New York apartments can be quirky, but Samantha Hartsoe didn’t think it was fun or cute that there was something odd behind her bathroom mirror. In the beginning, she just wanted to find out where the cold air in her apartment was coming from. However, Samantha soon found something beyond shocking behind her mirror. It was like what you might see in a horror movie.
She Was Curious
She was curious why she was cold all the time, so she made it her mission to find the source of the strange cool breeze in her bathroom. Little did New Yorker Samantha Hartsoe know that her mission was going to be end up like a real-life horror film. It’s New York City, though. Real estate horror stories aren’t uncommon, but what exactly did Samantha find? Keep reading.
She Was Curious
Strange Cool Air
Samantha Hartsoe is a 26-year-old New Yorker who has been home most of the time this year (2021), just like many people all over the world. Because she spent a lot of time at home, she started to notice a few things about the Roosevelt Island apartment where she was living. For example, she noticed a weird cool breeze coming in her bathroom which blew her hair. At first, she hadn’t noticed that the breeze was coming from the mirror.
Strange Cool Air
Always Cold
Samantha can be seen discussing the issue in her TikTok video which she has put on YouTube. In the video, she talks to the camera and says, “No matter how high the heat goes, I’m cold. Right?” She adds, “So, I walk into the bathroom, and I feel cold air blowing on me. And there’s not a vent or anything.” If there was no vent or open window, how did the cold air get inside her bathroom? Where was it coming from?
Always Cold
First Guess
In her TikTok video, Samantha explains to viewers that she can feel cold air coming through the part where the doorknob latches onto the door frame. She then tapes up the hole, as can be expected of a freezing cold young person in this kind of weird situation. She literally says this in her TikTok video, “I don’t know why there’s cold air coming through there, but we’re not having it.”
First Guess
It Wasn’t The Door Frame
Samantha thought plugging the hole would solve the issue, but a stiff breeze was still going through the bathroom! Even though she was at a loss, she continued to explore further. Then, she realized that cool air was actually coming through the light switch, though she says, “Not enough air to blow this hard on me.” Samantha was nowhere near outside, yet the cool wind was literally blowing her hair. The doorframe and the light switch were not the culprit. Where was the strange breeze coming from?
It Wasn’t The Door Frame
Behind The Mirror
After Samantha explored, poked, and prodded around a bit, she realized where the weird draft was coming from. It was the last place anyone would probably think of – behind her bathroom mirror! Doesn’t that amp up the creepy factor? Perhaps the real estate agent didn’t mention a two-way mirror that came with the bathroom or maybe Samantha was about to stumble upon something else altogether. With the way things were going, it seemed like the young New Yorker figured in some kind of real life horror flick.
Behind The Mirror
She Got So Curious
“Curiosity killed the cat; curiosity is going to kill me. I can’t not know what’s on the other side of my bathroom,” Samantha said in an interview with NBC New York. Because she got so curious, she decided to start filming a TikTok video and bring her followers and other people into her apartment mirror mystery. Millions of viewers ended up watching Samantha make a shocking discovery. But before that, she took down the mirror first.
She Got So Curious
What She Discovered
After discovering where the cold breeze was coming from, Samantha couldn’t think of anything else to do but take down the mirror from the bathroom wall. That was when she found a fair-sized hole in the wall. Needless to say, she was shocked. How did that get there? Better yet, who put it there? They didn’t even cover it up prior to leaving. In her TikTok video, Samantha peers through the hole, though it’s quite dark.
What She Discovered
Another Room
Samantha’s friends initially thought it was only an electrical room, but upon further investigation, Samantha says, “There’s a room back there!” The young New Yorker had found a hidden room behind her bathroom because she felt a cold breeze blowing her hair. This story doesn’t end here, though. Samantha wasn’t going to leave the hole unattended. There was no question – she was going in! Now that she knew about the room, what would Samantha do about it?
Another Room
Her Friends Didn’t Like The Idea
Her friends didn’t like the idea of Samantha going exploring. John, a friend of hers, can be heard in the video telling her, “What if someone is living in there right now?” Samantha just sort of bypasses what he says and she only comments, “The weirdest part is that they didn’t fill in either side of the hole.” We don’t know about you but we don’t think that’s the weirdest part of this whole thing. There’s a mysterious hole behind your bathroom wall and it leads to another room. In our book, that is super weird!
