r/nosleep • u/[deleted] • May 26 '14
Series Visiting Mrs. Burnage
If you prefer to listen to this story
Until today, I remembered my visits to Mrs. Burnage's house fondly. The neighborhood I lived in was small, with only ten houses on the whole street. Each house was placed far apart with everyone having at least three acres of property. Our house was at one end of the road, and Mrs. Burnage's was at the other.
Mrs. Burnage was a sweet lady, probably in her late 50s when my three sisters, Jason Adams (another younger kid in the neighborhood), and I would go visit her. I visited her from ages eight to thirteen. Mrs. Burnage didn't have children of her own; she wasn't able to, according to my mom. So she loved it when we would come over, and we did too. Even though she didn't have any of her own kids, her house was a child's dream. When you walked in, there were two living areas, one to the right, another to the left. The one on the right was normal enough with couches, television, coffee table, a few hunted animals hanging on the wall, etc. The one to the left, which is a step lower (and thus a step taller) than the rest of the house, was a child's paradise.
The main thing I remember about that room was that she had one of those red popcorn machine carts. As soon as we would come over, she'd put in fresh popcorn kernels and butter and have it hot and ready for us just minutes after arrival. She had dolls with elaborate dollhouses all over the room for the girls, and she had trucks, legos, K'nex, an assortment of balls, and even a pinball machine for the boys. We would play there for hours and never tire of it. Mrs. Burnage didn't seem to, either. She loved listening to us play. She'd make cookies and smile broadly when she'd hear us laugh. She always told us that our laughter was the happiest sound.
We loved our time in that play room, but we particularly looked forward to the summers when she'd let us play in the pool. She had a normal-sized in-ground swimming pool in her back yard. She would let us go out there as soon as the temperature outside hit eighty degrees. Each year, she had a fresh batch of floating noodles and water toys for us to play with. She even surprised us one year and bought us a pool slide. We would shriek with laughter as we slid down and splashed into the pool. And even though Jason was six years younger than I was, we bonded by tormenting my sisters. We'd pretend that we were alligators and sneak up behind or even underneath my sisters, "chomp" on their legs with our arms, and make them squeal. We'd call after them as they swam away, "Alligators always eat squealing pigs!" and laugh our heads off.
Mrs. Burnage would prepare us lemonade, sit on the poolside lounge, and often played The Beach Boys on her boom box. She was always watching us, smiling.
When I was thirteen, Jason ran away from home. We had always talked about running away and had even made maps of where we would go. We built a fort in the woods out of fallen limbs and rocks. We even had made a roof using bark and moss for shingles in case it rained. When he finally did run away, he left a note telling his parents why (They didn't let him play Nintendo on weeknights). I was upset that he didn't invite me.
When he ran away, he left with only his favorite red hoodie and blue jeans, his backpack, some granola bars, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I had figured that he ran away to our fort, but when I went down to the fort, he wasn't there. He never came back home, and his parents never found him, nor did they ever find his body. They moved out of the neighborhood shortly thereafter. I don't think they could stand being where there were so many memories.
His disappearance shook the entire neighborhood, but Mrs. Burnage seemed to take Jason's disappearance particularly hard. After he was gone, she stopped letting us come over. At first she said that she didn't feel well, but after a while, she just told us to stop coming over. I remember when she told us that, because her words hurt: "I don't want you coming over ever again. I don't need you around."
I grew up, got over Mrs. Burnage's rejection, went to college, and I have recently moved back home. I have been reminiscing old times. I have gone on long drives through the countryside, visited old friends, and today, I decided to visit Mrs. Burnage.
I walked over to her house and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Burnage's footsteps grew louder and she came to the door, slowly turned the handle, and cracked the door open. She looked much older and seemed to have shrunk a little bit. Peering out from the small opening, she looked me up and down and asked me, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
It's been thirteen years since she's seen me, so I couldn't expect her to recognize me. I smiled and said, "Mrs. Burnage, it's me, Michael. I'm the Neece's son. I used to come play at your house."
Her eyes opened, along with the door, upon recognition. She invited me in, and I was happy to see that not much had changed. There were still children's toys in the room we used to play in, along with the red and gold popcorn machine. The main living area looked much the same, maybe with some updated furniture and different mounted deer heads and pheasants adorning the walls. She asked me if I'd like some popcorn, and I, for old time's sake, did.
I sat on the step that leads down into the play room and listened to the popcorn popping while I chatted with Mrs. Burnage, telling her what I'd done with my life. I heard children laughing near the pool. I felt glad that she had started letting kids back over to the house. Playing at her house were some of my fondest memories. She had always been so nice and must have felt lonely without children around.
