Listener Stories: Vol. 101

Summary

Podcast Title: And That's Why We Drink
Episode: Listener Stories: Vol. 101
Hosts: Christine Schiefer & Em Schulz
Release Date: March 1, 2025

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Episode Overview

In Listener Stories: Vol. 101, hosts Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz delve into a collection of spine-chilling paranormal and true crime tales submitted by their dedicated listeners. Skipping through light-hearted banter and promotional segments, the episode focuses on authentic, real-life experiences that blend the eerie with the inexplicable. Each story is meticulously unpacked, offering listeners a deep dive into the unknown while the hosts provide their unique perspectives and reactions.

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Live Shows Announcement

Before diving into the listener submissions, Christine and Em excitedly announce their upcoming live shows in Monterey and San Luis Obispo. They encourage listeners to secure their tickets and join them for an evening of thrilling narratives and interactive experiences.

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Listener Story 1: Ryan's "Friendly Ghosts at the Cemetery"

Timestamp: 09:09

Narrative:
Ryan recounts a harrowing nighttime visit to a cemetery in Grove, Oklahoma, accompanied by friends Ashton, Daniel, and his ex. The intention was to connect with the spirits of an elderly couple rumored to be friendly. However, the experience took a turn when unexplained phenomena began unfolding:

• Initial Encounter: While chilling at the tombstones, Ryan's ex suddenly freezes, paler and more anxious, asking, "Do you see him?" (09:44)
• The Appearance: A dark, hunched figure emerges from behind a tree, grows taller upon noticing them, and instills fear, prompting the group to flee.
• Unsettling Discovery: As they hurriedly leave, Daniel is knocked over, and Ryan's ex discovers three large, non-human scratch marks on their back (13:48).

Host Reactions:

• Christine: Expresses skepticism initially but becomes unsettled by the group's genuine fear (09:44).
• Em: Shares a sense of urgency and disbelief, highlighting the swift escalation from calm to chaos (12:04).

Notable Quotes:

• Ryan: "We need to leave." (12:06)
• Em: "This is one of the quietest car rides I've ever been on." (14:27)

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Listener Story 2: Megan's "Oh, My Haunted Childhood Home Was Built by a Pedophile"

Timestamp: 17:52

Narrative:
Megan opens up about her unsettling childhood experiences in a rural New York town. At the age of 12, her family moved into a house with a dark past, built by a man who sexually abused his teenage daughter and her friend. The malevolent history left lingering spirits that manifested in various paranormal activities:

• Personal Experiences:
  • Showering Incident: Megan felt a cold breeze and an unseen touch, followed by the sudden smell of rot and smoke, which vanished without explanation (20:10).
  • Sleepwalking Episodes: Frequently woke up in odd places, such as her parents' room, under the influence of the house's haunting presence (21:49).
• Family's Encounters:
  • Brother's Vision: Her younger brother saw a man in the hallway, mistaking him for their father, leading to confusion and fear (24:11).
  • Father's Skepticism: Initially a skeptic, Megan's father began experiencing shadows and noises he couldn't explain, deepening the household's dread (25:07).
• Couple's Visit: While visiting college, Megan and her boyfriend encountered unexplained dragging noises and movement near the kitchen, despite no physical evidence (26:00).

Host Reactions:

• Christine: Shares empathy and validates the emotional toll of living in such an environment, emphasizing the family's collective experiences (20:40).
• Em: Highlights the persistent fear and the struggle to reconcile with the supernatural occurrences (22:00).

Notable Quotes:

• Megan: "It's back." (23:07)
• Christine: "Megan is reading her mind here." (24:23)

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Listener Story 3: Tara's "The Time a Painting Flew Off the Wall"

Timestamp: 28:09

Narrative:
Tara describes a peculiar incident in her family home where a seemingly innocuous painting suddenly detached from the wall without any apparent cause:

• Initial Setup: Her living room features a fireplace with two recessed shelving areas housing various knickknacks, including a whimsical deer painting.
• The Incident: One evening, as Tara was reading, she noticed a strange flash of light followed by a thud. Upon investigating, she discovered the deer painting lying on the ground despite the nail still being securely in place (31:11).
• Family's Reaction: The unexplained movement raised suspicions of a paranormal influence, especially when combined with the initial light flash (32:05).

Host Reactions:

• Christine: Finds the simultaneous occurrence of the light and the painting's displacement particularly eerie, questioning the possibility of a ghostly presence (33:05).
• Em: Expresses disbelief and suggests the likelihood of a supernatural explanation, reinforcing the unsettling nature of the event (33:15).

Notable Quotes:

• Tara: "I realized the deer painting is now on the ground." (32:39)
• Christine: "I do like that because I feel like to see a flash, but then not even connect it." (33:43)

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Listener Story 4: Lauren's "Unknown Cries"

Timestamp: 35:03

Narrative:
Lauren shares her experiences working as a mental health therapist in a residential facility that doubles as a former orphanage. The building's long history and the traumatic backgrounds of its residents contribute to frequent paranormal activities:

• Personal Experiences:
  • Sobbing Sounds: While alone in her office after hours, Lauren hears escalating sobs that lead her to a deserted bedroom, culminating in a sudden silence that compels her to flee (37:03).
  • Moving Objects: Instances of board games being pushed off tables and objects like glass cups being violently thrown without logical explanation.
• Staff and Student Encounters:
  • Apparitions: Witnessing a small boy waving from a window during a fire drill, despite no one being present (38:35).
  • Unsettling Noises: Hearing kitchen sounds like pots and pans being thrown around, only to find the area undisturbed during investigations (39:08).

Host Reactions:

• Christine: Acknowledges the profound impact of the facility's environment on both staff and residents, highlighting the blend of trauma and supernatural elements (35:45).
• Em: Empathizes with the fear and confusion experienced by Lauren, emphasizing the thin line between psychological trauma and paranormal phenomena (37:36).

Notable Quotes:

• Lauren: "I bolt off the unit and did not return until others were there all day." (37:35)
• Christine: "People are resilient." (35:45)

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Listener Story 5: Alex's "A Ghost Watched Over Me"

Timestamp: 43:24

Narrative:
Alex narrates their lifelong encounters with a benevolent spirit named Edgar, providing a contrast to the typically terrifying ghost stories:

• Early Encounters:
  • Skittles Phenomenon: Moving into a new house where hiding Skittles behind chairs led to them mysteriously disappearing, hinting at Edgar's presence (43:24).
  • Protective Visions: At age 11, Alex sees an old man in a trench coat who grins and waves, offering a sense of being watched over (47:08).
• Recurring Activity:
  • Object Manipulation: Experiences with stolen keys, glasses being thrown violently, and objects like painting being moved without explanation.
  • Direct Interaction: A tangible presence watching over Alex, offering protection despite initial fear.

Host Reactions:

• Christine: Finds Edgar's protective nature heartwarming, contrasting the usual malevolent spirits discussed in the podcast (47:28).
• Em: Appreciates the duality of Edgar's character, admiring the balance between spooky and kind (48:07).

Notable Quotes:

• Alex: "The ghost is like begrudgingly granting your requests." (55:22)
• Em: "He started grinning. What the hell?" (47:26)

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Listener Story 6: Emily's "The Dog-Loving Poltergeist That Climbs Into Bed With You"

Timestamp: 49:35

Narrative:
Emily recounts her family's experiences with a mischievous poltergeist that intertwines both hauntings and playful interactions:

• Initial Move-In:
  • Artifacts of the Past: Choosing a double-wide trailer that seemed perfect until strange occurrences began, such as curtains blowing without cause and lights flickering unpredictably (50:14).
• Paranormal Activities:
  • Disturbing Movements: Objects like lamps and board games being moved or tampered with, creating an atmosphere of unease (52:27).
  • Direct Engagement: The poltergeist interacts with pets, notably climbing into bed with the family dog, Ozzy, blurring the lines between mischievous and protective behavior (58:25).

Host Reactions:

• Christine: Relates to the whimsical yet eerie nature of the poltergeist, adding humor to balance the frightening elements (49:56).
• Em: Enjoys the dual nature of the haunting, finding charm in the ghost's playful interactions with pets (58:25).

Notable Quotes:

• Emily: "Edgar began terrorizing him. Him." (59:33)
• Em: "You're not that bad." (58:38)

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Conclusion and Farewell

As the episode wraps up, Christine and Em extend their well-wishes to listeners for a positive March, filled with luck and good spirits. They tease future episodes and express gratitude for the community's support, ensuring listeners remain engaged and eager for more chilling tales in upcoming installments.

Notable Closing Lines:

• Christine: "Nothing bad can happen, I hope." (61:35)
• Em: "Happy March to everybody. And I hope that these stories get you through until our April Fool's Day!" (61:56)

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Key Takeaways

• Diverse Paranormal Experiences: The episode showcases a range of supernatural encounters, from protective spirits to malevolent apparitions, highlighting the varied nature of paranormal phenomena.