Her Friends Didn’t Like The Idea
Just Like In The Movies
John wasn’t stopping there and continued to play the devil’s advocate. Now that he had thrown the idea out there, he said, “Have you watched the movie Parasite?” For those who are unfamiliar with Parasite, there is a character in the movie who lives in a hidden basement which the family that owns the house are not aware of. The secret entrance is hidden at the main basement. Sound familiar?
Just Like In The Movies
Looking For Answers
Just because everything seemed like a horror movie plotline doesn’t mean Samantha would stop what she was doing. She was determined to go exploring. She even says in the video, “I need more answers.” She adds, “I have to go in and figure out what is on the other side of my bathroom. Like what if someone is living in there?” While that is one truly scary concept, she couldn’t contain her curiosity!
Looking For Answers
Is The Hole Big Enough?
The thought of a person living in a rundown room hidden behind her bathroom sent a chill down her spine, but Samantha looks at the hole again, this time, taking a long look at it. Before she climbs through, she asks, “Do you think my hips can fit through here?” Her friends say “yes,” so she decides it is time to start her journey. Doesn’t this remind you of Narnia, but weirder and scarier?
Is The Hole Big Enough?
Her Equipment
With her facemask on and wearing a makeshift headlamp, which is a flashlight she secured on her head with a tie-dyed headband, she got ready to begin her journey into the mysterious hole. However, not everyone was keen on the idea, and John was the outlier again. He says, “I really don’t think you should..” but he was cut off by Samantha who says, “Are you going to be there for me or not?”
Her Equipment
The Time Has Come
Needless to say, everyone is laughing during the banter. John ultimately tells his friends that he was there for Samantha. With that, she climbed onto the vanity, gripped the wall for stability, and got ready to climb into the hole. The question now was what was she going to see on the other side? Was someone living there? Was this the start of a real-life horror film? Well, Samantha was about to find out for herself the truth.
The Time Has Come
Armed And Ready
Armed with a hammer, Samantha started her journey. “Mean it when you swing it,” John tells Samantha. To which she replies that the advice is actually not bad. After saying a little prayer, “God, please take care of me,” she gets ready to climb into the hole. This looks awfully familiar, something you would see in a horror film. Scenes like this usually mark the point in movies where things start to go wrong.
Armed And Ready
Not As Easy As It Looks
Samantha soon found out that climbing through the hole wasn’t as easy as it seemed. The hole looked wider than it really was, and Samantha had difficulty wiggling her way through. Nevertheless, after some maneuvering and a bit of creativity, the New Yorker found an angle that worked and she was able to slip through. However, before she finally got to the other side, she ran into one more snag.
Not As Easy As It Looks
Quick Thinking
Samantha’s right leg was already through the hole when she realized that there wasn’t anything on the other side for her to hold on to. She was going to make a drop to the ground with her other leg dangling. Thankfully, she managed to find a pipe that could hold her weight, and she got to the other side safely. With some quick thinking, Samantha saved herself from what could be a dangerous fall.
Quick Thinking
The Other Side
“You’re on the other side of the dimension,” John tells Samantha. With this, she readied herself mentally for her impromptu exploration. This side of the wall did look like another dimension because it looked exactly like her bathroom. There were lights above the hole, a door behind her, and a small hallway beyond the door. Samantha wondered where on earth she was. She had no clue what she was about to discover here.
The Other Side
Litter On The Floor
Samantha walked around a bit, and it soon became clear that she was in another apartment – a three-bedroom one which had certainly seen better days. Full trash bags littered the floor. She also came across a toilet which wasn’t plugged into plumbing and several boxes. “What is wrong with me?” Samantha whispers into the camera at one point in her video. The trash may have been suspect but she had not stumbled upon the creepiest thing yet.
