SCARY NIGHT IN THE BASEMENT!

Ok, around 10pm I was at a loss for what I would write about today (and I've only had the blog online for 1 day). Not that I'm a boring guy…but it was just a boring day. I had this idea to post a picture of a hot chick in a bikini and talk about that. It just was not materializing in my brain so I logged off and went downstairs to check DVR #2 for any unwatched gems.

Now, Wednesday night is GHOST-HUNTERS night on Sci-Fi Channel. I love this show! If you're not familiar with it, the Sci-Fi Channels sends camera crews to follow T.A.P.S. (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) as they go on various investigations. Now, I REALLY want to believe in ghosts. However, since I have had ZILCH in the realm of paranormal encounters, I cannot say if they definitely exist. However, it drives me nuts when people say, "Ghosts do not exist." This would be like if in 1980 someone said, "The giant squid does not exist." And now in 2009-10 we have confirmed they do indeed exist. All I can say is I do think that something must be out there that humans cannot explain or fully come into contact with.

So, I'm watching an old episode on the DVR and the TAPS crew is in New York at the Iron Island Museum. They get some decent evidence from their night of investigations: a door unlocked and opened on its own, footsteps were heard in the attic, voices were heard, etc… The thing I forgot to mention about the show is that some weeks the TAPS crew finds - NOTHING. For me that adds so much more legitimacy to the program. I mean if every Wednesday they were finding ghosts, I'd be saying, "Give me a break." But some weeks they find nothing or go a step further and manage to disprove a person's claims of supernatural experiences. It's worth noting that the weeks that nothing happens are usually the weeks I have talked a friend into watching the show…then they invariably call me up and go, "Thanks for wasting my time." Hey, they can't all carry the weight of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

Back to the episode in question, I'm in the basement alone (except for my loyal TV cat who is at my right hand) watching the show. Then near the end the TAPS crew find a piece of evidence that just made me bust out in goosebumps (seriously). At a point in the investigation one member, Dave Tango, is in the attic being a bit profane in hopes of stirring up an entity. Nothing had happened. However, when the team is reviewing the evidence they came across an EVP on the tape. Now, any loyal viewer of this program knows that EVP stands for "electronic voice phenomenon" which in essence is a voice that can be picked up on tape but cannot be heard originally by human ears.

Dave Tango is talking away and then clear as day on tape (and creepy as hell) a voice responds…LEAVE-ME-ALONE.

HOLY SHIT!

My scare-meter went 10.0 immediately. Just the tone of the voice made my stool a little more free-flowing. This was the kind of jolt that harkend back to the 1970's when In Search of (with the tag-team of Leonard Nimoy's voice and that eerie theme music) would give me nightmares…hell it gave me Daymares! That show scared me so much, after an episode on Jack the Ripper I wouldn't go down in my basement to get the laundry if I was surrounded by a group of priests (armed with crucifixes and machine ghuns). Keep in mind I was 12 (not exactly little) and it was June, sunny, and 1pm in the afternoon. No sir. After watching that shit I knew Jack the Ripper was down in my basement just waiting for me on the hot afternoon in Michigan.

Leave-me-alone! Fuck did that give me the willies.

Do I believe in ghosts? I'm hopeful that something is out there beyond our grasp because it makes the world a more exciting place. However, if ghosts do exist, then there is no reason they should ever need to be bothering any condo owners in Michigan. To all my fellow condo owners, you are welcome!

And before I forget…Jack the Ripper, I know you were down in my family's damn basement back in 1982. How you got out, I'll never know but that day I was just too clever for you!

-Barrel