• Emotional Impact: Each story underscores the profound psychological and emotional effects these encounters have on individuals and families, bridging the gap between true crime and the paranormal.

• Community Engagement: The hosts emphasize listener participation, fostering a sense of community and shared intrigue in the mysteries of the unknown.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Ryan's Story:

   • Ryan: "We need to leave." [12:06]
   • Em: "This is one of the quietest car rides I've ever been on." [14:27]

2. Megan's Story:

   • Megan: "It's back." [23:07]
   • Christine: "Megan is reading her mind here." [24:23]

3. Tara's Story:

   • Tara: "I realized the deer painting is now on the ground." [32:39]
   • Christine: "I do like that because I feel like to see a flash, but then not even connect it." [33:43]

4. Lauren's Story:

   • Lauren: "I bolt off the unit and did not return until others were there all day." [37:35]
   • Christine: "People are resilient." [35:45]

5. Alex's Story:

   • Alex: "The ghost is like begrudgingly granting your requests." [55:22]
   • Em: "He started grinning. What the hell?" [47:26]

6. Emily's Story:

   • Emily: "Edgar began terrorizing him. Him." [59:33]
   • Em: "You're not that bad." [58:38]

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And that's Why We Drink continues to captivate its audience by blending true crime with the supernatural, offering listeners an enticing mix of fear, fascination, and community-driven storytelling. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, each story promises to leave you pondering the mysteries that lurk just beyond the ordinary.

Transcript

[Christine]

There are so many perks to working in audio, having a microphone and being able to say whatever you want, riffing, you know, bantering with each other. It's just a dream. It's my dream. If you're doing what you love to do, there's nothing better than being surrounded by people who love it as much as you do. And if you own your own business, you want to hire employees who love what they do to boost the overall success of your business, plus make it a pretty great place to work. But how do you find passionate employees who are good fit for all of your roles? ZipRecruiter and right now you can try it for [e-mail] Drink ZipRecruiter is the hiring site employers prefer the Most based on G2. How fast does ZipRecruiter smart technology start showing your job to qualified candidates? Let me think immediately. ZipRecruiter's powerful matching technology works fast to find top talent so you don't waste time or money. Hire experienced people who are excited about what they do with ZipRecruiter. Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. See for yourself. Go to this exclusive web address to try ZipRecruiter for free. ZipRecruiter.com Drink Again, that's ZipRecruiter.com Drink ZipRecruiter the smartest way to Hire Madame Ram, starring Toni Collette, tells the dramatized true story of Georgia Frontier. A former entertainer turned owner and heavy hitter in the boys club that is the NFL. After her husband's mysterious death, she shocks everyone by inheriting the LA Rams and taking the reins of a major sports franchise. You'll love to see it. Relying on her wit and astrological charts to make decisions. I'm loving this. She turns the NFL on its head and to this day remains one of the most beloved, despised, and controversial figures in modern sports. Madame Ram dives into her relentless quest for respect, power, and a championship trophy. And it's Toni Collette. We all love Toni Collette, Academy Award nominee. Just unbelievable actor. So whether you love football, power struggles, or just a good scandal like I do, Madame Ram has it. Ambition, mystery, and the unforgettable legacy of a woman who refused to stay on the sidelines. The woman who took on a man's world and won. Follow Madame Ram on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever. You're listening now. Hello everyone.

[Em]

Oh, yep. I was gonna say I wasn't sure.

[Christine]

If you Were here yet, or if I was just warming the room for everybody to. For your. Warming up the audience.

[Em]

Warm it up.

[Christine]

Yeah. The fluffer. No, that's poor.

[Em]

Sorry. Wow.

[Christine]

That's a different thing.

[Em]

Okay, well, no fluff away. I would like to see that.

[Christine]

I just want everyone to feel like they're, like, ready to groove, you know, I'm ready to groove in whatever sense I feel. Ready.

[Em]

Boogie. Would you. Do you think you would groove or boogie if forced to do one?

[Christine]

I think groove because it just feels less pressure than boogie. Like, less energy. What about you?

[Em]

Really? I feel like boogie is a lot more casual than a groove.

[Christine]

It is more casual, but I feel like it has more, like, intense movements where groove. I feel like you can kind of just sway.

[Em]

Yeah, but I feel like groove is more of a. I don't know. I feel like you have to have talent to groove.

[Christine]

Oh, really? Well, then I choose the other one. Okay, well, I didn't know that before I picked.

[Em]

So we'll both be boogieing. Okay. Happy March, everybody. We made it. Two months into this fiery hellscape.

[Christine]

I literally called it a February listener episode. That's how confused I am about the world. Sorry, Jack. This is, as you've certainly figured out by now, this is the one for March.

[Em]

For March.

[Christine]

So, yeah. Happy March. Do you feel like March is going to be. What's it going to be like? I don't remember. What? Lucky. Rainy. Lucky.

[Em]

I was thinking, like, leprechauns. I don't know how March is going.

[Christine]

To go so far. Yeah.

[Em]

So far it seems the weather seems fine. So I guess in terms of weather, March might go fine. It'll certainly be better than the rest of the year. I think March is our last cool month in la.

[Christine]

Oh, okay. Well, that's good. I don't remember it at all. I feel like I blacked out the seasons of la.

[Em]

I feel like once April hits, it's just like. It just feels like you're in an oven until November. Yeah.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Em]

What about you?

[Christine]

Yeah, we have, like, little birdies chirping, and, you know, the whole, like, if I feel like my mom. Like, I feel like I'm getting old because I'm like, oh, Leona, listen. Do you hear the birds? Cheap chirping, like, that's a blue jay. And she's like, okay. You know, I'm like, oh, no, I'm such a mom.

[Em]

I'm like, look, I think I'm with Leona.

[Christine]

I know probably normal, fun people are. But I'm over here just grooving by the trees and you guys are boogieing.

[Em]

See? Yeah, you get it.

[Christine]

I get it.

[Em]

I feel like she'll care eventually when either the ADHD kicks in or the what? Something will kick in and then she'll.

[Christine]

Be like, she'll aggressively not care. And I need to like mentally and spiritually prepare for that because I know I certainly didn't care when I was a kid and my mom drove me nuts with her, like, look how beautiful it is outside. And I was like, leave me alone. I want to play Game Boy. You know? So I feel like I get it and I don't want to be pushy about it, but I cannot wait for her to hopefully someday like a crow as much as I do.

[Em]

You know what sucks though? I feel like she's gonna have to be like tortured to death by capitalism to finally want some goddamn peace and just listen to birds, you know?

[Christine]

I feel like that is kind of the cycle, isn't it?

[Em]

I think she's just having fun because she's happy and innocent and has a lot of hope.

[Christine]

She just finds joy in the present moment.

[Em]

Yeah, I think birds come. Once you're really trodden down, you have.

[Christine]

Nothing else to live for except the chirp of a bird in the spring. It's the only thing.

[Em]

That thing sounds happy. That thing doesn't know what capital.

[Christine]

I'll attach my well being and worth to that creature.

[Em]

There's a trend, there's a trend on Tik Tok right now about dogs and how peaceful their lives must be since they don't know who Trump is. So.

[Christine]

Oh yeah, well, kind of same thing for that must be nice. I think my dog actively knows who Trump is, but he hasn't told me who he voted for.

[Em]

So he, he does give a side eye like a Republican.

[Christine]

So he does, doesn't he? You know, and he does have the Karen haircut on his tail, the. The butt curtain.

[Em]

I think he likes to make you wonder. But then at the end of the day he's gonna vote. But you do have to wonder.

[Christine]

You do. He likes to be a little bit mysterious in that way.

[Em]

He likes to piss off the Thanksgiving crowd. He likes to just.

[Christine]

He likes to Dr. Everyone down and really just make them listen. Yeah. Real quick before we do our stories which we're doing today, everyone we're doing today, I promise. I think we wanted to shout out a couple live shows we have coming up that we've never been to towns we've to before and we want to make sure the people there know that we're releasing tickets, more tickets there. We have some available. That is Monterey and then I don't know how to say the other one.

[Em]

San Luis Obispo.

[Christine]

That's the one.

[Em]

Okay. Monterey is going to be March 14th, so in two weeks from now.

[Christine]

And is that St. Patty's Day?

[Em]

No, it's the 17th.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Em]

So if you'd like to, I don't know, pre game before the leprechauns come in droves, then you can come to Monterey and the Golden State Theater will be there on the 14th and then in San Luis Bizpo will be at the Fremont Theater the next night on the 15th.

[Christine]

So yes, I'm very excited for that. It'll be a nice little escape to your, your side of the nation while.

[Em]

The weather is nice.

[Christine]

Exactly. So that's maybe why I was subconsciously wondering. But yeah, buy tickets, go to. And that's why you drink dot com live. I just know we always forget to mention that when we're asked politely to mention it. So here it is.

[Em]

Before we get in trouble, before we get ask aggressively.

[Christine]

Yeah, before we get told, not gently and nicely.

