ghost story

The below story is just one of my many encounters with ghosts/spirits/whatever. Since then, I would go on to have many more. Most, not so nice. And this is one of those.

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When I was 14 (maybe even 15, I can’t remember that far back) I went to Margaret River on a band camp. Oh yeah, and I also played flute. But this was the time before American Pie, so the phrase “This one time at band camp, I stuck a flute in my..” did not exist.

Thank God.

It was 6 to a cabin, 3 bunk beds. The official word was no mixed sexes in a cabin at any given time and if there were, you had to leave the door open. However, our music teacher/camp leader was somewhat of a hippie and I’m pretty sure he snuck off a few times to smoke some weed.

About a day into the camp, there were boys and girls in a cabin at any given time (with the door closed. gasp) and every single cabin was playing with a ouija board. Why a ouija board, I’m not sure. And why everyone was doing them, I’m also not sure. But there was no where to escape the ouija mania. Talk about cabin fever.

When it was lights out and we had all gone to bed, I noticed that there was one extra sailor aboard our ship - one of the guys (who we all knew was gay, but had no concept of what really being gay was at the time, just that we knew he wasn’t going to make a move for some reason) was sitting up in a bunk with one of the girls. He was afraid.

“We contacted some guy and I’m afraid! I can’t go to sleep alone.” He said, when one of the girls asked what the fuck was he doing in our room.
“No you didn’t. You’re full of shit.” (Or something to that effect)
“No! We really did!” He was shrill. “I don’t believe in this shit, but no one was moving the pointer.”
“Whatever.”

If only I had the same reaction. I was on a bottom bunk, lying on my back. I could see the entire room in the moonlight and the scary shadows the tree outside was making. I started going nuts in my head. I wanted to ask him more, but I was afraid what he might say. Eventually, I fell asleep. I guess the worrying had worn me out.

The next day, it was round two of “Let’s contact Satan this time and ask when I’m going to die.”. It was absolutely impossible to get away from it. I had gone into the abandoned music room (where we were supposed to be practising but no time. too much ouija) to sit and read a book. ANYTHING to get my mind off what was going on. I didn’t really believe in spirits and ghosts at the time, but I remember being afraid of the ouija board which is why I never participated.

After a short while, a couple of my cabin buddies had found me.
“Did you hear?” One of the girls asked.
“What?”
The other girl rolled her eyes. “It’s all bullshit. There are no ghosts!”
“Yes there are!” Girl #1 said. “Didn’t you hear all that banging last night?”
I told her that I hadn’t, that I was fast asleep.
“I thought it was knocking at the door and I was too afraid to answer.” Girl #1 said.
Girl #2 looked at her like she lost her shit. I remember her losing her patience. Lot of rolling of the eyes and huffing and puffing when claims of the paranormal were made.

Ouija Time only broke for breakfast, lunch, dinner or 5 minute band practices. Over which, a lot more stories of encounters were shared. Unexplainable bangs in the night, things being misplaced and then found in a random place and also, weirdly enough, sounds of furniture being dragged along the pavement outside (in the middle of the night!).  I tried to brush it off as much as my friend did, but it bothered me. I was ok until it was lights out once more.

The cabin was a full house that night. There were about 10 people - almost two to a bunk. I thoroughly believed in cooties then and also personal space, so I had my own nice little bunk. The usual - the bottom bunk in the back corner. I was closest to the light switch, so I turned it off and we all tried to go to sleep. After a few minutes of general chatter about how scary everything was and guess who we contacted blah blah blah - I had tried to block it out. I just wanted to wake up and for it to be day time.

So, I’m lying on my back. And I decide ok, stop worrying just close your eyes you will fall asleep. Everyone is still chattering away. It was annoying but slightly comforting at the same time. But I was still awake, still concious. And it was at that moment that I felt a force grab my left shoulder and start to pull me down. Well, it wasn’t so much as a force. It was a hand. I felt the fingers. I felt the thumb.It was like someone was underneath me, pulling me down.

I screamed and jumped out of bed and turned the light on. I looked at my bed and then the bunk above, checking to see if the guys above were playing a prank. There was too much distance between the bottom of the top bunk and my bed for someone to stick their arm down there and move there hand as if they were grabbing me from underneath the bed. I looked under the bed - luggage. As I should have known.

In this time, everyone was asking me what the fuck had just happened and what was I doing. I walked over to the mirror and checked out my shoulder. I don’t know why. Maybe I thought I would see something on my shoulder as some kind of proof. But there was nothing.

I tearfully told my friends what had happened. They and I was more afraid than before (except girl #2 who proceeded to tell everyone else what happened the next day and of course to tag on “she’s lying” or “she’s crazy”). We slept with the lights on.

To this day, I can still remember exactly what being pulled down like that felt like. I don’t know why that spirit targeted me - maybe because I wouldn’t play along? - and I don’t know why they decided to pull me down into the bed - maybe just a prank? Needless to say, I have not and will never forget it. 

Has something like that ever happened to you?