8
The Night of the Poltergeist
friend’s attention and to assure him that he had done the right thing by ending his life. Once Tony relayed the message from the deceased soldier, it didn’t take long for the haunting to settle down. The communication certainly afforded some peace to the attentionseeking spirit and hopefully provided some peace and closure for the man as well. It was with these stories fresh in my mind that we approached the Carinup Tavern. My mind was focussed on poltergeists and hauntings, and I was primed and ready for the ghost hunt. The fact that a Ouija board sat just behind me, clattering in the back of the station wagon, further set the mood. It was time for the investigation to begin. As we entered the tavern, we were met by Rob and Heidi, the hosts of a popular morning radio show. One of the local television stations had also sent a reporter, who was covering the investigation for the following evening’s news. The media were poised for what they hoped would be an eventful evening. They wouldn’t be disappointed. It wasn’t long before Tony had scanned the building and identified a closed-off corridor as the focus of the haunting. To reach it, you had to go through a long, dark hallway with self-closing doors at either end. Once you entered the hallway, the heavy door closed quickly behind you, pitching the space into complete darkness. It was musty and foreboding. The doorway at the end of the hall led to the corridor, which in turn provided access to a bathroom and two small rooms. These had once been the tavern owner’s quarters, but were now too decrepit to be used for anything other than storage. Ted, one of the previous owners, didn’t think so, though, and continued to occupy the quarters in spite of being dead.