[Em]

Well, we've got a few stories for you all. For those who have not been here before, welcome to the listeners episodes where we share your stories. We do them on the 1st of every month and you can submit them to send in your own stories. That's why I drink dot com. So do you want to go first or me or should we do rock paper scissors?

[Christine]

How about you go first because I am busy playing with my hair and didn't open a file yet.

[Em]

Okay. I was busy playing with my hair in the mirror just a second ago and then I decided it's a hat day, so.

[Christine]

Oh, you know what I pictured like this old timey, like when they would have sleep at slumber parties and they'd be like, you know, twirling their hair and looking in magazines. When you said that and like kicking their feet up, I thought that's what you meant when you said you were like playing with your hair in the mirror. But I guess you were saying like you were trying to.

[Em]

I actually, I. What I was trying to say in a kinder way to myself than I did probably warranted is that I woke up today and had, I'm not kidding, I think actually the worst hair day of my life.

[Christine]

Oh God.

[Em]

My hair was literally, I was like, I'm bald on this side right now and everything was shifted this way. Like I just slept in the weirdest way and it just, I'VE never seen less hair on the side of my head. It really freaked me out. I was like, okay, hat time.

[Christine]

So it wasn't a cute sleepover. It was more like a panic.

[Em]

No kicking my legs in the air. No.

[Christine]

Cool.

[Em]

Cool.

[Christine]

Noted. Okay.

[Em]

Except panic.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Em]

Okay, here's the first one. This is from Ryan. He uses he, him, pronouns. Thank you for normalizing pronouns, Ryan. And the subject line is not so friendly. Friendly ghosts at the cemetery. Well, starting.

[Christine]

Pick a lane here.

[Em]

Starting with the mystery, because I already.

[Christine]

Don'T like it if it's like, it might be a little bad. I'm like, well, I don't want a part of this. Don't say they're not friendly, but they're still friendly.

[Em]

Yeah, Ryan, we'll see. We'll see if we agree by the end of this.

[Christine]

I'm feeling very. I'm feeling very aggressive. I'm sorry.

[Em]

Ryan says hello, Christina. And M. My name is Ryan. I use he, him, pronouns. Wow. Okay. Thank you again for making sure that we knew that. Thank you for normalizing twice. I've been listening to your podcast since the. Since late 2019, and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to you guys. And I'll be seeing you in Springfield, Missouri, in October. Well, I hope you had fun, Ryan.

[Christine]

Are we going to Springfield, Missouri in October?

[Em]

Oh, we sure, sure did. I was like, we did.

[Christine]

And Brian, I can't wait. I can't believe how much fun we had together. Wasn't that fun?

[Em]

It was. Remember when we stared each other in the eyes? Yeah.

[Christine]

I love that moment. He. He just. And I said, I know your pronouns, Ryan. You sent him twice.

[Em]

Yeah. Ryan smiled and they said, he, him is having a great day.

[Christine]

Beautiful.

[Em]

This all happened the summer after I graduated high school back in 2019. Oh, and then you listen to us. Great. Okay. Myself and my friends, which we'll call the flower Family love that decided to visit a cemetery late one night in Grove, Oklahoma. The reason for this visit is our friend Ashton mentioned that they knew an elderly couple that was buried together there and that they were friendly spirits. I have questions for Ashton immediately. I'd be like, how many times have you been here and what's your story?

[Christine]

And like, what's the source material?

[Em]

Yeah, it was like your eyes, right?

[Christine]

Exactly. Like your dreams. Like, I'm.

[Em]

I at this point in time, did not believe in spirits or anything of the sort. So the four of us, myself, Ashton, Daniel, and then Ryan's ex, we all went to the cemetery around 1am and we parked near the entrance of the Cemetery and made our way down to the tombstones of the elderly couple and were there for about 10ish minutes while chilling at the. Sorry I said, that's so white. While chilling at the. While chillin at the. At the tombstones, my ex freezes in place and is staring off into the distance. Her face turned pale and in a panic she asked Ashton, do, do you see him?

[Christine]

No.

[Em]

I love how like punctual this ghost is. Like Ashton's been there maybe once and there's been an experience. Now 10 minutes into this time she's.

[Christine]

Like, just watch, it'll happen. Confidence May. We need to be more confident. We need to be like, no, just watch, you know?

[Em]

Yeah, just show me your staircase and tell me to just be patient. It'll happen.

[Christine]

Show me your staircase. Oh my.

[Em]

Well, your haunted ass staircase that I keep waiting to hear something and every time it's Juniper, it's always, always so she turned pale and in a panic she asked Ashton, do you see him? I of course think this is some elaborate joke and think they're trying to pull Daniel and eyes leg.

[Christine]

That's pretty good though. Like to plan ahead with somebody else. Yeah, just a little text to Ashton. Be like, I got this.

[Em]

Yeah. According to Ashton, it was like a, it was dark gray and kind of hunched behind a tree. I hate when they're hunched. No, and when they saw it, it kind of raised up and was tall enough that it hit some of the higher branches. So I hate that when you look then it gets taller. Shouldn't it get smaller?

[Christine]

Yeah, I feel like, why are you hunching at all if you're gonna stand up?

[Em]

Exactly. Like, were you waiting for your reveal?

[Christine]

Oh my God.

[Em]

Ashton nodded to my ex and said, we need to leave. Ashton, you brought us here.

[Christine]

You started it. You started it.

[Em]

You said they're friendly and I are like we have to go immediately.

[Christine]

And then you said, well, sort of.

[Em]

We began to briskly walk back to the vehicle and on our way, Daniel gets knocked over.

[Christine]

I'm so sorry.

[Em]

I like it's like so jogged me fucking running.

[Christine]

What's wrong with you guys? You guys are so chill. Chillin'just. So chill.

[Em]

Moving into briskly walk slash sprint, I'm guessing to the vehicle. And on our way, Daniel gets knocked over. And I'm assuming he tripped over something, which would be me. The second I need to run, I will trip.

[Christine]

But there was every man for himself is what I would scream.

[Em]

Go. Get up. You're fine. We're probably about 20 yards from the vehicle. And my ex hops dead in their tracks and asks Ashton to lift the back of their shirt up. We all start to look confused. Oh, sorry. We all.

[Christine]

Well, get naked.

[Em]

You take your glass off. I'm really terrible. I'm starting to look confused. They all stop to look confused about the situation is what I was meant versus me, who was just confused.

[Christine]

I was just stuck on the. Taking the shirts off. I don't know.

[Em]

As Ashton lifted the back of their shirt up, we saw three giant scratch marks that were nowhere remotely human. Mainly because the size of the marks. They were going straight down their back, beginning at the nape of the neck, all the way down to their back. We all immediately ran back to the vehicle and drove off. And what was one of the quietest car rides I've ever. I've ever been on?

[Christine]

Couldn't be us.

[Em]

Much love from Missouri. So let's go back to the title here. Not so friendly Friendly ghosts.

[Christine]

Oh yeah, what's this about?

[Em]

What's the friendly part? Besides Ashton's retelling of the past?

[Christine]

You know, Ashton apparently has some sort of like one sided parasocial relationship with these ghosts.

[Em]

I, I think Ashton's a little shit stirrer. That's what I think. Anyway, thanks, Ryan, for your song.

[Christine]

But you love, I love an Ashton. Like, that feels like the energy that I like to bring to a situation. Just like, let's see what happens, you.

[Em]

Know, I mean, if you weren't hanging out with Ashton, if you weren't chilling with Ashton, you'd be at home listening to birds, you know, so you know what?

[Christine]

Life can only be that exciting. I wish. Well, thank you, Ryan. It feels like nothing is easy anymore. I saw a tick tock recently where somebody said like, oh, I'm just buying concert tickets, but we also have to get like the platinum whatever package and the, you know, we have to pay for parking and we have to buy a new outfit. We have to buy. And it's almost like everything costs more. There's always little hidden fees and it feels like you make one financial step forward and then two steps back. But a Chime checking account makes financial progress easier with features like no maintenance. I almost said low maintenance. No maintenance fees. Okay, fee free. Overdraft up to 200 or getting paid up to two days early.

[Em]

You can also join millions of Chime members who are working on financial progress. Chime helps you make progress with fee free overdraft fees. Like Christine said, up to 200. And your next deposit is applied to your balance.

[Christine]

You can also get spotted on Debit card purchases and cash withdrawals. There's no monthly fees or maintenance fees and over 50,000 fee free ATMs, which to me is always a big deal.

[Em]

Make progress towards a better financial future with Chime. Open your account in two [e-mail] drink that's chime.com trink Chime feels like progress.

[Christine]

Banking services and debit card provided by the Bancorp Bank NA or Stride Bank NA members. FDIC Spot Me eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Booths are available to eligible Chime members enrolled in Spot Me and are subject to monthly limits. Timing depends on submission of payment file fees. Apply at out of network ATMs. You know, the thing I love about life is that it's always full of mysteries. We don't know what's around the corner. Right? The real mystery though is how on earth to get the best life insurance at a low cost. If you're anything like me and M probably we don't know. But Select Quote was like, don't worry. Mystery solved. Okay. Protect your family's financial future with life insurance through Select Quote. Select Quote is one of America's leading insurance brokers with nearly 40 years of experience helping over 2 million customers find over $700 billion in coverage since 1985.

