Well, it's been long overdue that I do a short (well I'm sure it will be quite lengthy) review of my first "official" ghost experience ever.  Back in the end of March, our small paranormal group ventured out to one of our favorite "haunts" - Mansfield Reformatory. 

Based on a few prior "experiences" in one specific cell block, we had decided that this was our night to set up a little experiment to see if we could catch anything on film or whatnot. Since there would four of us, we would each man one corner of the uppermost tier of this specific cell block.  We discussed our plans outside on a break, it was drizzly and chilly outside so we made sure all our equipment was closed up tight and safe out of harm's way.  After our break was through we headed up to the top tier.  At this time, it was absolutely perfect conditions in the place... just about everyone had gone home to our knowledge, so it was like the place was dead silent (don't mind the pun). 

So we decided who would take each corner, and then started to head out to our posts.  The plan was to just sit for a good period of time and shoot pics/video/evp, etc. - see what we can stir up.  One of the leaders was heading to the corner opposite of me, while the other two were heading to the other side of the tier.  The team leader hadn't even gotten halfway down the block when I heard one of the other two members on the other side give me a quick call.  "Erica, can youcome look at this, I think we might have something"... Honestly I thought for sure I'd be going to dismiss whatever it was they found by coming up with some sort of explaination... that seems to be something I am getting better and better at, though disappointing when you don't seem to come up with real paranormal occurances after all the debunking...   So I gave the other team leader a little shout out that I was gonna go check out what they had seen.  He just kept walking very determined, so I figured maybe he had something he was getting a shot of, so don't worry yet.  This is probably nothing and I'll be back at my post in a second...

Well.... I got over there to find both of the members looking down to the far corner of the cell block, where the fourth member was supposed to have been sitting.  He never made it that far.  He and the other member were about 1/4 of the way down the tier, that was it, when they had noticed something at that end.  Our other girl member, was holding up a flashlight to the end of the block to illuminate what was there.  She asked me what I saw... She didn't tell me what she saw - so I appreciated her leaving me to my own devices as to what I would be seeing.  I couldn't see enough by her light, so I put my light up... and then... excuse my language... Holy Shit.

Now, you see things on tv... you hear about other accounts, but nothing ever prepared me for actually seeing something with my own eyes.  It was pitch black in the place, so I knew that what I saw initially could have been my eyes playing tricks.  It appeared to be 6' or maybe taller, very slender, slightly wavering yet still figure of a man.  He was dark, yet gave a somewhat "glow" aura-ish thing from around the dark figure - it is so hard to explain, but this shadow of a person you could actually see within a slight light of somesort that was not from the flashlights.  Umm... ok, that is odd.  I think at that point I said something along the lines of - yes, there is a figure down there.  The two became much more excited now because they saw the same thing.  OK, so now I want our other member over here to see what the heck this is...

I called out his name very loudly.  At that exact moment you could see the figure jump out of the center of the block to a sideways view along the side of the last corner cell!!! EEEK!  WE all stayed calm (but it is rather funny as on audio you hear us all go "shit it moved"! LOL)... OK, so it obviously is aware of us.  Is it a real person (fleshie) or is this an honest to god experience we are having??  Then you see it kind of peek it's head back out as if checking if the coast is clear... holy crap... then it came back to the center completely and freaking MOVED FORWARD a few steps....  At this point we are all documenting verbally the accounts step by step - that now it is moving.  Also at this point things are starting to go through my mind... like... is this the point in which the thing posesses us, or knocks us on our asses, or possibly over the edge??  I know all crazy thoughts, but I've never been in a situation where four people are documenting something like this together, obviously seeing the same thing - no question about it that its there anymore! 

OK, so now I'm freaking a little - but man am I taking pictures! click click click.  Damned if I won't capture THIS on film!!!  I called out for our other member, still on the other side - why the hell wasn't he coming??? The instant we called out, the thing did the EXACT same jump sideways it had done before.  Again we all noticed this at the same time and were getting much more excited noting it still step by step. 

