The Rapping and Disembodied Voice
Witness: Sharon King
Location: 14 112th Street, Troy, New York
Date of Encounter: April 17, 2004
On Saturday, I took my 18 year old son for a haircut at the new boutique around the corner from my home. I happen to know the owner (also a hairdresser/realtor) and wanted to get my son's hair straightened out. Anyway, with the new girl cutting hair and my friend not there, strange things began to occur.
I was behind my son in a chair just talking with the hairstylist and I would hear rapping on the wall behind us. There have been renovations going on on that part of the building which does have a separate outer entrance from the boutique and will, when it is finished, be housing three other businesses. The rapping continued about every three to five minutes. The stylist and myself went to check to see if anyone was in the other part of the building (all rooms being connected by doorways). Nothing was seen or heard so she went back to cutting hair and I went back to our general conversation about a new home we were purchasing.
My friend, the owner, walks back in after going on some errands and when I asked her if anyone was working over in the other part of the building that day she replies "It's Saturday, the construction isn't going on today." We were talking about the rapping that was going on earlier and she proceeds to tell me that a few of her customers have said to be a man dressed as a cowboy walk into the bathroom, out again, and then back in. When the person went to us the facilities, it was empty. She told me she has also seen a woman in early 1900-1920's dress. She didn't elaborate on any of it but we heard another rapping on the wall. When prodded she told me nothing was on the other side of that wall but there was a stairwell leading to the basement — she went to check it out and there was nothing again. After about 15 minutes there was a really loud banging three times on the ceiling, to the point it shook the whole building. I had had just about enough of this crap so I yelled up at the ceiling " What the f— is your problem!?" My son and I both distinctly heard a gruff sounding woman say "I'm locked out."
I asked the owner again if someone could be on her roof, not realizing there is a small dark enclosed room at the top of a staircase with a railing sectioning it off. I got brave (stupid me) and decided I was going to go check things out. The owner decides she's going to follow me because she heard the banging too but I didn't know if she heard the voice. We go around to the other entrance to the building which is a glass encased entryway. The front door, immediately to the street, I'm told is locked all the time, and the inside glass door to the same entryway is always unlocked, but at the bottom of the staircase there is this little ante-room with a heavy metal door, almost like a thin meat-locker type so when you shut it, it stays shut. That door was ajar about 1 to 1-1/2 inches. I pulled open this big brown metal door and yell up, is there anybody up there, "HELLLLOOOOOOO, is anybody up there?" No response, I looked at my friend and said "Is that door really locked?" she goes and tries it and says, "Yeah." So I do it again "Is there anybody up there?!" Aggravated at this point and clear as a bell I hear a younger woman's voice like it's sitting on the stairs looking at me say, "Maybe" in a sarcastic tone. Well needless to say, not being accustomed to having spirits speak to me, I screamed, slammed the door, and ran freaked out from the area. The owner yells at me "What the hell are you screaming for?" I said, "You didn't hear that woman say 'maybe' when I asked if anyone was up there before I slammed the door?" She looked very puzzled and said, "no," and she is not one to make up stories especially not about stuff like this. She tells me I hear if they chose to speak with you they can follow you home.
I'm totally freaking out at this point — you know how you laugh so hard because you are so scared? That's how scared I was. I couldn't sleep most of that night especially after me being home for a 1/2 hour when my friend calls me up and says "Thank you," and when I say "What for?" She says because whatever it was, it hasn't happened again since you left and that she, her son, and the new stylist went and checked things out and locked things up and nothing else has happened.
I wonder who used to live there, or died there or haunts there because I believe there to be quite a few and don't know if there was ever a fire there. I'm told that the Olde 499 House (a restaurant renamed this because of travel during the 1900's stopped at this house for overnight stays) has been haunted for years and not with "good" spirits either, this is only one and 1/2 blocks north of this other location. I'm going back today if they can squeeze me in for a haircut and see what happens. If this thing starts talking to me again I'm going to bring back my tape recorder and see what I can pick up. If not, it was just a fluke and they are gone (hopefully).
