I aint afraid of no ghosts (Or Spirit)

My second flat in Edinburgh was in Newington. A big 5 story blonde sandstone tenement. Top Flat Right. That was our address.

There were three double bedrooms, a box room, a living/dining room and a scullery (for those who don't know, that would be a "kitchen comprising of 2 foot of floor space, a cooker, a sink and a fridge).

After a couple of months, one of the girls in the other bedrooms, moved in to the box room. The box room was in the centre of the flat. It's only window led into the inset dining area of the living room, and the living room was dark and south facing.

One night, we were all awoken by much screaming and squealing in the hallway. The box room's occupant was out, in the hall, crying and dragging her quilt with her. "There's something in there, there is, really". We settled her in bed, and all went back to bed. Slightly unnerved.

The next morning we listened as she related how she was suddenly aware of a presence in the room, a figure at the corner of her peripheral vision and then a weight on the bed. We contemplated this for a bit, and then decided the best thing would be to move her stuff back in to the double bedroom.

The six of us, did this jointly. Mass hysteria maybe, but we were uneasy in the room ourselves. We held hands and took things and each of us took a turn to remove personal items from the room, and hand them out. Then the box room was closed. Closed, we vowed, never to open again.

After a few months, and settling into the flat, we all started to behave as students do, bringing folk home. It wasn't the done thing to take a stranger into a shared room, so the box room, became the "stay over" room.

One night my room mate, who had a "guest" staying over, came into our room in the middle of the night. Her "guest", had asked her if it was the done thing to have flatmates come in, during the night, to look at them. She had looked at the end of the bed, and could clearing see someone, as if lit from behind. She didn't use the room again.

I had the same experience myself with a "guest", and saw myself, the shape at the end of the room. It was odd. The figure stood as if back lit, but there were no lights in the hallway, the door was closed, and no way that anything should have been visible. But as I lay there, I realised I had no sense of panic or fear, and went back to sleep.

A few weeks later, I was stranded in the flat. I had left my keys at home, and as I had no classes and hadn't left the flat with everyone else, I was stuck in until someone else came in to lock up. My favourite place was sitting on the window ledge - which overlooked the Salisbury Craggs.

As I sat on the ledge enjoying the fresh breeze and the view, I heard the front door, bang. I had my tape recorder playing (NO CD's weren't quite popular then), and I was listening to U2. Who ever came in started whistling along with the music, and I turned round and shouted "Hi". No answer came.

I came in off the window ledge, and wander through the flat. There was most definitely a sensation in the room, but no one there. I went back into my room and rewound my tape. I had a thought that perhaps the door bang and the whistling was on the tape. When I played it back nothing.

I shrugged and went back on to the window ledge. Edinburgh from 5 stories, is glorious.

As I sat there, I felt the presence in the room, and as I smiled, the whistling to the tape began again, and I just sung along.

Whoever it was, was just happy for company. And, was rather partial to U2.