[Em]

Other life insurance brokers offer impersonal one size fits all policies that may cost you more and cover you less, while Select Quote can help find the right policy for you. Every time Christine watches a true crime documentary, it gets mentioned, which means every time she talks about it on the show, I have to hear about it.

[Christine]

We're like, wait a minute.

[Em]

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[Christine]

Plus, if you're in good health, they work with carriers that can get you same day coverage if you need it with no medical exam required. Head to selectquote.com and a licensed insurance agent will call you right away with the right policy for your life and your budget. Select Quote they shop, you save.

[Em]

Get the right life insurance for you for [e-mail] drink go to selectquote.com drink today to get started. That's selectquote.com drink.

[Christine]

Okay, this is from Megan. Oh, and it's called oh, my haunted childhood home was built by a pedophile.

[Em]

Oh, excellent.

[Christine]

That's. This is a first, I think, as far as subject lines go. Oh my God. Dead. Katie just texted us. Please remind. Finally, reminder to discuss the Monterey shows in your recording today.

[Em]

We get it, Megan. We get It.

[Christine]

Thank you. It's Katie this time, not Megan.

[Em]

Oh, sorry. You said Megan. Sorry. I'm just so primed to be pissed.

[Christine]

At Megan's, like, immediately mad at our submitter Megan. Because you're here, Megan. And that's what we're saying is, like, you have a ag, M, E, a G, a N. Like you're gonna be the. Oh, you're gonna get a scapegoat in this situation. We're mad at Katie, but it's your. It's your fault.

[Em]

You want to know how Katie spells her name normal, Megan? I don't know.

[Christine]

You know why you didn't wonder how Katie spelled her name? Cuz.

[Em]

Cuz I did get pissed off. Yeah.

[Christine]

Okay. Here is an email from Megan. Wow, I'm feeling real saucy today. Hi, Eva. M. Christine and Lemon. Oh, shit. Okay. My name is Megan. I know, I know. But it's pronounced like Reagan with an oh, my God. But I think that makes me even more obnoxious.

[Em]

You're right.

[Christine]

Okay, but see, that's why I'm like. But I like that. I like that awareness. It's really like, I love an aware Me.

[Em]

Aegon. I love. I love him.

[Christine]

You gotta, like, especially if you get to mention Ronald Reagan every time you tell someone your name. That must be really fun. You know, like Ronald Reagan. But Megan.

[Em]

Megan like Reagan.

[Christine]

Yeah, Megan like Reagan. So here we go. Fun fact. I'm also a Gemini. Of course you are. And My birthday is June 3rd. See, this is what I'm saying. That. That love and hate are so close. I think m. That you're one degree away from people. Like, oh, my God, look at the balloons. So sorry.

[Em]

Talk about how the hatred forms again.

[Christine]

Yeah, I'm like, throwing a party for you and Megan, and you're like, you have the same birthday. Like, that's. That's. That's. That's where that comes from. I think this.

[Em]

Yeah, I do think we're young. It's too. The love could be too close to the sun. And I'm just starting. I'm starting white hot, you know?

[Christine]

Yeah, I get it. I get it. Sometimes you gotta. Fun fact. I'm also Gemini. My birthday is June 3rd. Anyways, here's a story I've been sitting on that's both true crime and paranormal. I grew up in a rural town in upstate New York, and when I was about 12, my family moved into a house with a dark history. The house was only 20 years old at the time, and we were the third family to ever live there. It was the father of the first family who built it. Trigger warning. We learned later on that he repeatedly sexually assaulted his own teenage daughter and her friend in that house.

[Em]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. I'm not sure who turned him in, but he was eventually found out. Before police could get to him, he took off down the road and shot himself near.

[Em]

Oh my God.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. But I don't know many details beyond that and haven't been able to find much. That's. That's the short, true crime part of the story.

[Em]

Okay, wow.

[Christine]

Fast forward to when my family's living in the house and it's haunted. Af, first of all, not surprising, I guess.

[Em]

Yeah, duh is the answer there, right?

[Christine]

Like, I, I, I don't doubt it for a second. Every member of my family has experienced something weird in the house. I'll start with myself. One day, I was showering, and I felt a cold breeze go down my back that lingered. Granted, this bathroom had no windows, and breezes didn't just happen like that. And it felt like something had touched the back of my head as well. I quickly finished my shower, and as I was stepping out, I smelled this strong odor of something rotting in addition to smoke. It was super strange and hard to explain. After leaving the bathroom, the smell was completely gone. I even checked around the house to see if I could find where it was coming from. And nothing. In addition to that, at night, it literally felt like something was watching me from the dark corner of my room. Not all nights, but way too many of them. That almost scares me more that, like, some nights you feel something.

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And some nights you don't because it's. It's like, wait, that must be some something, right?

[Em]

Well, I feel like I would think, oh, I'm finally safe. And then. Oh, never mind. I was.

[Christine]

It's back.

[Em]

Because you would think. I think you would keep tricking yourself into thinking you were just like.

[Christine]

Especially if, like a few days where you're like, oh, I must have been imagining that.

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Ugh. God, that's just maddening. Okay. And this next part is a gray area. It could totally not be supernatural at all. But I still find it scary and somehow related. But I would wake up randomly in the mid. Oh, my God. Sorry, Megan. I love this. This is the most Megan thing I ever heard. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but watch how I act like a literal demon half the time. Here we go. But I would wake up randomly in the middle of the night, sitting on my Floor with the overhead lights on, looking straight. No recollection of how I got there.

[Em]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

That must be like, just a fun, like, coincidence.

[Em]

Yeah, that's just like a fun quirk.

[Christine]

That's just. It's just a fun little thing you did.

[Em]

You know, it's even weirder than the waking up in the middle of the night to be sitting in the middle of your floor. Is that the lights are on.

[Christine]

Thank you. That was my exact thought. You don't even really, like, you're not concerned usually about whether the lights are on. So I'm like, what are you doing?

[Em]

Well, in my mind, I was also thinking, like, if there's a ghost involved, like, usually you would think, oh, everything creepy happens with the lights off. So almost feels like, oh, you're not safe in any environment.

[Christine]

Yeah. And it feels almost scarier that suddenly everything's bright when you wake up and you're. It's still middle of the night and you're like, oh, my God, why is it all.

[Em]

Oh, it makes you have to turn the lights back off. Yeah.

[Christine]

And sleep in the dark. Oh, no, no. Okay. Megan says I did have a history of sleepwalking since I was a small child, but it got scarier at that house. I would also find myself walking upstairs to my parents room and just standing there staring at them next to their bed in the dark. Work. That happened a lot. I didn't stop sleepwalking until I went off to college and moved out. I later learned from my mom that our previous house was also haunted. I really do feel like it wasn't a coincidence. And it wasn't just me that experienced things. My younger brother would see a man. He saw this man more than once. His bedroom was upstairs across from my parents, and in the hallway between them was a night light. The first time it happened, my brother was laying in bed and saw a man standing in the doorway. He kept saying, dad. Oh, God. Chilling because he thought it was our father. He asked my mom the next day why dad was being weird last night and staring at him. She told him dad was working late last night and wasn't even in the house.

[Em]

I immediately as the mom, I'd be like, is someone living in our attic? Yeah.

[Christine]

Yeah. Like, start twitching like, oh, we need cameras or something.

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

So, okay, well, here we get some insight. I feel like Reagan Megan is reading her mind here.

[Em]

What's the difference?

[Christine]

Yikes. Yeah, here I go. My mom has always believed in ghosts, by the way. She always believed us. Ah. When we told her what we Saw and experienced. Very supportive, but also very terrifying. My dad on the other hand was a skeptic up until he started seeing things as well. That nightlight in the hall I mentioned earlier, My dad started seeing shadows moving in front of it. He is a hunter and had a desk in their bedroom with empty bullet shells to refill and reuse. He would hear them clinking around at night. That the first time it happened, he thought it was the cat. But then when it happened again, the cat was laying in bed next to him.

[Em]

Okay.

[Christine]

After that, apparently things being shuffled around in my parents room at night became pretty regular. I mean think about the guy went in with his gun to the pond.

[Em]

Oh, and now the bonding around, tinkering or being touched. Yeah, right.

