BurnSide's Ghost Encounter

[BurnSide]

Okay, it's about time i shared with you all my very own personal ghost story.

However, i'm a skeptic so i barely believe it myself. It's just what i felt, it's so hard to explain.

This is in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. More specifically Barrhaven, a small suburban area a few miles out of the city surrounded buy fields and wooded areas.

September 14th, 2001

Walking alongside the outskirts of Barrhaven, you can see nothing but fields and trees to one side of you. But at a certain point, if you look real closely, you can see a very overgrown gravel path, the remains of what might have once been a gravel driveway at one point. Me and some friends explored this small overgrown gravel path to see where it lead. It took us about 5 mins to walk down the path, and at the end of it we were fighting through trees and bush. And suddenly, we emerged from the trees and the bushes into a square area on the edge of a field.

It was full with overgrown grass and weeds, and in the middle was one large gray cement area, in the shape of a house. No house, just a gray cement area. Interestingly enough, NO overgrown nature touched this gray area. It was perfectly smoothe, untouched, like it was made that way. In the corner of this area under the trees was a huge pile of rotting and decaying furniture. A smashed TV, a couch ripped to shreds, a bed with all the springs sticking out. A few broken wooden chairs and tables. Even a fridge.

Now, we came to the obvious conclusion that this spot is what remains of a house that used to be here. The driveway, overgrown. The furniture, and the gray cement area where the house used to be. But, why was it like this? Where had the house gone? Why was the furniture stacked up? Maybe the place had burned to the ground and was left deserted.

Now, that's when things got a little scary. There WAS one thing on the cement gray area. A couch. One solitary couch, orange and brown in colour. We thoight this was very odd, and moved in to investigate. But upon stepping on the cememt we felt something. Something awful. Like a presence of pain or anger. Still, we checked out the couch. It was actually bolted down to the ground, raising only further questions. I didn't sit on it but Mark did. He jumped back up suddently, saying he felt like he was on fire.

To my amazement and suprise, the couch sank inwards next to where Mark sat. By itself. Like some invisible had sat down there. The horrible unpleasent feeling got unbearable.

Then, we heard whispers, as faint as the wind. They sounded like a wild animal scratching on the concrete. I couldn't make them out. We ran, down the overgrown path, scratches on our cheeks from the twigs.

I haven't gone down there since and i never will again. We still talk about that night with skeptism and then again, i don't believe it was a prank. There was something at that place, and to this day it gives me shivers thinking about that.

Thoughts anyone?

[Bird Flu]

if the couch has been sitting outside that long, then it could have possibly sank in from weather. But thats about all I can think of

[BurnSide]

Possibly! And i've gone over that alot in my mind. The weird thing is, the rest of the furniture was all mangled and wreaked and wet from the rain. This couch was mint and dry. And it literally sank in front of my eyes. Very bizzare.

[Hottie]

That's a true story, right? If it is, than that is freaky. I mean, if I ever went there my self, and that all happened, I would freak out and go!

[BurnSide]

Yes, 100% true story. I don't make up events.

The feeling was terrible. That's the main thing. It was like anger and pain and sadness and all the negative feelings rolled into one ball, infecting anyone there like a sickness.

[Falco Rex]

Well the couch would be much drier than the rest of the wreckage. It's in the open exposed to sun and wind, whereas the rest of the stuff was shaded by trees and piled together, right?

It's natural to get uneasy and have strange feelings in places that are abandoned and wrecked. Especially when you find them by accident and there's some strangeness like a bolted down couch.

Places like that remind our subconcious that people can live a whole life and the things they had and the life they lived end up as junk that nobody else cares anything about. In a way abandoned or ruined represent death. There's bound to be some uneasiness when your mind turns to that, whether it's conciously or not..

And remember how many fun tricks your brain can play on you..

[BurnSide]

My words exactly, Falco, when i was talking to my friends about it who were also there. hahah.

Also, the whispering noise, could have been the wind making twigs scratch on the concrete, it IS what it sounded like.

As i said, quite possibly Paranoid Delusion.

It's just the damn place was so creepy. God. And i searched for any information i could get on that place, nuffin.

