June 3, 2008
Larry Curtis Spurlock
Spooky
Reston (Virginia) Townhouse
on Washington Plaza
The year was 1990 (or thereabouts) and I was operating my HVAC business in Northern Virginia. I received a call from Weichert Realty about a Furnace Installation and Duct Modifications in an older Townhouse in Reston, Virginia. I was more than happy to submit a Bid on this Job as I used to stomp around these grounds as a teenager.
I was requested to meet the Builder on a certain day at a given time at the residence. I arrived 10 minutes early as I was want to do. As our meeting time came and passed, my Beeper went off with the Builder’s phone number in the screen. Now, this was before Cell Phones, at least before I had one and so I walked around to Lake Anne Plaza and called the Builder from a pay phone. He informed me that he was held up and would arrive in about 25 minutes but he indicated that the key to the front door was in the mail box .. and that I was more than welcome to secure the key and enter the home as it was unoccupied. At least, I could begin assessing the information that I would need without further delay. And so I walked back to the Townhouse and did just that.
As I located the key and unlocked the door, an uneasiness came over me. But, I had done this type of thing many time in the years that I was a Class ‘A’ Contractor. Then, as I entered the Foyer – the hair on the back of my neck stood up and chills ran down my back. It was daytime in mid Summer and I found this condition somewhat idiosyncratic. Yet, I continued on in and walked down to the Basement where I had been informed that the existing Furnace was located. That’s where I began my assessment of what needed to be done on this particular Work Order.
I, immediately, discovered that the below slab Supply Trunk Line was made of pre 1970 Transite in which the primary fire-retardant was asbestos. I had encounted this type of construction, previously and the Fairfax County Building and Remodeling Code was explicit; if you so much as touched asbestos, it would have to be professionally removed. That would cost a great deal of money and delay the Job by months .. and so I began devising a plan to reroute the Air Flow System. After I had formulated a strategic scheme, I went back to the Main Level to inspect the existing Supply & Return Points and that’s when the Builder arrived. We shook hands and I informed him of my findings as far as the asbestos installation. He did not seem to be surprised and agreed, fully, that we need not so much as touch the Transite Supply Trunk.
At that time, I continued on to the Upper Level on my inspection and the Builder followed me. That floor contained 3 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms. As I entered one of the Hallway Bedrooms, the carpet was covered with what appeared to be red paint from the middle of the room all the way out and into the Hall. I asked the Builder if someone had spilled paint and he replied that the place had been a Rental and it could be anything.
My calculations extended my time, there, for another 15 minutes or so before I was through. I explained to the Builder that I would have a competitive price for him by early the next morning. He agreed that would be fine and added that the work could commence, immediately. And so I exited the Townhouse and as I did, it felt as though a cool breeze had bathed me although there was none blowing .. and it was still hot.
The following morning, I had a throbbing headache which I almost never experienced. Still, I called the Builder and submitted my Bid – he was satisfied with the System that I had engineered and designed and asked for a Contract ASAP. I met him, later that day at his Office, signed the deal and collected my Deposit. Then, I ordered the Furnace, Ductwork and other necessities. Later, that day, I contacted the Builder and informed him that we would start the Job the following Monday, midday.
I mentioned that I had an overwhelming headache and he indicated that after his first visit to that Townhouse, he had developed one, as well.
The Builder, also, needed some Drywall work done and he asked me if I knew anyone who could do the work, right away. I did .. and I gave him the phone number of my friend, Eddie Jones. Eddie’s father owned his own Drywall business and I knew Eddie would do the work as a side Job (after hours). Eddie got the Job, as well.
I scheduled Delbert and his Helper for the work. Delbert was my best employee and he worked Overtime anytime I asked him to. When Monday arrived, his Helper did not show up for work and Delbert was going to do the work by himself. By the time, Delbert procured the Furnace, Ductwork and other Materials and got to the site – it was evening time. Delbert worked until Midnight before quitting for the day. He had not completed the entire work scope but would return, the next day to do so.
Delbert called me the following day and informed me that he would not be able to work that day due to a debilitating headache that he had. I asked him how often he got headaches like that and he said that he never had. He added that his Helper was ready to work and that he was sending him over to the Townhouse to get in a few hours doing odds and ends that needed to be done to facilitate the Job’s completion. The Helper did so and worked for a few hours, there.
That evening, I got a call from the Helper who informed me that he was not going back to that Townhouse because something was very wrong over there. He refused to elaborate but added that he had developed a headache that was causing his vision to blur.
