I still get chills when I remember the time I was stalked by a terrifying ghost years ago.
This is the first time telling this story and even though I usually pay no attention to ghost stories, I decided that sharing it here might help exorcise the fear that still lives inside me.
Besides, my Granddaughter begged me to share it.
Updated 2/9/2020 – It was the mid 1990’s and I had taken a Janitorial position after a nervous breakdown, but that’s another story.
The school I worked in was a fine institution and the kids weren’t as bad as I initially feared.
My true fears were soon realized when I started clearing out the huge basement area, in preparation for a new air conditioning system.
I remember the first time I ventured down there.
Walking down the stairs, I had that terrible sense of foreboding, but I chalked it up to silly jitters.
I hadn’t even reached the bottom of the stairs when a variety of sounds pricked my ears up.
It’s easy to explain certain noises away as old pipes and so on, but that doesn’t account for the groans.
Trying not to pay attention to the noises, I made my way through the creepy tunnels, feeling the goosebumps on my skin growing like a freezing rash.
Then I heard shuffling feet rushing behind me.
I turned around and braced myself for what I thought was going to be a student playing a prank.
I was shocked – nothing behind me but darkness.
Reverting to being a scared child, I nearly turned back.
I knew that I had a lot to do but somehow it seemed like I wasn’t going to get much done.
I tried to figure out what the shuffling noise could’ve been as I continued through the dingy tunnel, listening to the dripping pipes and trying to ignore the occasional gusts of chilly drafts.
When I hear a louder groan, I stopped in my tracks.
Not bothering to call out, for fear of receiving a disembodied answer, I stood for a moment – until the sound of a plank of wood falling to the floor jolted me into screaming.
Well, it was more of a shout, but I was now annoyed and wanted to regain my sense of dignity.
I raced to the room where I thought the sound came from.
It was empty.
This only proved to fuel my anger, so I stomped out of the room and continued down the tunnel.
I really didn’t have the time for any more distractions.
The problem was, the ghost who was stalking me had other plans.
I heard a strange, scratchy voice coming from nowhere.
It was like an old fashioned song, but I tried to ignore it.
As I approached the first corner, I noticed the odd singing had stopped.
For some reason I did not want to go around the corner.
I knew I had to go on as there was a bunch of old desks that needed to be dragged out.
When I saw a pale light emanating from around the corner, I couldn’t help but creep over and look, slowly and surely.
I noticed that a cold sweat was forming on my body and when I finally peered around the wall, the light disappeared.
At first, I was looking down a dark tunnel, but a shadow down the end started to move towards me.
I tried to convince myself that it might’ve been yet another student, but again I was mistaken.
Without a reliable flashlight, I wasn’t able to get a good look and wasn’t sure if I really wanted to, but the shadowy mass continued to move towards me like water coursing through a hose in slow motion.
It was bizarre when it eventually petered out, the closer it got to me.
I thought I was losing my marbles.
I screamed then nearly laughed when the lights flickered on, showing an empty tunnel with only a few dark spaces down the end.
I marched confidently to the storeroom and unlocked the huge, sliding door.
Before I stepped in, I looked around and tried to make sure that it was safe for me to enter the room.
Everything seemed fine, at first.
Being an older man, I was angry at myself for being such a scaredy-cat, so I started whistling to calm my nerves.
What freaked me out next was a second round of hurried shuffling coming up behind me.
I spun around and gasped when I saw a glimpse of a gray shadow leaping at me.
I ducked and yelled, but when I looked up – I was alone.
I’d had enough.
I decided that I had to get out and come up with another plan, like bringing someone with me next time.
As I raced back out to the entrance, I could’ve sworn I heard whistling coming from behind me, but I didn’t stop until I made it out.
I then lied to the Principal about not completing my task, saying that the lights went out.
It was annoying when I went back in the next day, armed with a flashlight and accompanied by one of the teachers.
Even though it was still creepy, none of the events from the previous day occurred.
I made a point of never going back there alone, but I often wondered, who or what was stalking me.
I still shudder when I think about it.
