Here's that one exception, MB. Let me preface it by restating that I'm a total, complete 100% skeptic but with a total, complete 100% open mind and I will admit that I have no explanation for things I experienced and will say so, even though - to me - there is a logical, non-supernatural reason that just hasn't been found yet (call me stubborn). When I do ghost-hunting, the ghost-hunters I ghost-hunt with like that because most do believe in ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy-beasties and things that go bump in the night and they know it's good to have someone who is 1) fully skeptical to challenge them and find logical answers, and 2) is not the least bit afraid of the rappings, moanings, footsteps, slammings, etc. and instead of running from it will run right to it.
Also, still in the preface, I have experienced many things that would cause one to flee down the old, slanted staircase and out the rickety, creaking door, but those were not a part of ghost-hunting - they were a part of places I just happened to stay or be in, like the supposedly haunted house of friends I lived in when they were on vacation, a haunted museum and a haunted Y I worked in. What I'm about describe is the occurrences during a ghost-hunting, not just from the fortune of being in a haunted locale. If one would like to hear about those incidents, maybe I could relate them in an appropriate Halloweenish thread.
Like I said, I have done several ghost-hauntings including in spots found in the many literary collections about famous haunts, from abandoned hotels to old cemetaries and nothing happened. This particular ghost-hunting experience - planned to be such, with all the investigating methods - was in the house of a friend-of-a-friend where other-worldly things reportedly happened. Four of us participated, with an overnight stay. After a wonderful evening dinner in a local, popular eatery, we returned to the house - we even had a couple dogs in tow since they're supposedly "sensitive" - for a post-supper cocktail hour. The one witness to the events filled us in on activities and where in the old house they occurred. Knowing my beans about investigations, we headed to those places. One was at the bottom of the basement staircase where a powerful "presence" or "force" would be felt. Looking around, I found it: up above was a metal airduct covered by scores of electrical wiring. Ghost number one set to rest. There were others accounted for putting them to rest as well. We conducted a seance of sorts, all four in the most haunted bedroom, a single candle lit, lights off, and just sitting around (I sat on the floor) and questions and requests were made to anyone - or anything - that was there. Nothing happened until the owner of the house said he strongly felt - he knew - something was in the long, walk-in closet. Without hesitation, I walked straight into the dark chamber and found...nothing.
It was time to go to bed. We paired off. As an "experienced ghost-hunter," I knew it was imperative to never be alone - first, any experience has to be corroborated by two witnesses and, second, being alone, even as a skeptic, allows for the "frights" and an overactive imagination. I and a friend shared one room; the two other friends another (the dogs were with them). We fell asleep.
I woke up, tossed a bit, settled back down and then I heard it: a closed fist knocking on the wood trim around a door frame to "most haunted" bedroom next to us. I laid there, listening, and then I whispered to my friend next to me: "Are you awake?"
He took a deep breath and answered: "Yes."
"Do you hear that? I inquired.
"Yes."
"What do you hear?" Ghost-busting again: ask what he hears instead of putting the thought of the it in his head - "what do you hear," not "do you hear that knocking?."
"A rapping. Somebody's knocking outside our room."
We remained still and it continued and then I whispered: "Let's very quietly get up and go to the door. Don't look out until I say so." We did, not making a sound getting out of the bed, sliding across the floor until we got to the open door and pressed ourselves along the wall, the hard, knuckle-knocking continuing.
"When I count to three," I silently told him, "we look."
I counted up and at three we both simultaneously thrust our heads out into the hallway and looked in the direction of the sound. The very second we did, it stopped. We then went down to the open door of the empty bedroom, went inside and looked around, including the long, walk-in closet. Nothing. We crept down the corridor to the room where our friends were sleeping and looked in. Both were there, sound asleep, as well as the dogs.
The next morning, we told them what happened - they heard nothing. Then they asked me, the skeptic, for my explanation. I did have one. Close to where the knocking echoed there was a laundry chute door. The owner stated that sometimes the water-heater by where it emptied in the basement made clanking sounds. We tried to imitate them to see if they would echo against the wood door frame two floor above, but we couldn't.
So, I really have no explanation. What was it? A ghost? Skeptics like me leave that answer for those who aren't.
Gerard
