Pang-Gabi

Naranasan mo na bang magtrabaho sa opisina habang gabi?

Ako, oo.

Ang aking kasalukuyang trabaho ay may pang-gabing schedule. Hindi lang 'yun. Dalawa lamang kami sa opisina buong gabi. Minsan, naranasan ko na rin na ako lang mag-isa sa buong gusali...magdamag.

Kapag breaktime, imbis na kumain, ay natutulog na lamang ako. Minsan ay nanaginip ako. Sa eksena sa aking panaginip, ay natutulog rin ako sa opisina. Kung ano ang pwesto ko mismo sa aking pagtulog sa totoong buhay, iyon din ang aking pwesto sa pagtulog ko sa aking panaginip. Nagising daw ako dahil maingay. Ang dami-rami raw nagta-type nang pagkalakas-lakas. Bumangon ako upang tingnan kung sino ang grupo ng mga empleyado na nagtatrabaho. Pagtingin ko sa kanila, parang naramdaman nilang lahat na pinanonood ko sila. Sabay-sabay silang huminto sa pagta-type, at sabay-sabay ring dahan-dahan na lumingon sa akin. Ako ay lubusang nagulat at nasukob ng takot ng makita kong lahat sila ay WALANG MUKHA!

Doon na natapos ang aking panaginip at bigla na nga akong nagising na humihingal. Parang totoo talaga ang panaginip kong 'yun!

Isang kwento naman ng aking kaibigan tungkol pa rin sa pagtulog sa opisina 'pag gabi. May kaibigan raw siya na natulog sa isang bakanteng kwarto sa kanilang gusali. Nakasubsob itong natulog sa isang lamesa. Sa kanyang paggising, pinipilit niyang bumangon sa pagkakayuko, ngunit hindi niya ito magawa. May napadaan na isa pang empleyado at nasaksihan ang nangyayari sa kanya. Ayon sa saksi, hindi raw nito magawang i-angat ang kanyang ulo sapagkat mayroong isang matandang lalaki na walang ulo na nakahawak sa kanyang batok!!

Warm Welcome at 15F

Indeed the 15th floor of the building I used to work for is haunted! The tales in that floor doesn't end with Anne's sharing. It's just the beginning.

I worked for about 5 years in the building where Anne and I met. My first job in that building was at the 12th floor. I thought that I wouldn't have "friends" anymore at the 15th floor when I moved.

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

I moved places several times at the 15th floor. There were a lot of changes when I entered the organization because they had to adjust to the "new media" section that I brought in with me.

Anyway, I was used to staying late in the office and was quite surprised that the place would be deserted by 4:30 p.m. It wasn't a wonder because the average age in the organization when I came in was above 40. They were all scrambling to go home even before the hymn that signaled EOD played.

One thing my spirit questor friend was not able to close was my "third ear" (audio). Back when I was in the 12th floor of that building I used to hear a lot of voices calling out to me (I'll tell that story some other time). I thought that when I moved to the 15th floor it wouldn't happen again. But, of course, it did.

My first encounter was hearing a mature woman call my name. I thought it was one of the mommies from the other section and I'd always say, "Bakit po?" My colleagues would then look at me strangely and tell me no one was calling me. It happened several times and the worst time was when she called out to me when I was already alone in my little corner at the 15th floor. That actually happened on my birthday when I was waiting for my parents to pick me up for my birthday dinner.

I was on the phone at that time and it was way past 7 in the evening. I was looking out the window and watching cars driving by the Skyway. "Aileen," she said, it was barely a whisper. At first I didn't hear it since I was chatting with a friend. "Aileen, " a bit stronger now. I heard it and told my friend, "Just a minute somebody's calling me." I stood up and looked around. Nobody was there. I took a deep breath and ignored the call.

I was quite bothered about it, not scared, but bothered.

The next day I asked the mommies if there was a spirit wandering the area and they said that a few years back one of the publishing supervisors passed away in a car accident. They said she has probably not moved on that's why she still wanders the halls of the 15F. They also told me that I shouldn't be scared coz she was just welcoming me.

And that was just one of the encounters I had in the 15F.

*EOD - end of day

Translation
Bakit po - Why?

The Midnight Typists

My current job requires me to work on a graveyard shift for a week or two in a month. All other departments are closed, and only my partner and me work during the night, so it’s like the whole office is closed. I’ve heard a lot of ghost stories that happened at the office, like the one about the white lady that is often seen inside the men’s comfort room, and the little boy who runs and plays in the pantry, but I never imagined that there would be a time when I will be the one who’s telling such story…

On a typical working night, workload is usually light during midnight. To stay awake, I surf the Internet. I forgot my headset that night so the silence is killing me. The only thing I am hearing is the sound coming from the fans and air-conditioning units. Jenny, my partner at the time is having a siesta. It is really quiet, until I heard something - a click-like sound. It’s coming from the production area. I stood up to check it out but to no avail. As I was about to sit, there it is again. This time, it’s louder. And it is starting to sound like someone is typing! And it is neither I, nor Jenny. When she woke up, she asked me if I am hearing it too. We talked aloud to test if it will stop but it didn’t. Instead, it get much louder, and this time, it is not coming from one unit anymore. I’ve wanted to see if the keys are really moving but Jenny stopped me and told me not to leave her side. So we sat, tried to ignore it, and just waited for it to stop.

From then on, we got quite unaffected when we hear it during the night. We just joke about it, sometimes talking to “it” and asked if “it” has a deadline to beat. Maybe we could give “it” a hand?