Agency help requested with a haunted building

[Private Dic McVay]

Hello everyone, I’ve never personally sent out a request for help before to the Society before since I haven’t needed it, but now I feel I have to as I’m stumped. It was recently brought to my attention of an old apartment building in my city is apparently haunted, but the style of haunting and methods don’t match up to anything I’ve experienced in a haunting.

About two weeks ago a resident of said apartment building contacted me, (for the protection of the residents I will mention no names), but she looked me up through a friend who knows I have experience in this particular “area”. When I met with her she told me a long and involved story about the residents of the building and that many of them have been acting very strangely the last few months.

When I asked what’s so strange about them, she said “they just don’t act like themselves anymore”. This woman has lived in this building for over 25 years now and knows most of the residents on a first name basis, and therefore knows them all through friendly chat and conversations. She stated lately most of the residents have stopped any friendly chatting or even common courtesy greetings, some of them have become aggressive towards her and each other, and in the last month alone there have been few reported beatings and other disturbances from the tenants.

Even more interesting is that the new arrival tenants are acting in a similar manner. According to her, a lot of drifters and new tenants move in and out frequently since the rent is cheap and the superintendent will let anyone in. From what I can tell most of the tenants do seem to exhibit some odd behaviors, but I can’t get in a decent conversation with most of them to get a real results. Many of them don’t appreciate my nosiness (one even threatened me with violence if I didn’t leave him alone) and while the superintendent was willing to speak to me, he had nothing real to say besides he has the best wishes for his tenants and I should respect their privacy.

Granted, the apartment complex is very old and is located in a rough neiborhood, but I can’t see these as adequate reasons for the tenants to act so odd (part of why I suspect supernatural involvement). For example, there is one tenant who “hardly ever” leaves his apartment and seems very protective of what he has in his room, a tenant who’s rumored to be a drug dealer and has recently become very abusive and belittling to his girlfriend who lives with him and other similar stories. But then there are other folks who seem to be just fine, like my contact and her neibor across the hall who is a gentle soul (a retired jazz band musician and a friendly guy when I spoke to him), or like the very nice couple who lives on the second floor (a happily married, friendly couple who are just starting out together).

What I’m asking for is advice and help as how to deduce if something supernatural is going on here. I’m no supernatural investigator “expert” per se, and I have no psychic contacts or parapsychologist experts on hand (and then even if I did I promised to keep this investigation as quiet as I could at my contacts request and don’t wish to bring more “nosy people” into this if I can help it.) and I am doing this investigation free of charge and can’t afford to hire professional help.

Does anyone have any ideas or even theories about what kind of ghosts or entities could create such a sudden behavioral change in so many people, or if I’m barking up the right tree with the supernatural angle to begin with?

[Tabloid Hound]

Perhaps its a possession entity? Or perhaps its multiple possession entities in the same building?

[Private Dic McVay]

Things are happening in these apartments, and I am sure that something supernatural is involved. I just received a report late last night of a tenant beating one of his best friends to a bloody pulp (nearly killed him) with a baseball bat over a football game bet he lost.

The attacker admitted that he assaulted his friend and said he doesnt know what came over him, his team lost the game and he was suddenly out 50 bucks and just didn’t wanna pay up, and the argument suddenly turned violent. His friend is in the hospital with broken ribs, arms and a leg, and needed about 90 stitches to his face alone!

I need help people, I have no idea what it is I could be up against here, but today if someone is suddenly willing and able to beat his friend to near death over a matter of a bad bet, what's next?

[Debunker]

Now this is exactly what I keep talking about. You've already said this building is located in a bad seed, rough part of town where'd you almost expect problems to take place, and yet still you preceed to say that something "Supernatural" is taking place just because there's a spike in violent activity?! Do you hear yourself?

It's like your begging for something supernatural to happen so you can get an easy answer to the issues at hand. But you know what, your going to be waiting for a life time...the supernatural and paranormal is pure fiction and can only be found in fictional stories! Your grasping for something that has nothing to hold onto.

[Willie Long]

Things are happening in these apartments, and I am sure that something supernatural is involved. I just received a report late last night of a tenant beating one of his best friends to a bloody pulp (nearly killed him) with a baseball bat over a football game bet he lost.

Just because you can't explain it doesn't mean it's supernatural. I knew a dude in South-Central, he saw his friend touhing his stereo, so he cut off his buddy's head with a machete, then put it in a pot and took it to the store to prove he wasn't lying.

Of course, that don't mean nothin's goin' on.

