1 November 2011

At first I was afraid...


Right. Well, at least I wasn't met with a stony silence on my requests post. Not that I ever worried about such a thing...

In answer to, er, Nameless's(?) question, you can just ask a question once and I'll try to remember/check back. But equally, don't feel like you're nagging if you want to ask again because you think I've forgotten. Right?



So today, because it's topical, I thought I'd go with:

Lupe said...

In the spirit of Halloween and All Saint's Day and Día de muertos, what about a scary story? Something weird or could-be supernatural that's happened to you? :D Have you ever been inside a haunted house? Have you ever seen a ghost or something that could be a ghost? :3 Or maybe a local tale from your home town? :D Please? *v*




So firstly, I don't believe in ghosts.

But there was one moment when if you'd paused time and asked me, I might have said I did. I hadn't been in the job very long, I was walking my beat, it was nearly Christmas, and it was getting dark.

I was stopped by a woman in the street saying her kids had got home and said they'd seen a body.

So the choices are - call for back up straight away, risk getting laughed off the watch if you're wrong and it turns out it's a shop dummy or something - or go and have a look.

I went and had a look. (because I'm dead brave, me). There was indeed a dead body

 It was in an old building, disused. Homeless man - tramp, as we said then - dead under an old coat in a heap on the floor. Looked like he was asleep, so I very tentatively did the checks, and he was definitely dead. And stank of booze.

So I called the station, reported it, and then had to stay there, guarding the body, waiting for other officers and the meat wagon.

Obviously the bloke was already dead, so no one was in a rush... 

And it got properly dark. I stood in the doorway, because there was a bit of streetlighting getting in. 

Then the moaning started.

At first I thought it was some of my watch, dicking about, trying to scare me. I walked a little way down the pavement, but there was no one there.

Then the horrible rattly breathing started.

Finally I turned around, after a few scrapey-sounds...and saw the body stand up and start lumbering toward me, hands reaching out for me... I yelled.

Other people might have uncharitably called it a scream. It was definitely a yell.

The 'ghost' coughed and spat on the floor... I may have exited the building fairly swiftly.

Anyway, once I was out in the light I could see it wasn't 'my' body. This bloke had a big beard and was wearing a hat, for a start. Turns out they'd been drinking together, and the bloke who was still alive was just so tucked up in all the crap lying about on the floor I'd never noticed him. He'd been sleeping off his booze and then woke with an almighty hangover, hence the groaning.

But yeah, in that moment, when I first saw him, I would have sworn blind the corpse had come back to life...

32 comments:

REReader said...

Eek! (I would DEFINITELY have screamed. Loudly.)

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah, well, being a big brave rozzer I obviously would never have done such a thing...

REReader said...

Obviously. *nods solemnly*

John H. D. Watson said...

So...how high pitched was this yell precisely, would you say?

Greg Lestrade said...

You know when you squeal because I've put cold hands/feet on you?

Anon Without A Name said...

I am absolutely not giggling at all. Poor you. *nods solemnly*

(And thanks for the clarification about questions)

Small Hobbit said...

I actually feel a certain amount of sympathy for you, which, since you were clearly a big brave rozzer, is entirely misplaced.

John H. D. Watson said...

The cold hand/feet of the grave...

How old were you? I'd say I'm not giggling either but you'd know I was lying.

Greg Lestrade said...

Well it wasn't as high pitched as your squeal.

I would've been...25? I don't know, really. Mid twenties, anyway.

Mmmmmm. Not as high pitched as.your giggle either.

John H. D. Watson said...

Well it wasn't as high pitched as your squeal.

Completely don't believe you.

REReader said...

*giggles, only moderately high-pitched*

Meant to ask before--was Sherlock a bit less grumpy today about Mycroft leaving? And did you hear from Mycroft--is he okay?

John H. D. Watson said...

Slightly less grumpy, yes, though he was grumpy all over again when he heard about the zombie and that he'd missed arresting it (thank goodness). I talked to Mycroft this evening. He seems mostly all right. Maybe a little homesick. We'll have him home for a weekend soon I hope.

REReader said...

he was grumpy all over again when he heard about the zombie and that he'd missed arresting it

Oh, ha, how did I not think of that? That would have been...interesting, to say the least!

Mycroft has a hard row to hoe. Weekends home should be good, and drop in visits when you and he can manage 'em.

Anonymous said...

Once or twice I've had the opportunity to tell a story that includes the phrase "and then I screamed like a girl" and it usually takes a bit of being blinked at before I realize I'm allowed to scream like a girl. I definitely would have been screaming at your ghost.

REReader said...

I'm just heading for bed, but at least two of you will be up soon if you aren't already, so good morning, gentlemen!

Greg Lestrade said...

I was going to say that your zombie was lucky DS Sherlock wasn't with you to wreak havoc upon it.

Morning RR. Sleep well.

Anonymous said...

That would have given me more than a bit of a turn!

Desert Wanderer said...

Night, RR.

Great story, Lestrade. No wander you're so popular at bedtimes, and have been for generations!

Anonymous said...

...I'm not sure how anyone *sleeps* after your bedtime stories. Not because you're a horrible storyteller or anything like that, but because you're a terrific one and oh my god, if I was in your situation, "terrified" would not even begin to describe my reaction...

So...what happened afterwards? When your back-up arrived?

~A from NW

innie said...

Yikes! L, your relish for telling stories is so clear here that I'm glad we're guaranteed a month of it.

Greg Lestrade said...

A from NW - they never found out, I'm glad to say. I would never have lived it down.

Thanks, all of you. Although now i fear I've set the bar rather high... I don't feel like I have any talent more than anyone else for telling stories.

Desert Wanderer said...

I think we've conclusively proven that you're not a very good judge of your own talents. Neither is John. You both tend to underplay yourselves, which while endearing, results in other people liking you more than you appear to like yourselves. Apologies if I'be overstepped or made you uncomfortable/angry, but my point is both of you are lovely, good people it's a pleasure to know, even if just over the internet.

Greg Lestrade said...

DW, I can see John does that...so could be forced to admit that I do to, sometimes ;)

REReader said...

What DW said.

Tink said...

I absolutely agree with DW. Y'all are awesome and have problems recognising that. <3

If you struggle for topics, you could always toss Greg the Florist back and forth with John for a while!

(Also, screaming is not the only thing I would have done in your situation. Fight or flight is such a lovely response don't you think?)

Small Hobbit said...

And I for one wouldn't mind hearing what happened with Danger and the beanstalk.

Greg Lestrade said...

Is have to ask Danger, Tink.

John, how do you feel about tossing Greg the Florist for a while?

Family blog, remember...

dw said...

I meant to ask...were you petrified, Greg?

Calliope said...

I'm glad you survived that one, L. eek.

REReader said...

Suggestion for a future post--comparing your life now with one year ago.

Anon Without A Name said...

Completely agreeing with DW here :-)

Lupe said...

I meant to comment yesterday, but I couldn't find the time. You actually wrote about it!! Thank you!! :D And god, that would've scared the crap out of me. You see, I don't believe in ghosts either, but there's a saying in Spanish that goes "Yo no creo en las brujas, pero de que las hay, las hay." It can be roughly translated as "I don't believe in witches, but they do exist." XD I'm glad, though, that you didn't actually prove the existence of ghosts that time! And let's hope you never do. :D

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