[Christine]

Yikes. It says I'm sorry this is so long but the last thing I want to cover is what I experienced while visiting. When I was in college. My boyfriend, now husband and I were in the living room watching TV after everyone had gone to bed. We were on the couch that was against the wall and the family cat was sleeping on the other was playing with bullets in my parents bedroom that was against the wall and the family cat was sleeping on the other couch that was closer to the kitchen. All of a sudden we heard a dragging noise coming from the kitchen. The cat immediately stood up and all the hairs on its back went up staring in that direction and began hissing. The dragging noise went on for multiple seconds. After it stopped, we went to investigate. No one else was in the house and the cat was obviously with us. My husband is super skeptic and he tried recreating the dragging noise we heard but he couldn't replicate it. Our first thought was a chair moving but it sounded nothing like that. To this day we have not been able to explain it. The annoying thing is my husband still doesn't believe in ghosts. Yeah, welcome to M's in my world where our partners also don't believe in ghosts and just says that the experience was spooky. But surely there's an unknown explanation. I love him dearly, but come on man. Yeah, yeah. Later on, another time when we were visiting, my brother had taken my old room. So we were staying upstairs in my other brother's room on an extra bed. The ceiling was vaulted and you could see into the attic that was above my parents room. It was kind of like a loft attic if that makes sense. Anyways, that night my husband and I were staying on one side of the room. My brother and his friend were on the other side. I was having a Terrible time sleeping. So I was already half awake. But I started to hear voices. My first thought was that my brother and his friend must have been whispering to each other. It kept going on, so I got up and walked over to them. They were both completely out cold. I even started to shake my brother a little bit and said his name, but he didn't wake up. I quickly got back into bed and tried to brush it off, but then I heard the whispering again. At this point I thought my brother was surely messing with me, so I didn't even get up and I just started whisper shouting at him to shut up. When it didn't stop, I got up again to check and they were still sleeping. I also forgot to mention it felt like someone was watching me from the creepy dark attic loft. I questioned my brother the next morning. He had no idea what I was talking about and was only 10 at the time and bad at lying. Otherwise I would have known if he was. I never slept in that room again. A couple years after I move out, I asked my mom about the activity and she nonchalantly told me it pretty much stopped after I moved out. Great. Thanks. Since then I haven't lived anywhere else that has felt haunted. But I don't think it's because I grew up or anything. I can still sense when places have an energy. Also, my parents sold that house a couple years ago and now live in Kentucky. Oh, don't worry, their new house is ghost free from what I've experienced. But that's my story. Some creepy ghost was definitely feeding off of me or something when I lived at home. I'm just glad it didn't follow me. And I never realized how bonkers it all was until I started reflecting back to write this. Hope you enjoyed. And that's why I drink.

[Em]

I didn't know how creepy it was until I was waking up in a fluorescent lit room.

[Christine]

Yeah, no, not even that did it too. Like perfectly normal. Nothing weird about it. And remember the pedophile part? That was like. Like a whole different thing.

[Em]

Yeah, paranormal sexual abuser.

[Christine]

Basically like Jesus Christ.

[Em]

This is our third story. This is from Tara. He uses she, her pronouns. Thank you for normalizing pronouns. And the. The subject line is the time a painting flew off the wall. You've never had that happen before Christine, have you?

[Christine]

I thought I said that literally. You've never had that happen before Christine. And I went, oh my God, they know me so well. It has happened. And went, what did you do? But I swear I.

[Em]

Okay, so Tara says, hi, I'm Christine, Eva, the rest of them. That's why I drink, fam. My family and I moved into our house about a year ago, and I've not gotten any spooky feelings being here, but this has been the only place we've lived that really, truly feels like home. Oh, that's nice. In our living room, we have a fireplace flanked by two recessed walls, one on each side. In each recessed area, we have some shelving with various.

[Christine]

Look at this stick is. Sorry. It's a fireplace with two recessed areas with shelving and a big stick tangled up in a bunch of wires.

[Em]

The stick did not come with the house. That was a Christina.

[Christine]

I added, and I feel like it really. The resale value went.

[Em]

Tara, are you listening?

[Christine]

Way up.

[Em]

Go find a big stick. In our living room, we have the. In our research. Oh, my God. And each reason.

[Christine]

What I said was really necessary.

[Em]

I got really thrown by the stick. I was. I can't stop thinking about her. I actually saw her in person recently.

[Christine]

Didn't you? And wasn't it as beautiful as you'd expect? I think, actually, they put Megan. Speaking of Megan's. I think Megan posted on. I think I muted it because I was so nervous. People are going to be like, what the fuck, Christine? So I was like. I was like, this is like the real me. You can see the mess of my brain.

[Em]

I thought it was really creative. I thought you certainly branched out.

[Christine]

You did say you got thrown by the stick, and I was trying to make a fetch joke, but really it just didn't land.

[Em]

I still appreciate it. There was no. I saw the stick, and then. What did you have little sticks next to it or something or what?

[Christine]

My stepdad thought it was funny to, like, find a stick and bring more sticks. And then every time he came over, he's like, where's my stick? And I was like, one day I'm gonna throw it away. Like, when he's not looking.

[Em]

I did see the stick with Tim in the room, and he. You're right, he does still chuckle about it. He thinks it's great.

[Christine]

He loves it.

[Em]

In each recessed area, we have some shelving with various knickknacks. I don't see anything about a stack.

[Christine]

Various knickknacks could include a lot of stick stacks.

[Em]

Yeah. And a whimsical deer painting they have. So I didn't see that at your house, Kristen.

[Christine]

No, not yet.

[Em]

These paintings have been up for a majority of the past year with nary an issue until, that is a few weeks ago and I was sitting here.

[Christine]

That's beautiful.

[Em]

Bring back nary. Make nary really good. Great again. I don't know.

[Christine]

Make America nary again.

[Em]

Yeah. Okay. Until it is. A few weeks ago, I was sitting on the sofa reading and one of or out of the corner of my eye, I see a weird light kind of flash by on the wall and then I hear a thud. Looking up, I cannot figure out what just made that noise. But having two semi energetic and clumsy dogs, I first assumed that one of them had knocked something over. Over. That is, until I looked to the upstairs hallway, which is visible from downstairs, and I see my two dogs wide eyed staring at me as if to say, what was that?

[Christine]

You hate to see it.

[Em]

Oh. Then my kids come out of my oldest son's room to also ask what that noise was. My husband, oblivious to all this, was in our bedroom napping with the cat.

[Christine]

So honestly, not fair.

[Em]

Convenient. Convenient backstory, I guess. So now I'm really uncertain what made such a loud noise since it clearly wasn't my dogs. Plus, there's literally nothing in the hallway to knock over. My oldest son comes down to help me look and start. And we start with the more obvious places, the kitchen counters, table. And we figured out we had precariously stacked something in another ADHD doom pile and gravity had taken over. We thought that might have happened, but nope. I finally happened to look into the recess to the left of the fireplace and I realized the deer painting is now on the ground.

[Christine]

No.

[Em]

As I'm walking over, I figure the nail must have been not been in the wall that well and just finally slipped out. So I pick up the painting and assume I have to pry the nail from the wall. But the nail was still sticking out of the wall as at a good upward angle with plenty of surface area for this painting to sit upon. So how the heck did this painting come off of the wall? Combine this with the weird light I saw and I'm convinced that it was something ghosty. Even though my husband refuses to believe that. Well, your husband was sleeping, so what does he know anyway? You know what you should have said. Oh dear, oh dear. Look.

[Christine]

Oh dear, oh dear, not again.

[Em]

Not again. And then when he said he didn't believe you, you should have gone, dear, please, oh dear, please. Anyway, I hope I was just. It was. I hope it was just some spirit rushing through my house to get elsewhere and accidentally knocking down my painting, because we haven't had anything. El, what is your house, the train station for ghosts?

[Christine]

I hope not.

[Em]

You know What? But maybe. Maybe you're right. Maybe it was just a fleeting moment. But anyway, thank you, Tara, for your story.

[Christine]

I do like that because I feel like to see a flash, but then not even connect it, because you see the flash and then you hear a thud and you're like, what was that? And you don't even realize, like, oh, wait, it was related to the flash I saw until afterward, until you notice it.

[Em]

I wouldn't have even connected them out of. Have had to have someone later be like, oh, didn't you see a flash, too?

[Christine]

Yeah, I would have also totally missed that. Wow. Creepy. Well, I guess I won't be adding any more decor to that recessed shelving. I'll just leave the stick and leave the stick only.

[Em]

Perfect.

[Christine]

No paintings. Thank you. This is. Where am I? Nobody. Number four. Number four is called that time a painting blew off the wall. So I think maybe.

[Em]

Oh, that's number three for me.

[Christine]

Really? Oh, maybe we have them organized differently. Maybe mine is by date modified.

[Em]

Oh, mine's by name.

[Christine]

I'm amazed. Oh. So who knows what the we've been reading? We've just been reading random stories. Okay. Whoops. By name, you said?

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Okay, well, they all changed on my end, so we're gonna.

[Em]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

Let's find some new angles here. Okay, so the one that I have here is called Unknown Cries. I don't know what that is for.

[Em]

You, but that's number five for me. I don't know. Just read it.

