Spirit Walking

My name is Michael and I've researched and investigated the 'supernatural' for over 18 years. I basically began my journey into the unknown due to an incident which occurred during the course of a cold, winter night in 1981.

When this incident occurred, I was working as a security guard at an old and very defunct furniture factory in Fort Smith, Arkansas. It was 'typical' of other factories which had outlived their usefulness and were left to return to the 'dust' from which it came. It was two stories tall, stretched nearly three blocks and was quite spooky at night. The rooms had high cathedral-type ceilings, creaky wooden floors and the windows were dust-bowls. The smell of wood shavings and other contaminates ruled. And the rooms were 'so' dark with 'living shadows' around every corner. And I had to patrol all of them.

Being the young newbie, the older guards warned me of 'spooks' occupying the darkened recesses of the building. They warned me of 'strange' noises of someone walking around the upper floors, odd feelings and whispers but the 'best' tale was about a supposed 'red-eyed' something watching you patrol by.

“Nuts”, I remembered saying to myself as I passed into the large area which was once the 'finishing' dept. This was where furniture was wiped down and the hardware, (knobs and braces) checked. I was nearing a small doorway where two steps 'up' waited; then two steps down would put me in the packing dept. I took a moment to glance out a near-by window and watched a late January snow blanketing the area. It was cold with the temp around 15 degrees. I was silently hoping the heater was still working in the guard-shack. I stepped up onto the small steps and was almost through the doorway when the extraordinary happened.

Within a bat' of my eyes a tall 'shadowy' figure ran from 'right' of the door and like a 'flash' swiftly moved toward a near-by, (locked from the inside) exit door. I remember 'gasping' in shock as the phantom-like apparition was not moving normally, (it was a tall figure) but gliding like a big man's shadow when it was losing it's light. And, there were two other 'frightening' observations I made. This was no Scooby-Doo ghost flying along on a circus-wire; this 'being' was cloaked and very dark. This was a being that should not have been there. And with it 'traveled' a cold wind, far more icier than the snow falling outside. I sensed a strong aura of evil.

I yelled I was calling the Police but my voice bounced around the dark, 'cavernous' room. Nothing 'human' heard my challenge, I held my flashlight like a 'weapon' knowing I was in trouble if this 'phantom' decided to attack.

But, after shining my light in all directions, my spectral visitor was nowhere to be seen. I checked the 'locked' exit and even tried looking for footprints. There were only my prints from the hour before.

I never found out who came by to visit that night. Why this other-worldly traveler decided to scare the 'crap' out of me, I could never sort it out in my mind. I did not call the police, and I never mentioned a 'word' to anyone except a few close friends. What was I suppose to do? I did start 'hearing' odd noises, footsteps behind me, saw a billow of dust which mysteriously blew up besides me when passing the shipping area. And one night, I saw a 'fleeting' movement in an upstairs window which looked like a waxy, 'Moon glow' face looking down at me. And..no. I didn't check.

This story is very true and it started me on a long journey into the unknown. I've encountered demons, disembodied voices and unfortunately I was attacked in 2019 and spent almost 4 hours in a Fort Smith, ER. I have pictures from that incident which look like the aftermath of a crime scene. I hope you enjoyed this little tale. If you ever find yourself working alone in an old, abandoned factory building, be sure and be mindful of 'gliding' ghostly travelers and red eyed, beasts waiting to greet you.

PS: I wanted to mention the building, (called Desoto Furniture) burned down in the fall of 1982. The building was in the process of being torn down and caught ablaze due to a careless demolition worker misusing an acetylene torch. I was supposed to be off that day but the night-shift guy called off. So I was scheduled to go in at Midnight. Guess I got lucky...huh?