WHO’S READY TO GET SPOOKY??? In honor of the Halloween season, I’m going to share a story I never tell because it sounds fake af. So without further ado let’s take a look back in this witch’s crystal ball to my junior year of college. I had just started a new job at the law school library, or the lawbrary as my bff Natalie called it. Natalie and I had the same shift, so we basically got paid to hang out. V Laverne and Shirley capping bottles in Shotz Brewery.

Anyhoozle, the law school building was kind of old and had some creepy spots. One of which was the basement level of the lawbrary. It had a closed area only staff could access with super old books. If you’re getting Harry Potter restricted section vibes you’re on the right track because on my first day I was told this room was haunted. I was also informed I would be spending a lot of time in this room working on a project by myself. The whole haunted thing was a joke (I think?) but y’all know I get scared watching Murder, She Wrote so I was a lil’ uneasy. You may be wondering if this story is building up to someone being scared by a ghost sighting. It is, but I wasn’t the person who saw the ghost. I apparently was the ghost. PLOT TWIST. #Gotcha! #Boo! #She’sBeenDeadFor50Years!

It was a typical day at the lawbrary and I was shelving books on one of the quieter floors. I pushed the cart down the aisle and stopped at one of the rows to bend down and pick up a book to shelve. When I stood up I was startled by a student who was standing in the middle of the row with a horrified expression on her face. I asked if she needed help with something but she just silently stared at me with the same horrified expression. I started to wonder if I had something on my face and/or major pit stains. We continued to stare at each other for a moment until she stammered, “Oh, uh haha. I, I saw you bending down and didn’t see your body. I thought you were a disembodied head.” Ok, I’ll pause. I’m sure you are thinking ‘Scuse??? There is no way someone actually said that. That sounds fake. I agree, and am still confused to this day. But she said “disembodied head.” I swear on all four Golden Girls.

In this moment I think we were equally shocked by each other. It also kind of seemed like she wasn’t entirely convinced that I was a person. She could see my body at this point but still seemed a little skeptical. It was all just a lot. I didn’t really know where to go from there so I said “Nope, just me!” and awkwardly laughed. She turned and wandered away, seeming v disturbed, and I put the book I was holding on the shelf as I tried to wrap my (attached) head around what the h just happened. I think it’s safe to say we both left that interaction feeling “shook.”

Had I not been incredibly confused and surprised, I would’ve liked to have said something along the lines of “honey, I think it’s time to go get some rest.” I don’t care how hard you feel you need to study, once you start seeing disembodied heads, it’s time for a break. In hindsight, the creaky cart and lack of windows on that particular floor probably didn’t help. They definitely set the scene. But still, I have a body. My guess is she was sleep deprived and stressed af. I honestly don’t know how else to explain it. I hope she did well on her exams, but more so I hope she got the rest and relaxation she one hundred percent needed.

Well that’s my ghost story. No ghosts actually involved, but everyone got thoroughly spooked so that counts for something. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go put the finishing touches on my Ellen DeGeneres costume. HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y’ALL!