They say the night is always worse as we imagine more than we do during the daylight hours. That is certainly the case with my house.
Its an old house by our standards, over a hundred years old, seen a few families many of whom were my past family.
It’s during the night that the house speaks. The timbers communicate with each other in a language that is haunting reminder of the houses age. The gentle creak of a beam can to countered by the crack of an expanding or contracting timber depending on the season.
Added to that are the footsteps on the old flooring as it gives way under the pressure of the ghostly footsteps. This goes on most nights in some form or other.
I can say this about my house it rarely has the same conversation with itself.
Once I got used to the creaks and groans, and ceased being frightened by the swaying walls, the way the cast iron bath rocks when you sit in it, lights going on and off at all sorts of odd hours I feel the house has come to accept me.
It has character, a unique personality, that’s how I describe it even though it doesn’t look all that different from other houses in the street.
Though the 1am noises have always bothered me. Somewhere there is a child crying. I cannot put my finger on where, as it seems to move from place to place throughout the house.
All can be quiet and peaceful, I will be sleeping deeply only to be awakened by the sound of the child crying. As if that is worrying enough the temperature in the house drops suddenly when this phenomenon begins. Summer or winter it makes no difference. The baby cries, the house freezes.
I have walked round my house trying to find its location but to no avail. The only thing that has presented itself is that in the spare room I have had the sensation of a cold breath on my neck; as if someone is standing behind me, close enough to feel their breath, which is deathly cold.
This has been going on for some time and I know now when it will finish as around 2am the baby gasps, the crying stops.
But by then I am a shivering mess, at my wits end trying to discover what is happening.
Research has taught me that in 1913 a child to Mathias and Hilda O’Gorman died in the house in the middle of a particularly cold winter. The parents had been to a church meeting and upon their return found their children all asleep. Thinking they were in with the chance of a peaceful nights sleep they too went to bed. In the morning the older daughter ran in to say the baby was not moving. The baby was frozen stiff.
The daughter believed the baby had cried itself to sleep.
Could this be the baby whose cries chill my bones?
Written for: http://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/tale-weavers-prompt-28-grim/
Morpethroad 
Scary!
I love older houses-the designs, the character. All of it. The greatness you described.
I want to buy an old Victorian style home, but fear finding a few ghosts myself because I am really sensitive to that sort of thing.
Great post 🙂
Thank you very much, in Australia we don’t have much that is real Georgian only pretend ones.
Great story Michael. If any of it is true, it would be very disconcerting for sure. I used to work in a place like that. It was a very old house that had been turned into a business. Sometimes if I slept overnight in the flat to get a head start on the book orders after stock came in. There was a definite sense of animosity in the front office if you went in there in the middle of the night. Ice cold and an overwhelming feeling of “get out! You’re not welcome here.” The first time it happened freaked me out. After that, I fought back. Weird things happen in old houses that just cannot be explained sometimes.
Thank you Lyn, I am glad you were able to relate. Stuff does happen from time to time but that’s how it is in old houses.
What an eerie tale!
I worked in an old building once– a converted building downtown that had been a brothel (no kidding!) at its lowest point in its history. Someone was stabbed there. Even before I knew the building’s history I always felt like I was being watched; like someone was always walking around, creaking the floorboards. And old buildings are full of pops and creaks and unexplained noises!
Great tale Michael
thank you Jen for reading and your comment. Glad you could relate. Enjoy your weekend.
You too Michael 🙂
Wonderfully well written in response to the prompt. Ambiance and atmosphere set your scene very well Michael. And using the topic of old houses – and all they may possible offer – wanted or not – is an excellent place to stretch imagination – or reality 😉
Thanks Pat, yes i agree old houses do have a lot for us to play with.
Oh wow Michael fabulous story and absolutely perfect for the prompt! I live in a house now that is over 100 generally speaking I don’t feel much going on, though in the upstairs I have had objects fly out of my hand but the floor I live on seems quite peaceful. My in-laws summerhouse was built in the 1800s, in the day I am fine but when I have spent the night I get a little creeped out. It has a strange vibe like that of evil nymphs or something. A baby cry would be an especially distressing sound to hear.
Thanks Yves we all seem to relate in some way to the weird vibes you get in older houses.
Loved this very realistic Michael. How fascinating it would be, but also a quite daunting to hear the cries of a baby in the night. The floorboards talking I could live with, nicely done.
Thanks Jenny I agree with you about the daunting but yet fascinating…..
Very spooky take, it did give me the chills. But it is a sad story as well. Thank you for sharing it for the prompt!
Thank you, it was a good prompt to write to.
I think all old house have such character. Most of them can be quite intimidating especially at night. You wrote that well, but the baby cries are always much more frightening I think.
Scary huh? Thanks Jackie I always like reading your comments.