A Safe Place?

This is probably the most frightening experience of my life and I promise you that it is true in all forms.

When I was around the age of 17 my closest friend had great difficulties getting along with her mother and step-father. So much so that she asked to be put in a safe house somewhere. She was given her own flat and on the first night I went over to keep her company and comfort her.

We sat talking for hours until we heard a door with the flat slam shut. We stopped talking and just stared at each other not daring to move. No windows were open so it certainly wasn't a draft. Neither one of us wanted to investigate but we compromised that both of us should go. As we stood up the door opened and slammed shut again and both of us swore we heard someone heavily exhaling, almost grunting. I was, by this time close to tears and shaking, as was my friend. I told her I wanted to leave but the living-room door separated us from the hallway and the walk would be the worst. We could hear someone moving in the hallway, not really heavy footsteps but the definite sounds of life. It may sound silly but we held hands for comfort and decided we had to open the door if we were going to leave.

My friend used her foot to swing open the living-room door to reveal a totally empty hallway. Unfortunately the light switch was by the front door, so we had to rely on the lamplight that was coming from the living room. Still holding hands we walked slowly down the hall because if we ran we would have panicked.

My friend and I paced down the hall, and the reason I know I saw this is because we both gasped at the same time. We saw a black shadow standing at the wall beside the front door! The perfect outline of something we presumed afterwards was male because the grunt we heard earlier was not feminine at all. My friend suddenly fell onto the floor, saying she felt hands on her shoulders pushing her backwards until she fell on her behind. I felt a small reserve of courage gather inside me and I grabbed the lock and twisted it, opening the door and literally bounding outside, leaving my friend inside. It only took seconds and she was outside too.

The flat was extremely old, as most Scottish properties are, and whatever was with us that night is still there as the flat is taken one month and empty the next without fail.

We asked around to find out anything about the history of the property, even the protection officer who placed my friend there said that people have come to her about the property saying they hear doors slamming in that place at night and always the grunting, although some say they hear the grunting right next to their ear! Needless to say they don't stay long. Apart from that, the ghostly being remains a mystery.

The flat is still empty to this day and my friend has found a new place, which, I am glad to say is spook free!