and the exterior cleaning of the brick it was told to me one day while the construction workers were cleaning the museum exterior when no one else was there they claimed to see a figure or face standing in front of the window frantically they called beatric asking her what was going on and if she was sure there was no one else there
beatric was not the type who liked to be bothered by these things and wrote it off confirming to them that no one was there she didn't know what was going on she just wanted them to finish up the job part of the reason she was unfazed by this was because multiple paranormal groups had written to the volunteer board members to do nightly ghost hunts because of their focus on the reputation of the museum they declined all of these fearing it would make a joke out of the museum one of the Lesser talked about topics amongst
Museum collections professionals is the supernatural in my years as a mum professional I've worked with items in the collection specifically clothing items that were worn by significant historical people at the time of their death it's quite normal to work with many things that were passed on after death and we would often tell stories of our experiences to one another one such example is from a colleague who used to work at a small Historical Museum in the midwest they talked about how there was one specific room where children during school tours would always throw up or
get headaches in it would only affect the children never the adults and they never could explain what was going on in that room sometimes I think about my exper experience often times I'd feel uncomfortable in there when I was alone but I would usually just play music and distract myself with work to pass the time that seemed to work well enough for me the Unseen visitor from Alex I never thought I'd be writing this down I'm not much of a writer honestly the most I've ever written is probably a grocery list but what happened I
need to get it out somehow I'm your average 30-year-old I grew up in a small town in Ohio and never really left after high school I jumped between jobs mostly in retail and a bit of construction but the pay was never great and the hours were worse about a year ago I got this gig is a house sitter it started when a friend of mine was going on vacation and needed some to watch their place they said I could stay there eat their food just had to keep the place safe and clean and water the
plants it was a sweet deal word got around and soon enough I was the go-to guy for house sitting in our little Community this one job though was different the owners of the house the Petersons were an older couple heading to Florida for a two- week Cruise they had this nice house on the the outskirts of town big yard lots of Windows the kind of place that looks like it's from a magazine they seemed nice enough a bit particular about their house but I didn't mind they gave me a list of instructions things like not
adjusting the thermostat too much and making sure the back door was always locked the first few days were fine I watched TV and read some of their books I made sure everything was in order it was quiet peaceful even but then things began to feel off it was a Thursday night I remember because I was watching this weekly show I liked I was sitting in the living room when I heard a noise from upstairs it sounded like a door closing my first thought was that I must have left a window open and the wind was
messing with the doors I went to check but all the windows were closed and the doors were just as I'd left them I tried to brush it off but I couldn't shake this feeling of unease I double checked all the locks and even looked around the yard with a flashlight nothing I told myself I was being paranoid not used to being alone in a house this big the following night I heard it again this time it sounded like footsteps soft but distinct coming from the second floor my heart started racing I knew I had to
check it out I grabbed a baseball bat the Peterson's kept in the coat closet slowly making my way upstairs I checked every room every closet but again nothing no sign of anyone or anything out of place I couldn't sleep much after that every little sound made me jump I even thought about calling the Petersons but what would I say I'm hearing noises in your house they would think I was nuts so there I was barely sleeping jumping at every Creek and groan of the house by Saturday I was a mess considering leaving just calling the
Petersons and quitting but I needed the money and they were paying well Plus Part of Me felt like I was overreacting it's a big old house I thought they make noises that night something changed it was around midnight I was on the couch almost asleep half watching some Netflix show half listening for any sounds then it happened a thud louder than anything I heard before like something heavy had been dropped right above the living room I froze my heart pounding in my chest this time I didn't hesitate I grabbed the baseball bat and bolted upstairs
the the noise had definitely come from the master bedroom I threw the door open ready to confront whatever or whoever was there but the room was empty but then I saw it a small square vent in the ceiling had come loose and was hanging at an angle it was just a vent I laughed at myself feeling both relieved and a tad ridiculous I fixed it back into place and went back downstairs feeling like I could finally breathe again but as I settled back on the couch I noticed something odd a faint distinct smell cigarette smoke
the Petersons didn't smoke nor did I so this was strange I figured maybe it was coming from a neighbor's house or something the next few days were uneventful and I started to relax again but then on Tuesday everything changed I was in the kitchen making some lunch when I saw something in the backyard there was a man just standing at the edge of the woods looking at the house he was too far to see clearly but he definitely seemed out of place I watched him for a few minutes but he didn't move just stood there
staring feeling uneasy I decided to go outside and confront him by the time time I got to the backyard he was gone I scanned the trees walking to where he'd been standing but I found nothing no Footprints no signs of anyone having been there it was like he had vanished Into Thin Air I couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong that night I double checked all the doors and windows making sure everything was locked up tight I even moved to chair under the door knob of the back door just to be safe I
tried to watch TV but I couldn't even focus every little sound made me tense up then around 11:00 p.m. it happened the back door handle began to Rattle like someone was trying to get in the rattling of the back door handle sent a chill down my spine I grabbed the baseball bat and approached cautiously the chair I'd wedged under the knob was trembling with each attempt from the other side hard pounding I stood there Frozen not sure what to do I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and dialed 911 I told the operator to
send someone fast that someone was trying to break in then as suddenly as it started the rattling stopped I waited bat in hand and still on the phone with with the police but nothing else happened no more sounds No More attempts to break in after what felt like ages the police arrived and checked the entire property no signs of forced entry no Footprints nothing they suggested it may have been an animal but I knew better the police left afterwards but promised to patrol the area that night I couldn't sleep at all that night every shadow
seemed to move every silence felt heavy with anticipation when the Sun finally Rose I felt a mix of relief and exhaustion finally the day came when the Petersons were due back I'd never felt such relief in my life I cleaned up the house making sure everything was in order and I couldn't wait to leave when the Petersons got back they found me on the couch a nervous wreck I tried to explain what had happened but my words came out all jumbled and frantic they listened concerned and told me something that made my blood run cold
a few years back they had a neighbor a reclusive man who often caused trouble he would disappear for months then suddenly show back up the Peterson had a restraining order against him after he tried to break into their home the man was a heavy smoker known to watch the house from the woods last they heard he had been arrested for burglary I left their house feeling a mix of fear and relief that Experience Haunted me for weeks I kept wondering if the man had been watching me if he'd been inside the house and if he'd
come back it's a strange feeling knowing you're not alone yet never seeing the other person I still do house sitting but I'm much more cautious now I avoid houses that feel too isolated and I always make sure to keep the doors locked some nights though when the wind blows just right I swear I can still smell that faint trace of cigarette smoke and I wonder if he's out there watching waiting Tales from the break room is a fewer submitted podcast featuring allegedly true scary stories that happened on the way to on the way from or
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