As everyone knows it’s getting closer to that time of the year were everyone loves a good spooky story. So I thought I would start early because I don’t really know how many parts this will take. This story deals with the events that my self, my family, my brother, and a co-worker had to deal with. The events lasted for us for a year and a half. I like to call this story The House on Kline Street.
So I guess as with any story you need to start at the beginning. So I guess that’s where I will start.
The year was 2010 and I just got out of the Army in May. I moved my family back to my childhood home town and we quickly found an apartment that we could call home. After that I started to look for a job. I heard that the railroad was hiring but it was hard to get on with them. So I thought what the hell I will try any ways. I went on line and filled out an application. I mean what could it hurt right? I also put in application for local jobs and found a job pretty quickly. After three months of waiting I got an email from the railroad saying that they would love for me to come and test for them. They wanted to see if I was eligible for the conductor trainee program. I was like hell yea! But then I seen it I would have to go to Aberdeen South Dakota. I have never been to South Dakota before so that was cool. I made the ten hour trip to Aberdeen South Dakota and took their test. I also took their drug test they took a small chunk of my hair to be tested. They then came out and told all of us that they would email the people that they want to move forward with the company. So I had to drive all the way back home with out knowing how I did. Two months went by and I thought for sure that I did not make it. There were over fifty people their and they said that they where only looking for a few people. But when I checked my email I saw that I had an email from the railroad! I got the GOLDEN TICKET! They wanted me for their conductor trainee program in Aberdeen South Dakota! In the email they laid the rules out. They said the program would be four months long; there would be five tests that we would have to take. Four of them would be written test and one of them would be a hands on test of you performing task on or around a moving train. You have to score at lest a 90% or higher on all five test. If you score even an 89.9% you would be removed from the program. Wow that’s a lot of pressure for one person when you have a family to take care of. So I talked it over with my wife and we both decided it would be best if I went on my own at first. This way I would not have to move the family their then if I didn’t pass a test I would have to move them back with not home to go to. On top of that I would not have a place to stay when I first got there.
Finally the day came for me to leave. I wanted to leave a few days early so I could check out the town. I did not want to get lost and then be late on the first day. I ended up sleeping in my car for the first three days I was there finding a different parking lot to call home every night.
On my first day of class I was shocked when I walked in and seen only two other people sitting there. I thought to myself well maybe more people will come in as it gets closer to the time for class to start. But as it turns out we were the only ones that made the cut. When our instructor walked in he asked our names, where we were from, and if we had a place yet in town. Shockingly the other two already had a place of their own I had to hang my head and say that I was staying in my car at the moment. That’s when Mark spoke up and said he can stay with me if he wants to. Mark had a two bedroom apartment and said I could use the extra room if I wanted it until I found a place. I was so grateful for that kind welcome. He did not know me until 30 minutes before that. So after class I followed him to his apartment and stayed there for about two weeks before I hound a house to rent in the paper. It sounded too good to be true! It was a big three story six bedroom house and the price of rent was really low. I called the landlord and asked to see the house. I have to say as soon as I seen the out side of it I already liked it! We went inside and he showed me the place and for some reason I had the feeling that I just had to have it! The landlord then told me that he had to tell me by law that the house was built in 1940 and served as a funeral home for many years. I ok that’s fine where do I sign? He then asked me are you sure that don’t bother you? I was like no its fine. So he gave me the keys and walked away. I was so happy and went right over to Marks apartment to tell him I got the place. When I got there I saw Mark painting his apartment. I told him the good news and he then asked if he could stay at my new place until the paint fumes got out of his place. I said yes any time man!
That night would be the start of a year long battle of thinking we were crazy and having our world turned upside down.
That night after we ate dinner we started to watch a move on the computer. Then all of a sudden we heard this loud thud come from the floor above us. It almost put you in the mind like someone threw a bowling ball on the floor. I knew that there was nothing up their. All I had was a computer and a duffel bag full of clothing. But we both ran up there to see what it was but there was nothing just empty rooms that would one day belong to my kids. We walked back down stairs and just decided to go to bed because we had to go to class early in the morning. I went to my room and went to bed. I was then awaken by screaming! I jumped out of my bed and ran to where I heard the screaming and that’s when I saw Mark balled up in a corner in the kitchen. I asked him what was going on! That’s when he started to tell me that he got up to get a drink out of the refrigerator and when he turned around he seen a man. He said he was standing in the door way but he could only see the top half of him and that was with the lights on. I really didn’t know what to say or even what to think. But Mark then went and packed up his stuff and left he never did come back to that house.
To be continued…
Don’t forget to come back to find out more of what happened to our family.