Real Ghost Stories Online

They moved from California to start fresh — a small town in Iowa, a charming house with room for their kids, dogs, and dreams. But the house had other plans. The first red flag? The door slammed and locked her outside on Day One. In her pajamas. No wind, no trick latch — and worse, it kept happening. Always to her. Never anyone else. But that was just the beginning. One morning, as they unpacked and settled in, their dog Ranger began fixating on the basement door, ears perked, tail stiff. Then, from the other side of that door, it began: frantic paws pounding up the stairs, sharp scratching, high-pitched barking — the sounds of a trapped dog begging to be let out. Problem was, all their dogs were upstairs. Frozen in place, they watched the door rattle as Ranger barked back, hair raised. Convinced a stray had somehow gotten inside, they opened the basement door slowly, expecting a small dog to rush out. But there was nothing. Not a sound. Not a shadow. The basement was completely empty. The phantom sounds