[Christine]

Just read it. This is from Lauren. She, her. Hers. Hello, my fellow Geminis. First, thank you for normalizing pronouns. I work as a mental health therapist in a residential facility for youth. Fun fact. We were the first residential treatment facility in our state to assign students by their gender identity, not sex. Assign it first. I just want to make it clear that this is not a facility like the program documentary on Netflix. Because our program focuses on trauma informed care, which is the opposite of what that documentary presented. I could get on my soapbox further about why trauma informed care is important, but then my ghost stories would get lost. So.

[Em]

Okay, let's talk about this trauma.

[Christine]

Yeah, we'll talk about this instead. This facility originally started as an orphanage and has made transitions over the 100 plus years that it's been around. Unfortunately, students have come to us with some horrific traumatic experiences that sometimes I cannot believe that they would even trust another person. One thing that I've definitely learned is that people are resilient. So you can imagine that their psychological pain has caused some lingering spirits. I'll start with my own experiences. When I was a unit clinician, I tended to arrive on campus after the students had transitioned to school. The school and the residential units are on the same campus. Think a very small college campus. My office was on the residential unit, so I had purposely come in after school started. Everyone would be off the unit, or they should be off the unit on that specific day. I'm settling into my office, drinking my coffee, and then I start to hear this sobbing that continues to get louder and louder. I open my door as I think, oh, a kid got left on the unit. A kid alone for a few minutes is not a big deal to some, but we deal with students with trigger warning, suicidal attempts and ideation. I continue to hear these deep sobs as I go through every bedroom, including closets, until I get, oh my God. This is so chilling that you keep hearing it like while walking around and trying to find the source of sounds.

[Em]

Like when. Like the. I mean, I guess it's just like crying, but when you hear voices and you don't know where they're actually coming from, you're like.

[Christine]

And it. They don't stop, you think, like, maybe I'm imagining it. Nope. Okay, let's see. Until I get to the last empty bedroom on the unit and the sobs suddenly stop. No one was on the unit but me. So as anyone would do, I bolt off the unit and did not return until others were there all day. I told my boss later that day and she believed me. That has an exclamation point, which I think is so cute. She guess what guys? You believe me?

[Em]

You know, small victories.

[Christine]

Yeah, seriously. I mean, that's pretty impressive. Another time I was also on the unit alone. There was a stack of board games in the common room, securely on a table. From across the hall, I saw the board games being pushed off the T. There was the time I came in after my days off to a Ouija board on my desk, but that was a student playing a prank on me after I told them no Ouija boards on campus and then says, we are too busy focusing on the processing the trauma of the living than to process the dead's trauma. Love that for you. Love that. Like boundary. Others have told me about times, especially on the overnight shift, where the kitchen sounds like pots and pans are being thrown about out. When they call a supervisor to check it out, nothing is disturbed. Then there is an apparition of a small boy that someone I know has seen during a fire drill. All of the students were out of the Unit, but there was a small boy waving to them from a window.

[Em]

Hi.

[Christine]

Yeah, right? Like, what are you guys doing out there?

[Em]

That's actually a great point. I would totally brag if I didn't have to go outside.

[Christine]

Right?

[Em]

I know.

[Christine]

Like, yeah. Especially if it's cold. Yet when they went back to search, no one was there on an O. To see someone waving, too. Like, that feels so intentional. Not just like, a glimpse of somebody in the window, but like, an actual child waving.

[Em]

And also, like, do you think, like, wouldn't you recognize or maybe I think I'd be more freaked out that it was a kid that they didn't recognize in the building.

[Christine]

Yeah, that's true, too. But I feel like if you're. I mean, I imagine people are going in and out a lot. Like, if this is.

[Em]

That's true.

[Christine]

You know what I mean?

[Em]

It could just be like a day. A day player.

[Christine]

Exactly. A day player. Yeah. Yikes. Okay. When they went back to search, no one was there. On an overnight shift, a basketball bounced and rolled out of a room where everyone had been sleeping for hours. Staff was assigned to watch that one room all night. There was no student who woke up to do that. As you can read, there's a lot of haunting things here. I want to thank you all for a couple things. Normalizing pronouns. Same back to you. Normalizing mental health and wellness. Obviously. Same back to you. And talking about our shared value of constantly being open to learning and validating experiences of others. I saw your show in Providence, and it was amazing. Monterey. San Luis. San Luis Obispo. Come see it. It's really good. Cannot wait for the tour. Also, the Goose Goose Cam sweatshirt I bought at the show was my good luck charm. I wore it the last time I took my licensing exam, and for the first time, I passed.

[Em]

Yay.

[Christine]

Small victories, big victories. Okay, thank you, Lauren. That was awesome.

[Em]

Awesome.

[Christine]

Well, pick a story from the hat, Em, because who the fuck knows where we are?

[Em]

Just sift away in there.

[Christine]

Just find one that doesn't seem familiar yet.

[Em]

Let's see. Nope. That's Ryan. That's Ryan. This is Alex. All right, we now don't have Alex yet.

[Christine]

If you're anything like me, you sometimes hit this point where you're just frustrated with your current skincare routine. You've tried different ways. You think you found the right way. Everything promises to fix. Lines, wrinkles, crepey skin. But it rarely delivers lasting results. I am so excited about One Skin. M even commented on my skin today. Our sponsor, Day One Skin, Changes Everything. I really freaking love it. In honor of National Women Inventors Month, we're highlighting One Skin's founding team of female scientists who have developed a whole new approach to skin care, starting at the cellular level. I did get hyper fixated and read their whole website. Their proprietary OSO1 peptide is the first peptide scientifically proven to reverse skin aging by switching off the dysfunctional senescent cells that cause lines, wrinkles and crepey skin.

[Em]

If it were up to me, the entire ad would just be 60 seconds of silence while Christine shows her forehead to everybody. But if you needed more information, there you had it. It's founded and led by an all woman team of skin longevity scientists. And One Skin is is redefining the aging process with the first ingredient proven to help skin look, feel and behave like its younger self.

[Christine]

Get 15 off with Code Drink at OneSkin Co. That's 15 off OneSkin Co with Code Drink. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you.

[Em]

Invest in the health and longevity of your skin with One Skin. Your future self will thank you.

[Christine]

I have a fun fact for you. I didn't know this to be true until I was in my 30s, which feels like something they should teach you in school. But I didn't realize that my pillowcase could be the reason why my my skin was kind of blemished on one side, why my hair was breaking.

[Em]

I also recently discovered that because I was like, what the hell is going on with my face? And I was using not so great pillowcases. Luckily with Blissey, I have noticed immediate changes not just in my like, skin, which I thought was the only thing a pillowcase would really affect, but also in my hair. I have less frizz. My curls are really popping these days. Can you see? But on top of that, we also, at least I've noticed better sleep. And not only is it antibacterial and hypoallergenic, but it's clinically proven to not clog your pores, unlike cotton, which is also very lovely. I don't feel like, I don't feel like acne. You know what I'm saying?

[Christine]

I think my favorite part is they have over 70 colors, including a new Wicked and Harry Potter line. By the way, they have this like very clearly color grading that looks very bisexual. I'm in love with it. Because you're a listener, Blissy is offering 60 nights risk free, plus an additional 30 off when you [e-mail] Drink Drink Pod.

[Em]

That's B L-I-S-S-Y.com Drink Pod and use code Drink Pod to get an additional 30 off your skin and hair. Will thank you. Alex uses they, them pronouns. Thank you for normalizing pronouns. You know, I love a baby. The subject line is a ghost watched over me. Oh, now, this seems different than Ryan because Ryan said friendly and not friendly, and we have no information on the personality of this one, so this actually.

[Christine]

Feels almost more sinister because it's, like, neutral.

[Em]

Yeah, it's like, even I didn't try to blame Slate.

[Christine]

Yeah, I don't like it.

[Em]

Alex says, hey, that's why we drink. It's pretty long. So let's jump right in. When I was about two years old, my bio dad and stepmom bought a new house, and they had heard from the sellers that it was an old man's house, that they thought he was still around. And if you hide Skittles behind a chair, they'd go missing the same day. Babe, that's rat. Rats.

[Christine]

That's like. That's. I was gonna say that's me, and then said, rats, And I went, yeah, let's go with, well, that's a lot less incriminating than me.

[Em]

Christine's my favorite little rat. But that's true. I would feel like maybe it's a ghost.

[Christine]

Maybe it's a ghost. It could be Geo also. Or ants.

[Em]

Yeah, just, like, leave a. Like, a trap nearby just in case.

[Christine]

You know, maybe just. Yeah, maybe just, like, put a camera there and see what happens.

[Em]

Yeah, I mean, if you know that they're gonna, like, you'll definitely get something on camera if you know that they're gonna go missing. Right, Right.

[Christine]

Maybe it'll just be they vanish. And that's pretty cool.

[Em]

Yeah. That's the epilogue update I would like from Alex. Send us a video of the Skittles. They never did. Oh, they never did that.

[Christine]

We're gonna get an email called video of the Skittles. We're gonna go, what the are they talking about? We're gonna go, what on earth? We didn't ask for that.

