Don’t look in the mirror

Submitted by R.W.

My first experience with ghosts was in college. I had a roommate who always talked about the ghost that haunted her old house. It wasn’t a mean ghost — in fact, she had a dream about him one night in which he told her to wake up and when she did, she discovered there was a gas leak in her house. 

She had a pretty active imagination, so I never took what she said completely seriously … until I lived with her. One night I was watching TV and waiting for a pizza delivery. Doorbell rings, I get up, walk past the mirror sitting on the fireplace mantel, and clear as day in the reflection see a man sitting on the couch next to where I was sitting moments before. 

He was Caucasian, dark hair, chiseled jawline, handsome — like, I got a good look at him. I pause, then answer the door and grab my pizza. Pizza box in hand, I yell at my roommate to come into the living room. She does. I ask her what “Ralph” (what she always called him) looks like. 

Without hesitation she says, “Rob Estes from Silk Stockings.” BAM. Perfect description of who I saw in the mirror. All the color must have drained from my face because she laughed and asked, “Why? Did you just see him?”

For the next year, I lived with Ralph the ghost and would even talk to him when I thought he was around (the cat would act weird).

However, there was definitely another not-so-nice presence in that house that would open cabinets, unlock and open doors, break things, etc. I mentioned this to my roommate, and she agreed something else was there.

I credit Ralph with keeping whatever that was at bay.

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