Monday, October 10, 2011

Kansas City Was a Ghost Town

I arrived in Kansas City on a late Tuesday afternoon and would not leave until Friday morning.
While in Kansas City on company business, I would rise early in the morning and would return to my hotel room in the late evening and would grab a cigar, go outside and call my wife. I would return to my room, turn on the TV for the day’s news, grab a bottled water from the fridge and I would sit down and read the Kansas City Star and the USA Today.
Then, I would check my emails, put my phone on charge, press my clothes for the next day and when that was done, I would watch TV from my bed until I fell asleep.
This was pretty much my routine for this trip, but something crazy was going on Thursday night in my room that I have been unable to logically resolve in my mind.
As I said; I was following my nightly routine on Thursday night, except that I packed my two bags, laid out my clothes for the drive home on Friday and put everything else in one location, so that I wouldn’t leave anything behind.
Thursday night, I wanted to catch Part 2 of the George Harrison HBO special, so I watched news until it was time for the special.
Now; here is where it gets crazy.
I want my readers to know this:
1)    I am not making this up.
2)    I did not dream it.
3)    I had not been drinking.
4)    I am not suffering from senility or dementia… to my knowledge.
As I lay on the bed, enjoying the George Harrison special, my refrigerator door opened!
I laid there for a bit looking at the fridge and thinking, “Hmmm; that’s strange”.
So, I got out of bed, shut the refrigerator door a couple of times to see if there was a problem with the door’s latch and decided that there wasn’t.
I got back on the bed and about five minutes later, the refrigerator door opened again!
I determined again that the door was not faulty, but when I closed the door this time, I put one of my bags against it just in case.
Problem solved!
I went back to watching my program, but not for long.
The TV picture started acting up. What had been an excellent high definition broadcast was now grainy and the audio was breaking up. I watched for a little while longer, hoping that it would straighten out, but it didn’t.
I had no choice but to change the channel and hope that I could catch Part 2 of the George Harrison special on another night.
As I lay there watching Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse (probably his best film ever), I heard something above the headboard of my bed.
I fought the notion that I heard something, but then, I heard it again.
It was the sound of someone scratching on the wall above my bed. I heard it at least three more times. I heard it with the lights off, the lights on and with the TV turned all of the way down.
So, I got under my covers and went back to watching Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliot beating up the bad guys.
Then, the covers moved at the end of my bed!
That is to say that it felt like something tugged on the covers at the end of my bed. Swear to God; I am not making this up!
I did not dream it, because, in order to dream, you have to be asleep and I was wide awake, trying to rationalize the refrigerator door, the scratching on the wall and now THIS!
I got up, got a drink of water and crawled back into bed, where I started to surrender to my fatigue.
I was almost asleep when I heard what sounded like radio static. I looked around the room, then got up and walked around the room, trying to find the source of this noise.
Unsuccessful at finding the cause, I got back into bed.
I heard it again and leaned over towards the clock radio that was on my bed stand. Ah Hah! It sounded like the source for the noise, so I hit the “off” button and it stopped.
Finally; I could get some sleep!
I closed my eyes.
The radio static was back!
I reached down and unplugged the clock radio, causing the static to cease. I attempted to fall asleep, but slumber was not coming very easily.
I started my drive home on Friday after about two hours sleep.
I was so troubled by this chain of events that I thought about calling my wife and telling her about it, but I was afraid that she wouldn’t take me seriously. After all; I am soon to be 59 years old and am considered by one or two people to be a reasonable person.
Anyway, I called her and described the paranormal activity. She almost sounded like she believed me. We discussed it and agreed that it was weird.
Upon reflection, this is what I know:
1) None of Thursday night’s activities occurred on Tuesday or Wednesday night.
2) When I attempted to open the refrigerator door on Friday morning to get my pop and water out, I nearly dislocated my shoulder trying to open the door.
3) The noise above my headboard was NOT coming from an adjoining room. My room was at the end of the hall and on a corner. I didn’t HAVE a neighbor on that side.
4) I checked the HBO channel on Friday morning and it was working fine.
5) I will not stay in Room 337 again, because if you add the numbers together, you get 13!
I’m not superstitious.
I’m just sayin’…
TCSS.
The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. This article is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-produced in any form.

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