Several things happened the next day. First, Delbert called saying that his Helper had called him and quit his job with my Company. Secondly, Delbert was, still not feeling well enough to finish the job and asked for another day off.
But, just as curious was a call that I received from Eddie Jones, my Drywall friend. He had been to the Townhouse the night before to conduct his first phase of Drywall repair. He told me that on several occasions, he thought that he had heard someone in the Townhouse on the Upper Level. Once, he even went to see but found no one. Also, he reported that someone had knocked on the door but when he went to the door – no one was there.
And by the way, he had a strange headache and wasn’t going back to complete his work for another day.
Delbert did finalize the HVAC work on the following day but reported more strange occurrences similar to what Eddie Jones had experienced.
Eddie, also finished his Drywall repair within the week but told me that Townhouse was weird.
Delbert (and his Helper), Eddie and I, all developed headaches after visiting the Townhouse as the Builder had done, also. That was strange enough but all the other eerie manifestations just caused us all to pause for thought.
Weichert Realty (who was responsible for making remunerations to me on the Job) scheduled a walk-through with me, that Saturday morning.
There had been other work performed during the week in order to have the Unit sold as soon as possible. When the lady from Weichert and I entered the Upper Level to inspect the new Floor Registers we had put in, I noticed that new carpet had been installed. But, freakishly, the red paint that had been spilled on the old carpet that was replaced had, somehow, soaked through into the new, freshly laid carpet. I told the Weichert representative that the red paint must have absorbed into the wooden under-flooring and seeped into the new carpeting. She looked at me quizzically and repeated the words ‘red paint’. Then, she said that wasn’t red paint. It was blood from where the previous tenant had murdered the occupant of that Bedroom, one night.
Within an instant, I understood everything that had happened that past week. The hair on my arms began to bristle and chill bumps the size of rice grains formed all the way down both my arms and legs.
I decided that I was leaving the Townhouse right then and there. The Weichert lady followed me out into the parking lot and gave me my Job payment check and I left without saying another word.
After a few days, I told Delbert and Eddie Jones about the blood and none of the three of us has ever mentioned it, again.
It is interesting to note that Townhouse has resold 11 times in the last 18 years. If you look it up, online, you’ll see that it has sold for less than it was bought for on 9 of those occasions.
LARRY CURTIS SPURLOCK
Larry Curtis Spurlock
Spooky
Reston (Virginia) Townhouse
on Washington Plaza
The year was 1990 (or thereabouts) and I was operating my HVAC business in Northern Virginia. I received a call from Weichert Realty about a Furnace Installation and Duct Modifications in an older Townhouse in Reston, Virginia. I was more than happy to submit a Bid on this Job as I used to stomp around these grounds as a teenager.
I was requested to meet the Builder on a certain day at a given time at the residence. I arrived 10 minutes early as I was want to do. As our meeting time came and passed, my Beeper went off with the Builder’s phone number in the screen. Now, this was before Cell Phones, at least before I had one and so I walked around to Lake Anne Plaza and called the Builder from a pay phone. He informed me that he was held up and would arrive in about 25 minutes but he indicated that the key to the front door was in the mail box .. and that I was more than welcome to secure the key and enter the home as it was unoccupied. At least, I could begin assessing the information that I would need without further delay. And so I walked back to the Townhouse and did just that.
As I located the key and unlocked the door, an uneasiness came over me. But, I had done this type of thing many time in the years that I was a Class ‘A’ Contractor. Then, as I entered the Foyer – the hair on the back of my neck stood up and chills ran down my back. It was daytime in mid Summer and I found this condition somewhat idiosyncratic. Yet, I continued on in and walked down to the Basement where I had been informed that the existing Furnace was located. That’s where I began my assessment of what needed to be done on this particular Work Order.
I, immediately, discovered that the below slab Supply Trunk Line was made of pre 1970 Transite in which the primary fire-retardant was asbestos. I had encounted this type of construction, previously and the Fairfax County Building and Remodeling Code was explicit; if you so much as touched asbestos, it would have to be professionally removed. That would cost a great deal of money and delay the Job by months .. and so I began devising a plan to reroute the Air Flow System. After I had formulated a strategic scheme, I went back to the Main Level to inspect the existing Supply & Return Points and that’s when the Builder arrived. We shook hands and I informed him of my findings as far as the asbestos installation. He did not seem to be surprised and agreed, fully, that we need not so much as touch the Transite Supply Trunk.