[Em]

Okay, here's my favorite part, because I could have kept. I should have kept reading. It says they say if you hide Skittles behind a chair, some would be missing the next day. They never did that, of course. So I guess they never even tried to hide the Skittles because they probably.

[Christine]

Knew about rats and were like, we are not gonna try that. Thanks, old lady. I don't think so.

[Em]

Apparently, for them, it was because they did not want to invite the spirit into the home if it was already there or has been there.

[Christine]

You don't antagonize it.

[Em]

Fair. I would have also agreed with you. I was like, I don't want to leave, like, good candy on the floor.

[Christine]

Perfectly good candy. Forget it. It.

[Em]

Anyway, they had some really creepy things happen to them in the house. Interesting. Sounds like you could just let the Skittles then.

[Christine]

Yeah. Honestly, it feels like the skittles were like an appeat to appease them.

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

It's like if someone gave me Skittles, I wouldn't harm them, probably.

[Em]

If. If the logic in my head is I'm not leaving out Skittles because I don't want to invite anything in, but things are clearly there.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Em]

Then I'd be like, maybe I try the candy to shut you out.

[Christine]

Skittles. Yeah, exactly. We'll get you just on my line, like on my page. Right.

[Em]

I'm saying. Yeah. So really creepy things would happen in this house. They would hear a baby crying at night, even though it wasn't my half sister or any neighbors, as we had the only kids on the street. A hand clamping over my dad's mouth in the middle of the night and leaving a handprint on his face, and my stepmom's angel figurines being turned around and facing towards the wall. No.

[Christine]

Sorry, that was so loud. But, like, you know, I can't. I just got full body. They freak out.

[Em]

The idea of them not wanting, like, angels watching over you and to make.

[Christine]

Sure you see, like, I don't. Like these angels don't get to look at you. Oh, forget it.

[Em]

Like, you're alone.

[Christine]

Forget it.

[Em]

I've always been sensitive to the paranormal, with plenty of experiences with other spirits and knowing when I should or should not be somewhere. I never felt anything but safe in that house. Even when not your dad, but even when everyone else felt on edge or straight up fearful. In that house.

[Christine]

House.

[Em]

I wasn't treated the best by my stepmom or youngest half sister, so I always felt like an outsider. But I never felt unsafe as long as I was in that house. Maybe the ghost was like, you and I should form an alliance.

[Christine]

I was gonna say, maybe you did drop a few skittles just in case, you know. And the ghost was like, yeah, you're. You're my kind of guy.

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Kind of person.

[Em]

You're not that bad. One night when I was about 11, I was sleeping at the end of my half sister's bed. I didn't have my own bed since I was only. Since I was only there every other weekend. No comment.

[Christine]

That said, no comment.

[Em]

He. He started grinning. What the hell? And I felt like someone was watching over me. I woke up, turned over, and saw an old man just standing there looking at me. He started grinning as soon as I looked up at him. I said hello, and he gave a little wave.

[Christine]

Oh, my God.

[Em]

It's actually so precious.

[Christine]

Yeah, maybe he's not bad. Okay. So I guess, Okay.

[Em]

I told him I was going back to sleep. He gave one last smile before he turned around and disappeared. I love that he was just checking in on you and you had a whole ass conversation.

[Christine]

You're like, actually, you know, thanks for checking in, but I'm actually real tired.

[Em]

I wonder if you really were tired and went back to sleep, because that was my experience. I really was so exhausted. But I also wonder if you were, like, trying to, like, socially back away from the strange man in the room.

[Christine]

Right. It's like, oh, my God. I would love to continue this conversation just maybe another time.

[Em]

I was really busy, though. I'm gonna go back to that. Yeah.

[Christine]

As you can see, my hands are full.

[Em]

That's really cute. The hello and the little wave.

[Christine]

Like, as long as you weren't scared. That's great.

[Em]

Yeah. I would have immediately thought that he was, like, totally watching out for you. From that point on, the lights just flickered.

[Christine]

I literally saw that.

[Em]

Did something.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. Now deer painting is gonna fall. Oh, dear, oh, dear.

[Em]

The lights just liquored and turned right back on.

[Christine]

That was weird. I, I. We caught that on camera. Paranormal caught on camera.

[Em]

Well, okay. At least it happened when I was talking about what seems like a kind ghost.

[Christine]

You said, it looks like he's watching out for you, and then your lights flickered. Em.

[Em]

Okay, that was really touching. Can the lights flicker again if someone's watching out for me? Nothing. Okay, great. That hurt my feelings. So where were we? Wow. Oh, I rolled over and I went back to sleep. While the rest of them always felt uncomfortable. I always felt protected, as if someone was watching over me. And I believe the little old man who previously lived in that house was always watching me and making me feel safe. I have lots of stories about other ghosties, but I thought you might enjoy this one, as it's the nicest spirit I've had contact with. Thank you for all the spooky content. Love you guys and, and the show so much.

[Christine]

Wow, that's really sweet. And then somebody popped in to say hi to m too which is really sweet. Okay, so I think this should be the last one, right? Because you went first.

[Em]

I think so, yeah. Yeah.

[Christine]

Okay. I'm digging around. Last prize. Emily. We don't have Emily yet. Okay.

[Em]

No, we don't.

[Christine]

And this is called the dog loving poulter. Oh, God. The dog loving poltergeist that climbs into bed with you.

[Em]

Oh, God.

[Christine]

This feels like a lot of duality we have today. Like, a lot of ghosts that feel scary and then are, like, nice or, like, kind of a mix of both.

[Em]

It's giving Gemini.

[Christine]

Yeah, it is, isn't it? Too bad it's only March.

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

I guess it's the start of our birthday season, you know?

[Em]

You know what?

[Christine]

The second I hear that bird chirp, I'm like, here we come.

[Em]

Which bird makes you think the most of birthdays? Bird days.

[Christine]

Of bird days. Great question. I don't know.

[Em]

When you think of a bird and you think of your birthday, is it like a. Or is it like.

[Christine]

I think it's more of a. Even though I wish it were more of a.

[Em]

Who I think is the day after when you wake up from the sleepover.

[Christine]

The sleepy time one. Yes. You get it. Yeah, yeah. That's the groove one. And then the. What was the other one? Bojangles. No. What did you call it? Boppin. Bebopin.

[Em]

What's happening now? I said.

[Christine]

Gia'S calling the police. The. The. The. You said, would you rather groove or.

[Em]

Or boogie?

[Christine]

Boogie, not. What did I say? Be. Bop a dop. I don't know.

[Em]

Whatever the fuck.

[Christine]

Okay. I'm so sorry, Emily. This is about you. She. Her. Thank you for normalizing. Hi, Eva M. Christine and all of the ATWD Fam. I'm Emily, and I love your show. I started listening back in 2021, and I've listened to every episode, some of them twice. Ooh. I recently joined Patreon so I could hear more of the silly rambling that's gotten me through many hard days. That's the perfect reason. Anyway, enough sappy and let's crack into the story to lay the groundwork. My entire family on my mom's side has been eerily sensitive to the paranormal. For as long as I can remember, I've been, quote, blessed and cursed, as my mom would say, with the same ability she has to see ghosts my entire life. Life. And have seen multiple. When I was about seven years old, we moved into a new house sort of in the middle of nowhere. And my grandma and uncle were my neighbors. The house was a double wide, basically A large trailer. Ours is super cute inside. When you buy a double wide, you often buy it off of a lot from a salesman. Well, when we were picking out the house, I was playing in one of the back rooms, which later became my room, when I felt a sudden and terrible sense of dread and urgency. Oh my God. I bolted into the living room to find my mom and told her we shouldn't get this house. Alas, we did okay. Ever since we moved in, living in the house was strange. My curtains would blow vigorously without cause. No air vent in there. The light bulb to my room went out and each time it was replaced, it simply went out again to the point we stopped replacing it. I got a tall lamp instead and had to walk across the dark room. I hate that when it's on the other side of the room and you have to like, navigate and like rush, but you don't want to bang your shins.

[Em]

You mean the beginning of a horror removing?

[Christine]

Yes, but the ghosts are ready to grab you. G. I got a tall lamp instead and had to walk across the dark room each day to turn it on. On many occasions, the lamp would be unplugged. That used to happen at my house. Things would get unplugged. On many occasions, the lamp would be unplugged and I would be stuck in the darkness until I could find the outlet with the same sense of doom just hovering over me. The smoke alarms would go off in the middle of the night without cause, and I would have terrible dreams. A couple of them were so bad they still haunt me to this day. One night I was laying in bed skyping with my friend Parentheses. Lol.

[Em]

Throwback.

[Christine]

I still get anxiety from like. I'm like, just don't.

[Em]

I'm sorry, was it du glop? Was that what you just said?

[Christine]

It was like mouth sounds. It was. Skype had its own mouth sounds. I'm like, don't do that. Yeah. And then it's like has those horrible warbling sounds and it's like, what do you think you're doing?

