For the past four years I’ve worked as a Funeral Director & Embalmer at two different locations and separate buildings. Names omitted for privacy reasons and to keep in tact my anonymity.

In my line of work of course the nature of the work would be unsettling to most. Especially the aspect of the tasks completed on the decedents themselves, as an embalmer I’ve performed some gruesome actions all for the betterment of someone’s loved one appearance and their expectations during the viewing during their visitation period. I’m telling you all of this to set the stage that I’m not scared easily from the unsettling and I have a rock solid stomach that could handle any smell or sight that we come across that any Embalmer will see at some point.

As there are two locations that I frequently visit for my work I’ll be labeling them 1 and 2. Just for simplicity’s sake.

1st Location:

Coming back from a death call at a hospital at 2 am into 130 year old funeral home with a decedent in the back of the van seems creepy enough to most but it’s the reality that most people don’t realize is a fairly common occurrence. My first major encounter happened sometime after I arrived to the funeral home and starting my normal embalming procedures. During the procedures of course I’m not paying extreme attention to my surroundings of the room. But I had noticed just nuisance of chill that wasn’t normal as I had embalmed many times before and never noticed nothing like it.I just shrugged it off and continued on. After I had completed I walked into casket showroom which is directly next to to the embalming room and flipped on the lights. And in the corner next to the end of two caskets was a black mist that seemed to dissipate into the corner of the room. Plain as day in the fully lit room I was absolutely rocked by this realization that me and the decedent were not alone in the funeral home someone had been watching me the entire time.

The second occurrence was when I was leaving one night around 11pm after a long day of death calls and funerals. Every evening when we leave we go from room to room and make sure every light is off to save on the electric bill. I had sat down in my car and looked up into one of the rooms on the second level and noticed a lamp was on. I decided to no go back in and get it in the morning. No big deal right? Yeah I wish, the specific room was the location manager’s office and it looked as if the light was emanating from the middle of the room. Just some context, the lamp in question was originally owned by the location manager’s wife who has passed and also went through the same funeral home he worked at. He had brought it from home to use there in his office because it was no longer needed at his house. That next day I went up there to check on the room and turn the lamp off. Only problem was that the lamp emanating the light the night before was sitting in the middle of his desk not even plugged in. I was the first employee there that morning and no one had been there during the night for any reason at all. Also when seeing the lamp on the night before I know the funeral home was empty because I was the last person to leave.

Now these two occurrences aren’t alone but they are the most notable. Because I can’t explain them away. There are several hundred times I’ve felt watched or something seems to move in the corner of my eye. There has also been many times where I hear someone whisper “Hello” or “Hey” in my ear. There are so numerous that it’s hard to keep when or how they happened straight. But I guess, that just baggage with the job..

2nd location:

Context: At this location I actually lived in the top of the funeral home for a period of 6 to 8 months. Because free room and board in a fully furnished apartment and the ease of being able to just wake up and clock in in the morning without even having to drive anywhere is a luxury most people don’t think about.

The first happening was a subtle but no subtle moment. A few weeks into my initial move in to the apartment upstairs of the funeral home I was sleeping in my room upstairs and was awoken by the sounds of the stairs creaking as if someone was walking up them. It was 1 am and I knew no one there but me. Because usually when a death call happens I know about them because I am called by my answering service to go get them. As this point I am frozen in place. Like who in the hell would be there at this time of night without me knowing about it. All of the doors are locked to enter the funeral home and so is my bedroom door. The freezing continues until whatever is outside my door comes to it and knocks twice. I say nothing. After several moments of complete silence the creaking starts again but back down the stairwell. I sat totally silent the rest of the night couldn’t sleep at all. Nothing else happened but I was absolutely rattled by that experience. Whatever that was knew I was up there at I didn’t like that thought at all. I had no other choice but to continue to live there because my financial position at the time I couldn’t really afford anything else.

My second experience there was in the evening as well. I was eating a TV dinner in my kitchen there in the apartment. I looked up from my food and watched a door knob turn and the door opened as if someone just walked through and shut it back. I just sat mouth agape and was totally flabbergasted. I was also there alone that night as well. No breezes or change in air pressure due to other door closures could force to open and shut that door like it did that night.

Finally, and the most recent. (This post is being written on a Sunday) Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch downstairs on break during the middle of the day. I was alone again. Context: if there is nothing going on as far as funerals or arrangement conferences on the weekends we keep the doors locked and the lights off. I rose from the couch and was walking into the main hall of the funeral home and I noticed a man standing in the doors to the funeral chapel I said aloud to him “Hey! You!” He didn’t turn or say anything, he just walked away from me and turned the corner. I followed him into the chapel to try and get his attention. I rounded that same corner and found absolutely nothing. By this time I was freaking out. The man was a wearing a navy blue pinstripe suit with a white collared button up. Gray slicked back hair and was about same height as me. He was an older fellow and was a little hunched over in the back. For reference I am 6’2. I immediately called the manager of the funeral home (same as the other location) and told him what had happened and described the man. He told me that I had probably seen his old manager who had also lived in the apartment that I did currently several years ago. Everything made sense in that moment.

Any questions or requests for clarifications just leave your comments below, I’ll be checking and be more than happy to respond.