617 words (2 minute read)

Diary entry of Tammy Cohen, dated September 21, 1974

The ghost has finally appeared—to Eric of all people!  Or so he says.  Jeff and I were in the middle of taping a session with Smithy when all of a sudden, I heard what sounded like an elephant stampeding down the staircase.  The next thing I knew, Eric came flying into the hallway and might have kept on running until he’d punched a Wile E. Coyote-shaped hole through the wall had Jeff not caught him.  It took us a while to calm him down long enough to stand still and to give us anything coherent.  Eric insisted he wanted to get out of Trevor Hall, so we walked him over to the gatehouse and he’s been there ever since. 

He thinks he saw a shadowy figure in the hallway.  Whatever it was, it scared the daylights out of him.  Of course, Jeff and I went back and checked out the rooms to make sure no one from outside had made their way inside unbeknownst to us.  Everything was in order.  The cats were jumpy, but that’s nothing new.  Most likely they were spooked by Eric’s behavior.  We’re lucky his anxiety didn’t communicate itself to Smithy.  Rather, I’m lucky, since I’ve been Smithy’s babysitter all day.  Jeff has decided to keep Eric company down at the gatehouse to comfort him.  

I made a care package of necessities for Eric, then I took our boy for a long walk on his leash and brought him home to read picture books and work on his signs.  Smithy’s napping now.  He’s been remarkably good, considering.  With luck, he’ll stay this way for the rest of the afternoon. He can start bouncing off the walls when the others come home from town.

Eric has me stymied.  I’ve always considered him one of the most level-headed people in the household, albeit something of a goofball.  If anybody were going to see the ghost of Trevor Hall, I’d have expected it to be Gail. She’s emotional and suggestible.  Not Eric. 

I tried to kid him about what had happened once we’d established no one was in the house.  I asked if the phantom had threatened him.  Did it have glowing red eyes and tentacles that reached for him, etc.  He wasn’t biting.  Then I sobered up and asked him to tell me in his own words what had happened.  He replied, “I already did.”  I urged him to write down his account of what he witnessed.  That’s what’s generally done after a supernatural occurrence, I think.  I suggested I could send it to Reid, as he might be aware of other accounts from previous occupants to which he could compare it and figure out what Eric really saw.  Eric wasn’t receptive to that suggestion either.

“You’re going to use it against me,” he said.  “If I write something down, you’ll hold onto it and use it to embarrass me in the future.  Maybe when I’m applying for tenure.”  In other words, he’s afraid the ghost sighting will come back to haunt him.  Ha!  I thought it was funny, but when I made the joke aloud, Eric never cracked a smile. 

That’s when I realized no matter what actually happened this morning, Eric truly believes that he saw a ghost.  I’m not sure why he should, but he is genuinely shaken.  I have to respect that.  I can’t imagine what could have driven him to this point. What on Earth did he see?

I can’t wait to talk to Ruby about this when she gets back from shopping.  Moreover, I can’t wait to see what Wanda’s reaction is going to be!

Next Chapter: Memo from Wanda Karlewicz to Piers Preis-Herald, dated September 21, 1974