I need help people, I have no idea what it is I could be up against here, but today if someone is suddenly willing and able to beat his friend to near death over a matter of a bad bet, what's next?

I'm not a detective, but I'll be flying out to LA soon for an exhibition, and it never hurts to have someone to watch your back. Want some company?

[Private Dic McVay]

I'm not a detective, but I'll be flying out to LA soon for an exhibition, and it never hurts to have someone to watch your back. Want some company?

I very much appreciate the offer, but being a man or reasonable honor I promised my "Client" that I wouldnt get anyone else involved or snoop the building with me, and I've got to hold myself to that. Your advice and input is all the help I can ask for.


While I’m on the post, the tenant’s activity is getting worse. My client neibor was one of the only people in the building who talk to me, and suddenly over the last weekend he's become anti social to me and my client and hides in his apartment. My client fears for his safety as he has a heart condition, and he's a recovered alcoholic.

My detective instincts tell me that this behavior is possibly a result of a failed recovered alcoholic who's too ashamed to admit it and hides from those who'd know. Its bead enough if he's fallen off the wagon, but with a heart condition at his age, the alcohol can be deadly.

Does anyone have any previous experience with ghosts/entities that causes reactions like this? The theory on the possession entity doesnt seems to fit at all.

[mrloucifer]

Hey mate, any thoughts that maybe its not even ghostly activities at all?

[Heretic]

From what little I've picked up about the phenomena of possession, the more...common cases usually result in the individual becoming a murder machine. Still, it doesn't wholly rule out the supernatural if a sudden change to the whole apartment complex. A quick guess would be subtle hypnotic suggestion from a powerful psychic force; or something in the water, I'm not sure.

Rather bizzare situation, really. In the case of the drug dealer, it's nothing a little vigilante justice couldn't cure. Though the fellow who is locked away in his apartment...that's something I would want to investigate.

[Private Dic McVay]

Rather bizarre situation, really. In the case of the drug dealer, it's nothing a little vigilante justice couldn't cure. Though the fellow who is locked away in his apartment...that's something I would want to investigate.

Sadly enough in the case of the drug dealer, vigilante Justice may end up being served in this place. I was enjoying a meal with my client at her apartment last night, and her opened window looks right over the front entrance, and I saw the dealer working his goods while his girlfriend watched on, but then she spotted one of the other tenants walking home (one of the rare "normals" in the building) and when their eyes locked, you could almost feel their affections for each other.

Then again, maybe you could feel it because suddenly the dealer turned around and chewed out his girl in public and told the other tenant to stay away from her, grabbing her harshly by the arm and marched her up their room, where you could hear the shouting matches and tussling taking place.

While I promised to stay low, I reached my limit after about 5 minutes and I went upstairs to "force" him to stop his abuse, but when I got to his door, the door surprised me across the hall when it opened suddenly. Suddenly the guy who was looking at the girl so intently was coming for the same door I was (ironic that they are neibor’s eh?) Anyway he looked at me in shock and recoiled back into his room, but not before I witness a glimpse of the cutlery knife that was in his hand.

He slammed the door shut, which stopped the yelling in the dealers apartment, where he suddenly opens the door, flush faced and practically foaming at the mouth (I swear he nearly looked half crazed), but when he saw it who it was (he knows I’m investigating the building) he put up his cheesy smile front and asked me "You gotta problem Chico?" , in retrospect, I probrably should have watched myself better but I it slip and replied "yeah, but you could say I'm working on correcting it as we speak".

This place is getting on my nerves and I really gotta start watching myself, because I realized where I was heading with that reaction and just turned to walk back down stairs while the dealer just started taunting and swearing at me in Spanish (at least that’s what I'm sure he was doing, I dont speak the language). But on the plus side he stopped his ranting and raving upstairs when I returned to my client.

Talking with my client about him, the other guy is a college boy (and looks the typical nerd type) who is a friendly guy, but is also shy and generally keeps to himself. I didn’t have the heart to tell her about the possible issue I’d just ran across upstairs, but I will have to keep closer tabs and spend more time in this place then I want to. What I saw in that boy’s eyes was murderous intent, even if it was for the split second before he saw me and his inherent shyness took over again. If I hadn’t been there, there could have been a murder on our hands and a boy spends the rest of his life behind bars for a heat of the moment accident.

[Shadowstalker]

I would like to offer more tangible help but I'm abit Involved with other things. But i can offer a bit of advise try to get sampels of everything you can think of local soil, swabs of dust in the building whatever send it to a lab ,there are colletion kits avalible and labs that will do the work for little or no cost. This could be nothing supernatural but still be very dangerous. Oh by the way this may sound strange but also get recordings from various points in the building sound can also have strange effects on individuals. Also if you think your dealing with whatever it is effecting the building get some blood work done .Sorry I can't more helpful Goodluck with your case.

