The Grey Lady
During that period of limbo between graduating uni and getting my first proper job, I was forced to join the administrational workforce in order to scrape a few pennies together. I got myself a temp job in the university’s student funding office.

It was a pretty good job. I was free to search and apply for jobs all day (as long as I got my work done) and it was pretty fun trying to catch out the students who were trying to squeeze as much extra money out of us as possible – one had even gone to the trouble of scanning, and then photoshopping, their bank statement. Top marks for creativity, just bad luck that his application was dealt with by someone very well versed in photoshop.

Those of you who have attended Coventry University will possibly know where the student centre is (by the library) and that the Gulson hospital is directly opposite. Most of the hospital has now been demolished to make way for something or other; but before it was destroyed, it used to be used as storage space for the Student Centre.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how awful hospitals are.

Even up-to-date, busy hospitals are pretty creepy. The Gulson hospital was one of those old-school, bare bones style places where the concept of anaesthetic would have been classed as a ‘new fangled medical advance’.

This hospital was empty.

The first time I heard about it was when the girls in the office were arguing over who was going to go over. No one wanted to go on their own and since I’m a bit of a hardcore horror freak I volunteered to accompany whoever needed to go.

We pushed open the double doors into a long corridor. There were a number of double doors set at intervals all the way up the corridor and I could see that one section of corridor was in complete, unnatural darkness. It could have been taken straight out of any generic horror movie.

Setting off at a trot, we made our way towards the next set of double doors and pushed through into the darkness. I looked behind and saw the words ‘Dental Ward’ written on the window. Ahead of us was a small staircase with no banister leading to a teeny pointless door – the size of the door just seemed even creepier – it was like a portal to hell.

Back out of the darkness and into another light section of corridor, we finally found the right place – an old treatment room next to a gurney and tray that had been left there as if the hospital had been evacuated in a zombie apocalypse. We got to work finding the files in the storeroom. It was ok in the store room but soon we had to leave and make the short but terrifying journey back outside.

As we made our way through the dark section and pushed the double doors, we heard a shuffling noise behind us. I looked at Nikki, she looked at me and we broke into a frantic run for the safe outdoors.

The hospital had an awful atmosphere; it was like you were being watched. For no physical reason at all, it was just the kind of place you couldn’t wait to get out of.

I only ever went back once more. I was feeling adventurous so I went alone.

This time the lights that worked were flickering in the first section. Joy.

I was determined to be a grownup about it so on I went through the flashing bit, then into the darkness. I turned and looked into one of the empty treatment rooms on my way – there were still bits of hospital equipment littered around which did not help to ease the asmosphere.
I finally reached the store room. The gurney was still sitting there begging me to question why it was still there.

I unlocked the store room and went ahead finding my files. Soon it was time to leave. I was congratulating myself on how well I’d fared in the haunted hospital on my own but my pride was to be short lived as I put the key in the door to lock the store room and turned.

Fuck

It wouldn’t turn!

I threw all my weight against it and it wouldn’t go. I double checked the right key, took the key out and tried again it just wouldn’t turn. I was starting to get panicky now as all I wanted to do was leave, I felt like I needed to get out soon or else something bad would happen. After what felt like hours, I took a slow breath and – hallelujah – it turned, it clicked, it locked.

Now I needed to get out, but I was still determined to be brave. I strode through the dark section and back into the flickering bit. The last door was in sight, beyond that, there was freedom.

Turning back to close the door, I spotted something up the corridor. Next to the gurney by the store room where I had been standing minutes previously tussling with the lock there was something weird. It looked like a dust-cloud – but nothing could have created it. The hospital was old but it wasn’t dusty. The translucent cloud just hovered there in mid-air. I was transfixed for a moment until the flashing light switched off and I broke into a terrified scramble for the outside world.

I spoke to my colleagues after this who told me that the hospital is said to be haunted by a grey lady. Is that what I saw?
(Katzilla Follow Me! @Kat_Zilla (I don't promise funnehs), Mon 11 Apr 2011, 14:46, 8 replies)

Just reading that
creeped me out a bit.
(ladydyani, Mon 11 Apr 2011, 14:50, closed)

just re-writing it
creeped me out a lot
(Katzilla Follow Me! @Kat_Zilla (I don't promise funnehs), Mon 11 Apr 2011, 14:52, closed)

I kinda want to
go see this place. Wish I could.
(ladydyani, Mon 11 Apr 2011, 17:49, closed)

I think Cov & Warks Hospital
is now standing empty, and that's one of those old hospitals that makes you feel ill looking at it.
(Rsoles, Mon 11 Apr 2011, 19:21, closed)

Nope
It's still in use, I used to have to have physio there. Scary place.
(Katzilla Follow Me! @Kat_Zilla (I don't promise funnehs), Tue 12 Apr 2011, 7:43, closed)

Ace.
Good shivers!
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Apr 2011, 15:02, closed)

Your mind misinterpreted the inputs.
Sounds like a cool place to visit -- there aren't many places which have the right environment to cause halucinations and paranoia in a large enough sample of people.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Mon 11 Apr 2011, 18:21, closed)

It was a very atmospheric place, but it's strange that so many people exPerienced the same or similar things with this grey lady
(Katzilla Follow Me! @Kat_Zilla (I don't promise funnehs), Tue 12 Apr 2011, 7:44, closed)