Friday, September 30, 2011

In Shrouded Form


As mentioned before in past posts, I work in a haunted building. Yes, you heard me right, a haunted, historical building.  Once a beautiful church, the inside has been transformed to showcasing a sad and lack luster version of a 70's decor gone wild.  With golden oak trim, green speckled carpet and orange counter tops, the only thing missing is a disco ball.

But beneath it all tho, and in the untouched corridors of it's youth, the old building retains some of its original charm of thick trim and window casings, old bannisters, bubble glass windows and locked up rooms with the original dark stained hardwood floors still intact.

Time, along with the landlord, has not treated this beautiful gem with the kindness it deserves. With the less than inspired housekeeping staff, there is narry a corner of the building that isn't oozing in gauzy cob webs, decaying bugs, fast moving hairy little spiders and burnt out light bulbs.

Eleven years of working here and I have seen and heard my fair share.  From distant sounds of imaginary children running up and down the stairs, to spring loaded doors opening on their own, to closing up my office and then hearing behind the locked doors, the filing cabinets and inner doors being opened and shut, to standing in the foyer downstairs and hearing the sounds of running back and forth above me in my office, all after I, the only employee, have locked and alarmed up my office.

Much to the dismay of the doctor's office below me, they are unfortunately provided a full-on audio entertainment each morning from my offices above until I arrive to start the day.

And there have been other spine tingling and unexplainable moments like light bulbs being smashed on my desk even though all six light bulbs were still sitting in their track lighting above me, to forks and pens and keys disappearing and then reappearing in the same place I had just looked at a few minutes earlier. Or, the night my better half picked me up and as I walked to the car I noted the sheer horror on his face and turned around where I stood breathless and in shock as a fantastical lighting display was happening where only mere moments earlier I had been sitting and typing. 

You would think that I would be use to all these chill boning special effects that accompany my every work day. And by all accounts, with the exception of the odd hair sticking up on my neck, I am.  But lately, a new thing is happening that is so disconcerting that even as I write this, my arms are fraught with goosebumps. 

I am constantly seeing a shrouded form in my peripheral vision.  It happens so quickly and suddenly that for an instant, my senses are swirling and it takes all my effort to catching my breath in attempt to calm down and not go screaming into the night.  And while it is not all the time, a few times a week seems to be more than I really wish to experience. I just cannot shake the sense that I am being watched. Tall, dark and ghostly opaque qualities, it often stands and occupies a corner of one of the several empty offices that makes up the entire floor that I work alone on. Undoubtedly after several weeks of this, I am starting to sense the moment before it happens.  I see it there from the corner of my eye, but when I turn my head it evaporates into thin air.

And, as fall creeps in closer and the days get shorter, my concern about being alone in the building whilst I wait the extra hour for my better half to pick me up, is, I have to say, unnerving to say the least.

I suppose, it's all part of the fun of working in an older building, but I must admit that my dreams of owning an older character home have all been shattered since working here. It's nothing but new construction for me now, as I want to ensure that the only thing haunting my home, is my better half's lingering, wretched farting sprees.

In the meantime, I believe it is time for me to go as the hair on my neck is starting to stand straight up and my spidey senses are in full gear. 

Until next time.

Cheers
Tracy

19 comments:

  1. WELL, I live in a 120 year old house, and it is not in the least bit haunted.

    BUT, I am curious, as to where your building is situated so next time I am in your town I can go have a look for myself.

    I would have quit a long, time ago, or running to and fro screaming, the name Jesus.

    I have not figured out yet if you are brave, or crazy for staying there.....

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  2. I would totally leave and meet your better half somewhere else, go shopping or something because that is one freaky building you work in. And why are you always working alone? Hey, maybe you can bring Fred with you, so he can sniff out any weirdness...

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  3. Melissa.... anytime you are down my way, I would be more than happy to take you on a tour!!!

    And Alex, I constantly ask my sister office, why on earth am I working alone? It is freaky, well not in the summer, but in the fall and winter in the dark... Yup, I am literally running down those stairs to get out!

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  4. Well, that would be a bit unnerving, I would think! But it must be entertaining and it keeps you alert!

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  5. There is no amount of money that would be enough for me to work alongside the super natural! You are a braver girl than me xxx

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  6. I would be terrified!When I was a child I used to feel things like that in our house and in our house in Portugal even worse... But nothing as concrete as what you're describing... You are very brave indeed!! I heard you have to ackowledge and confront a ghost in order to make it disappear... I'm not sure I would able to do that. I think I'm mor or an ostrich kind of person: stick my head in the sand so I don't see unpleasant stuff, lol

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  7. That is just too spooky. I dont think I could work there unless I could be reasured it was a friendly ghost

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  8. Maybe you should bring your hubby in to leave some of those wretched, lingering farts before you leave... even a ghost might balk at that! Assuming, of course, your husband dares go in there now...

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  9. BTW, your security word for my comment was hesher- "He's her"? a transvestite ghost?

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  10. Tell whatever it is to Leave Me Alone! I hear this will usually get something to leave. Other than that, I would also leave and wait for your honey somewhere else. I would be intrigued to see/hear something, but it would also probably scare the crap out of me, too.

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  11. The building showcases a 70s decor? Who are your ghosts? Gary Coleman and the Dad from the 'Brady Bunch'?
    Oooh, too soon?

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  12. @ Galen, Fran, Beliza, Mynx and Sue - I know, I want to go screaming into the night myself!!!

    @ Chris - could be a transvestite ghost, it was rather tall and manly wearing a femine gauzy attire! *giggle*

    @ Al - "Oooh, too soon?" whacha talking about Willis!!!

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  13. Upon being freaked out by the presence of ghostly spirits once, I was advised to ask my spirit guides (like, your guardian angels) to keep them away from me unless I wanted to invite them. Apparently your guides can do that. I did ask, and have never been bothered or afraid since. Good luck!

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  14. Cool! Love old buildings but the shrouded figure would have me creeped out!

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  15. Oh.My.God.
    I would have quit loooooong ago!
    Don't talk to it, that just invites them to make contact with you. There's no guarantee they'll do what you ask anyway.
    If stuff like that was happening around me I would totally move or quit or perhaps contact a priest lol

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  16. Ooooh, how creepy!!! It's so spooky and yet oddly intriguing, isn't it?

    So long as this figure is just observing you, I would think you have nothing to worry about. P.s. Based on personal experience, I'm a total believer in the paranormal.

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  17. My house is haunted. Kiddo says she believes it's a girl and she has heard her talk. All I know is it likes playing with things, but has never done anything beyond waking me up in the dead of night playing with Christmas lights or toys. Sometimes I get that freaked out feeling that something is there and I can't see it. I really hate that feeling.

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  18. Id be totally freaked out Tracy!! Your so much braver than me!! In a situation like that all color would drain from my skin, and maybe, just maybe, the ghost would be terrified looking at me with my deathly pale skin!! LOL

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