Met a man on a bus named Steve. He brought up the subject of ghost stories. He said he wanted to know if I had any and if I believed in ghosts. Little did he know that I wax a big fan of ghost stories and had a few of my own. He asked if I could share one with him.
I struggled to filter out all the ghost stories that came to mind, trying to figure out which one would be ease to tell. I settled on the one that had the most profound effect on me. That one that proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that ghosts existed.
A good name for the story would be "the three trespassers".
I was a Security Guard In a building on Summer street, in downtown Boston. Being a security guard was a second job that I worked part time evenings and weekends. My other full time job was at an insurance company in office services.
On my first day, as I was being shown "the ropes", I was told of strange things that where happening on the properties. Ghosts, and old men who seem real but vanish into thin air. As I was being told about ghosts, I felt that this was a tacking to scare me. Like maybe they other guards are playing a game called, let's scare the new guy. But I learned after a few months that it was not a game.
Well any way, I was petroling building on Summer street, when I heard voices in a basement hallway. Now, I had been told to ignore any sounds or noises that I heard from that area. But being empowered my my polyester uniform, flashlight and detex key, I ventured down the forbedden basement hallway.
At the end of the hall way was a bend that lead to a stairway to an emergence exit. But sitting on the bottom of the stairs where three men. Three men who didn't look like they where office workers. They looked more like electrical contractors, of construction workers. They were having a conversation, completely ignoring that he security guard had caught them trespassing. I had to yell to get their attention. They seemed to be confused and shocked that I could see them. I told them to get out. They moved to got past me, as if they where going to go out the front door. But I said no, go out the door at the top of the stairs the way you came in. They again looked at each other with a confused look on there faces.
Futunately, they cooperated, turned around, climbed the stairs, and exited the street level emergency exit side door to Chauncey Street. I checked the side door trying to future out how the got in. The door has no visible means of being opened from the out side. It is a very secure door. I closed the door from the inside confident that there was no way anyone would ever be able to open it from the outside again. I noted the incident in my incident log and figured that was the last I would ever see of the trespassers.
A few weeks later, I was on my way to the bathroom in the basement. As I walked past the hallway to the emergency exit side door, the three trespassers were walking down the hallway towards me. I really needed to go used the urinal, but was stopped, and shocked to see the three trespassers again. What are you guys doing back in here, I yelled at them. The reply was we're going to leave but we just want to ask some questions. Unlike the first time I encountered them, this time felt different. For one thing the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up was if they where screaming for me to run, get the fuck out of there. But the door to elevator that I used to get to the basement had already closed. And I still wanted to act tough and in control.
The came right up to me with In arms reach. Strangly, they were all looking at the floor. Not making direct eye contact with me. The one who acted like the leader said, we just want to make sure that you, can see us, and hear us. I said yes I can hear and see you. And we look normal right? I replied yes. And touch the leader on the arm. He was there. But the he looked up at me and made eye contact and asked, what about now, are we real? His eyes where the eyes of a decomposed body, dirt brown, dried, deformed like melted wax or jelly. That when it hit me. I was all alone, in a basement with three trespassers who where ghosts. I fell very small, and very venerable, and very very scared.
The leader then seemed to know that he had made his point said, "we're going to leave now, but this time we're going out this way." He pointed and started walking towards the boiler room. I said "no, there is no way out thought there." But they continued into the boiler room and split up in different directions. I just kept taking to the leader as he walked towards one of the walls. The other one walked behind the boiler, and another one walked towards a hole in one of the walls. As I watched the leader, he reached the point where he should have bumped into the wall, but he continued to walk. The he started getting smaller, as if he was approaching a vanishing point. I think I screaming out "what the hell" or something. The looked around to see the other two guys where gone with out a trace.
I ran out of the boiler room, towards the urinal in the bathroom. Still scared and screaming in fear from what I had just seem, as I was finally able to pee. It seemed like the longest pee I had ever taken, since all I really wanted to to do was get out of the basement was soon as possible.
I stay in the building until my replacement arrived at midnight. Usually, when he arrived I would take my time about leaving, about 10 or 15 minutes. But this time, I hade my jacket and coat on and was ready to leave when he arrived. He looked at me and said, " seem the ghosts didn't you". My jaw dropped. I said wait a minute you guys know there where ghosts in this building and you didn't tell me? He replied, " yea, we feel it's better if people find out for themselves rather that to tell them.
I left the building, and walked home, feeling as if my whole proception of reality had been shattered. At home I pour my self a big drink of Spiced rum, and slept with my bible in my hands.
Stranglely, I didn't quit the job immediately. I needed the money to pay rent. And it was not the last time I had an incident with the three trespassers.