Who Needs Halloween?

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you may remember my posts Unsolved Mysteries Part l, and Unsolved Mysteries Part II. While these incidences are peculiar and unexplained, they are by no means stand alone incidences in my life. Recently, there have been a number of small unexplained occurrences that have the hair standing up on the back of my neck.

A few years ago, our company moved us into new space. The inside was completely gutted and fitted out to suit us. We moved in and began to enjoy the new space with all its upgrades and features. Then the strange little things began to happen. They were nothing of consequence really. We thought that with a building full of people someone may have just forgot a light, for example, or that with the rush to occupy, the workers had cut a few corners with the wiring etc. Sometimes, we could not come up with a reasonable answer to some of the weird stuff going on. With The Common Man Restaurant just down the street and long know for its paranormal activity, our receptionist began to jokingly ask if our office was built on an old Indian burial ground.

I can’t blame forgetful employees any longer for the strange stuff that goes on. As with many companies these days, our building has long been empty of the throngs that used to walk the halls. I am relegated with my few colleagues to one corner of the premises. While I am very thankful to still be employed, it is getting a bit creepy to take care of the place.

There are days when I am the only woman in the building. I walk into the ladies room, enter the stall, and within a few moments the paper towel dispenser by the sink discharges a sheet for me. For a while, I thought maybe I was activating the sensor when I passed the mirror, or that the stall door caused a reflection of some sort the set it off. I went to great lengths to test these theories and avoid the triggers I imagined. The paper still dispenses without hand activation. Now I just say “thank you” into the empty room.

One morning, an employee approaches me and tells me the lights are on upstairs. She has noticed them from outside while parking her car.
“Not again!” I moan.
Those darn networked lights have never been right! I walk to the master panel and there is no indication that the lights are on upstairs. I work the buttons a few times thinking maybe I can reset the switch. To be certain they are off, I make the trek upstairs. I enter the suite and the dang lights are on. I go to the upstairs master panel and the switch is off. I work that a few times to no avail. I walk around the suite looking for the alternate switch. I work that a few times and the lights finally go off. I don’t like this suite; there is a broken office window. One day it was fine, the next it was shattered. It creeps me out and I leave the suite.

I decide I better walk the entire top floor in case more lights are on. Our building used to house developers and to protect “secrets” all the doors have card readers and access is limited to those with access cards. I walk the entire top floor using my card to get from one place to the next. As I head to the last and furthest reaches of the building, one of the card readers at the door to a former lab beeps. I stop and look at it. The indicator light goes from red to green. It clicks and I know the lock has released. My access card in hanging from my hip, but is on the opposite side from the door. I cover it with my hand. I watch the access panel. After a moment or two, it clicks, letting me know the door is now locked. The indicator light changes from green to red. “OK” I think “that’s enough.” I don’t check the rest of the building but make my way back to the first floor.

When I’m safely back, I calm down. It dawns on me that if my card had somehow triggered the lock, it would be recorded. I use my access card to enter the secure room. I log into the machine that monitors the doors. The current activity scrolls up onto the screen. I see my name listed near the lobby stairwell, suites one and two, and so on as I moved through the building. Where is that lab door? I can’t see it activated. I scroll through again and still don’t see my name near that door. I take each line one at a time. Not only is my name not recorded near that door, the door itself has not been recorded as being activated. Since I know I was fully awake and did not dream this, the hair is once again standing up on the back of my neck. Who needs Halloween? If the season doesn’t give you enough goose bumps, stop by the office and I’ll give you a tour.