Dances with Ghosts
by Lisa Logan
Anyone seeking proof that the recently departed don’t always depart need look only as far as their local hospital. Night shift is even better. As someone who has walked–and worked–those darkened halls for sixteen years, I can tell you without hesitation that ghosts are real. While not all who reach the clearing at the end of their path in that place swirl around in a nether fog, some who suffer unexpected departures will, on occasion, take a while to find their beacon of light.
My most recent ghost stalked me for two days before finding his way onward. It was about a year ago, and I was jotting medication notes in the middle of a long hallway. As I bent over the notebook in front of me, my peripheral vision picked up the sight of someone moving up the hall. The "someone" stopped directly behind me, then leaned over my shoulder as if curious about what I was writing. The feeling was close and unmistakably male.
In little mood that day for breaches in space bubble protocol, I snapped my head around to confront whichever staff member had decided to be cute by playing Rubbernecker.
The hall was empty.
I shrugged it off and went about other tasks, though still having that "being watched" sensation. When dinner called, I wandered alone into the staff kitchen to warm up my food. I was making tea at the counter when I realized I’d left the sugar on the table behind me. Without warning I spun around, preparing to make a quick lunge for it....
...then never got there, as I smacked into someone hard. The automatic apology tumbled out. "Oh! Sorry."
But I was alone. The only reply was a disturbing cold stab of somethingness, which pushed its way through my midsection and out the kitchen door.
It was later that evening when I overheard the drama that had unfolded in the Intensive Care Unit next door. Something went wrong during what should have been a simple surgical procedure, and the man was rushed to the ICU in dire distress. Doctors worked feverishly to save his life...and failed.
A sudden and unexpected death, maybe fifty feet away from the hallway where I’d encountered Mr. Rubbernecker...right around the time of the surgical patient’s death.
Nodding, I figured I had an answer to my ghostly stalker. Then my shift was over, and it was time to put another work day behind. While it might seem this was a tale that would follow me home, it wasn’t the first time I–nor anyone else on the critical floor–had encountered such things. By the time I returned the next day, I’d forgotten all about it.
Until I ventured alone to the back supply room. I entered the code and pushed open the heavy, self-closing door. I wandered to the supply cart, half-awaiting the sound of the door clicking shut behind me. Instead, the door was nearing ground zero when it swung open again, carrying a whoosh of frigid air. Frowning, I peeked outside. No one was present.
It was then that I remembered my ghost stalker from the day before. Hadn’t the poor man found his way yet?
Probably because I’ve watched one horror movie too many, I turned to humor. "Um," I said to the supply room, "I’m flattered that you keep following me, but as you can see my job really isn’t all that interesting. Besides, I think there’s somewhere else you’re supposed to be now. It’s okay. It’s okay for you to go."
I stood and waited. Nothing. No swinging doors, rubbernecking, or bumps against my middle. After a long moment I grabbed my supplies and left. He never followed. I hope he found his way.
Lisa Logan
Writing in My Wildest Dreams at http://lisalogan.net
Author of VISIONS, a psychic romance/mystery available from Amazon, Borders, and other sellers
Editor, MysteryAuthors.com
Disclaimer, cause we have to: The opinions of guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Mandy M Roth and Michelle M Pillow. (Want to be a guest blogger?)
Labels: guest blogger, paranormal
posted by Michelle Pillow at
6:27 AM
9 comment(s):
I've actually found a couple of situations where this has happened to me. Particularly when I was growing up. I used to see that there was a ghost in my bed room, and I spoke to him every night before I went to sleep.
By
Unknown, at
3:30 AM
Wow, Lisa, what an amazing story! I used to have a sensation of being followed when I'd go for late night walks, but never knew if it was me being crazy or if it was something real. My rational brain can sometimes kick into overtime to fight my more "fanciful" brain.
Thanks for sharing!
By
Michelle Pillow, at
6:33 AM
It's nice to have a chance to talk about this. Not everyone is receptive!
The women in our family seem to be attuned to the paranormal. (Maybe the guys are too, but they don't admit to it). My gramma, my mom and myself have had a number of experiences. Three of my daughters are particularly sensitive --- and apparently my dog is as well!
Scooby the Pug always slept with my youngest daughter. When you pet him in his sleep, he stretches out and rolls over on his back so you can pet him even better! My daughter awakened one night because she felt Scooby doing this. She opened her eyes and saw a young bearded man petting the dog! The man looked frightened when he noticed her watching him, backed up and vanished through the closed door.
Since that time, the man appeared several times. Another daughter walked right through him in the hallway! Two other ghosts were discovered to live in our house as well, and we had visual contact as well as the usual cold breezes and thumping around (I slept downstairs, and there was always lots of footsteps above, even when there was nobody home). Plus, there was one door in the house that the ghosts would NOT leave closed, no matter what we did (yeah, we locked it too...).
We never figured out who they were, although we did a lot of research. The house was only about 40 years old, so there was no
lengthy history there, nor did the ghosts seem to be related to each
other. I think the ghosts were just pleased with the novelty of
finding people who were aware of them. Maybe they just wanted a little attention.
We lived in the house for several years. The kids grew up and moved away, and I sold the house. I've often wondered if the new residents have had any encounters. Meanwhile, one of the ghosts appears to have followed my youngest daughter to her new home
in another town. She says she doesn't mind him, but has to be firm about the noise sometimes.
As for Scooby, he's 13 now and lives with me. If he's had nocturnal visitors since, he hasn't mentioned it.
By
Dani Harper, Author, at
9:31 AM
What a cool story! Sometimes my dad still comes home, even though he died a few years ago. It happened most often when my brother used to work all night. I would hear Dad's footsteps come in and go from the front door to the kitchen then back to his chair. And sometimes I hear a poptop open when no one else is up. Usually, I thank him for visiting and it quiets down. One night I was already in bed and just too tired to move. I fell asleep without saying anything. I got woke up an hour later, by the closet door in the hall outside my room opening and slamming shut. I jumped up to make sure it wasn't Mom. The dogs were asleep where I left them, Mom was sound asleep in her bed. As I went back to bed I said 'Thanks for coming by to check on us.' After I got back to bed I heard a bit more movement and then it quieted down for the night.
By
Julie, at
11:21 AM
My daughter is studying to becme a nurse, and she is the least woo-woo person on earth! I'll be interested to talk to her a few years into her career to see if her attitude about ghosts has changed. :)
My encounters haven't been so dramatic - mostly I see my dearly departed dogs still sunning themselves by a favorite window, but that's about it.
But there is one time I was a guest in someone else's house. I was in their bathroom and bent over to pick up something I'd dropped, and lost my balance. Something physically grabbed hold of me and set me upright again!
By
Carolan Ivey, at
11:36 AM
These are all amazing stories. Thanks everyone for sharing!! :)
By
Michelle Pillow, at
11:39 AM
Hey, there's some really great stories here! I love to read about other people's experiences. The dad still coming home and departed dog romping in the yard are really neat "goosebumpy" tales.
I, too, had a dog who was senstive to "things" when I was growing up...and the women in my family have a major sixth sense. My husband does also...he's the first male in several generations to have the trait passed to him.
By
Lisa Logan, at
12:44 AM
After a cat died, I swear I'd see him jumping out of the corner of my eye. Only to turn and nothing would be there.
Thanks for coming by Lisa!
By
Michelle Pillow, at
4:20 PM
I really enjoyed your blog. You did a great job!
Freddie Avila
By
legal advise, at
6:26 AM
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