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After Hours

 

At the beginning of this year I lost my job, after several months of unemployment I ended up landing a job with a local cleaning company as a general cleaner.

A few months before I started, one of the buisnesses we clean for had a tragedy. It resulted in a hostage siutation and in the end only the aggressor was injured. They ended up blowing their head off with the same gun they used to hold several people hostage in the office.

The hostage room had already been locked up by the time I started and the company standard was it was not to be used. I don't really know why, it was simply a decision they made.

About three weeks ago the company suddenly decided they would be using the locked office again. Apparently they hired some new employees and one of them said they wouldn't mind using the hostage room.

We had to go in, pull all the furniture out, dust, clean, wipe down stuff and then finally I stripped and waxed the floor. Then we went through and put everything back together. A few of the cleaning company's employees refused to work in the room, due to the fact a few of them were actually involved in the hostage situation.

Because I have a lot of experience working on the floors, I am bascially their one man floor crew. In order to avoid people and unnecessary traffic, I come in at night to clean and wax floors and offices. I come in around 6PM and I leave when I am done with a certian area. Sometimes I am there for 3 hours, sometimes I am there for 8 hours.

One night I was waxing a rather large office when I suddenly heard someone walking down the hall. It was about 1 o'clock in the morning -- no one besides myself should be in the building. I stuck my head out into the hall, I saw nothing and I heard nothing.

I called out, "Hello, is anyone there?" and only silence responded.

I finished up my shift and start to pack up my supplies amd put everything away in the janitor's closet. On my way I have to perform a "security check" to make sure everything is locked and secure. That's when I discover the hostage room door opened about half a foot wide.

Why did this bother me? To begin with, in order to access the building after hours, you have to have a specially programmed fob to unlock the doors. The only other doors to the outside were fire escape doors. The second reason? Each night when I start my shift the first thing I do is go through each and every office and empty out the trash, turn the lights out and lock the doors.

I quietly locked the door to the office again and then did a double check around the building to make sure no one was in the building and then left. Is it possible someone was in the building after hours? Of course it is, but I didn't hear anyone leave the building and the security lock makes a very distinct sound when someone enters or leaves the building.

What was it? I don't really know. It could have been a lot of things, just another thing I chalk up to the unknown.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, JarMan, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

aiafaith1 (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-06)
Oh my. The hostage situation sounds violent, just a bit. I'm not surprised that someone's spirit might be hanging around because of that. Thanks for sharing.

AF1 ❤
PrettyInPain (3 stories) (153 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-06)
Indigo,

I'm so glad to hear it! I was hoping you would choose to pulish someday. I sure do look forward to it, hun! 😊
Indigo (263 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-06)
I probably will after I get a little more situated in everything! There will probably be a series of stories starting around the time I was almost a year old, and continuing to the house I live in now, and "Harry" and the little girl that live here with me, lol.
PrettyInPain (3 stories) (153 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-06)
Darkness/Dan-
Thank you so much! That is so kind of you to say and it sure means a lot to me.

Indigo-
I'm glad you're going to stick around and it's very nice to meet you too! I hope you submit some of your experiences if you'd ever like to do so. 😁
Indigo (263 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Nice to meet you too pip, and thanks for the compliments! They're appreciated! I believe you're in my favorites list also.
DARKNESS (3 stories) (2022 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Indigo, good to meet you aswell, and yes by all means hang out with us we are a good bunch of people a bit weird sometimes but all in good taste lol! 😆 😁
Indigo (263 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Hi Dan, very nice to meet you and everyone else here! I really like the site and the community here. I think I'll just hang out with y'all if you don't mind.
DARKNESS (3 stories) (2022 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Indigo and PrettyInPain, I have been reading and watching your contributions to the site, its good that we have some new regulars on here that can bring extra advice and insight to othe peoples situations and experiences. Great to have you two on board. 😊

Dan
PrettyInPain (3 stories) (153 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Indigo,

You're right, I bet a lot of people don't realize how they sound. I guess I can't empathize because I've always tried to be conscious of my words and how they may effect others. I like the way you have commented and provided information for those in need. You've been on my favorites for a while now. 😉

While there have been fabricated stories here, being rude to those that need help with such a delicate issue just defeats the purpose of this site. I hate seeing people getting treated like crap. Thanks for being so helpful and respectful! ❤
Indigo (263 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Thanks pip. I rarely hold my tongue, but I do try to only give fodder for thought. Sometimes they just don't realize how they sound, and there are many here that, well... Just sound assinine IMHO. I try not to be rude, but when I am, I usually either admit it immediately before, or soon after hahaha. Usually no apology is issued when I AM rude though! (giggling). Nobody wants to be treated rudely, especially a delicate matter like this. For many people, whether their problems are real or imagined, the only 'safe' place to ask for help is online where no one knows them personally... And I find it sad that, when they finally DO sprout the intestinal fortitude to ask people online, they get bashed and treated like crap!
DARKNESS (3 stories) (2022 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Well off he goes again, what tha? Guess he didn't like your comment Indigo! Lol. It would have been great to get to the bottom of this story I liked it! Ohwell these things happen!
PrettyInPain (3 stories) (153 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
To be honest, I've been biting my tongue about JarMan's treatment toward others while it seemed as though every little puff of air he felt was absolutely paranormal in his EXPERT opinion. I don't like the arrogant narcissism I felt from his profile and comments, and I don't like how he treated our mods that work hard to edit and publish our stories. I'm not here to cause drama or argue, which is why I have not addressed this until he so maturely deleted his profile. Think of me as a coward, that's fine with me. But he certainly will not be missed by me.

