I live in rural Virginia. My high school was situated between two pastures in a very agrarian area. Although I was never much into sports, several of my friends were on the cross-country running team.
The cross-country course took a meandering path around the school and into the surrounding pastures. One section led runners past an immense old farmhouse, abandoned and dilapidated on the crest of a hill overlooking the school. There were rumors it was haunted, but to my knowledge, no one ever saw or heard anything there.
At times, runners did see someone poking around, but it was obviously the property owner, as his truck would be parked outside, and he used the downstairs rooms to store equipment and hay.
That being said, I shall relate the story of my friend Candy and the discovery made by myself and some intrepid companions.
Candy was on the cross-country team. She was hardly the star member and often found herself running alone, but her spirits were never dampened. One day, as she trudged up the hill towards the old house, she glanced up and saw someone walk past an upstairs window. She assumed it was the farmer, but only later realized his truck was not in its usual spot.
She told her friends, and some of us decided to investigate the following Saturday. We met at noon and explored the typical, decaying farmhouse: empty rooms (except for stored items), creaky floors, and debris like wet plaster, beer bottles, graffiti, and cigarette butts. As we rounded the corner from the living room to go upstairs, we all stopped dead in our tracks.
There were no stairs. Apparently, the stairwell had collapsed into the cellar long ago, leaving only a gaping opening ten feet above a tangled pile of old timbers. Yet, Candy had sworn she saw someone upstairs. We searched more carefully but found no second staircase and no way to reach the second floor. The mystery remained unsolved, as during our exploration, we heard a truck door slam outside and beat a hasty retreat to avoid being caught trespassing.
I don't know if it was a ghost or someone who could climb like an orangutan, but it's all a moot point now. The house was demolished a year later, and a new modern split-level was erected in its place. I wonder if the new owners ever have late-night visitors...