Babysitters Helper
Beth, Minnesota, USA
September 2000
I have babysat the same kids for a couple of years before leaving for college. Over that time, I have also gotten to know the ghost of their house.
I had my first experience with him when I was trying to get the two girls into bed upstairs. They were bouncing off the walls because I had let them do some gymnastics before bed. I couldn't get them into bed, no matter what I tried, and all of a sudden right next to me an old man's voice shouted, "Girls! Get to bed right now!"
I thought I was the only one that heard it, but the girls stopped almost mid step in their play, gave me a horrified look, and went to bed. Not knowing about a ghost being in the house, I asked the mother about it. She told me that yes, there is a ghost there, but not to be frightened of it. She said one morning she went down into the family room and said something about being cold. She was the only one up, and all of a sudden the gas fireplace lit up by itself.
I've also noticed that when I'm making supper for the kids and I have to go away from the stove for a minute or something, the ghost will turn down the burner for me, and one night the girls needed to get a drink of water, and that meant having to go downstairs. The younger girl forgot she had moved the piano bench as she ran through the living room, and ran right into it. Before her sister and I got to her, the lights came flying on in the living room, with no mortal hand touching the switch. I picked her up and brought her back upstairs.
Many more things have happened, but those are just a couple of examples. This ghost doesn't scare me, he seems to help. The little boy that lives there has talked to him too, I believe. I can go upstairs to check on them after putting them to bed, and the little boy will be talking to someone, but no one will be in the room. I've asked him about it, and he said it was his new friend. He may just be talking to an imaginary friend, but he also may be talking to the ghost, I don't know.