A Haunted House

So this past weekend, we were returning from a family funeral and we ended up on a hilly, winding back country road, sort of out in the middle of nowhere in southeastern Ohio.

As we continued to weave through the roads, we descended a short hill ending in a sweeping curve before heading up the next incline. As we rounded the curve, a building caught the corner of my eye. For some reason, I knew I had to stop and grab a few pictures of it. I turned around in the first driveway I could find and headed back.

As I doubled back, the desolate, abandoned and decrepit structure came into view...

There weren't many structures as we drove through the wooded area, but this lone structure stood a mere 30 yards from the road. It caught my eye and immediately piqued my interest, due to its advanced decay.

I parked in what remained of the driveway and jumped out of the car, ready to explore.

It was obviously some original farmhouse from a bygone era, left to rot as the years continued by. A simple, two-story structure that immediately gave off a creepy vibe as I got closer.

I started to take photos of the weathered exterior, amazed by the gnarled wood shingles, exposed framework, broken windows and tattered curtains.

As I peeked into one of the many broken windows, I saw even more damage and decay on the interior. Years of exposure had laid waste to the floors, ceilings and walls, leaving twisted and peeling surfaces in every room.

As I continued around to the back, the exterior was even worse. At some point, brick-patterned tar paper shingle sheets had been tacked up across the entire rear wall, most of which had since fallen off.

And then I noticed the open door, welcoming me in...

I cautiously made my way towards the door, peering into the rotting interior. And then things got really weird.

As I stood at the doorway, I took this last photo of the interior. I looked around to see if it would have been safe to enter. 



And as I was about to cross through the doorway, a gust of wind blew across me and the house, resulting in the old red wooden door slowly closing on its own with a terrifying creaking sound, a foot from where I stood. 

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. A jolt of adrenaline shot through me as I stuttered back, giving off a nervous laugh. I called out to the house, saying, "Okay, I won't go in..." and quickly made my way around the house, back to my waiting family in the car.

I'm not sure if I believe in the paranormal world, but something was maybe telling me not to go in. So I took it as a sign and we got the hell out of there. I've seen enough horror movies to know when it's time to go! Even now as I type this, the hair on my arms is starting to stand on end. Definitely an interesting experience that won't be soon forgotten...