The Firefighters' Ghosts

The Indianapolis Athletic Club was a private club in downtown Indianapolis built in the early 1900's. The now defunct club had a rich history of hauntings. I hired on as an accounting clerk and the administrative offices were housed on the ninth floor at the top of the building. Below were three floors of hotel rooms, athletic facilities, ball rooms, dining rooms and the like.

I'd been an employee for a few days when the elevator stopped at the wrong floor and I, as usual with my head in the clouds, got off the elevator as if it was at the right floor. No one was present in the small foyer. One side of the cubby opened onto a main hallway. The other direction were the closed doors to a private bar and dining area. As I stood, alone, in the confined area the sensation of total desolate failure enveloped me. I believe I was experiencing communications from those who have passed. The message I received was this: "I failed him. I knew better than to do what I did. It's my fault [he's dead]. I'm so sorry. I wish I could fix it." These sensations enveloped me and delivered their forlorn message in a matter of moments.

After a year or so of employment I took the position as night auditor. Notwithstanding hotel guests and die-hard exercisers who arrived before the break of dawn I was in the building overnight with a security officer, housekeeper and kitchen cleaner. Haunting activity started my first night on the job. Of the two outer doors on the first floor the door opening to the side street was locked at 11 PM. The huge revolving doors that opened to the main drag were left unlocked and a motion detector was focused on them. This detector signalled the entrance of visitors by the sound of a small ringing bell. The detector was useless, however, due to its constant and unrelentent sounding. I couldn't tell if someone was actually entering or not, it was the electronic equivalent of yelling wolf. The strange ocurrance was reported in the morning. The next evening a message assured me no malfunctions were found in the motion detector.

I've never seen an aparition. Rather I perceive a two-dimentional image in my mind of someone who passed. The image appears flat, almost transparent, similar to an old-fashioned faded photographic slide. While in the Club at night I frequently "saw" a twenty-something maintenance engineer. He was clad in teal green/gray uniform pants and shirt with a large keyring on his belt. The fellow was quite tall, well over six feet, and bent at the waist, out of habit to keep from brushing against the tops of door frames.

Beautifully appointed salons sat to either side of the revolving door entrance. Lovely furnishings included crystal ash trays that must have weighed nearly ten pounds each. More than once I heard faint music and party goers enjoying themselves in these salons and, possibly, the restaurant across the hall. Occasionally, it appeared the party got out of hand given the sound of furniture and heavy crystal ashtrays being knocked over. I dutifully checked the salon, albeit on tiptoes and very quietly, each time I heard the sounds to find nothing whatsoever out of place.

Sounds of upturned furniture, which I came to be known to me as ghostly and nonthreatening, were sometime replaced with faint piano music which wafted from the grand piano in front of the salon's fireplace. The first time I heard the music I feared a street person with a musical bent sought shelter inside the Club. Taking up my walkie-talkie as protection I crept to the piano and found . . . nothing. I chalked it up to more spirited activity and wondered did I really hear it or not. (Even believers aren't alway sure, are they?) One evening the music was louder. I was sure it was coming from a "real" player this time. I rounded the desk in seconds and was nearly ran down by the security officer who heard the music himself. Halellujiah! Another living being heard the piano! Though there was no musician at the keys I was happy to know the presence of the security officer vindicated me.

As to the feelings of unease and unrest outside the elevator I learned there was a fatal fire at the Club. [If you remember the Mike Tyson rape trial in Indianapolis you may recall the jurors were housed at the IAC. During the trial a fire broke out which resulted in three fatalities. It almost caused a mistrial.] Much later I learned two of the fataliteis were Indianapolis Firefighters who died where I stood outside the elevators that day. One firefighter was older, more experienced than the other. When the door to the dining room was opened a flashover (?) ocurred, killing both men. I believe with all my heart the anguish I felt came entirely from the torment the more experienced firefighter felt as his responsibility at the death of his young charge. I feel he felt his death mattered not one bit. I hope with all my heart the older firefighter finds peace.

What are the strongest feelings / emotions you've experienced that you related to the other side? - Bethany Moran