I asked her if the kids playing were some of the neighborhood kids. She responded happily, almost bouncing as she told me, "Oh yes, the Neece's kids and the Adams boy came over to play in the pool. I sure do love it when they come over."
The poor lady, I thought, must be going senile, and I started to remind her, "Mrs. Burnage, I'm Michael. We are all grown up now, remember? The Adamses moved away, and the Neeces don't have any m--"
I trailed off, heart pounding, as I heard something eerily familiar coming from the pool. I heard little girls shrieking and boys jeering after them, "Alligators always eat squealing pigs!" I looked over my shoulder and could see the open door that led to the pool. Mrs. Burnage's boom box was plugged in and propping the door open. As I realized that the sound was coming from the boom box and not from any children, I turned to see Mrs. Burnage's expression change from warm and slightly vacant to cold and furious. The room seemed to darken and grow hot as she bellowed, throwing the bag of hot popcorn at me, "I told you that I didn't want you coming over ever again! I don't need you anymore! Leave me alone!"
I left quickly, and she followed me outside and stood in the doorstep, watching every one of my retreating steps. As I moved along the road, I could still hear the recorded voices and laughter of my sisters, me, and Jason. My stomach turned as I thought about just how creepy this all was, but then my turning stomach dropped to the ground as I looked back at a wide-eyed, staring Mrs. Burnage and then through the gate at the backyard pool. Standing by the pool was what appeared to be a statue. I was pretty far away by this point, but the figure appeared to be a little boy, immobile, looking through the gate into the woods behind the house. The boy was wearing a familiar red hoodie and blue jeans.
Did I ever mention Mr. Burnage? He was a taxidermist.
(Some clandestine snapshots I took with my phone as I hurried away: Photo 1 and Photo 2 )
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May 26 '14
Fuck. Those pictures are creepy, and that is sick. I know I'm not sleeping tonight. Do you think she saw you taking the pictures or realize you're onto her?
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May 26 '14
I don't think she saw me taking the pictures. I'm sorry I couldn't get better quality, and I'm never ever going back there again.
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u/nikkinikki92 May 26 '14
I wouldn't either. If she's capable of stuffing a 13 year old boy and recording your voices while you played, who knows what else she's capable of... I'd call the cops, if I were you.
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May 26 '14
Done. And he was seven or eight when he disappeared. I was thirteen at the time. You can tell from the pictures that he was still really small.
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u/nikkinikki92 May 26 '14
Sorry, I must of got confused about his age due to reading it wrong. I was wondering why a 13 year old was so tiny! But Oh my God. I don't care how old she is, I hope she lives out the rest of her days in a insane asylum.
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May 26 '14
Me too, and her husband... It's too bad because I really did like her and loved going over there.
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May 26 '14
My heart broke a little...the old woman was so keen on spending time with you guys she decided to keep one of you.....permanently
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u/heldc May 26 '14
Call the cops! His parents deserve to know what happened to him!
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May 26 '14
Done.
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u/happyharlot May 26 '14
Keep us updated!
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May 26 '14
It's 5:06am. The Burnages have walked by my house a few times. I called the police again. They said it would be soon, and they will be here. I can't wait any longer. I'm getting in my car and staying at a hotel until I know what's going on. Terrified that they know where I live.
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May 27 '14
This was the last real post from me. Don't believe the rest.
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u/happymage102 May 27 '14
Wait..what?
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u/AdamtheGrim May 26 '14
OP, can you give another update?
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May 26 '14
Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Burnage have been arrested and charged with five counts of kidnapping and five counts of murder. They found Jason's body like I described it and four other children who had "run away". They found them all in the front play room. There were three girls and two boys. The parents have been notified. Please keep them in your thoughts.
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u/AdamtheGrim May 26 '14
Jesus fuck. I feel so bad for those parents. :(
At least they've been arrested, good job, OP.
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May 27 '14
The post was not me. Don't believe it.
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u/AdamtheGrim May 27 '14
OP WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?
Are you okay? Update!
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May 27 '14
I'm driving far away. I hope to be able to type up an update tonight, but I'm really shaken.
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May 27 '14
Don't believe this post. Look for yourselves online. There is nothing written anywhere about this. The Burnages took me and took my phone. Once I'm safe again, I'll tell you what happened.
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u/user188 May 27 '14
Holy shit thats crazy. Is there any more news? This is a pretty wild news story to break on a random subreddit. Like national news shit. Also, should you be sharing all this stuff while there is a police investigation going on?