[Hottie]

I beileve in ghosts and stuff like that. I mean honestly, if you think about it, what else could have done that? Not much. If people were doing it, then you would have seen it. I know it's stupid, and people say like that ghosts are not real and stuff, but I have beileved them since I was very little.

[Hottie]

But yeah, it's true that if you have that somethings haunted on your mind and you go there, you sometimes think you hear freaky stuff, when they end up being nothing or the wind or just if you're paranoid, which I seem to be a lot when it comes to that kinda stuff.

[BurnSide]

I'm a skeptic, very much so. I barely believe in anything that can't be explained by science, and i don't believe in ghosts. THAT'S why this event was so bizzare to me. I don't know what to make of the whole ordeal.

That feeling... i feel sick thinking about it.

[Falco Rex]

Carl Jung had a theory about things called Archetypes. The theory was that certain images have represented things in humanities mind for so long that they have come to trigger instant emotions in most people. For example even a picture of a spider wil cause many to think and react negatively. So spiders,over time have become an "Archetype" for disgust.

Ruins as a whole represent sadness,loss and pain. If this was your first time encountering such a place you may have felt it stronger than you ever wanted to. With your friends around you could have easily been playing off each others' emotions and intesified it..

I'll bet if you went back there now without your friends, knowing what to expect and on purpose, the feelings you have won't be anywhere near as intense.

Of course, what's the chances of you wanting to go back there alone?

[BurnSide]

Minimal.

I used to live in a small British town with tons of ruins though. Ruins were my favourite thing. Big castle ruins on the cliffs! I'd climb all over them. They never created any feelings in me.

HOWEVER.

On this particular night it was, well, a dark and stormy night. Could have added to the effect.

[Falco Rex]

Just cause it's a cliche doesn't mean it isn't scary. The classics got to be classics for a reason..

Hey, it's kind of out there but maybe something actually did happen. Your story is more believable than most I've heard, and you're obviously willing to accept rational explanations for events so that puts you on a higher believability scale than a lot of people in my book.

Edited June 3, 2004 by Falco Rex

[BurnSide]

Maybe. That's just it, i've heard alot of reasons over the days and i'm still undecided on what happened. Don't think i'll ever know.

truth is, i don't believe in Ghosts. Never seen one, never known anyone who has ever seen one. The only people who seem to talk about ghosts are old delusional people or 13yr olds looking for attention so they say 'hey, i've seen lots of ghosts'. Ya, whatever.

Just wanted opinions.

The bigger mystery is that damned house. WHY, why why, was it an almost polished surface of concrete with ONE couch bolted down on it. And tons of furniture dumped around it. That's the bizzare thing i think.

[Chauncy]

The bigger mystery is that damned house. WHY, why why, was it an almost polished surface of concrete with ONE couch bolted down on it. And tons of furniture dumped around it. That's the bizzare thing i think.

It may have been bolted to prevent it from being stolen.

The heat felt when sitting on it could be a result of a type of spontaneous combustion. Similar to when farmers put their hay in storage when it is still wet, it produces alot of heat. Similar to a compost heap with steam coming of it.

[Falco Rex]

Now that Chauncy has explained the parts that confused me too, let's tackle the last issue. The elements could have easily polished the sueface of the cement.

My Grandfather has a cement floor in his garage. It's a pretty standard floor except for one spot where the seal on the door is broken.

In that area a puddle of water can collect when it rains. That one spot is smooth and shiny while the rest of the floor is like normal cement. Wind ,water and sun can do all kinds of things to different materials. Look how rocks can become naturally polished looking.

There, we've tied everything up in a neat little package!

[Chauncy]

Yes!

Also there are many types of sealants that are used on concrete, some of them give the appearance of a waxed surface, shiney and smooth.

[BurnSide]

That certainly is the neat little package.

I'm gonna continue to tell it as a ghost story, but i was never one to believe in ghosts as i stated. Makes a good campfire story, but the fact is, it was probably just a bunch of coincidences.

haha. Thanks!

[Falco Rex]

Hey, tell it however you want, it's your story. The important thing is that you have some peace of mind about it. If any of us helped you with that then our job here is done!

..Shouts "Hiyooo Chauncy!" and rides off into the sunset...