Finally we see around the back wall of the cell block this swooshing of whitish light - my mind was actually analyzing this because I did recognize it as a flashlight, so I knew someone would be coming around that corner, hopefully our other member.  Sure enough, a beam of flashlight finally came straight on to that end of the block - and for that split second you could see the figure totally illuminated in that light - still a shadowy figure but you could make out details like it was wearing a prison jumpsuit - I could see how it tapered slightly at his waist... it was freaking incredible....

And in that same split second - it really was just a moment - while engulfed in the flashlight beam -it became particles within the beam and dispersed... you could see it like a cloud almost!!  The other member wasn't even bloody looking so he saw NONE of what us three saw!  It was incredible and terrible at the same time.  We had cornered whatever it was and the other member was totally unaware.

When we finally ran up to talk with him, he said he had never even heard us, though we had been screaming at the top of our lungs.  And the WORST part... all the pictures I had taken were for not.  I wanted to DIE.  The lens cap was on the entire time... as we had just been out in the rain and had not even gotten to our experiement locations - I had not even thought about my camera once!  I wanted to DIE.  I hear all of your moans and groans... believe me... I just wanted to roll over and die at that point.  My new rule is for investigations to have all my shit uncovered before I enter the friggin place...  BUT, one cool sidenote is that we did capture ALL of this on audio, not nearly as cool I know, but you can hear us run down each tiny movement the thing makes during the whole chain of events - together.  So it is pretty fantastic we have proof we all noted the same thing at the same time.  I was proud of that.

But like any good ghosthunter, we wanted more now!   So we decided to take our experiment down a tier or two.  So we left the two guys on tier two, while the other girl and I headed to the ground level.  Upon arriving on the floor level, I went into scan mode... trying to explain whatever that was if possible... if it WAS someone there playing tricks somehow, though we heard nothing this entire time such as running or anything.  So I was scanning for movement or anything to catch my eye.  Did notice a large puddle in the center of the floor.  As it is leaky, this is very common there - I've noticed it each time I've visited that there are water marks.  I took some shots with my Nikon just to show what I was seeing (lens cap off now thank you)... looking for signs of anyone being there, no footsteps around the puddle or anything.  OK cool.  I did notice there was a slight mist rising from the puddle - completely normal I would think as it was rather chilly and damp outside and the conditions inside the prison were a bit warmer.  So, taking more shots and more shots...

I start noticing (even though I'm not zooming) that the mist is now completely thick and my flash is catching it and filling my shot with almost completely white!  I decided to turn off the flash at this point - and asked the other girl if to her the fog seemed to be getting closer and thicker... she noted that it was - in fact it was well over my height by then and within only feet of us now, and we had not moved an inch since coming from the top tier!  It seemed kind of odd to me for the fog to grow like that.  As I put my camera down to shut the flash off - I happened to see out of the corner of my eye on the ground... WET FOOTPRINTS coming from the puddle to directly in front of where we stood...

Now she and I hadn't moved once.  I do have before and after shots of what the floor looked like, not to mention that was one of the specifics I had looked for upon arriving down to that level.  I almost peed, I can't even tell you.  I could describe the exact pattern of the shoe, definitely male - it was kind of a diamond pattern.  I have to see if I can find it somehow online - do some research.  By now the fog was already shifting and was moving in like a solid block back to the far end of the cell block... it wasn't even over the puddle anymore but down far out of the way.  We had the guys come down... checked out their feet, of course no matches to the prints....

About 10 minutes later after our lengthy discussion on all that is happening, the gentleman that runs the ghost tours came to check on us.  He let us know that he had not been anywhere near the cellblock and had been in the office cleaning up after the nightlong public ghost hunt.  He also noted that the last people had left over a half hour earlier...

Just an interesting story I wanted to share.  It is the first time I truley think I have experienced something as so many people got to witness it with me.  No mass hallucination either, it was felt step by step, and what amazing steps they were for me.  Now I just want it on film!!

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