Way back in my jolly good post grad days I lived in a frat house in suburban Baltimore MD. We all occasionally heard the creaking of floorboards up in the attic at different times of day. It got so annoying that we checked it out. The door was locked, windows secured. No sign of entry or disturbance of dust and cobwebs so we just guessed it was maybe squirrels in the floor space between the joists. But some of us believed it was a ghost, and since it was just guys living there we named him Fred.
Then we got notice that the landlord was forced to give up the property as eminent domain for a new highway, so we threw a weeklong party to say goodbye to our digs. The last day someone got a hair brained idea to torch the house. After checking everyone to make sure they were accounted for and had whatever valuables secured, up she went. Fairly quickly. Old wood framed farmhouse ca 1940s.
…then we all heard it — blood curdling screams coming from the attic. We all froze in horror. Fire department showed up and got it quickly knocked, PD too which meant they wanted statements. We hung around all night while the Fire Marshal sifted through the ashes, no evidence of any human remains were found. We got a ticket for intentional arson, but I’ll never forget those screams I heard that day.