June 1968, after two years of planning and building, Astro Land (companion piece to the Houston Astrodome-the world's first domed stadium) opens with a flourish. Built on swamp land, a couple of miles later, the 1.00 purchase becomes a boon for Fred Hofheinz. Ten years later, Hofheinz sells Astro Land to Six Flags Corporation for a heck of a lot more than 1.00.
March 1992. Wrapping up several months of construction, hundreds of Contractors roam the park, putting on finishing touches for opening day, a week from now. I was wrapping up a night shift of patrol and about to head back to "Station Zero", when something catches my eye. Walking south to north, a man in a brown suit is going through the park. I decide to follow him to see what he is up to.
The reason the man caught my attention is that his suit is at least thirty years out of date. Not only that, he's wearing a hat. Who wears a hat anymore? It's not a fedora; it's one of those hats that go with the suit, when men wore those types of hats-in the 1950's.
I follow him for about a quarter mile. He's walking in general areas, not having to navigate doors or gates. Finally, he makes it to the oriental section. This time, he is either going to have use a gate or a door, instead he walks up to a wall, and through it, and vanishes. The wall is on the east side of the restaurant. What I saw makes absolutely no sense. I never see him again.
April 1992. It is late in the month and the park will open full time in just a couple of weeks. It is warm outside as summer has made an early appearance. I bought a soda from a machine in the Mexican area. I need to sit down. Its two hours into the night shift and the Supervisor has been running me. I'll take my break, and then head in to do some paperwork before resuming my patrols.
The oriental restaurant runs its air conditioning full blast during the day. At night, the building retains its coolness. I go in and sit down. I'm a couple of sips into my drink when all of the windows and doors rattle-as if the building is being battered by a category three hurricane. The banging and rattling go on for ten seconds, then stops. My neck hair on end and my nerves rattled, I get up and head back to station zero.
I have no idea if the two occurrences are linked. I only mentioned the incident to a sister years later. The park is torn down fourteen years later. Only an open expanse of land marks where two generations of Houstonians spent their summer.
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