Night Guard 2

The continuation of the first that got a much better response then I ever thought it would. Needless to say after the man had vanished, I was beginning to see why so many Officers would not stay on this post very long.

I was standing in the middle of the field where the man had turned and faced me, shotgun in hand I wasn't afraid of much. I decided with the way the weather was going and not being very familiar of the surrounding areas I should return to my jeep and make one last attempt to find the boy or the man from the safety of the vehicle. I returned to my jeep that's when I decided to take a long hard look at the tracks the two had made. I went to the point between the buildings where the boy had "appeared", the tracks were small and that's when I realized that the tracks only started from that point, as if it was staged for me to see. It was dark between the buildings but the ground was soft and pliable the concrete walkway was a good 10 feet from the spot the tracks began.

The boy was barefoot this much I could see from the tracks he left, then it hit me that the concrete was so far from the point of the first track. This meant either the boy had been waiting or simply materialized at that location. I found it hard to believe the boy would start in a full run (which the tracks had indicated was the case) in the exact position without having other tracks around the area that would show that he was merely waiting. Being puzzled by these tracks I found the one's from the man, they had a different story to tell. The tracks were from work boots with well worn tread they indicated that the man had a slumped posture showing he leaned to the left. The boot prints were from either a 10 or 11 size boot, showing that the man was probably around 5"11" to 6'0" high and weighed around 200 to 220 pounds.

Now knowing his size I made it a point to be more observant, he would have outweighed me by a good 30 pounds (at this point in my life). The tracks did seem to be only waiting they even showed that he was pacing, the only problem was there were no tracks leading to this point. The concrete walkways were close, but not close enough to not leave any tracks. I then made it a point to find my tracks, I even found the tracks from me and the Officer making our tour through the grounds from earlier, but he was wearing black sneakers not boots so that ruled his tracks and my tracks from my military boots out. I got back in my jeep after standing around staring at the ground trying to figure things out, I decided whoever they were they weren't there anymore. I then returned to the security office and sat around and even got something to eat before I made another round.

I decided to walk this round thinking stealth would be the best way if the two from earlier were still in the area. The rain had let up and it was cool and comfortable, I made my way through the first building without anything unusual and then made my way to the break room area. I went in from the back door took a leak, and splashed my face with water from the sink to help me wake up a bit better. I heard faint singing coming from the break room; I was standing there in front of the sink looking at my reflection and said aloud, "What the hell is wrong with that radio..." I entered the break room went over to the radio and turned it off and unplugged it; I started to leave when a sort of déjà hit me. I had unplugged the radio earlier and even moved it to a different spot, but there it was again sitting in its original spot plugged in and turned on.

I decided to try something different this time, I picked up the radio found a cabinet and placed it inside then shut the cabinet. I checked the windows and both doors to make sure they were locked and exited the building. I walked around outside in no particular order and just walked into a building find a place to sit down and just listen to see if anyone else was around. I completed this round with nothing out of the ordinary happening other than the radio again. I returned to the security office and called my wife to see how things were at the house, and see what she thought about the things I had observed already. While talking to her on the phone I noticed shadows making their way around in the darkness of the dim building that the security office was attached to. Not going into the "well" lit areas but coming close enough that you could see it there, as this was happening. I relayed these observations to my wife. She didn't say anything at first but the longer it happened and the closer the shadows got my voice must have changed. She started to ask if I was imagining these shadows. I've always been a pretty rational and unimaginative person and a bit of a "smartass" so I told her if I was I wished I was this good when I was kid.

The shadows continued making an appearance. So I decided it would be best if I got of the phone and go back to work or at least walk through the building to see if it was just tricks of light or something along those lines. I told her that I would call her latter and went to hang up, she said don't get scared whatever it is probably doesn't want to hurt you. I told her I was fine and not to worry, I wasn't all that worried, just curious at this point. I walked down the corridor of the huge building that had all the machines with the familiar yellow florescent paint showing the way. I had my flashlight and a pistol, what more could you ask for in this situation? I checked around all the machines and behind any tool boxes and anything else big enough to hide a person and found nothing out of the ordinary. I then walked outside and had a cigarette and try and make since of what I had seen.

While I was enjoying the peace of the night and my lucky strike non filter my cell phone rang reveille. The colonel had decided it was time to check in with me. I answered my phone the normal way, "Hello". A light hearted voice on the other end said, "Hey JP, have you shot Casper yet?" All I could think to say was, "Don't be a jackass, you should come out here and stay awhile..." He added, "Don't shoot Casper, remember he's a friendly ghost and besides he still owes me twenty bucks..." I could see my boss was in a good mood at least, so I asked him where he was. He informed him that he was around the corner at the gas station and was going to stop by.

A short time latter I saw the Colonels car pull into the dirt lot of the complex were the employees parked. We exchanged greetings and then entered the gate to the property. I began asking questions about the property and surprisingly he wasn't skeptical at all about the place. He said he had stayed the night watching the property before and had seen plenty of things that spooked him. I then asked him if he had any problems with the radio being turned on and off even if it was unplugged and nobody was around. I thought it best not to mention that I had moved it from its place several times and returned later and found it right back were it was to begin with. We continued to walked the property and I showed him were the tracks were and explained as in much detail as I could, about the boy and the man who I chased into the field. He looked a bit skeptical but had served in the Army as I had and knew I wasn't prone to making things up.

