Obake Story: Rocks Kitchen

This one isn't as scary; it's actually kind of boring except for the fact that it's the most solid sighting I've ever had. Still, Keith shouldn't read this at night. After all, he was a regular here. See also the Scary Stuff Disclaimer.

Centuries ago I worked in a popular sports/karaoke bar called On The Rocks, which was located in a midpriced Waikiki hotel. Like many hotels, this one had had its share of jumpers & hotel room suicides (1. You don't have to pay the room service tab. 2. The maids will clean up the mess.). Our large, well-lit kitchen was quite busy producing huge piles of nachos or sizzling platter steaks with mushrooms & onions (which we served only after circling the room once, provoking subsequent steak orders) & had only 2 doors: the back door leading to the loading dock, which was locked from the inside, & the huge swinging doors which led into the loud, busy customer area. Within the kitchen were our walk-in fridge & freezer, each about 10' x 6'.

There had been some spooky stories about the kitchen from before I started working there but I hadn't paid attention. During my time there, one of our cooks took to sitting outside in the bar whenever he wasn't cooking. When I asked him why he said he refused to be in the kitchen alone unless he had to, because he sensed a presence in there & pots had flown off shelves from across the room. I thought that was pretty cool. Later one of my co-workers mentioned that 3 of them had been talking story in the kitchen when they heard someone pounding on the door from the inside of the walk-in fridge. They had immediately opened the door thinking someone had gotten locked in there, but it was empty. Again, coolness.

I worked nightly untl 4am. At 2am I would start grabbing cases of beer from the walk-in & begin my restocking (if I waited until 4 I would be there forever). One night as I was in the walk-in making a pile of beer cases, I looked up to see male figure, dressed in black, strolling right past the door. The fluorescent lights in the kitchen were very bright, & I was completely sober. The dude in black was as clear as a live person; no smoke or blurriness or music or anything.

Immediately I knew I'd seen something paranormal. The kitchen had closed at 1 & the back door had been locked since then. I'd been in & out of this kitchen to grab ice & knew it was empty. The music & noise from the bar area would have loudly & clearly announced even a fractional opening of the swinging doors.

So, that was a ghost.

"Cool," I said to myself, & I went back to my stocking.