3 Modern Day Ghost Stories That Are Difficult to Challenge

In this world, there seem to be two kinds of people: those who believe in ghosts and those who don’t. Each side thinks the other is being irrational. Skeptics often view believers as mistaken or delusional, while those who have encountered the supernatural are frustrated by the disbelief they face.

Because of this, many stories of hauntings and paranormal encounters remain untold, out of fear of ridicule or worse. However, the following are three chilling accounts that may just make even the staunchest skeptic reconsider. While you may not believe the stories, the witnesses certainly do.

The Victorian Doll

Georgia, August 8, 2015

At seven years old, Darla (not the real name) discovered a doll at a local market that immediately caught her attention. The doll had curly brown hair, dark eyes, pale skin, and wore a beautiful red dress with a golden floral pattern. It stood out to Darla because it was still in its original box. Her mother explained that it was a porcelain doll, not one meant for play.

“That doll was sad and all I wanted to do was make it better. She needed me!” Darla recalled. Despite her pleas, her mother didn’t buy the doll. But a few months later, Darla received the same doll as a birthday present from her uncle. She named it Samantha, talked to it every night, and kept it on her shelf where she could always see it.

Years later, at the age of thirteen, Darla moved in with her father, bringing her collection of dolls, including Samantha, packed away in boxes. On the first night in her new home, she heard rustling coming from the box. Armed with a flashlight, she inspected the noise, but as soon as she opened the box, it stopped. The next morning, Darla was startled to find Samantha lying on the floor.

As she unpacked the following day, Darla decided to cut the strings from Samantha’s packaging and display her along with the other dolls. Afterward, she took the empty boxes to the burn pile. When she set the pile on fire, the flames suddenly grew larger and turned an eerie bright blue with a loud pop. Alarmed, Darla extinguished the fire, thinking perhaps some unknown chemical had caused the odd reaction—though she hadn’t used anything that might explain it.

That night, as she stepped outside for a smoke, Darla heard a female voice calling her name. She froze. The voice clearly said, “Darla.” Terrified, she ran back inside. As she lay in bed, trying to fall asleep, the voice came again. Darla asked, “What do you want?” The reply chilled her: “Nothing. You’ve freed me. Now I can have anyone I desire.”

In disbelief, Darla asked it to show itself, and at that moment, Samantha flew off the shelf, landing on the floor without shattering. Panicked, Darla performed a quick purification ritual she had been taught. After that, the house fell silent. The next day, she left Samantha and her other dolls at a thrift store and never looked back, hoping to never see the doll again.

I Locked My Brother in the Dark

January 11, 2001

When Jacob was in the sixth grade, he was playfully chasing his three-year-old brother, Owen*, around the house. The chase led them to their parents’ bedroom, where they began throwing things across the bed, turning it into an imaginary battlefield. That’s when Jacob got the idea that turning off the lights would scare Owen.

Their parents’ room had no windows, so with the door closed, it would be completely dark. At the last second, Jacob decided it would be even funnier to leave the room and close the door, leaving Owen alone in the dark.

Jacob stood outside the door, waiting for Owen to react, but instead of hearing the expected panic, Owen spoke up. “What are you doing?” Owen’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Suppressing a giggle, Jacob thought, He still thinks I’m in there. This is perfect!

“Jacob, stop messing with me. You’re freaking me out,” Owen said, his voice starting to sound uneasy. “Please stop.”

That’s when Jacob realized something was off.

“Jacob, I’m serious! Get away from me! Turn the lights back on or I’m telling Mom!” Owen’s voice rose in fear.

Wait—did Owen just say, “Get away from me?”

Laughing, Jacob called out, “Dude, I’m not even in there!”

Suddenly, Owen let out a blood-curdling scream. It was a scream so intense that Jacob’s amusement turned to panic. He rushed to open the door but found it locked. He hadn’t locked it!

Through the door, he could hear Owen screaming, “HURRY! PLEASE!” Frantically, Jacob fought with the doorknob, finally managing to wrench it open.

Inside, Owen was curled up on the floor, sobbing. He explained that he had seen “Jacob” standing in the corner of the room with his back turned. When Owen asked what he was doing, the figure slowly began to walk toward him. It wasn’t Jacob—it was a dark, shadowy figure. As it moved closer, Owen felt an icy coldness, and the figure reached out, its hand brushing against him. That’s when the door opened, and the figure disappeared.

Owen, now 23, still can’t talk about that day. He leaves the room whenever the story is brought up, refusing to acknowledge it. The memory still haunts him.

Facebook Haunted

2013 – 2014

Nathan’s life took a dark turn when his girlfriend Emily tragically passed away in a car accident in 2012. Struggling to cope with the loss, he found it unbearable to think that he would never hear from her again.

Then, in September 2013, something strange happened. While checking his Facebook, Nathan noticed something unusual—Emily’s profile began sending him messages.

At first, he thought it must be her mother, who had access to Emily’s account. But after confirming it wasn’t her, Nathan suspected it might be one of Emily’s friends playing a cruel joke. However, when the messages turned out to be old conversations between him and Emily from before the accident, it became clear that no one was hacking the account.

Things took an even creepier turn when Emily’s profile began tagging herself in photos. These tags were followed by messages composed of fragments of conversations she had sent while she was still alive.

Nathan tried to rationalize it, thinking it must be some Facebook bug. A technical glitch replaying old messages seemed like a plausible explanation, though unsettling.

But then, Emily’s account sent Nathan an original word that hadn’t been part of any past conversation. The word was: “FRE EZIN G.”

Chilled to his core, Nathan recalled his recurring nightmares in which Emily appeared trapped inside a frozen car, blue and gray from the cold. He stood outside in the warmth, desperately screaming at her to open the door, but she couldn’t see him. Sometimes, her legs were outside the car with him—a haunting reminder of the accident that had severed her legs.

One night, after having too much to drink, Nathan decided to respond to Emily’s messages. To his horror, the response came swiftly: “[J]ust lelt me walk.”

The message hit hard. In the crash, Emily had been crushed by the dashboard, unable to move or escape. Haunted by this exchange, Nathan finally decided to memorialize her Facebook account, hoping to lay it to rest.

But it wasn’t over. Despite locking her account, Emily’s profile sent one more message, along with a photo—a picture of Nathan taken from behind a half-closed door. The only problem was, Nathan had been home alone when the picture was taken.

Stories of Paranormal Encounters

Stories of the supernatural often blur the lines between belief and skepticism. Those who experience them are left with memories they cannot explain, while those who haven’t had such encounters remain doubtful. But sometimes, these unexplainable events force even the most rational minds to pause and reconsider what’s possible.

Whether it’s the unsettling presence of a Victorian doll, an eerie figure in the dark, or inexplicable messages from beyond, these stories show that the paranormal can touch anyone’s life, leaving behind more questions than answers. You may choose not to believe these accounts, but for the people involved, they’re more than just stories—they’re real.