Horror GhostDiary

The narrator recounts three separate experiences where the safety of their own home was violated or threatened by a sinister intruder.

The Mansion in the Woods: As a teenager, the narrator was left alone in his family's large, century-old, isolated mansion. Over two days, he noticed a spare bedroom door mysteriously opening on its own. On the second night, he heard footsteps, then someone knocked on and scratched his locked bedroom door with what was later determined to be a knife. The police found no intruder, only the knife mark on the door. The family eventually sold the house, never solving who was inside.

The 4 AM "Pizza Delivery": After a late night of gaming and drinking, the narrator fell asleep waiting for a pizza. He was awoken around 4:00 a.m. by a man at his door. Groggy, he assumed it was the delivery. The man, who had no pizza or uniform, played along when questioned. After the man left, the narrator realized the order had been cancelled hours earlier and that he had left his door unlocked. Hearing the lock click, he fled his house, convinced the stranger had entered and was lying in wait, likely with criminal intent.

The "Neighbor" in the Vacant Apartment: Living alone in a mostly vacant complex, the narrator was approached by an older man claiming to have moved into the unit next door. The man acted strangely, asking odd questions and watching him. The next night, he asked for help with his thermostat. When the narrator went to help, he saw the apartment was completely empty and dilapidated, realizing the man was a dangerous squatter. He ran back to his unit and called the police as the man tried to get in. The "neighbor" fled and was not found.

The narrator begins by referencing the infamous 1955 United Airlines Flight 629 bombing, before shifting to a series of deeply personal family discoveries:

Father's Potential Secret: After his father's death, the narrator finds a love letter and n**e photos from a woman who was not his mother, revealing an affair. Research links this woman to a missing persons case from the early 90s. The narrator's mother recalls the father acting strangely and taking a sudden "hiking trip" around the time the woman disappeared. The narrator files a police report, fearing his father may have been involved in her disappearance, a haunting possibility he and his mother must live with.

Uncle's Dark Past: At a family gathering, the narrator discovers a photo of his uncle's twin brother, Simon, a former priest. He learns Simon had a high-level church job in Nebraska that involved silencing families of children abused by clergy. The weight of this role drove Simon to alcoholism, loss of faith, and an early death, leading the family to essentially erase his memory.

Cousin's Disappearance: The narrator remembers a forgotten older cousin, "Zach." After persistent questioning, his mother reveals Zach went missing during university. It's later discovered he traveled to Turkey and then Syria to join ISIS. His emails home detailed brutal acts and ideological transformation. He stopped contacting the family, presumed dead, leaving them with profound shame and grief, which is why his memory was suppressed.

Daycare and a Predator: While securing a location for a daycare, the narrator uses a s*x offender registry and finds a man with his rare surname. Confronting an uncle reveals this man is a disowned relative, a convicted child predator. The uncle and other male relatives promise to "handle it." Soon after, the predator is reported missing. The narrator achieves his dream of opening the daycare but is left with the chilling, unconfirmed suspicion that his family may have killed the man.