At that time, I continued on to the Upper Level on my inspection and the Builder followed me. That floor contained 3 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms. As I entered one of the Hallway Bedrooms, the carpet was covered with what appeared to be red paint from the middle of the room all the way out and into the Hall. I asked the Builder if someone had spilled paint and he replied that the place had been a Rental and it could be anything.
My calculations extended my time, there, for another 15 minutes or so before I was through. I explained to the Builder that I would have a competitive price for him by early the next morning. He agreed that would be fine and added that the work could commence, immediately. And so I exited the Townhouse and as I did, it felt as though a cool breeze had bathed me although there was none blowing .. and it was still hot.
The following morning, I had a throbbing headache which I almost never experienced. Still, I called the Builder and submitted my Bid – he was satisfied with the System that I had engineered and designed and asked for a Contract ASAP. I met him, later that day at his Office, signed the deal and collected my Deposit. Then, I ordered the Furnace, Ductwork and other necessities. Later, that day, I contacted the Builder and informed him that we would start the Job the following Monday, midday.
I mentioned that I had an overwhelming headache and he indicated that after his first visit to that Townhouse, he had developed one, as well.
The Builder, also, needed some Drywall work done and he asked me if I knew anyone who could do the work, right away. I did .. and I gave him the phone number of my friend, Eddie Jones. Eddie’s father owned his own Drywall business and I knew Eddie would do the work as a side Job (after hours). Eddie got the Job, as well.
I scheduled Delbert and his Helper for the work. Delbert was my best employee and he worked Overtime anytime I asked him to. When Monday arrived, his Helper did not show up for work and Delbert was going to do the work by himself. By the time, Delbert procured the Furnace, Ductwork and other Materials and got to the site – it was evening time. Delbert worked until Midnight before quitting for the day. He had not completed the entire work scope but would return, the next day to do so.
Delbert called me the following day and informed me that he would not be able to work that day due to a debilitating headache that he had. I asked him how often he got headaches like that and he said that he never had. He added that his Helper was ready to work and that he was sending him over to the Townhouse to get in a few hours doing odds and ends that needed to be done to facilitate the Job’s completion. The Helper did so and worked for a few hours, there.
That evening, I got a call from the Helper who informed me that he was not going back to that Townhouse because something was very wrong over there. He refused to elaborate but added that he had developed a headache that was causing his vision to blur.
Several things happened the next day. First, Delbert called saying that his Helper had called him and quit his job with my Company. Secondly, Delbert was, still not feeling well enough to finish the job and asked for another day off.
But, just as curious was a call that I received from Eddie Jones, my Drywall friend. He had been to the Townhouse the night before to conduct his first phase of Drywall repair. He told me that on several occasions, he thought that he had heard someone in the Townhouse on the Upper Level. Once, he even went to see but found no one. Also, he reported that someone had knocked on the door but when he went to the door – no one was there.
And by the way, he had a strange headache and wasn’t going back to complete his work for another day.
Delbert did finalize the HVAC work on the following day but reported more strange occurrences similar to what Eddie Jones had experienced.
Eddie, also finished his Drywall repair within the week but told me that Townhouse was weird.
Delbert (and his Helper), Eddie and I, all developed headaches after visiting the Townhouse as the Builder had done, also. That was strange enough but all the other eerie manifestations just caused us all to pause for thought.
Weichert Realty (who was responsible for making remunerations to me on the Job) scheduled a walk-through with me, that Saturday morning.
There had been other work performed during the week in order to have the Unit sold as soon as possible. When the lady from Weichert and I entered the Upper Level to inspect the new Floor Registers we had put in, I noticed that new carpet had been installed. But, freakishly, the red paint that had been spilled on the old carpet that was replaced had, somehow, soaked through into the new, freshly laid carpet. I told the Weichert representative that the red paint must have absorbed into the wooden under-flooring and seeped into the new carpeting. She looked at me quizzically and repeated the words ‘red paint’. Then, she said that wasn’t red paint. It was blood from where the previous tenant had murdered the occupant of that Bedroom, one night.
Within an instant, I understood everything that had happened that past week. The hair on my arms began to bristle and chill bumps the size of rice grains formed all the way down both my arms and legs.
I decided that I was leaving the Townhouse right then and there. The Weichert lady followed me out into the parking lot and gave me my Job payment check and I left without saying another word.
After a few days, I told Delbert and Eddie Jones about the blood and none of the three of us has ever mentioned it, again.
It is interesting to note that Townhouse has resold 11 times in the last 18 years. If you look it up, online, you’ll see that it has sold for less than it was bought for on 9 of those occasions.
LARRY CURTIS SPURLOCK
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