The Tara People

I am not quite sure where to post this, but seeing as it really creeps me out I figured this may be the right place – I also have always had a fascination with alternate universes and do have to wonder if I am caught up in something strange.

My son and I have lived in our current apartment for 7 years now. Our complex is a mix of around 6 buildings that all look identical to one another. Around three years ago a gentleman came to the door, my then 14 year old son answered. He told me the man was looking for someone named Tara. He told him that there was no one here by that name and the man went away. We never really thought much about it and life went on. A few days later, fairly late in the evening – 8 or 9pm a woman came to the door. She too was looking for Tara. I told her there was no one here by that name. She became quite concerned and confused asking if I was sure there was no one here by that name. I assured her that I had lived here for 4 years and knew no one by that name. She told me a month ago she had talked to Tara and was very positive that it was our apartment where this had taken place.

The woman described a petite older woman around 50 with grey hair and piercing blue eyes. The woman also said that she was working on her beautician portfolio and wanted to make Tara over. She asked if I wanted to do it instead as she was already there. I at this time was becoming a little unnerved as she seemed really nervous. Our apartment is open to the outdoors and there is a stairwell leading to the ground floor just to the left of our apartment. From where she is standing she can look and see the bottom of the stairs, I cannot do so from the front door. She kept looking downstairs and was a little jumpy. I thanked her and was quite relieved when she finally left and I could shut/lock the door. I thought at the time that maybe this was some sort of scam, or that they were maybe casing our apartment as her behavior really set me on edge. The one thing that I can remember to this day is that she seemed genuinely concerned about the safety and well-being of Tara.

This was just the beginning I was soon to find out. A few days later some Latter Day Saints arrived at the door, they too wanted to speak with Tara. They had spoken with her a few weeks ago and wanted to follow up. They described Tara as 50, blue eyed, petite, grey hair and, although they were not as sketchy as the beautician, they too were very concerned for Tara’s well-being and asked if I was positive she did not live here. I sent them on their way, thinking that perhaps these people were either casing the apartment, or simply turned around and going to the wrong building. Yet, 1-3 times a week for over three years people were/are showing up – different people, never the same as far as I can tell, coming to the door asking for Tara. They are made up of all races; none looked particularly unkempt, some in jeans, others dressed up in expensive attire. They all described Tara exactly the same way and are positive that they have spoken with her in the past, sometimes at great lengths. Some have been invited in and can describe my apartment layout, but the decor of course is completely different. From what they describe it is rather dated.

Since I received the former resident’s mail for some time after we moved in, I know that she was not named Tara. I’ve also done an address search and could not find anyone named Tara here at the complex (not just my apartment) at all. I also paid a visit to the apartment office and asked about it. The woman that works there looked up the name Tara and could not find one Tara that ever lived here in at least the past 20 years. Now, it is possible someone allowed Tara to live in their apartment without putting her on the lease, but at this point for as long as it has been happening I no longer believe a mistaken building is the case. We don’t live in an affluent part of town, so I highly doubt there’s a criminal network first off large enough, or one that would care enough to case my apartment for this long without ever even attempting anything – not to mention we have nothing of great value anyway. Apart from the beautician, I have never felt unsafe by any of the encounters.

I work from home, and homeschool my son, so between the two of us there is almost always someone here – so there is no way that someone named Tara could slip in while we were away and pretend to live here for whatever reason. I highly doubt that a prank/hoax would last this long, there are way too many people involved, and no pay off that I can see. I simply cannot explain it.

Unrelated (I think) this apartment has always had a very strange vibe to it. I am a stickler for everything having its own place – a little OCD I suppose. Since moving in things are never quite where I put them. Keys? Always having to hunt for those, even though I know I put them in the same spot I always have for the past 7 years. Books go missing from the shelves, almost anything that my son or I put down seems to be moved somewhere else when we need them, and can be found in the most bizarre of places. The strangest thing to happen is occasionally (only every once in a while, thankfully!) when I drop something I will hear it hit the floor, but the item will not be there. I’ve dropped many items only to not be able to find them when I bend down to pick them up. There’s nowhere for the items to go in many cases and should be close to where I dropped them, yet they are gone. I’ve done several deep cleans and expected I would find some of these missing items, yet despite moving everything around they are never to be seen again.

I would be curious if any of you have any thoughts regarding the Tara people, are they just playing with me? Is there something more sinister at hand? Am I slipping between realities? I really don’t have a clue but am curious to see what others think about this.

reply to post by athenatree


I just wanted to give you your first flag....you never forget your first...

will be back to read later.....

First, thank you for formatting in paragraphs, your interesting account was a pleasure to read. Star and flag because it was well written and interesting.

I guess I would be on the same page as you with the time/space slip ideas. I've had the items gone missing after hearing them drop experience many years ago in a different home, but we had gathered we were not alone after experiencing other paranormal things.

Do you by any chance have a cat? I know many renters cannot have them, but that may be one explanation for missing items. I have a feeling you will say "no cat" though!

Nobody came looking for Tara the first four years you lived there? I would think if there was even a remote chance of Tara being an undetected former resident...people would have looked for her from the time you moved in.

I hope others will chime in, interesting mystery!

reply to post by athenatree


parallel universe

You might keep a journal with the date these people knock, description, and ask them the date they last spoke with Tara. Maybe you will see a reoccurring pattern....

Strange, but very interesting story.

