Whether you’re creeping your way through the dark auditorium, gliding through the hallways by the pool, or tiptoeing your way through the deafeningly silent empty hallways, one thing’s for certain: the school is crawling with places that will be sure to give you the heebie jeebies! It’s been rumored that cockroaches have been seen scurrying through the halls or in the corners of classes, and something always smells a little… fishy, so let’s hear from some of our students about their ghoulish tales and bone-chilling encounters.

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We all know them: hallways, bustling with all the daily activities, students walking slowly—nose deep in their iPads, people late for class, laughter erupting from around every corner, but how about when all that familiarity and background noise goes away… when all you’re left with is a winter’s chill, a desperate attempt to find a hideout, and some unforeseen company?

Stefano Lanzi: The Hallways (especially when it’s dark)
I remember the winter of freshman year, when it was dangerously cold outside, and I was freezing in my thin Saint Viator polo. I was almost certain I was going to get frostbite. I was alone in the hallways, and the lights were flickering dauntingly, as if to send me a warning in some obscure code. I could hear the howling wind outside, causing the trees to scrape against the brick and glass of the outside walls and creating a fearsome and heart-wrenching screeching noise. I could not take it anymore. I looked around to make sure the coast was clear. I whipped my backpack off of my shoulders with the speed of a Formula One car, unzipped my zipper, and grabbed hold of my Lion for Life hoodie that I won from the fall play when I was in eighth grade. Almost immediately after its sweet warmth began to caress my face and torso, I sensed it: someone, or something, was coming for me. First, a slight tapping. Then, it became louder and faster. I was being chased. I ran for my life down the hallway, clutching my backpack between my arms like it was my firstborn child. The tapping became a thudding, and a deep, moaning growl erupted down the empty hallway. Eventually, I came to the end of the hallway and had an important decision to make. I could either run up the stairs and risk tripping on my way up, or I could hide in the Commons amongst the scattered mess of the chairs and tables thrown about. I quickly dashed around the corner and into the dark and frozen Commons. The door slowly shut with a creak that could send chills down even the most courageous warrior’s neck. It was pitch black inside. I stumbled over discarded furniture and supplies, and found the door to the quiet study area. I quickly entered, and just as I thought I was going to be safe, the door to the commons opened again. A looming figure stood in the doorway, a creature from my nightmare. The door shut for one final time, and the darkness came with a soft ker-chunk as the metal door handle locked into place. I knew my doom was at hand. I crept back as far as the wall would let me. I clutched my hoodie and tried to make myself as small as possible. I heard that wretched thudding again, and with every step, my skin crawled with goosebumps and chills. My heart was pounding, and I was praying that this nightmare would end. The creature reached the quiet study area and gained entry without a single sound. I thought to myself: this is the end, this is it. Out of sheer desperation and lack of options, I turned on my iPad so that I might identify my killer. What stood before me was a pair of glasses gleaming in the eerie and dim light, with a crossing guard vest so orange and bright it could challenge the magma that engulfs the earth’s very core. As soon as my iPad turned back off, my entire body went numb, as if I was just dunked into an ice bath in the Arctic. With my last few strands of strengths, my ears heard the quiet whisper that almost stopped my heart all on its own. “You can get this back after school in my office.”

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The theatre is quite literally at the heart of the school, but could there be mysterious spirits living behind the scenes, amongst the showcase lights, shiny props, and draping curtains? Students say the theatre has always been a place where there’s a feeling of something or someone else present, maybe even offering a friendly guidance over all the future performers.

Mrs. Kate Costello: The Theatre
When I was in college, students used to talk about the “tulpas,” physical materializations of thoughts in the old theaters at the University of Illinois. It was said that since the theater is involved so much with drama, ego, and different characters, these all left psychic energy in the theaters. Some teachers said these “spirits” were manifested in the strange sounds and sights one might see in a dark or semi-dark theater. For the many times when I worked alone in the theater, painting a set or programming the lights, I have seen chair seats suddenly went up by themselves and have heard noises from the roof area or backstage. Several people closely related to our theater program died when they were relatively young, including our late director JoAnn Calzaretta. They were all people who loved the Jeuck auditorium, so if their “spirits” (which I look to as inspiration) are in the theater, they are benevolent, not evil.

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The fishy smell isn’t only coming from the cafeteria; the fishbowl area, though a beloved hangout spot, harbors its own ghostly mysteries.

Giuseppe Maffei: Mr. Tubridy’s Football Well (near fishbowl)
One day, in my awkward freshman year, I was going to get my football gear from Mr. Tubridy’s well. Mr. Tubridy himself was not there at the moment. I waited for approximately two minutes, when the boiler room, right next to Mr. Tubridy’s Office, made loud noises as the boiler turned on. I was startled at this, thinking the whole building was falling apart.
Being in the well alone is just a scary thing itself. It is super quiet when the boiler isn’t on, and every move can be heard. The well can also be very dark, as there is only one single light illuminating the whole well. Such dim lighting creates many dark corners that make me feel as if I am in a horror movie. Rumor has it that there are bugs lurking around the whole school and these bugs, such as cockroaches, like dark places. This seems to be a perfect place for them. These dark corners make me stay on my toes because I never know if a bug will appear right out of thin air.

If you are afraid of the dark and silence, sudden hissing with steam, and scattered with potential hideouts for bugs, enter Mr. Tubridy’s well at your own risk.

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But down the fishbowl staircase is one of the many places causing shivers down students’ spines. This place is somewhere not even the fish would dare to venture: the pool. Some students don’t even know that Saint Viator has a pool, but it has lived up to its nickname the “dungeon” with its creaking lockers, slimy sewers, low-buzzing dully-lit lights, stingy dampness, unearthly silence and a certain heaviness in the air that will be sure to make you question if you’re really alone…

Serafina DeMunno: The Pool
We sometimes have early morning volleyball practice, and one time, some of our teammates got there early. No one else, not even our coaches were here. We couldn’t figure out how to get in, so we decided to use the side door by the pool. Now, the doors by the gym were locked, so we had to make our way down the pool stairs. It was pitch black, and we had no idea where we were going. We crossed the pool and made it to the locker rooms, which looked like a jail, still pitch black. There was a red light that kept going on and off, making everything even creepier. We finally made it to the gym for practice but not without a scare.

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So, whether you find yourself lurking through the halls alone after school hours, taking a trip to the john only to find spiders emerging from the sink cracks, or taking a ride in one of the creekedy elevators, make sure you keep a close look out for all the frightening twists and squirming turns behind every door and around every corner. Happy Halloween!