Too Many Voices

My apologies if this story seems really long, but I just wanted to write down everything that occurred.

On a visit to Australia several years' back, I stayed with my friend "A", in NSW. My friend had remarried and she and her kids moved into her husband's home. I had been to his house before on a previous visit, back when he and "A" were still dating. It was a beautiful home, but there was something weird about it.

As soon as I entered the front door, I felt it was a very dark place. It's kind of hard to explain, but it seemed to me as though the whole house was nothing but shadows. No matter how bright the rooms were lit, it still felt dark.

Now all the bedrooms were located on the second floor. There were five total, plus two bathrooms and a small computer room. The bedroom I occupied was actually used most of the time as an ironing/storage room, but my friend fixed it up and it was a very comfortable bedroom. On one side was her son's room and on the other, the computer room. My room faced the front part of the house and was directly above the living room.

On the day I arrived from Brisbane, I decided to turn in early. I excused myself around 9:00 pm that night and went to bed. At exactly 3:00 am, I awoke to the sound of voices. I know it was 3:00 am because I turned to look at my clock. I could hear what sounded like three or four people talking. It wasn't very loud, but I could hear it clearly. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out what was being said since all the voices were talking at the same time and they overlapped constantly.

I tried to find the source of the sound. Still in bed, but now fully awake, I listened intently to the voices. I thought, could it be coming from downstairs? Perhaps someone was watching TV and the sound travelled up. But it is 3:00 am on a Monday morning so who would be awake at this time? My friend's husband would be going off to work in 4 or 5 hours and her kids to school. They wouldn't be up watching TV at this time. I thought, a radio left on maybe? But where? I looked over at my window and saw it was slightly open. Still hearing the voices, I thought maybe it was some kids outside who perhaps had gone out partying or such and were only now returning home. Seemed a logical answer, so when the voices abruptly stopped, I just went back to sleep. The whole incident lasted about 7-8 minutes.

The next night was a repeat of the previous night. At 3:00 am, I woke up for no apparent reason and could hear voices again. This time the voices were louder and sounded closer. I thought, my friends have rude neighbors. This was crazy, how do they expect anyone to sleep. I got out of bed and looked outside. There was no one there that I could see. The street was empty. So now what? I went over to my door and as soon as I touched the handle, the voices ceased. I opened the door and looked into the hallway and staircase. It was absolutely quiet. I stepped into the hallway and listened. Nothing, not a sound anywhere.

I went back into my room thinking this was weird. I sat on the bed for a few minutes trying to figure out what was going on. There was no one outside that I could see and everyone else in the house was asleep. The voices sounded close this time, but where had they come from? I had felt from the start that there was something weird about this house. It now seemed I was finding out what.

The following morning, my friend "A" and I decided to head into Sydney to meet a friend for lunch, then do a bit of sightseeing and shopping. Her husband and kids had already left. We were the only two people at home. About 8:30 am, I was down in the living room watching "A's" wedding video while she was still upstairs getting ready. I was seated in the armchair directly facing the TV; the staircase was on my left side about 4 to 5 feet away. Even when watching the TV, I could still clearly see if anyone is on the staircase.

So thirty minutes later, now around 9:00 am, I had been watching this video and the whole living room was lit by the sunlight streaming in from bay windows and sliding door. As I watched the video, I also saw and heard someone run down the stairs and turn into the garage entrance just to the right, at the bottom of the staircase. The person ran very quickly down the stairs and appeared to wear light, colored clothing. I assumed it was my friend "A" rushing, since I had been waiting for her. So I got up, gathered my bag and was just about to turn off the TV when I heard "A" call from above that she would be down in a few minutes. I stopped dead in my tracks. I looked over to the garage entrance and could see "A's car parked inside. I slowly walked over and looked inside. The garage door was still closed and there was no one in the garage. In order for someone to get out they would either have to open the garage door, which I would have heard, or exit out the front door, where I would see them, or pass by the living room through to the back door and I still would see them.

I know what I saw and heard. Though my attention was on the video, I absolutely saw and heard someone run down the stairs. As for who the person was and why he or she was there, I had no idea. I said nothing to "A" because I plainly didn't know how to bring the subject up to her. There had been other incidents where I knew I saw and heard a ghost, but when I tried telling someone, they always looked at me funny, and more often than not, made fun.

That night, the voices returned for the third time.

When I awoke at exactly 3:00am, the voices sounded like they were coming from right beside me. It was as though there were people in my room whispering. The room also felt darker than usual. That's the only was I can describe it. Someone how it was so dark and full of shadows. The voices lasted a few minutes then stopped like before. I wasn't going to keep quiet anymore.

The next night after dinner, "A" and I were in the kitchen doing the dishes when I brought the subject up. I just came out and asked her if she at any time felt the house maybe haunted. She asked me why and I mentioned the voices at night and the person on the stairs. She called her husband into the kitchen and asked me to repeat what I said to him. After I finished she told him, "See, I'm not the only one who thinks this place is haunted."

A couple of weeks earlier, "A" and her husband had been in the living room clearing up. He was standing in front of the sliding door with the curtains open and "A" faced him. As he spoke to her, she saw a shadow cross behind him outside. She told him what she saw and he went outside to check if anyone was in the yard. No one was there and the fence door was locked from the inside. "A" swears she saw something. She also confided in me that sometimes when she is home by herself she constantly feels she is not alone. She hasn't seen anyone, but there is usually that feeling.

It wasn't just the voices and the person on the stairs that bothered me. Twice I saw, what appeared to be a very dark mass or shadow in the house. I saw it first at the bottom of the stairs. I was coming down and found it almost impossible to see the last two or three steps because the area was so dark. Yet, it was very bright in the living room. The second time, I was heading towards the downstairs bathroom by the kitchen when I came across it. A small section of the hallway seemed so dark, that it felt like you were walking into a pitch, black room. But once you passed that space, everything was normal. I just couldn't find an explanation for the dark mass. I stayed in the house for two weeks and only encountered it twice.

We mentioned my experience to "A's" older brother who paid a visit and I got the same weird look I always get from a non-believer. I really hate it when they act that way, patronizing and smug, as though I was a little crazy. It's not as if I stepped into the house and instantly said "the place is haunted, because I felt a slight draft or had a feeling". I tried to find very logical and rational reasons first before finally admitting, I had no answers, no explanations and that possibly, there could be a ghost. Still he gave me that knowing look which I have gotten many times.

Up to this day, I stand by what I saw and heard. As for the history of the house, I was only able to get a few details. The house itself wasn't that old, maybe 15 years or less when "A's" husband owned it. Of the two previous owners, the first was a childless couple, the wife had been ill with cancer for a long time and eventually died. I don't think she died in the house. The second couple also was childless and divorced after living in the house for a few years. My friend "A's" husband had been married before and he and his first wife also divorced after living in the house 3 or 4 years.

My friends eventually sold the house and built a new one in another city. They never mentioned if they have heard of anything strange occurring from the new owners. But I would sure like to know if they also heard the voices or saw anyone on the stairs.