XV. The Devil. [Reversed]

A Farm—EVENING

The Sailor and I are quite sure the Farm the crew are staying in is haunted because of its former use as a hospital. The compound itself is not so far from the current City Hospital. Walking distance, in fact.

Mary is not so sure about the Farm history and doesn’t know why we think it was a hospital. I look at the eighteenth century city map she is looking at and show her the anatomical drawing placed near the door of this building; not only does she not know old maps very well, but she has this one upside down also.

We decide to tour the old Farm. Upstairs we were told by our hostess that we are sure to see some ghosts. So now, the crew goes to explore the upper floors in the dark; I go up but look around half-heartedly, not sure If I really want to see one or not. I follow behind with our video camera, trying to catch something in the quiet. I am finding no spirits.

One room is lit eerily by some computer screens, the crew is inside.

One guy chides me for the camera and I ask him when he took up smoking an old fashioned pipe. When he asks why I asked, I say because there is one on the desk beside him. He jumps up at my bluff thinking a spirit had put it there. I laugh to myself at the dead-pan joke; it was just off-kilter enough to work.

In the next pitch black room I find myself suddenly wrapped up in chains. The room’s occupant, a thin wispy guy rushes in and throws on the light. He has clothes hanging all over the room on the walls and off of chains hanging from the ceiling. He says he collects gaudy Mexican shirts that you can buy at roadside stands.

“I see,” I feign understanding, “I guess I should go around.” I free myself from the chains and head back down stairs.

The parlor is crowding, so I head out side to the van. But it is starting to rain I quickly gather the equipment and head back in hoping the rain doesn’t ruin the camera.

In one room I can now hear our hostess saying they can usually see the ghost of a little boy they call “Winky,” because of his big black eyes. I follow the sound of her voice till I find the crew amassed in what I guess is “Winky’s Room.”

Someone thinks they can see it. I doubt a ghost would manifest itself in the crowd, but poke my head in. Sure enough I can barely make out a little boy with huge blinking eyes in the corner of the room. It runs at me.

Our hostess smiles, “Oooh, Winky likes you!”

I scream and back down the steps. Winky still follows trying to get closer and closer I scream and scream and jump unto the landing and keep running.