But Indigo, you have summed it up respectfully and perfectly (as always, my dear). 😊
Mountaineer (4 stories) (176 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
JarMan deleted his account?! Well that's not good... He was one of my favorite posters
Indigo (263 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Jarman, while javelina may be a long time member here, I am new, but still notice the responses that she's talking about.

Not trying to be rude here, but I'm old, I've been around the block a few times, met many people and read many opinions on the net, and while not the rudest poster I've ever met, many of your posts come across as crass, juvenile and very mean spirited and uncaring. I'm sure on here that many people post fake profiles, fake stories etc, but if you're here only to debunk everyones stories in an uncaring manner, why post a reply at all? I'm not attacking, I'm just posting so that maybe you'll reconsider some of your replies before posting them. To many people, these experiences are real, no matter what your opinion is, and instantly trying to debunk before asking questions or posting a gentle reply in order to allow them to feel comfortable and continue is similar to a cop saying "you're a liar, go straight to jail".

Many people are already READY for responses like yours, and I ask you to reconsider each time you post before you hit publish. You wouldn't want someone making you feel criminal after you've already been through enough, would you?
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
[at] JarMan,
You've got it wrong, I actually like the sceptic in you. We need that around here and you know it. You offer others alternative explanations for what they've experienced. But that doesn't mean you can't be held to the same standards that you expect of others. It's just that simple. If you frown on someone else doing it you can't expect others not to notice when you commit the same action. I have expressed my opinion already, and I won't go into this same thing back and forth all night. It doesn't accomplish anything. You know where I stand, that's all. I don't know why you are so worried about what I have to say anyway. It's not like I have any clout here. Quite the opposite. But I won't be addressing this again, I have nothing more to say on the matter.

Jav
JarMan (guest)
+3
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
It could have been a lot of things, like I said. Although, as far as the whole fob thing goes, not any one single company operates on a fob system or uses the same security system - but I am not about to argue that point there.

[at] Javelina - Tell yourself whatever you need to at night. You weren't simply discussing the story at hand, you were making a personal attack on my own judgement and character and that's fine.

I actually realized why I left this place before, simply put, because whenever someone is faced with a bit of skepticism, you are suddenly met with anger.

I've given people options to explore other ideas outside of the idea of the paranormal and all I've earned myself is a community stalker and a terrible reputation.

Anyways, there are a lot of things that could have happened, who knows? Someone very well could have stayed in the building after hours, but I don't believe I wouldn't have heard him leave the building. Anyone's guess is as good as mine.
Indigo (263 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
By the way, jarman, your area is pretty well known for security, as if I'm not mistaken, you live close to where many people have to use a "TWIC" identification system closer to the water...
Indigo (263 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Jarman, as I was posted as a security guard in a power plant using the fob system (I know yours isn't a power plant, I think it's a school system but it works the same) I can tell you that the fobs go into a central system that security or human resources can check and monitor daily. I think what probably happened in this situation is that someone stayed late for administrative purposes. As a security guard I'd often make my rounds, find doors unlocked or feel someone there. I'd call out and have no reply. After getting annoyed and walking into offices and closets etc, I'd fund the culprit there...asleep, or engrossed in their work. Only one case was different in that the guy just couldn't hear me, due to the same acoustic tiling that are in many school
Buildings and their administrative office buildings.

I think that, although there may be bad energy surrounding your work place, I really don't feel that this is the result of a haunting or anything else paranormal. I think that you were alone at night working, young, possibly impressionable, and since you THOUGHT that you were alone and nobody else could be there, it gave you the creeps (no offense meant) which heightened your alerts and intensified your feelings.

I honestly do think you should report this, as, even though it may seem minor to you, fob systems are used in pretty high risk facilities, such as schools, power plants, prominent factories, etc, and although it's quite common for high ranking fob users to "fob in" (even in the middle of the night or on vacations) it's better to err on the side of safety.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
JarMan,
Believe it or not, I am not after you. I am merely holding you to the same standards you hold others to when you comment on their experiences. And for you to be upset over that is simply puzzling to me. I don't understand how you can tell someone in a comment on their experience that
"Animals are animals and will act weird, it doesn't mean they see a spirit, it means they are an animal and will do whatever it is they want to do."

Then in your own account of what you are experiencing in your apartment, you say
"Except in my apartment. The dog refuses to leave the sight of any of us. A normally happy-go-lucky puppy, changed into a sniveling coward, the dog will simply sit on the couch and whimper, shiver and cry until it leaves the apartment"
And this was one of your reasons to question
"So I've asked myself, do I have a unseen roommate?"

