Halloween, it’s a time for many things.
Kids get creative with their costumes in the pursuit of free candy, while little ones look cute in outfits their parents picked for them (my neighbours son was Bam Bam last year). Adults also get into it wanting to have the best costume for the party they are going to.
You can’t forget about scary movies. I used to watch Friday the 13th (made in 1980 with a budget of $550,000), Nightmare on Elm Street and Gremlins, among others. I haven’t really watched a scary movie in a long time, so I think that is something I want to do this year. Friday the 13th kind of scared me. When my friends and I were done watching and I went home, I sprinted up the hill like Usain Bolt. I swore I started hearing ‘cha cha cha’ in my head. I knew it was unlikely that Jason Voorhees was behind me, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
Like Christmas, Halloween inspires people to decorate their homes with carved pumpkins at their doorstep or get a bit more creative (our Wednesday paper featured the LaFlammes, who go the distance getting thrills from scaring people). I have a neighbour that puts us to shame with the amount of stuff he sets up. Another neighbour drew motivation from him with a witch hanging from the door, fake spiders along the wall and a few ghosts. That just reminded me of another cool movie, Ghostbusters. Such a classic.
The topic of ghosts is why I’m writing this. I don’t believe in them. The other morning I saw a story out Victoria posted on Facebook about Camosun College’s Young Building. It’s where I began my journey into media in the Applied Communication Program. Many believe the Young Building is haunted. It was built in 1913 as a school and was used as a military hospital during the Second World War. The history motivated ACP students to do video projects on it. Most were very interesting and just about every one of them touched on the theme of it being haunted.
I had a couple of frightening experiences while working on an assignment. The first one I’m certain was just heavy winds, but it scared me enough to stop working on my audio assignment and head home. I was also alone on the third floor, which is where all of our classes were on and studios.
I was having another one of my late nights working on an assignment. It wasn’t unusual for myself and classmates to be working late into the evening. There were a few all-nighters for some. I needed to use the washroom. As I was returning to the room to keep working, I’m not sure why, but I looked to my left when I saw the image of a person at the opposite end of the hall walk across. Back then, the only people who were ever on that floor late into the evening were us ACP students. So I decided to holler, but the person didn’t respond.
So I hustled in that direction checking some doors, which were locked. I went down the stairs onto the second floor and nothing. I turned the handles on every single door. Most were closed and the rooms open were empty. I know what you may be thinking, why continue this pursuit, especially if you don’t believe in ghosts. I had to know that what I saw actually existed. I went down to the first floor. Same thing. Nothing.
I raced back upstairs to the third floor and check all the doors I could. There was no one in the classrooms that were unlocked.
All I was thinking is what the heck, I know I saw something. I was officially freaked out. I was also done working, as there was no way I would be able to concentrate.
Whenever I think about that, I still shake my head in disbelief.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, have a Happy Halloween.
Emanuel Sequeira is the sports editor for the Penticton Western News. He can be reached at sports@pentictonwesternnews.com.