[Em]

I know exactly what you're saying.

[Christine]

Scatting at me. Like, stop. It's just so.

[Em]

So there's a groove of boogies.

[Christine]

I know. How many like old timey musical numbers can I reference today? Okay, so I was skyping with my friend lol. And all of a sudden the blankets quickly got ripped off of me with lots of force. Oh my God. This happened twice. And I checked the room also. Like, the fact that you were on camera and someone else was watching is like Disturbing. Like it was waiting for someone else to be there to witness it. This happened twice and I checked the room for the cat, but he was nowhere to be found. Only about a week or so later, I woke up in the middle of the night sweating. I couldn't go back to sleep. And as I slept with the TV on, I decided to watch whatever was playing. It was Suite Life of Zack and Cody, of course. Of course. The TV was reflecting a bit of light onto the floor and walls. Suddenly, the shadow of a tall man with what appeared to be a trench coat and a top hat hat was moving across my room and towards my bed. Goodbye. I want nothing to do with the hat man. No, thank you. I quickly sprang up and ran to my room. We moved out of the house only a few months later. Once we moved out, my mom told me more about the man in my bedroom. I love that mom's like known all along. Oh my God.

[Em]

And while we're at it, here's the stranger that's been living here.

[Christine]

Yeah. Oh, that sense of dread you feel. It's perfectly normal. She said that when she was a teenager living in my grandma's house, only about a hundred feet away from ours, something got into bed with her and was applying pressure to her chest and neck and she couldn't breathe until it finally went away. Next time she told me. Or, sorry, next. She told me of the time when my older cousin was a baby and how he would sit in the corner of his crib and scream and cry while pointing at the opposite corner. My uncle's had strange occurrences too with whatever this thing is. One day he was in the shower and asked his then wife to get him a bar of soap as he had just run out. But he didn't realize that she had run out to the store for groceries. Suddenly. Oh my God. A bar of soap was thrown violently at the shower curtain. And he was in shock when he later learned she hadn't been home and his son wasn't even old enough to walk yet, let alone pelt a bar of soap. So the ghost is like begrudgingly granting your requests. I'll give you a bar soap with a lot of aggression though.

[Em]

Yeah, I. Okay.

[Christine]

Just. I don't.

[Em]

I don't know what's happening here. Oh my God.

[Christine]

Sorry.

[Em]

We got a real zoom in.

[Christine]

Oh, my bad. Was it enjoyable? No. You could probably see the coffee stains on my shirt. Okay. I wish the story ended here. Two and a half years ago, I moved back into the house. Oh, my dear.

[Em]

I don't like it.

[Christine]

Oh, my dear friend Emily. I knew whatever was lying. Sorry. I knew whatever was living here was still around. As the previous tenant frequently mentioned, how he always got locked out of the house, had shoes thrown at the wall, the annoying constant taps on his fish tank, the eerily long claw marks on the inside of the bathroom door, and the fact that his dogs broke through to get whatever was inside. And of course, the time he found felt his dog jump into bed with him, only to look down and see his dog on the floor. He was a skeptic. It had no knowledge of the house being haunted before this. My mom has since named the entity. Oh, I don't like this, actually. This actually feels really bad to me. Bad energy. My mom has since named the entity Edgar.

[Em]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

Isn't that bad? For some reason I.

[Em]

Well, naming it at all, but also, Edgar just feels like, why give it an old man name?

[Christine]

It's just like a scary name. Like, it feels like it could have to actually be his name, you know?

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And the name stuck. Although I'm not sure why, because I think it's probably true, because Edgar was.

[Em]

Like, I like the name.

[Christine]

That's my name now. Yeah. Since moving here, however, I feels like the. You know who I picked. You want to hear? Edgar is the. The grandpa from courage. A cowardly dog. That to me, feels like an Edgar. Like a really, like, cantankerous, scary, cantankerous, you know?

[Em]

Yeah. Yeah. A curmudgeon.

[Christine]

Curmudgeon for sure. No offense, Edgar. Please, please go away.

[Em]

Stay where you are.

[Christine]

I don't have a fish tank to tap on, so please, no soap over here. No soap, please. Thank you very much. Let's see. I'm not sure why the name stuck since moving back here, however, I've only had a few things happen with Edgar. I wonder if he'll be back now that we're aggravating him. Stolen keys and glasses, which were finally returned when I asked politely. Coming home to my dog being let out of his crate. That always weirds me out.

[Em]

I hate it.

[Christine]

Objects being knocked over, drawers that I know for certain my dog can't reach are sometimes open, and the snacks inside them will have been eaten my. By my dog. Okay, so basically, someone's feeding the dog.

[Em]

Yeah, the dog is in cahoots too, because you would think a dog would get really freaked out at a ghost, but if you see the ghost coming to open your crate, you're like, I won't rat on you, you know?

[Christine]

Yeah. I feel like Gio heard about Edgar and was like, hang on, where do I get an Edgar? Like, no, no, we're not. That's not part of this.

[Em]

Where's Harry? And why isn't he trying to look at his name?

[Christine]

Yeah, Harry's nowhere near as nice to Gigi. It says, I guess Edgar likes my dog Ozzy and the previous tenants fish. Last year, while on my way out the door for an event, I walked out of my room and saw a dark shadow of a man in the far end of the living room. The entire house smelled horribly like rotten eggs, and I'm thankful I didn't put those pieces together until after I left. And lastly, once my boyfriend moved in. Oh, Edgar began terrorizing him. Him. One night while we were sleeping, I heard the noise of glass breaking. It didn't wake up my boyfriend, but the glass breaking noise happened three more times, which finally woke him up. You know, Edgar was pissed. Like, how many glasses I have to break?

[Em]

This guy I'm going to smash you in the face with I swing it.

[Christine]

Directly into your head. We discovered a glass cup that had been knocked off of the far end of the nightstand on my boyfriend's side of the bed and smashed into the carpet floor. That's what weird. Not only. Oh, not only once, but it appeared as if someone or something was hitting it on the floor over and over.

[Em]

Oh, no.

[Christine]

I mean, it's puppet too, so you'd have to get it right. And the fact that they heard four glass separate glass smashes like it was.

[Em]

Trying to smash it.

[Christine]

Yeah, forget it. Also, my boyfriend once had a dream of something evil, quote unquote, yelling leave. Then woke up because he felt something grab his arm which was hanging off the side of the bed. Oh my God.

[Em]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Anyway, I now I like to think of Edgar as a prankster. And I will say I rarely get the awful feeling I once did while in the house. It's weird that I had the doom feeling in the lot with the salesman when it seems like whatever is here has been here for a long, long time. According to others accounts. Anyway, I'm not great at this and I'm strangely enough, a little nervous. Don't. Don't be nervous. So I'm sorry if this is long. I mean, we may have bullied you. We usually bully people who write in, so I guess you have the right to be nervous.

[Em]

Megan.

[Christine]

Megan. I appreciate you reading it. PSM. I grew up 10 minutes away from Radford, Virginia and went to Radford High School. So when I heard you went to college here I almost peed my pants out of shock and excitement. Love your hair. Hate your guts, Emily.

[Em]

I love that that makes you pee. But not like the grown ass man ghosts in your house, right?

[Christine]

You're like I. I was on my way to an event so I didn't have time to put together the sulfuric demonic smells and the stranger in my house. But I love that we're neighbors.

[Em]

Well, thank you for the story. And I hope that he stays with you and not. Not here.

[Christine]

Nowhere. I know I have pets, but they're really not fun. So stay with Ozzy, please. And I'm okay. We're full up. We're all full up. No room in the inn here.

[Em]

Well, hopefully since we talked about some negative seeming ghosts. Hopefully. In this lucky month of March, everyone leaves you alone for a second.

[Christine]

So. Yes, yes, let's. Let's all wish. Positivity. Positivity.

[Em]

Leprechauns everywhere. Taken care of. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Christine]

Nothing bad can happen, I hope.

[Em]

For me a pot of gold. Oh that's.

[Christine]

That's. That's creative. Sure.

[Em]

And lucky.

[Christine]

Very lucky.

[Em]

And for you, A pint of ale.

[Christine]

Oh, thank you. I'll take it.

[Em]

And for everyone else, a rainbow. But only the game people.

[Christine]

Only the ones who know it's. It's only the ones who know it's. It's really invented by God. What do people say? Take back the rainbow or whatever the.

[Em]

Take it back. Yeah. Reclaim the rainbow.

[Christine]

Reclaim. Gross.

[Em]

Well, happy March to everybody. And I hope that these stories get you through until our April Fool's Day 1 which we never do anything April Fool Z. But we'll be two fools telling you stories at least.

[Christine]

I mean, it'll be foolish. I'm sure we say this every year, but it'll be foolish no matter what.

[Em]

Area serious situation. Only. Only fool. Fooled them.

[Christine]

Only foolery. Only tomfoolery. Left and right.

[Em]

Goodbye. And that's why we drink.