Tara lives somewhere else and is a con artist. She Is using your address instead of hers....and her name probably isn't Tara... She's scammed people , and they are looking for her. .....because they are worried because they don't know she's a con woman yet....,a true con man has people believing in them. ......50 years old and gray hair? It's a wig.....she gives off the appearance of a little old helpless lady.....how original.

reply to post by athenatree


The office looked for the name Tara? Wouldn't you need a last name to do a search. I work retail and would never be able to find a customer in our system by a first name. I wouldn't even make the effort that's ridiculous. How dumb do you really think we are here?

reply to post by Meldionne1


I don't believe a word of the story but if I entertained any ideas conman would be the least likely as there is never a payoff or gain for this Tara person. If you're a conman you have to con someone. So far according to the OP it's just people coming to her door no breaking in , no confidence tricksters scaming her. Nothing at all.

Did you ever ask those people their relationship with her? Did you ever act as though she was not there at the moment and ask if they wanted to leave a message? I know I would do that to clear up the situation a little.
Good luck!
-Denyego26

Interesting story - I can see why it gives you the creeps.

I think Tara is a con artist. She has some sob story she tells and gets money from people. Yours just happens to be the address that she supplies, maybe telling them that she will repay them. This explains why everyone seems so concerned about her well being.

Maybe you could start asking people if they gave Tara money...

yes, this is a made up story. it shoul e moved to the story forum.

reply to post by athenatree


If people were turning up to my house, all of a sudden, after 4 years of living there, 1-3 times a week for 3 years all asking for Tara, am afraid after about two weeks i would have been asking these `Tara` people a whole load of questions.

When did you last see her? How do you know her? Why do you seem concerned about her? What makes you think she lives here?

Theres a million questions for the hundreds of people who knock at your door every week for three years. Yet you just seem to take it and ask the apartment office people if a `Tara` has ever lived there and then ask ATS if we can figure out who these `Tara` people are!!!

Really????

Load of non sense, be quite a scary urban legend sort of story in a black eyed people kind of way I suppose, but this should be in the hoax section IMHO.

And all them stars. WTH ats???

reply to post by athenatree


Fascinating account ... leaves more questions than answers.

My personal opinion would be that it was time-slip or different dimension related.

Do you have any other weird things happen in the home ... maybe it has a dimensional vortex somewhere inside. Trust me I know how syfy that sounds but I'm serious ... there are many things around us that we know nothing about and find it impossible to understand.

Please keep us posted ... S&F for you. Woody )O(

Ok... Now that I've had my morning coffee...

1-3 visitors a week (2 average) x 156 weeks (3 years) = 312 people knocking on your door and asking for Tara.

312 people??

And you've never asked even the most basic questions to find out who it is? Really?

*sigh*

312 people.

VegHead
Ok... Now that I've had my morning coffee...

1-3 visitors a week (2 average) x 156 weeks (3 years) = 312 people knocking on your door and asking for Tara.

312 people??

And you've never asked even the most basic questions to find out who it is? Really?

*sigh*

312 people.

edit on 31-1-2014 by VegHead because: (no reason given)

Exactely ha ha ha ha. Yet people keep throwing them stars about....



Here veg have one on me for your mathmatics and common sense lol

:

AutumnWitch657
reply to post by athenatree

 

The office looked for the name Tara? Wouldn't you need a last name to do a search. I work retail and would never be able to find a customer in our system by a first name. I wouldn't even make the effort that's ridiculous. How dumb do you really think we are here?

Youd look it up by apartment number... not name.

Work on those lacking interpersonal skills. Its getting tedious.

reply to post by athenatree


Good gracious, some of you people are so ... hostile and defensive! Weird stuff happens every day and gosh, this story isn't that weird! Chill guys.

I'd think that a similar apt in one of the identical neighboring bldgs would be the likeliest answer, but since the OP is smart enough to write the fine original post, I'd guess it was investigated already since the office was asked... so hmmmm.

It's a head scratcher... and the answer is probably a mundane one, however sci-fi seeming parallel universes are mathematically possible and even likely... but passing from one to another is not as likely, more an unknown, heh.

So I'm intrigued, thanks for posting and a good post... and to the couple hostiles, sure, it could be a tall tale but what if it isn't? What do you lose from not posting your suspicions? What do you gain from it?

I fear many great stories aren't appearing because of a few people who rush in to act as unasked gate-keepers... sure, vetting these liminal stories are a good thing, and the internet is full of everything and then some more, but vetting politely and with a polite assumption of veracity isn't a bad approach, is it? She isn't asserting the bleed over of an invading dimension here, just telling about weird events and asking for answers... sheesh.

Sounds like Tara is really social. Different people each time, 1-3 times a week for several years?

Have you tried putting a sign on your door reading:

No, Tara does not live here
I have no idea where she is
I have no idea who she is
Please do not disturb myself and my family
Good luck finding 'Tara'

Interesting story.

I can't understand how that many people could continuously appear at your door though. 1-3 times a week? Are you sure on this figure? Perhaps you were exaggerating a bit?

As for the disappeared items conundrum, it happens to me all the time but I usually find them later, they certainly don't fall through a wormhole or anything. Maybe try the couch cushions?

If I were you I would be documenting every new Tara person like it was Ellis Island. Asking them detailed questions gathering any relevant data whatsoever, with a mystery like the Tara people, one can not be lackadaisical.

Its funny to me though how some people seem to only want to read stories like yours to do nothing but call you and everyone that shows interest in your story imbeciles, though not in such terms.

Anyway, the stars are there to give away. The don't necessarily mean that many people believe the tale just that they appreciate the telling. I guess you can save them though, they might be worth something someday.

Kallisti

Meldionne1
Tara lives somewhere else and is a con artist. She Is using your address instead of hers....and her name probably isn't Tara... She's scammed people , and they are looking for her. .....because they are worried because they don't know she's a con woman yet....,a true con man has people believing in them. ......50 years old and gray hair? It's a wig.....she gives off the appearance of a little old helpless lady.....how original.

well that explanation does not work well for Mormon visits.