Litter On The Floor
Hint Of A “Tenant”
The trash bags, random toilet, and boxes were strange enough, but Samantha discovered something else that hinted at a “tenant.” When she explored the “ghost apartment,” she found a bottle of water. She says in the video, “Okay, so there’s signs of life.” However, she was unafraid. Maybe she did intend to find someone in that weird, creepy apartment. How else can you explain the fact that she continued exploring the place?
Hint Of A “Tenant”
A Lot Of Questions
Samantha didn’t touch the water bottle and continued to explore the apartment. In one room, she saw windows looking outside. She didn’t understand how no one ever mentioned this apartment or has seen the inside of the place. Her landlord must have known about this vacant and very dirty three-bedroom apartment. While Samantha wasn’t completely sure about this, there is one thing she was certain about – the apartment was freezing.
A Lot Of Questions
Stumbling Upon Another Apartment
Continuing on with Samantha’s TikTok video, we can see the apartment’s inner workings – the torn-down walls, exposed wires and pipes, and the molding that is all but destroyed near the door frames. For the first time, Samantha actually acknowledges the fact that she has stumbled upon another apartment. She says in the TikTok video, “Wow, this is a whole other apartment.” She even came across stairs! Things were getting weirder and weirder.
Stumbling Upon Another Apartment
The Creepiest Thing She Discovered
Samantha went down the stairs, but what she didn’t know was that waiting for her at the bottom was the creepiest discovery of all – a door. What’s worse is that it was slightly open! The video shows Samantha really quickly closing the door and making sure to lock it. After all, the hole links her own apartment to this one. Strangers could make their way through the hole and into her apartment. Perhaps Samantha felt she had seen enough of the abandoned apartment, so she headed back. Her video went viral and even caught the attention of a popular talk show host – Ellen DeGeneres.
The Creepiest Thing She Discovered
“Made It Out Alive”
When she gets back to her well-lit bathroom, Samantha says jokingly in her TikTok video, “Made it out alive,” and gives a thumbs up. After putting back the mirror on the wall, Samantha talks to the camera. She says something which was probably on the viewers’ minds the entire time. “My landlord is getting a really fun phone call tomorrow,” Samantha says before doing some shadow boxing in front of her mirror as she says “No.”
“Made It Out Alive”
Going Viral
Of course, that is one adventure that Samantha probably wouldn’t mind not having! It was good content for a viral video, though. Since she posted her video, Samantha has been invited to more than one interview. She told New York magazine that she really thought she would run into a person in the other apartment. This was because she found a water bottle there. That was clearly a sign of life.
Going Viral
A Bit On Edge
“I was kind of expecting there to be somebody, especially with the water bottle being there. And that definitely put me on edge,” Samantha said in a chat with New York magazine. We can’t blame her if she was a bit on edge. The video that she took as she explored the abandoned apartment’s surroundings is definitely chilling. Who likes exposed pipes, ripped-up floors, and a freezing cold space? That’s right. No one.
A Bit On Edge
Not Thrilled
Speaking with NBC New York, Samantha said that her friends and roommates weren’t really thrilled with her curiosity. She revealed, “Every corner I would walk normal and then be like [moving her head] to check. My roommates definitely thought I was going to be dead. When I came back, they were excited.” Well, if you saw your friend crawl back from a hole in the wall after they had explored a hidden, abandoned apartment, wouldn’t you be excited?
Not Thrilled
A Chunk Of Change
Samantha’s video now has over 18 million views. Needless to say, it has gone viral, and Samantha has appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about her experience. Towards the end of the talk show, the host did what she commonly does – Ellen gave a chunk of change to the broke New Yorker. Samantha received $10,000 from the host. Who would have thought that a mysterious hole in the wall would bring her such luck?
A Chunk Of Change
A Thrilling Mystery
Even Samantha’s building managers had no answers to anything that concerns the abandoned apartment. For now, she is trying her best to stay away from the bathroom. Ironically, Samantha admitted to NBC New York that after she explored the apartment, she “felt better sleeping there that night than I should have any other night.” Perhaps this is just part one of this thrilling mystery. On the subject of thrilling mysteries, there is a couple who stumbled upon some strange items in their kitchen ceiling. Read on to know more.
