With Halloween slowly approaching, the debate between if ghosts are real or not arises. I asked Amber Lizardi ’23 and Brooke Kizziar ’22  to tell me their most chilling ghost stories. If you do not believe in spirits, this story may change your mind.

Amber spoke with me about her afterlife encounter at the age of twelve. Amber was in Palm Springs for a seemingly normal vacation then… it took a turn for the worst. Amber was falling asleep but quickly woke up after hearing a loud movement in the kitchen. She dismissed the noise and decided to try to sleep again. Suddenly, she heard the noise of kitchen cabinets slamming again. She dismissed the noise a second time. Despite her constant dismissals, Amber finally mustered up the courage to find the noise.

She entered the kitchen to find all the cabinets were open. When asked about her feelings at this time, Amber said: “Thoughts were running wild in my head. Why would someone open every cabinet? Am I sleepwalking?” She closed the cabinets and started walking towards her room. Again, she heard a cabinet open.

Amber froze, her blood turned cold. She felt a presence in the room. Almost like she knew she wasn’t alone. She slowly peeked around the corner into the kitchen to see all cabinets opened again, with no one in sight. Fear was now taken up within her, but something was stopping her from running back into the room as any normal person would.

She finally went back to the kitchen and the presence was gone. To test the ghost she turned, the lights off and on again to make sure it wasn’t back for more. After firmly believing the ghost had left, Amber went back to sleep.

The next morning Ambers aunt told the family that whoever was shaking in the middle of the night should be quieter. Amber did not tell her family about her visit from the spirit realm but she truly believes the encounter happened.

When I asked Amber if she believes the encounter happened she said: “To this day my family doesn’t know what I saw and felt. When I returned to my bed, I prayed one Our Father and went back to sleep. This moment was so vivid, so detailed, that I know it was not a dream. I believe in the spiritual presence and this experience verifies it.”

Furthermore, Senior Brooke Kizziar spoke about her traumatic experience, “When I was in sixth grade, I was home alone. I heard a noise and I called out for my mom. Since my mom was not home, I was startled when I heard a voice reply yes. I was sitting in silence frozen with fear then a rush of cold ran through the room. “

She goes on to say, “Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow down the hall. I heard three bangs progressively getting closer and louder. I was scared out of my mind but I decided I needed to leave. I shoved my dog in my sweatshirt and picked up my homework and ran to my neighbors house. When my parents came home, the ghost was gone.”

Later, she told her parents but they did not believe her. They laughed at her crazy imagination. But little do they know the spirit still haunts their hallway waiting for their next scare. Brooke and her dog witnessed the paranormal attack and Brooke fully believes that ghosts are real.

The classic disappearing ghost can haunt many nightmares, but did Brookes story convince you to believe? Did it send a shiver down your spine like the ghost sent down hers? Take it as you may but you never know who or what will cross your path.

Remember, not everything is as it seems. You never know what is lurking behind your back or watching you from a concealed place. Always keep one eye open and know that you are never alone.