Success

Today was the party. It was a success.

Friday Jennifer came over with the invites she'd made and we took some up to the manager's office and taped a few on the mailboxes. The manager didn't care. He even went so far as to point the invites out to people. He said he thought there were some people who actually would show up. When we checked later, after we got back from the grocery store, most of the invites were gone. So maybe people would show up.

They did. I was really surprised. Apparently the fact that people don't do this kind of thing anymore made it a real novelty and there were quite a few who showed up.

Most of them showed up, ate a little bit, and then went on about their business. We served tortilla chips and a 7-layer dip, chicken wings, cocktail franks and pigs in a blanket, little finger sandwiches, iced tea and lemonade. People liked it.

There were some older people who came who stayed a while to talk. They were really nice and I enjoyed talking with them. They told me about themselves and they told me stories about the neighborhood.

And about my apartment.

They didn't seem to know a whole lot. But they told me enough that I'm thoroughly spooked and Jennifer just left a little while ago. She's got work in the morning.

Seems that many people believe there is an evil spirit here. Hardly anyone lives here for very long before they begin to complain of strange sounds, a presence, sometimes even seeing things. Families have moved in and out in a matter of weeks. That's why the rent was so cheap. Locals would hopefully want the place for the cheap price while those who moved into town, like me, would want it because it was the most affordable place.

The last family who was here had an exorcist come in. The manager didn't like it, but what could he do? There was enough of a problem that an exorcism was approved. It was apparently successful. Even so, the family moved out. Apparently people had been hurt: pushed down the stairs, cabinet doors knocked into their heads, things like that. Stuff disappearing for good or being broken. And so on.

I am the first one to live in this townhouse in 9 months. Since I've been here a while already and haven't run screaming to the manager apparently everything is okay.

After everyone left, Jennifer and I talked about it. I told her about some of the things I've sensed, like the staring. She said that it was possible that I might just be imagining things, especially since I was coming from a very stressful situation and was living on my own for the first time. She also said that it was possible that some kind of residual was here. She said it was like leftover energy and that energy was still doing things that it once did, but couldn't hurt me in any way. And that it would eventually vanish.

I'm not sure what to think, but I am spooked.

I'm glad I found out some things.