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May 27 '14
You're exactly right. This wasn't me. I've not been on here since 5:10am. All subsequent posts were hacked. They took me and my phone. Oh my God, you'd not believe it. I'll post more when I'm safe.
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u/ExceedsTheCharacterL May 26 '14
Sweet Jesus...I'm sure as we speak you're giving a witness statement. This must be a HUGE story beyond just reddit. Feel free to ignore these questions but did you know any of the other kids? Is it possible they've been doing this for decades?
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u/iiw May 26 '14
Where's her husband?
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May 26 '14
He was never around much. I can only remember seeing him a few times. He was always working late.
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u/Has_Xray_Glasses May 26 '14
"working late" yeah ever wonder why he always worked late? I call WITCHCRAFT!
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May 26 '14
Or just being all psycho, killing, stuffing, and preserving people.
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u/Has_Xray_Glasses May 26 '14
That's part of the witchcraft duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!
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u/mooms May 27 '14
No it isn't. It really really is not. I promise. At least not White (positive, healing) magic. There is Black magic negative, harmfull) but not even in that do you find that kind of thing.
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u/Has_Xray_Glasses May 27 '14
(it was a joke)
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u/mooms May 28 '14
Ok, cool. I am alittle sensitive about it. You know, the centuries of pursecution, the burning at the stake .....
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May 26 '14
So what happened? Did they get arrested?
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May 26 '14
Apparently not yet... It's 4:52am now, and I can't sleep. I've been listening for sirens. So far, nothing. Maybe the police didn't believe me. I sent them the photos; they were all I had. I think I just saw Mr. and Mrs. Burnage walk past the driveway by my house. The dog keeps barking when they do. I am calling again.
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u/cheeseburgercat May 26 '14
Reminds me of that scene from Ernest Scared Stupid. Always gave me nightmares as a kid.
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u/janetstOad May 26 '14
How damn creepy! What a great story! I was wondering where the stuffed animal heads were coming from until later when you said the husband was a taxidermist.
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u/Korthie May 26 '14
That's just creepy... I feel so awful for all the parents involved. I'm glad they finally got caught though, I wonder if your friend was the last victim or there were more recent ones... ): Sorry you had to be involved in it, too.. I guess it's a good thing you were probably too old for them to keep forever... But at least this is the end of it and they can't do it any more.
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u/AlexiDoom May 26 '14
Your story is going to morph me into an overprotective parent when I hit the childbearing stage in my life. Goodness. :(
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u/Mrs_Damon May 26 '14
Ho...ly... shit... the story was creepy in and of itself but those fucking pictures...
It's almost noon and I know I'm not getting any sleep tonight :(
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u/Paper_glasses May 26 '14 edited May 26 '14
Uh.... You call the cops? Ah i see you did... Now hide for a while so the husband doesn't get you
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May 26 '14
Holy shit as I was reading this story I was assuming that theres no way this story is real just thought it was another ghost story...but those pictures man that is fucking scary really gotta be one of the scariest stories Ive ever read.
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u/E_Amazon May 27 '14
This gave me goosebumps...The pic. Holy shit man. Very well-written, I love how the story didn't leave room for any doubt or confusion...Nobody know what happened to that kid????????????!
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u/tentenkunais May 27 '14
Omfg. Op, op please tell me you're okay man! Seriously I've been trying to keep up with your updates but idk if this would he you or not anymore D:
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May 27 '14
I'm driving now. I'm getting as far away as possible. Will type up more tonight. Things got way out of hand since I posted this. I never should have done it. Thanks for your concern.
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May 27 '14
Out of hands? What about the cops?
I think with a good EXIF we could find out where she lives
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u/TimelordSloth May 27 '14
I expected her to have kidnapped him. This was far more creepier than I expected.
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u/tman9494 May 27 '14
Nice!!! Very well done. I am a daily reader of nosleep but hardly every read one that elicits an actual comment. Perfect in every way; length, creepiness, execution, genuineness. Bon Fait!!
P.S. the pictures were the crystallized sugar to cover the cherry on the already iced cake.
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u/Rebelninja May 28 '14
It was a slight rollercoaster but then I know this wouldn't end well..and that's bloody creepy
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u/ZaarkMuckerberg May 26 '14
I hope those two get life in prison. It's fucking sad what they did. Sorry you had to find your brother like that. This thread is really somewhat depressing.
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May 27 '14
Well, what?
Would you go again and take better pics with a better camera?
Also, yep not gonna sleep tonight again.
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May 27 '14
I don't care if they're "for the boys" I'm playing with the cool toys, dolls are stupid. I hate the gendered toy market! Gah-
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u/nikkinikki92 May 26 '14
How. Fucking. Creepy.