Monday 4 June 2007

The Ghost In the Machine!

So, the second part of the double-header as promised, detailing my experience with the supernatural, although as with my UFO sightings, I never actually saw a ghost, although I do believe it made its presence very clear to me, as I shall recount to you now.

Around the year 2000, I think it was, I was working in a very large sawmill, operating some gargantuan machine which spewed out boards at an alarming rate. As, everything was automated, there were just myself and an older guy working in that area of the mill. That part of the mill had been built just the year previous, maybe 2 years earlier, and during construction, a Swedish guy, who had been overseeing the operation was inadvertently killed by a rather large vehicle. The details of which are rather grisly and slightly dubious, so I won't divulge them here.

Anyhow, I was working away there one day, it was a nice sunny day, I was fairly relaxed I guess, I think it was a Friday, so the week was almost over. Next thing, I sensed someone running up behind me, and I thought they were going to grab the back of my neck. I suspected it was the fork-lift driver who worked at the end of our line, as he often came in with new orders or to realy some problem with the conveyor, and that was the sort of thing he'd do. Because, the machinery was elevated, about 7 feet off the ground we were working on this wooden flooring, and so I felt the vibrations as though someone was running up behind me, and at the same time, I had looked down and saw a shadow coming up from behind me.

So, given all of those indications that I was about to be grabbed from behind (I even felt as though I was grabbed, afterwards), you can imagine the surprise I got when I turned around and there was nobody there. I got a real scare. I went to see "Anon" who worked with me, but was at the far end of the machine, and at that time out of sight. I said to him, quite seriously, "I think this place is haunted!" He was a fairly sober guy, so I thought he would chide me and tell me not to be ridiculous, but au contraire. He replied "Yes, but he's a friendly ghost, he likes to knock things over for a laugh, he doesn't mean any harm!"

I've never forgotten that encounter and frequently wonder if the Swedish guy was trying to get my attention, as it seemed that he was "allegedly" held partially responsible for his own death, when rumours to the contrary suggested that, he was probably entirely blameless. No further comment!