A few years ago, a woman was working alone on the middle floor of a building, tidying the room and setting tables in preparation for a function due to take place later that evening. With her back turned toward the doorway, she heard the door open and caught a glimpse – just from the corner of her eye – of what appeared to be a man entering the room.

Assuming it was one of the waiters moving through the building, she continued with her work, paying little attention as she heard heavy footsteps climbing the stairs toward the top floor. Moments later, the sounds intensified. She distinctly heard dull thuds from above, followed by the unmistakable noise of furniture being dragged across the floor.

Believing the waiter was responsible, she called out to him, asking that some chairs be brought down in advance of the event. When no reply came, she called out again from the bottom of the stairs. To her shock, the response came not from above, but from below – the voice of the only other staff member in the building, a waiter working on the floor beneath her.

Both were left unsettled. Almost immediately afterward, they heard once more the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor overhead. The woman then noticed a dark, indistinct shadow slipping past her field of vision. At the same time, she felt a sudden drop in temperature, and an icy vapour briefly clouded the air around her.

Concerned but curious, the waiter decided to go upstairs to investigate. When he returned a short time later, he confirmed that no one was present on the top floor and that nothing appeared to be disturbed or out of place. However, he did remark on a strong, unpleasant odour lingering in the air – a putrid smell with no obvious source.

Deeply shaken, the woman refused to return upstairs, convinced that something unusual had taken place. When the incident was later discussed among other staff members, several admitted that they too had experienced strange sounds, sensations, or an unsettling feeling of being watched while working in the building.