Spooky Shop Residence

In about 1967-1970 my parents and I lived in a flat (apartment) behind a milk bar (convenience store) in a strip of shops in Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia. We did not run the store, but it was rented out. My parents were young, in their early twenties, and I was a about 4ish years old. It was a dreary little place, with a small yard outside. You entered behind the shop, of course, on the right of the back door there was a small laundry, and a toilet. Turn left and you enter the lounge (living) room, where we had my grandparents old lounge suite, coffee table, kitchen table and chairs, and TV. This was a smallish room, you had to go to the two bedrooms up a small staircase at the end of the lounge room, which turned right about half way up. There was a small upper hallway, with my room on the first right, and my parents room at the end. These two rooms were immediately above the lounge.

My parents were young and broke, Dad was completing his electricians apprenticeship at a leading Melbourne newspaper, but nights he would drive taxi's for some extra money. Mum and I were often on our own at night.

Mum would put me to bed at night, she would stay up till later. The hallway light would be left on for me in case I needed to go to the toilet. I hated wanting to go to the toilet unless I absolutely had to!

You see, when the house was settling late at night, when Mum and I had gone to bed, it was very quiet apart from the old place creaking, BUT we knew we were not alone!

I have always been wakeful in the night, even when very young. I would stir from sleep, or be woken by the very loud "clumping" sound of workboots starting up the stairs, but ending at the top. They would not come up the small hallway where the bedrooms are, and they would not retreat down again. There would be a lull, and the workboots would start up the stairs again. Well, this used to freak me out, to say the least!

I would be dying to go to the toilet, but afraid the "man" would get me if I did! Some nights I hung on, on others I would "do or die" and make my way down the stairs, through the lounge, to the toilet. Of course I would not encounter anyone on the stairs, or anywhere else, and there would be no more "clumping" in the night. There was never a shadow on the wall, but Mum and I knew a male presence was there.

It was only a few years ago during a discussion with Mum about places where we have lived that I mentioned that I didn't like that old shop residence because of the man who always walked up the stairs, never down, and started over again. She said, "Did you hear it too?". I was relieved that it wasn't only me! The funny thing is, that I always thought the spirit was an older man, maybe in the silhouette of Freddy Kruger, but not malevolent - thank goodness.

It has been many years since I was in that area, my grandparents lived nearby, it was their local shops. They moved away in about 1986. I have wondered at times, if any other residents of that flat have heard the "clumping" man in the night.

We have had many strange, paranormal things happen in our family, it is comforting to know that strange things happen in other families, too. I have three children of my own now, one daughter at 5 years of age said she thought she had been alive before this life, my younger daughter says she sees things that should not be there from time to time. My son in the middle doesn't say much, but he is very sensitive. Things "disappear", and return from time time, and events turn out favorably sometimes when they shouldn't have.

Like many who have submitted their stories before me, there are some I would like to share. One day I will write about "The Digger". Until then, happy reading!