[The Watcher In Shadows]

It's like your begging for something supernatural to happen so you can get an easy answer to the issues at hand. But you know what, your going to be waiting for a life time...the supernatural and paranormal is pure fiction and can only be found in fictional stories! Your grasping for something that has nothing to hold onto.

It is exactly this attitude that puts the human race in such danger from supernatural forces.

As far as advice for this particular case I would suggest checking the buildings history, sometimes past events have a strange way of re-occuring. Also you may wish to check to see if there is anything strange about the man in charge of the building, check his history if possible etc. Also I would be careful, if a man in this building is willing to beat his friend "to a pulp" as you say, imagine what he may do to a stranger he finds has been checking out his files.

[Willie Long]

Could be positive ions, subsonic vibrations, bad feng shui... what concerns me is that it seems to be getting to you, too.

[Private Dic McVay]

Could be positive ions, subsonic vibrations, bad feng shui... what concerns me is that it seems to be getting to you, too.

Thank you for your concern Mr. Long, but I think it was the frustration that's bothering me rather than whatever else may be going on. I'm tired of the tenants slamming doors in my face and not offering me any help, and just plain getting in my way of trying to help them.

But on a good note, the newlywed tenants are still helpful and dont seem to be under any duress or influences. The wife is especially friendly and talkative, and I can totaly understand why the husband scooped her up, I know I would have But unfortunatly they've only moved in two months back and she doesnt really know anyone else in the building well enough to have any real info to share, but I settled for enjoying the time I spent talking with her.

[Huntress]

I bet you did enjoy your time with her. As far as your issues with the building, I have to agree that whatever could be affecting them could effect you as well. But it would take some pretty powerful psionics to pull such a stunt off, and for as many psychic boys I've met (some I've gotten to know quite intimately, but that's another story) none of them could do a mass influence over a building. Keep us posted as you get more clues and info, I'll keep my eyes on you (especially if I enjoy the view).

[Private Dic McVay]

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with posts everyone, I was ambushed by an unknown attacker last night in the hallway of the 2nd floor. Someone clubbed me in the back of the head (I suspect with a pipe or a bat) and robbed me blind while I was out cold.

Whoever it was hit me good, I'll be nursing a golf ball lump on my cranium for awhile. Thank heavens the "newlywed wife" found me and helped me when she did, I lost a lot of blood and it could have ended worse. She is such a sweet girl!

More and more I doubt this is all random incidents, something is going on here. But what?!?!

[Willie Long]

... I was ambushed by an unknown attacker last night in the hallway of the 2nd floor....

Ain't no way your client will object to you bringin' back-up now, Jack.

[Private Dic McVay]

... I was ambushed by an unknown attacker last night in the hallway of the 2nd floor....

Ain't no way your client will object to you bringin' back-up now, Jack.

Perhaps, but I understand and want to respect my client's privacy and my word to her. That being said perhaps a second opinion might be beneficial. Are you going to be in town this weekend? I can pick you up at the hotel and secretly give you the tour of the building and go over my investigation notes.

[Cowardly Leon]

Have you tried taking a blueprint of the building and marking off which appartments have been showing altered behavior? Then looking over the blueprint see if there are any common denominators in the structure of the building itself? Like airvents or structural girders?

We had some trouble a while back where a wiz-kid was playing with infrasound in his basement but didn't realise that the vibrations were being carried by the gas mains to his neighbors' homes. This unaudible sound drove their pets into a frenzy every time he began toying with the dials.

Maybe the guy that's rumored to be selling drugs might be cooking them up and the fumes move through the airvents to other appartments putting people into altered mental states.


I may be wrong but it's a place to start.

[Private Dic McVay]

Thank you for suggesting this idea, but in fact I already have tried this route. And what scares me about that is the fact that almost ALL the apartments in the building either have "affected" people or have had them at one point!

Take the recent newlyweds for example, they moved in two months ago and they seem to be fine (the husband is a bit jealous and protective, but that's understandable as the wife is a absolute jewel), but the guy who lived in that apartment before them is serving jail time for hospitalizing his roomate over a matter of late rent money owed!

Which brings me back to square one again. I know that something has got to be going on, but its all so wide spread and constant that it doesnt seem to match any profiles of the commonly known Supernatrual beings out there.

[Willie Long]

Are you going to be in town this weekend? I can pick you up at the hotel and secretly give you the tour of the building and go over my investigation notes.

