August 6, 2007

A Nasty Poltergeist

Rate this encounter:[an error occurred while processing this directive] [Name Withheld Upon Request], Northeastern Portland, Oregon, Summer 2001

Several years ago, my partner and I located what we thought would be a great first apartment. Although the building was an architectural nightmare circa the 1970s, the apartment was light and spacious (and affordable).

The first thing we noticed was that in the morning, all the cabinet doors in the kitchen would be open. It happened at least once a week for the first few weeks.

Then, leaving our bedroom door open, we started noticing the light from the refrigerator as the door would open and shut in the middle of the night.

The first incident that caused fear was when I was alone in the apartment. I was in the shower when the lights turned off. I got out, turned them back on, and once I was back in the shower, they turned off again. Needless to say, I dressed with all haste and fled the apartment.

This started an escalation of activity. In addition to lights flickering and doors open and closing, we would hear strange noises that could in no way shape or form be related to natural sounds.

We also noticed that we fought with increasing regularity and violence (shouting, not hitting). One particular fight, I was ready to leave and the doorknob was wrenched from my hand by an unseen force as the door slammed.

While I was away for a week, my partner was asleep in the bed and our closet doors began to slide open and shut.

This was the final straw. We moved out

I often wonder if anyone who lives in that apartment has experienced similar events, and what happened in that apartment (or land) to create such a nasty little poltergeist.