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The School that Never Sleeps


The following are incidents that have been brought to my attention by my mother, and some I have seen myself. My mother works at an elementary school in the town of Worth, IL. She's been doing janitorial work there for about 7 years now, and I generally go help her when she's on the night shift. Many times, and only while we're at the very front of the school, have we seen what appears to be a man walk down the hallway and turn the corner. Upon further "investigation", my mother and I found no one else in the entire building. But the incidents haven't stopped there.

Around September of this year my mother was working alone and was turning off all the lights, on her way to sign out and lock up when she heard a very loud whistle, something along the lines of a dog whistle that seemed to come from a man, or seemed to have a man's tone about it. Knowing she was the only person in the school, she re-checked every room to find no one around, and immediately left.

Recently as well, one of the longest standing teachers passed away. Ever since, smaller stranger coincidences have been happening. Posters will fall off walls, desks will be moved, and erasers will be off the ledges, and strangely enough, absolutely nothing will happen to the deceased teacher's old classroom...

My mother and I tried to dismiss the falling posters as the sticky tack used to adhere them becoming old and dry, but when it happens in every single room, even after a humidifier is placed in every room, that's a bit fishy.

Also on the day that the teacher died, I was the first one in my house to receive the news. I was on the phone with an aid who works there, and in the middle of the conversation, she got another phone call and said she had to go because Jane Smith (I will not use her name here in order to keep her identity safe) was on the other line and she'd have to talk to me later.

A few days later, my mother said her "friend" (as we like to call it) had visited her and was moving around chairs in desks. I questioned which student's desk it was and when my mother showed me, it was the daughter of Jane Smith! I've never personally witnessed anything being moved around, nor does it seem to happen while I'm at work with my mother, but I do not doubt my mother's word for an instant. If any of you could have seen her face the night she heard that whistle, as if it was right in her ear, it was of complete and honest fear.

No actual harm has ever come to my mother or me, so we'll continue to watch and see what our Friend gets us into next time.

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, RosieDarling, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

hobbyholly (11 stories) (572 posts)
13 years ago (2008-08-25)
excellent story. As a grand-daughter of a former teacher, I can say... A teacher is very particular about their room. Which makes sense if the deceased teacher's room is left alone.

Thank you for sharing
FRAWIN (guest)
13 years ago (2007-12-17)
Hello RosieDarling, I enjoyed your story very much, thank you for sharing it with us. We can only pray that the teacher can find her way to the light and go on to her rewards. To me there would be nothing more depressing than spending an eternity in school. I spent twelve years there and it sure seemed like an eternity to me 😆.

ChrisB (6 stories) (1515 posts)
13 years ago (2007-12-05)
Nice story Rosie. I can't wait when you post us some more about this. Nothing like a good story about ghost in schools. I hope to hear from you soon and take care
mustang (5 stories) (749 posts)
13 years ago (2007-12-04)
Hi RosieDarling. Any place really big and old, whether it be a school or museum, etc., is going to be CREEPY as all get out. Schools tend to have a lot of history so I would not doubt that teachers that have died are still there. They are whistling in your ear to get your attention! It's obvious that they want to be acknowledged. I find this story interesting but not uncommon. Although, when your in school during the day, you don't think about what lurks around at night when everyone has gone home. I would LOVE to do some ghost hunting at an old school. Maybe an old university (lots of history)! Thanks for sharing your story. ~Shelby 😊 ❤
Qtgrly111 (2 stories) (58 posts)
13 years ago (2007-12-04)
WOW its a little scary that this goes on in a school.
You said that you have not witnessed something moving, well something moving in front of your very eyes is bone chilling. Like the time I was sitting on my couch and we have three couch cushions I was on the one to the way rigt and the remote was on the very left one, I was looking th something nearby the remote when it moved, I was alone in the room and I hadn't moved at all. So be prepared to see something crazy next time you go to help out your mom, because you never know what will happen.
whitebuffalo (guest)
13 years ago (2007-12-01)
I did a two year stint in the local school district (give or take a couple of months) as a part time nighttime janitor and I can totally identify with just about every thought in this story. I would hear the elevator called up to the third floor from the first (at the high school, it was always supposed to be left on the first floor in the event that any guest to the school could not find the stairwells) when no one was in the building. Water fountains would turn on to give an unseen person a drink, just little things like that. The sounds and feelings in schools are totally different at night. The whistling is curious. I wonder what that was all about? Thank you for sharing this with us.
Ohiowatha (11 stories) (415 posts)
13 years ago (2007-11-30)
Darling Rosie,

You gotta listen to me here--I need your help. I was in Holland in September and something whistled RIGHT IN MY EAR as if it was an inch away from it. It quite literally petrified me. I then heard the same whistling at the foot of the bed and then recede out through the door and down the hall. I have never been the same since. Can you give me any more detail or insight to this whistling? I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but I'm intrigued, nonetheless.

KimSouthO (27 stories) (1960 posts)
13 years ago (2007-11-29)
Sounds as if you mother works at a very active school! It does seem to make sense to me though, that there is energy there. Children and their adult teachers and mentors spend a lot of time in the school building, building relationships. Therefore, if these individuals have difficulty moving on and the scholl is were they loved to be or have an attachemtn to, it is logical that they would be there.

thanks for sharing!
God Bless!
Bellissima (12 stories) (792 posts)
13 years ago (2007-11-27)
Hi Rosie. It sounds like the 'friends' at school are pretty innocent. They don't seem to cause any real harm. I don't think your Mom (or you) need to be afraid. I don't blame your Mom for being scared when she heard the whistle though, that would be quite a shock out of nowhere! The teacher seems to be a little lost, maybe staying around where he is comfortable. Your Mom could just gently explain that he needs to move on to be with his loved ones, that he frightens her when she's working. Ask him to pass on and be happy. Your Mom seems to be fairly comfortable with things at work, I think everything will be fine. I would love to hear about it if anything new happens! Thanks for sharing your story.
cupcake10132 (4 stories) (193 posts)
13 years ago (2007-11-27)
That is a very funny story Rosie! I luaghed about the whistle!It's the old deasced teacher that's moving the chairs and cuasing a racket. I sincerely hope you like her doing that! She seems to be a poltergeist. My school is haunted, someone haunts the girls bathroom again. Maybe Iam taking this spirit with me when I go to a diffrent school? I know the sprit started at my old school.Anyways,funny!Keep us updated!
siddharth (4 stories) (37 posts)
13 years ago (2007-11-27)
Hello Ms. Rosie,
This sounds as if the school is haunted by the spirits of teachers and some very young students.I'm looking forward for what your 'friend' will get you into next time. 😜
Now, I feel very glad that my school is not inhabited by apparitions ! 😆


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