Yeah, I'm participating in an exhibition match for my temple. ...they're calling my flight. I'll PM you when we land. Later.

[The Watcher In Shadows]

Is there any place in the building that people seem to keep you out of to an extreme? Where were you when you were attacked? Perhaps you got a little to close to the root of whatever is causing this trouble.

I also find it highly suspicious that the "newly wed" wife just happened to be the one that found you. I wonder if she has anything to do with the strange occurunces as she seems to be one of the only people who is not affected.

[Elijah Sight]

I don't know to what extent the Society interests itself in conspiracies, UFOs, Black Projects, and other non-supernatural bizzare occurances, but this sounds a lot like an experimental chemical test. Something to make one's foes aggressive, to cause dissention amongst enemy ranks. It sounds to me like dear old Uncle Sam is conducting illicit military experiments. Of course, this does not rule out a malevolent phenomina. Just one more thing to consider. Be careful in there, I might take to wearing a Gas Mask.

[Private Dic McVay]

Is there any place in the building that people seem to keep you out of to an extreme? Where were you when you were attacked? Perhaps you got a little to close to the root of whatever is causing this trouble.

I also find it highly suspicious that the "newly wed" wife just happened to be the one that found you. I wonder if she has anything to do with the strange occurunces as she seems to be one of the only people who is not affected.

She seems alright, but I'm worried for her safety, her husband is getting worse all the time and uber jealous about her. But Willie Long and I got quite a story when we got a moment to post it. Keep listening...

[Private Dic McVay]

I don't know to what extent the Society interests itself in conspiracies, UFOs, Black Projects, and other non-supernatural bizzare occurances, but this sounds a lot like an experimental chemical test. Something to make one's foes aggressive, to cause dissention amongst enemy ranks. It sounds to me like dear old Uncle Sam is conducting illicit military experiments. Of course, this does not rule out a malevolent phenomina. Just one more thing to consider. Be careful in there, I might take to wearing a Gas Mask.

Hmm..I should take the gas mask into consideration, or at least have the air tested. I'll keep you posted, thanks for the tip sir!

[Private Dic McVay]

Well, the air tests all came back negative. There is a lot of dust and whatnot, but nothing unexpected in an old neglected apartment building.

In other related news, after the tenants encounter Willie Long and I had on Saturday (which is a story you need to hear from him as its more up his alley) things were actually pretty quiet and calm until late last night. I just visited my client this morning and was shocked to find one of the calmer residents in the building shot and killed his neibor across the hall!

I knew very little of the killer, he spent most of his time in his apartment and only came out for grocery shopping. As I understand it, he took a pistol he owned and shot the new neighbor to death, in his own doorway no less! The shooter's reason is simply stated as "I felt threatened for my possessions and my life and I had to protect them!"

I just completed some research on the new tenant and while its true he had a checkered past (the guy was an aspiring petty thief for most of his life) but he didn’t have a violence record or anything to say he was dangerous. The killer was honest about his actions and said, "Well sure, he hadn’t done nothing yet, but I suddenly felt threatened and I wasn’t going to let him steal my precious belongings.

These precious belongings by the way, they are his collection of pocket watches. Its seems his passion in life are those watches, and for whatever reason he felt so threatened by his neighbor who has a thieving past, but made no attempts at breaking and entering or assaulting his killer in anyway. But whatever is affecting these tenants; they are getting worse.
Add to all that, I just received word from my client that two more tenants have abandoned their belongings and have left building for over 30 days. Perhaps this can be explained as drifters moving on, but in this place I am taking nothing for granted. The Superintendent will probrably be moving out their belongings this week so I’ll try to corner him and talk some more, maybe he knows more than he’s telling.

Oh, and I got to spend a moment with the newlywed wife who was very upset about the shooting. I was there to help her fell better as her loser husband was nowhere to be found yet again. I wish there was more I could do for her, I truly adore her.

[Willie Long]

McVay's a great guy. He came by our team's hotel Saturday, and he and I went over the details of his investigation. Since his client would be goin' to church the next day to clear her head, we agreed to get together and head over there around 10 A.M.

When we got out of the car, I stopped and took in the building. It was old, and looked... wrong. The way it huddled between the other buildings... it looked almost like it was afraid. McVay came around the car to check on me. I shrugged off the feeling, and we went inside. I followed him slowly down the hall, tryin' to get a feel for the place. It was so quiet inside. The street noises were so muffled, there could have been a riot outside and you'd never hear it. On the second floor, he showed me where he was ambushed, and he stopped by 203 to introduce me to the newlywed couple. I reminded him that it wouldn't be a good idea, and we pushed on.