Do you see how that can cause confusion for some of us? Being the sceptic amidst so many believers is fine. As long as you don't use it only when it's convenient. It has to mean the same for you as it does for others. If not, why even bother?

Jav

~PS~Threatening to turn me into the site Admin does not change a thing. I am only holding you to the standards you, yourself have laid out.
JarMan (guest)
-2
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Another quite reasonable possibility is the fact that the doors have a weird locking mechanism. You have to hold the handle a way and then turn the key all the way to the right to unlock it.

Once your unlock it, you have to turn the key all the way in the other direction and turn the handle again to re-lock it.

There's always that chance I actually went to lock the door, and I actually didn't.
JarMan (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
[at] Javelina - I am more then willing to have a discussion with you, but it's painfully obvious you are simply making this a personal agenda.

I haven't said it was for certain paranormal. I already said that. I also know there are a lot of other things that it could have been.

I am though, almost certain there wasn't another living person in the building, as I have already covered those bases.

The fact of the matter is, it could have been a lot of things and honestly, when you are in a building by yourself, at night, you tend to pick up on almost every single nose. Sometimes people mistake them for other things.

As of writing this post, there hasn't been any other activity so to speak in the office complex.

As for the open door in question, even if I had wanted them to check it, all doors inside the building are standard doors, there are no security logs for it.

Javelina I have no problem discussing possibilities with you, but that isn't what you are doing, you are simply attacking my person. If you continue to behave in such a fashion I am going to have to contact a site administrator, there is absolutely no need for that kind of behavior on this website.
Nysa (4 stories) (685 posts)
-1
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Well since it requires calling in the security company they probably would not be interested in checking the log, based on one instance of an open door that you are sure you closed, but could be mistaken about & phantom footsteps when you feel confident no living person at least, entered the building. Also, I suppose that with some of the victims still working there they really might not want to hear about strange events associated with that room.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
[at] JarMan,
So does that mean you were already convinced it was paranormal in nature? That no other explanation would suffice? Because if that's the case here, then you tell me where you drew that line. You know, the line you so vehemently accuse others of crossing so willingly?
Sorry, but I have to believe that if you were certain you had secured that door there should at least be some doubt in your mind. And as I stated in my previous comment, considering what had occurred there, you might have at least considered it to be something reportable. If not, why? There could have been any number of reasons why that door had opened back up. You know this as well as I do. You were the one who chose to submit the experience here. That tells me you went straight for the paranormal explanation first. Something you are steadfastly against.
What's up with that?

Jav
JarMan (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
[at] Javelina - I didn't report it for a few reasons.

1. A cleaning staff comes in before me to do most of the major cleaning once the office is closed. They are supposed to do a primary security check and lock down all the offices.

2. When I come in, I check all the garbage and then re-lock all the doors.

3. When I leave I am supposed to do one more security check and re-check all the doors to to make sure they are locked and secured. I am also required to do a outside security check.

4. The fobs are programmed to only let certain employees in after a certain time. Most of them cannot get back into the office after hours with a few exceptions.

5. I believe the front door with the extra security is designed that was on purpose to be noisy to allow people to know someone is coming in or going.

6. Opening any fire escape doors to enter or exit the building would set an alarm off at the office and another one at the fire department.

7. I only heard the one time occurrence of foot steps. There was nothing else after that.

If I felt that the business was in any real danger of having been broken into, I would have called my manager, as that is the proper protocol for me.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
JarMan,
I'm just going to say what you would say if you were reading this.
Hearing footsteps and having a door opened after you were certain you had closed it earlier is not a flimsy excuse. Especially considering what this company has been through previously. The fact that they had a hostage situation in the not so distant past would make reporting something of this nature a top priority. Frankly, I'm surprised that this did not cross your mind at all. 😕

Jav
JarMan (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Just a office building and some of the local schools. It's actually not that excessive. They have a lot of expensive computers and stuff there.
Mountaineer (4 stories) (176 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Durn that's some pretty tight security... Where do you work, the mint?
JarMan (guest)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
A fob is basically a small magnetic, programmable device you carry on your key chain. When you need to get into a building you hold it up to a censor. Depending on the security clearance you have, it will open the door for you.

I guess there's more explaining needed. The inside of the building uses standard keys, I have a universal key, so I can unlock any of the rooms or offices on the inside of the building.

In order to access the building AFTER HOURS, you need a security fob with the proper clearance. Once you use your fob, the door makes a loud clanking sound you can hear halfway across the building at night (because it uses powerful magnets to lock the doors) and it makes a buzzing sound on top of it.

During the evening I worked, at no point did I hear the front door open, the only other ways to access the building being fire escapes (they only open one way) and windows that only open about 6 inches wide.
Mountaineer (4 stories) (176 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
Sorry for the double post but I forgot to include this in the last comment... Whats a fob?
Mountaineer (4 stories) (176 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-09-05)
This is a creepy story. Certainly all the energy produced during something as traumatic as a hostage situation, combined with the taking of one's own life, would be enough to create an entity. This is a great story, and if the spirit of the hostage-taker is still roaming your office I hope that he moves on... And that his mental state will be taken into account come judgement day.

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