Brandon was an 18-year-old boy who had just passed high school. He had got admission into a college of his choice and needed money to pay for his studies. Unfortunately, the only place he got a job was in a restaurant that many people told him was haunted. Though sceptical, Brandon had no other choice but to take up the job as the restaurant was ready to pay him well. A few weeks passed and Brandon felt quite cheerful. Nothing happened. ‘I think people just make up stories,’ he thought. His friends were also curious about the restaurant and asked him about it. Brandon only laughed. “It’s a regular restaurant. People come, eat, pay and leave. I have not seen or heard anything strange till now,” said Brandon. As Brandon had to attend college in the morning, he worked at the restaurant in the evening shift that lasted till midnight.
Brandon is Stranded
Things went very well for Brandon. He was paid regularly, and he did not face any problems. However, he was still curious to know why people called the restaurant haunted. So, he decided to find out. One day, Brandon asked another fellow waiter why people termed the restaurant as haunted. “Er, I… I don’t know,” stuttered the waiter, and he ran off. He asked a couple of others too, but all them would either brush it off or make a face and go away. Fed up, Brandon stopped asking. Brandon usually left by 12 but that day he took later than usual to clean up. By the time he finished, it was almost 1 am. When he looked around, he realised that all the other waiters had left. ‘They didn’t even tell me,’ he thought and grumpily walked out of the restaurant. He waited for a taxi, but none came. His home was too far away to walk, so Brandon was stranded.
The Spirit Party
Brandon thought it was better to go back and lie down in the restaurant. He was not very happy about it, but he had no other way out. He thought about the rumours that the restaurant was haunted, but just brushed them away. ‘If I keep thinking about it, I will have to stand on this road all night,’ he thought, and he walked back into the restaurant. So, he walked directly into the kitchen and looked around. He saw some sacks in the corner. He piled them up to make up a bed and lay on it. ‘It’s so lonely out here,’ thought Brandon as he tried to sleep. Suddenly, he heard some voices. ‘Maybe, it’s the owner,’ thought Brandon, and he ran out into the dining room to check. He was in for a shock. The dining room was full of spirits who floated in the air. They had no legs and wandered from one table to another as if it was a party!
The Mystery Unravelled
For a few minutes, Brandon stood there frozen. He could neither think nor scream. His hands quivered as he tried to back off from the dining room. Finally, he scooted back to the kitchen as fast as he could. His heart thudded so loudly that he was scared that the spirits would hear it beat and come looking for him. Brandon found a small empty cupboard in the kitchen where he could fit in. He entered it, closed the door and stayed there all night. He didn’t realise when, between his sleepiness and fear, he fell asleep. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulders. When he opened his eyes, he saw a bright light. It was morning and one of his fellow waiters had woken him up. Relieved, he told everybody in the restaurant what he had seen and heard. “So that’s why people call this place haunted!” they exclaimed.