A Thrilling Mystery
The Owners Of The House
Arizona natives Megan and Bobby Kapsidis bought a Florida home in 2009, but it is Bobby’s mother who resides there. The couple lives in Sierra Vista, Arizona. A couple of years after they purchased the home, they decided to do a bit of remodeling. Flying across the country on holiday, the couple came to Florida to fix the kitchen up. Bobby is a handyman, so he figured he could do the job alone.
The Owners Of The House
The Start Of The Demolition
The first thing that Bobby did was beat at a small space overhead since it didn’t seem like the protrusion served any purpose. In addition, it was a great launching pad as it wasn’t in the kitchen’s functioning spaces. The outer layer soon came down, and the inside looked like what you would expect drywall to be. There was no reason to stop, so Bobby continued to hack at the thing so he could make a bit more headway.
The Start Of The Demolition
Making Headway
Soon, there was a considerable piece which came loose. After the whole outer layer fell apart, Bobby could finally see inside the weird ceiling protrusion. It still wasn’t clear what the space was for, but then the answer literally hit him in the face. The space wasn’t really useless since there were items stored up there. One of them fell down and hit Bobby. He and Megan rushed to see what the mystery item was.
Making Headway
A Strange Discovery
Most empty spaces behind walls are full of fluffy fiberglass insulation, and the kitchen ceiling space is not an exception. Megan thought that the area might have been crawl space for storage before. If she is right, someone has since packed it with insulation, no longer used for storage. Bobby cleared the insulation material out of what appeared to be a strange bag. Meanwhile, Megan continued to record what was happening.
A Strange Discovery
Vintage
They stumbled upon an empty alligator purse which was from Cuba. The couple thought it could be of value as the purse was unusual and rare by today’s standards. Since animal rights activists have been pushing to end animal cruelty, wearing animal skin is not as popular as it was before. Modern America would likely look down on the alligator purse, even if it were fake. It is likely that the owner is older, and the bag was presumably left there decades ago.
Vintage
The Real Thing
The couple learned that a real baby alligator was used to make the purse. The animal’s skin was spread across, and its legs, arms, and head were intact. The rare bag was probably of value, especially considering the fact that it is carefully crafted and has been preserved well. Bobby continued to whack at the ceiling so that they could see what else was there. What the couple found next was priceless.
The Real Thing
There Was Something Else
Speaking with reporters, Megan said that at eight in the evening, Bobby decided to tear down the ceiling. Then, everything came crashing down, with items and insulation falling like rain in the kitchen. There was treasure which melted Megan’s heart among the mess. A stained and dusty note fell out and it seemed to be an invitation. A large book also fell down. When they checked it out, they saw that it was a photo album.
There Was Something Else
Making Use Of Social Media
As they flipped through the album, Megan and Bobby found out that it contained pictures of a wedding in 1963. The vintage memento seemed to be too valuable not to give back. Megan had already been sharing on Facebook what was happening during the demolition, and their discovery of the mysterious items. She now sought to expose everything so they could find the items’ owner. She believed that such intimate photos must have been missed.
Making Use Of Social Media
The Note
The note which Bobby and Megan had found was actually a wedding invitation. Marguerite, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Lau, was getting married, and the parents were inviting people to the ceremony, which was going to be at St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in New York. The writing is definitely old-timey judging by how the first and last names of the husband were used to address the couple. The bride’s parents were also the ones who did the inviting.
The Note
The Location
Both the outside and inside of the Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church are photographed here. The beautiful couple tied the knot at this altar at three in the afternoon on the 14th of September in 1963, according to the wedding invitation. Pictures of the wedding party as well as the couple filled the album. Bobby and Megan were transported to this milestone in these strangers’ lives, and they felt like they had a duty to find out who the people in the photos were and to get the treasure back to the owners.
The Location
Saying “I Do”
Marguerite and Joseph said “I do” at the Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church. While the couple committed to staying together for the rest of their life, Bobby and Megan thought it was possible that Marguerite and Joseph had split up. Bobby and Megan didn’t know if they were searching for a couple, a widow, or a widower. It was also possible that the couple in the photos have passed. Bobby and Megan only knew who this couple was over sixty years ago.