Midway down the third floor hallway there was a door cracked open. McVay said, "That's strange, these tenants don't leave their doors open." We could hear the sounds of a struggle as he pushed it completely open. Inside, we saw a skinny dude in the middle of the living room beating this big dude in the head with a wooden chair. The big guy (McVay called him Robert, and later told me this was his apartment) was lying on the ground, clutching at his chest.

As the skinny dude raised it overhead for another blow, I raced over and kicked it out of his hands. He didn't even notice, ignoring me as he dove for Robert. I grabbed Skinny's belt, but when I pulled him off I yanked too hard. I winced when his shoulder clipped the doorway and he was spun around before landing in the hall. I started over to check on him but I heard McVay yell, "Calm down, Robert!"

The big dude was writhing around on the floor like a madman, kicking at McVay to keep him at bay. I approached and together we tried soothing him so we could check on his injuries, but he just kept yelling that we couldn't have them. That's when I noticed he was holding a pair of sneakers to his chest.

McVay asked me, "You know kung fu, can't you just... knock him out?"

I said, "Not while he's rolling like that!"

We backed off hoping he'd calm down, and I left McVay to talk to him while I checked on Skinny. A Latina holding her keys was standing nearby in the hallway, taking in the scene. "What happened?"

I knelt down to see if he was okay. "Robert got jumped by this dude."

"Ralph would never do that, they're the best of friends."

Despite his rough flight, there was nothing broken, but it'll be a while before the bruise on his shoulder goes away. Robert wasn't so lucky. He had no defensive wounds at all, every blow hit his back and head. The paramedics weren't sure he'd pull through. The police accepted my presence as McVay's bodyguard when he reminded them he got jumped here Tuesday night.

By the time we'd dealt with the 5-0, his client was back from church, so we cut short the tour. I threatened the buidling, and we parted ways.

Oh, and I got to spend a moment with the newlywed wife who was very upset about the shooting. I was there to help her fell better as her loser husband was nowhere to be found yet again. I wish there was more I could do for her, I truly adore her.

Damn, yo, I warned you to stay away from her.

[Private Dic McVay]

Oh, and I got to spend a moment with the newlywed wife who was very upset about the shooting. I was there to help her fell better as her loser husband was nowhere to be found yet again. I wish there was more I could do for her, I truly adore her.

Damn, yo, I warned you to stay away from her.

It’s not like that Willie; I'm just concerned for her safety! She's such a sweet gal and that loser husband of hers is not helping or doing anything for her. If I have to step up and protect her I will!

In fact I've come to a realization that I'll have to start staking out this wretched building as events keep happening when I'm not here to do anything about them. This morning my client’s neighbor was rushed to the hospital.

He was the recovered alcoholic jazz musician I’ve mentioned before. He’s a great guy and was one of the few tenants who'd talk with me, but the last few weeks he's been hiding away in his apartment, and I've been so preoccupied with the "louder" tenants and what's causing all the bizarre activity that I haven’t been paying as much attention to him.

Well long story short his apartment was full of empty liquor bottles and now he's in hospital in questionable condition. I’m gonna have to take the fight to whatever is causing these problems; I’m tired of this crap. These people may not be high society or prominent people, but they don’t deserve to suffer this grief, especially Karen!

It’s decided; I’m renting an apartment and will start staking the building out ASAP!

[Willie Long]

It’s not like that Willie; I'm just concerned for her safety! She's such a sweet gal and that loser husband of hers is not helping or doing anything for her. If I have to step up and protect her I will!

Protect her from what, Terrance? There's nothing there.

In fact I've come to a realization that I'll have to start staking out this wretched building as events keep happening when I'm not here to do anything about them.

I’m gonna have to take the fight to whatever is causing these problems; I’m tired of this crap. These people may not be high society or prominent people, but they don’t deserve to suffer this grief, especially Karen!

It’s decided; I’m renting an apartment and will start staking the building out ASAP!

That's whack, yo. You'll be abandoning your other clients, breaking the lease on your current home, and bringing yourself under the constant influence of whatever is causing the violence. Please take these three points into consideration.

[Ron Caliburn]

It sounds like the influence has taken hold allready.

[Tabloid Hound]

It sounds like the influence has taken hold allready.

I fear so as well Mr. Caliburn. It sounds like he's becoming part of the very problem he's trying to solve. Stay strong Mr. McVay, no one wants to lose you, especially to the supernatural influences your tying to stop!