Wandering American

Back in 2007, I was a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. Savannah is one of the oldest settlements in North America and also has the dubious reputation of being the most haunted city on the continent. There are more haunted buildings there than I can imagine, and the scary thing about it is most of the stories have plenty of substance behind them. The most haunted place in all of Savannah is the CVS Pharmacy building on Broughton Street. I’ve looked forever online to find out why it’s haunted but it’s all info about the ghost tours so please, just let your imagination run wild!

A friend of mine was working there and he had to do some kind of inventory that night so he ended up staying later than usual. I waited around since we were going to a party together afterwords and talked to him as he started getting his stuff ready to go. The final task of his shift was to take some stuff upstairs for storage. The first floor of the building sees some paranormal activity, allegedly, but it’s the second floor where stuff can get crazy. I had only heard stories about this stuff  up until that point and wasn’t sure what to think. None of the girls who worked there were too keen about going with my friend upstairs so I volunteered. Honestly, I wasn’t all that interested in helping him. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!

Turns out the fuss is justified. He had to unlock the second floor door with a special set of keys. We stepped in and it was obvious that they only go in when absolutely necessary. The air smelled stale and musty, like an old, yellowing book that hadn’t been opened in forever. There was lighting in the hallway but it was dull and seemed hazy. A little creepy but nothing I hadn’t experienced before. I followed my friend as he carried a box of stuff into one of the rooms and set it down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark shadow shoot down the hallway. I whipped my head towards the door and called out to my friend. He quickly set down the box and joined me by the door. We each stuck our heads out and looked down both ends of the hall. Every other door was closed and there was nothing to be seen.

Less than a second after I turned the lights off as we exited the storage room, I heard something fall over behind me. I didn’t turn to look. In the blink of an eye I was halfway back to the stairs. Everything in that room had been in neat stacks or filed away in boxes or cabinets. There was absolutely no way something all of a sudden fell over by itself.

I was totally freaked by this time and waited for my friend to catch up with me while I tried to slow my heart rate. We were passing by the last door before the stairs when I heard a distinct, loud child’s giggle, coming from behind the door. I froze. Looked at the door. Then looked to my companion. His eyes were wide and he shook his head slowly. We hurried out and I closed the door like I thought something was chasing after us. With a slam and a key turn, the door was closed and I doubt they decided to file anymore papers on the second floor for a while after that.

My curiosity was sated and I never again went there to help him with his work. In fact, he quit not long after that. I doubt my nerves could handle it if I had to go up there multiple times by myself. He’s a braver man than I am! I was actually doing alright in terms of managing my fear until the child’s laugh. That was the deal breaker right there.