I’d just settled down last night to enjoy a pizza… a delicious ham, pineapple, onion and mushroom, freshly baked pizza with deliciously stretchy cheese… and somebody rang the doorbell. Then pounded on the door. The knocking reverberated around the Foyer and up the Stairs numerous times. Echoes are all the more prevalent around Halloween, haven’t you noticed? They rang the doorbell again. Constantly, with urgency.

I put my slice of pizza down, and walked to the door. The staff appear to be having another night off. I opened the door widely, and saw only the trees outside, beyond the Courtyard.

I thought it was trick or treaters at first, so I closed the door and returned to my pizza. No sooner had I sat down, the ringing and knocking started again. I went to the door once again, and could hear voices from the other side. No… not that other side… the other side of the door.

“I told you we shouldn’t have pressed it together.” A woman’s voice said.

“But it’s quicker this way.” A man said.

“But look, we’ve been here three times already and haven’t gotten a reply from the door.” the woman said.

“We keep getting dragged away.” the man said.

“So why do we keep being sent back?” the woman asked.

“I don’t” the man said.

I opened the door, and there was nobody there again. Maybe I WAS hearing voices from the other other side. I closed the door again, and went back to my pizza. No sooner had I sat down, the knocking and doorbell ringing started again. I put my slice down once again, and ran to the door. Yet again there were voices.

“Why do we keep ending up here?” the man asked.

“How should I know?” the woman asked. “I’m as clueless as you are!”

“And why together? Why at this mansion? What are we looking for?” the man asked.

“Maybe we should do it separate…” the woman said, her voice silenced rather sharply at the end.

I opened the door, and once again, there was nobody there.

I’d decided enough was enough. I put two slices of pizza on a plate, and left it outside the door. I returned to what I had left of my pizza, closed the Living Room door and left the spirits to it. If they called again, I never heard. My computerised doorbell log did show that they called back another six or seven times, when I checked later. The hidden camera on the doorbell captured a lot of light, but not much else… apart from one very clear shot. As I thought, it was trick or treaters messing about. I hope they enjoyed their slices of pizza.

Click the doorbell below to view the images caught by the camera. I’ve only included a couple with the light as they were all pretty much the same!