I worked at the facility for twenty-three years until they closed. There is nod doubt that ghosts exist. I personally had several encounters while working there. My first encounter happened when I was taking my lunch break. I decided to take a stroll near the old graveyard, just out of curiosity; I wanted to see what it looked like.

I had heard many stories about patients, Native Americans, and Confederate troops buried somewhere in the area. I stumbled upon what appeared to be several old broken headstones. This was a nice sunny day in June. The strangest thing happened: I felt as if someone or something was in my presence. The area I was in became darker, the birds stopped singing, and I began to get goosebumps all over me. A strong gust of wind came from nowhere, just in the area I was standing. I then realized it was time to leave.

As I began to leave, the sun came back out and the birds began to chirp again. This was an off-limits area behind a locked gate. There were no employees in the area. I’ll never forget that moment. That’s just one of several encounters I have had with ghosts.