Saying “I Do”
The Happy Couple
More traditional wedding dresses usually have expansive skirts, and in this photo, the bride and groom are seen gathered atop her spread out dress in this classic pose. Close together, Marguerite’s hand is on Joseph’s. Speaking with reporters, Megan said that Bobby and her wedding pictures were all digital. She knew that the couple in the photos probably had copies or worse, just these physical copies. This is why she felt really compelled to return the photos.
The Happy Couple
A Wedding Day Tradition
The tradition of taking pictures of the bride while she gets ready for the wedding is something many couples still follow. One of a wedding’s important elements is the bride’s big reveal, and it’s the responsibility of the bridesmaids to make sure she looks perfect. This photo shows Marguerite’s friends excitedly preparing her veil and sleeves. Even though the album is really old and it has turned yellow, the emotions captured in the photos still feel fresh.
A Wedding Day Tradition
The Bride Tribe
It’s amazing how the dresses, headpieces, and bouquets of the bridesmaids match. Looking at old photos like this, we can definitely see how different things were in the past. For example, bridesmaids wearing a veil are not common these days, but here, the bridesmaids are sporting versions of the bride’s veil. These photos are black and white, but you can still see the gowns’ designs pop. If these were colored photographs, the album would have less of a vintage feel.
The Bride Tribe
Cherished Memories Of Family Members
The groom and bride may be the first people that come to mind when we think of who might want the wedding album back, but their family is also without these cherished memories. Bobby went back to the space the next morning and found another album. It was similar to the first, only smaller. It said on the cover, “Our Children’s Wedding.” Megan deduced that this wedding album belonged to the parents, so the family would probably be missing their documentation of that special day.
Cherished Memories Of Family Members
Showing Character
This is a traditional Catholic wedding yet this picture has that edgy humor the 1960s is known for. In the other photos, we can see the married couple being more modest, but here Marguerite holds up a sign that reads “Do Not Disturb” while holding a finger to her lips. Meanwhile, Joseph grins widely and does the “okay” sign. The couple likely knew that many people expect newlyweds to want to consummate their marriage as soon as they could.
Showing Character
Someone Might Know Something
Megan shared photos of the items she and Bobby had stumbled upon on her Facebook account. She made sure to include all the possible details so that it would be easier for anyone to identify something. Megan posted crisp images of the groom’s and bride’s faces, the invitations which read the date and address, and the album itself. She was hoping someone who had been at the wedding or heard about it could identify the items and help with the search. Also, Megan encouraged people to tell others about her post.
Someone Might Know Something
Sleuthing Friends
Noelle, Megan’s Facebook friend, is a genealogist, and she suggested that a certain Marguerite Bojnathe might be the mystery bride. Mrs. Bojna remarried in 1994 and her middle initial is L. In addition, Noelle pointed out that Marguerite Lillian Lau had married Joseph Garguilo back in 1963 according to the marriage index. Cynthia, another friend of Megan’s, shared a link to a Facebook page of a Marguerite Garguilo, who resembles the photographed bride. Bobby and Megan then reached out to the candidates.
Sleuthing Friends
Finally Found Her
After Megan’s posts went viral, she and Bobby were featured on the news, and the publicity got everyone talking. They wondered about the story behind the mystery wedding album. Megan went to Marguerite’s home but the trip yielded nothing. This made her even more determined to find the mysterious Marguerite. Finally, Megan succeeded in finding the woman, and she posted on Facebook about the experience. She and Bobby visited the elderly woman. “The sweetest lady and both of us were very emotional reminiscing about her wedding day,” Megan wrote.
Finally Found Her
Remaining A Mystery
We’d love to say Megan spilled the beans on the photographed couple and the reason the wedding album was hidden all that time, but she actually chose to be vague to respect Marguerite’s wishes. Megan wrote that the sweet old lady “wants to keep her memories personal and enjoy them with her family and friends for years to come.” Of course, there has been speculation as to whether Marguerite and Joseph had split up, or if he has passed first, but the clashing information has not been verified. If you really want to know, you can do the sleuthing yourself.
Remaining A Mystery