Have you ever encountered a ghost? Janie Smith met one on our very campus and here is her story.

I had just finished watching Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook, at Ward Theater. It was touching, and I must say that actor Ryan Gosling wasn’t bad-looking either. It was kind of sad when his wife didn’t even remember him when she got old because she had Alzheimer’s. I squeezed Tim’s hand, never wanting to forget him. Tim and I have been through a lot together.

But I’ve gotten off topic.

It was like 11 o’clock at night and I was tired. Before I could go to sleep, I had to go home and home was all the way down by Kahala. The Number 1 bus would be running, even this late, so we decided to go through McKinley High School’s campus because it would be a shorter walk. I began to tell Tim a story I had heard about a ghost on the campus.

An old homeless man was mobbed between B and C Buildings. He had a birth mark that resembled a heart on his right cheek. His injuries were so severe that he died, but his death was never acknowledged. No one would miss him. He dwells around that landing and will take away any soul that passes at night while breaking a superstition.

That story is full of baloney, I thought, holding my boyfriend’s hand and walking through the campus. We were on the front lawn and saw the landing from the story shining luminously under the lamplight. Being me, I was curious to see test out the story. Yes, I know I just called it junk, but I still wanted to see what would happen.

“Where are we going? The bus stop is over there,” Tim said pointing towards the Kaiser Clinic. “

B&C landing,” I said and continued walking.

He let out a small groan and followed me. I started whistling nursery rhymes, since it’s said that if you whistle at night you’re waking up the dead. Whistling to “Ring around the Rosy” I stepped onto the landing, letting go of Tim’s hand to look around, wondering if a ghost really would show up. A cold shiver ran up my body and I stayed for a good minute, whistling, yet nothing happened. I guess the story wasn’t true.

I turned to leave and, suddenly, there was an elderly man with thin grey hair standing probably six feet away from me. His breathing was ragged and he didn’t look at me. His clothes were torn and there were a couple of scratches on his feet. His almost bald scalp was red with irritation. I didn’t know what to do.

I looked for Tim, but he was nowhere I could see. He had abandoned me. The old man looked up and I wished for all the world that I could run away, but I was frozen in place. His eyes held me there. They looked unnaturally dark, the kind of eyes that you wouldn’t want to look at for a long time. I saw nothing but those piercing eyes. His bare feet carelessly slapped the pavement as he closed the gap between us. It was then that I recognized the man from the ghost story.

So the story was true!

His face was heavily bruised and there were a couple of deep cuts, and he had that birthmark that really did look like a heart. I began having major flashbacks as if my life were coming to an end. And maybe it was. His uncut fingernails swept against the base of my throat and ripped my necklace. It was a beautiful gold locket, and he’d flung it where I couldn’t see. The long bony fingers of the man wrapped around my neck and gave a squeeze.

Despite my terror, I felt sorry for him. Even if he was some evil ghost summoned straight from the grave to kill me, someone had to apologize for his cruel and unacknowledged death, so I figured I would.

“I’m sorry,” I croaked, for his grip had become more firm.

Clarity flashed in his eyes, and he let go of my throat. A rush of air streamed down my throat and into my body, I coughed. A few seconds later I looked not at a ghost ready to kill me, but a ghost smiling. His smile was broad, showing all 32 of his cracked, yellow teeth. I should’ve been repulsed by the smile, but I wasn’t, I was surprised and touched. Tears fell from his eyes, his knuckles were white from clenching them so hard. A light blinded me and I was on the floor, Tim hovering over me, a frantic look on his face.

“What happened? Are you alright?” he asked the questions consecutively.

“What to do you mean am I okay? Did you not see that old man choking me? Where were you?!? You didn’t even help me?”

I whacked his chest and pushed myself up off the ground. He looked at me was a confused expression.

“What are you talking about, I didn’t see no man,” Tim said.

I was in disbelief. The whole ordeal happened right where I was, which is right where he is.

“Never mind, let’s go home.”

I was cold, and somewhat traumatized, but we continued to walk to the bus stop. On the seat at the bus stop there was my necklace, looking brand-new The clasp wasn’t broken and there were no scratches, I put it back on, grateful.

Without meaning to, I had made friends with a ghost.

Just great!