GHOSTS ON THE GROUND 8: HOTEL

I start to really take notice that this does not look or feel very safe. The dead that lay at my feet are starting to move.

Turns out they’re just waking up from where their whatever form of amusement took them last evening. Some will speak to you.

“Give me money”

While others just give you the stink eye with an ominous smile pursed upon their lips. Watching my every step as I try shooting these illogical pictures for the entertainment of exactly who?

My camera stands out like a honing device screaming steal me from this foolhardy old man.

You can see I like to shoot upward so I can use the sky for the background. Meaning most of the time my eye is in my camera trying to focus and not seeing what’s actually transpiring right around me. When I bring the camera down to move to a new angle I see at least 20 people in various states of dress now looking right at me.

“Hey man, Nice camera, can I take a picture?” I hear as I try to step over what has to be, no, I won’t even think it.

WOW, I MEAN DAMN!

700 rooms await your pleasures. Of which 250 are actually in use.

Tried very hard not to shoot any of the locals. So my camera is always pointed away from the extreme nasty at my feet.

Walked past turned and looked back.

Let’s get a little closer. Now move to the right.

So I too can move into the tasty past and dream with the stars?

Feeling safer for some odd reason I walk right up to the glass of the famed death chamber. I square up to take the “wienie” shot when I hear the cooing of a dove say, “You want to go inside?”

What? I turn my head and see a twenty something body just looking for a place to die of old age.

She says again, “You want to go inside?”

THE WITCH LADY MAKES HER DEBUT.

“I live here and for twenty bucks I’ll take you inside.”

Brain spins this way and then that, I reach into my pocket and realize I have no cash on me. When fate decided that now is the time for the world to explode instead.

THE NIFTY 50 AT WORK.

A banging sound tears through the morning followed by the loud voice of authority shouting, “Hey you”

“Yeah you, you can’t take pictures here, stop right now!

Just get this mean ghost out of the way and we’ll enjoy the beauty of the past that still shines even in its present form.

I look at him and simply ask, “Who me”? Then snap a photo.

He’s now rather worked up and frankly a bit unhinged.

Rather loudly now he says “Get moving right now!”

Do remember he is safely located behind a pair of very large, quite striking glass doors.

So I just look at him and say “Good morning.”

I was standing on a public street, hell I was on freaking Main Street, in a free city, in a free country taking pictures from a safe distance.

Now he’s angry. From beside me I hear “Want to go inside? Twenty bucks you’re in.”

Some big dude is leering dangerously at me. “I can show you everything you’ve ever dreamed” he lied.

I took this as my cue to exit stage right now. Skedaddle I surely did.

For a moment there I thought about going to an ATM grabbing 20 dollars and going back to find the skeleton lady for a look inside the spook show.

Hold on, count to 10. Let the insanity clear. If I was to go back what would it look like inside the doors of hell?

Would it be safe? Was I about to be robbed?

Let’s not forget that Grandpa Stupid left his phone in the (my thinking being, if I do get robbed they can have the camera but I was not willing to lose my phone) car so it was zero help..

Jurisprudence got the better of me and I chose the right thing, I’m certain.

“Hey give me some damn money” someone shouted, very close by.

I used the old stand by and said “Hey guys, I don’t have any cash on me so I am going to run to the cash machine and I’ll be right back.” This time I lied.

Homelessness around the country is out of hand but most of the time I just see it on the news. Occasionally down by the waterfront you see some tents but the roustabouts don’t play that. Soon enough they are forced to move on.

Standing at ground zero, surrounded on all sides by it? The very scope of the whole catastrophe is extremely eye opening.

Never in my life have I lived through anything of that magnitude. Was the fear real?

I thought I was in real trouble.Surrounded by ghosts both living and dead. You could see and feel each and every one. Not sure what “haunted” means but I’m certain that was the most terrifying place I’ve ever been.

The ghost chaser thing seems trivial after this, but I said I would and so I shall.

They really list these sorts of things and the Queen Mary is listed in the top ten of most haunted structures in the world.

Ready?

DJ Lar Mar 2025