We were near the break room so I went and unlocked the door. We went into a dark cold room with the nice soothing sounds of music playing. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at the radio which was now right were it shouldn't be, I looked over at my boss who was just looking around the room.

Then only thing I could think to say was, "Like country music?" He looked at me with a smile and said, "Let me guess that's the radio you were talking about earlier?" I indicated that it was but still didn't want to tell him I had put it in a cabinet about an hour ago. I went over and turned the radio off and unplugged it while he was watching so the next time if it was on he would have his proof that I wasn't stringing him along. I then went and checked the door and locked it back and then went into the bathroom with him in tow. We exited the back door which I also locked while he observed and we started of towards and old "car" port that had a tractor from 1918 under it with some other older farm equipment around.

I then asked about the female guard that was there the night before and what scared her so bad that she had to leave. He said he spoke to her and she was hysterical and wouldn't listen to a word he had to say, so he called the guard I relieved and asked if he would go in early. He said when the other guard arrived the female officer had locked herself in the security room and wouldn't leave until the other officer walked her to her car. In that time she had talked to the other guard about ghosts, shadows and voices talking in the building but when she went to the voices, there was nobody around. That scared her so bad that she started running to the security room down the long florescent yellow walk way, when she got close to the end a cat jumped from one of the pieces of machinery and landed on her. In the process it scratched her face and left arm, by the time she got to the security door to unlock it she said she heard laughing from the building behind her.

We began walking and continued our conversation and I made it a point to walk back towards the break room area. Along the route to the break room he asked if I had heard any voices tonight. I indicated that I hadn't but would keep my ears open for a message about winning the lottery if that's what he wanted. He said he was happy to get a rational person working out here that was creditable and not easily scared by strange goings on. I told him to hold that thought as we approached the door to the break room.

I checked the door; it was still locked just like the many times before. I then took out my key unlocked the door then opened it, the air was cool just like before the room was still dark and the sound of music was all you could hear. My boss stood there for a second almost as if he didn't hear the music and kind of had an expression on his face like, "what the heck are we back in here for..." Then I noticed a change in the look, he finally realized that the radio was on.

He stood silent for a minute or two; I let the thoughts sink in a little and waited for the question. I must have looked like a kid at fat camp that just found a piece of candy in my pocket, all I could say was, "You like country music?" Now he seemed speechless but managed to find the words, "You unplugged that didn't you?" I said, "Yep, put it in a cabinet too..." He seemed to become a bit white as if the blood to his brain had stopped flowing, his lack of words and expression showed that the "hamster wheel in his head" might need some WD-40 to get it to work right. After a minute of complicated thinking he seemed to have become comfortable with the fact that I had the only keys and we were alone on the property, so logical thinking was out the door. I again unplugged the radio turned it off and placed it in the cabinet again, then went out the front door with him still trying to figure it out in tow.

I walked him to the security office and gave him the payroll so he could finish it and make sure everybody got paid for the week. I then asked who I was expecting in the morning for relief. He told me it would be the same officer from earlier; I said you know he carries a gun don't you? He looked and said, "Yeah it's kind of like his wooby (a child's safety blanket) he doesn't have any bullets. So I just ignore it, besides he's the only one who will work out here..." I said as long as your good with it I don't care, I just had to mention it to make sure my butt doesn't get chewed on for it.

With that we parted ways and I returned to the security office to gather my stuff and get ready to go home. I decided I didn't want to return to the break room anymore because the radio would just start annoying me even more if I kept having to turn it off. So I just sat back in the duct tape chair and waited for the time to go by. I had the door to the security room open that way I could hear any cars approaching and meet the people at the front gate. I had just started to get comfortable when I heard laughing and talking coming from the back of the building.

I thought about what my boss had said in regards to the female officer on hearing voices so I decided what the heck, time for some fun. I went out of the security office and exited the building through a side door and walked down the side of the building. I got to the back of the building where the large door was open as it was the entire night, sure enough I still heard the talking but couldn't make out anything that was being said right away but the tone in which the voices were speaking were not what I would call friendly. I tried to stay low and keep my breathing controlled as to be as stealth as I could, the voices continued to speak but all I could make out was, garbled gossip at best.

The first voice was softer as if further away from my position, but the voice closer was harsh as an old smoker with a heavy southern drawl. I decided to tap the wall with my flashlight to see what response if any I could get from the act. The voices continued to speak as if I hadn't done anything at all, so I walked around the corner into the building. The voices got quieter as I entered the building kind of like what happens if you walk up on an inappropriate conversion. I turned my flashlight on and looked around but I didn't see anybody. The voices stopped talking so I thought it best to just go on like I hadn't heard them in the first place and returned to the security office.

My relief finally arrived a little later than was expected but I didn't mind. The same guard from the night before he looked as if he hadn't even slept but had a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. He started off with, "Your still here? Thought you would be too scared to stay the whole night..." I told him that I'd been in worse places before and that I didn't know what all the fuss is about. He seemed stunned by this statement; he followed up his surprised expression with, "You didn't see any ghosts..." I was having fun at this point and said," I don't believe in Casper, you should really get more rest if your seeing things, need a vacation?"

My sense of humor is a bit off to say the least but his face made lying worth it.