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Our story begins deep in the heart of Terrebonne High, where a dark secret lies, waiting for a not-so-bright student like Marsha Johnson to come along and knock at its door. Many years ago some strange events happened at this high school. Please come with me now as I describe to you the story of the ghost of the fourth floor.
Marsha liked to think she was just a “normal” teenage girl, but something happened on October 13, 1965 that changed all that. When cheerleading practice had come to a late close she realized she had left her chemistry book in her locker on the third floor. It was about 6:30pm and the school was dark and ominous. Marsha could hear the thunder in the distance.
As she was almost to the third floor landing she could have sworn that above the sound of the wind and thunder someone said her name from the stairs to the fourth floor. Shaking her head to clear her mind Marsha continued up a few more steps. Suddenly she heard it again a little bit louder.
“Maaaaarrrshaaaaa,” the low voice droned.
“Um, is s-somebody there,” Marsha asked in a squeaky voice.
Just as Marsha lifted one foot very slowly to the next step the lights flickered and went out. The dull light penetrating through the window was enough for her to decide to go on. Six steps from the third floor landing was to close to give up now.
Taking a deep breath she bolted for the doors. Right when she reached for the handle she heard someone plainly say her name in a normal tone of voice. Marsha never got a chance to open the door, but turned around quickly putting her back against it.
“Who are you?” she called into the darkness.
“Marsha, you have to come see this,” said a voice from the darkness.
The voice sounded like a teenage girls but it wasn’t one recognizable in Marsha’s mind. She repeated her question and waited almost a minute for an answer. When she was about to give up and make herself forget she heard anything at all, a small clanking sound floated to her from the stairwell above.
“I know someone is there,” she called with a voice that cracked with fear.
“The door is unlocked,” the voice called down to her, “You have to see this. Everyone will be so surprised.”
“Surprised about what? What is up there? Who are you?” Marsha called desperately into the darkness.
Standing there with her back pressed against the door she couldn’t take it any longer. Marsha quickly opened the gate and started up the stairs.
“Where are you?” she asked timidly.
She slowly made her way up the stairs towards the almost complete darkness with her back pressed against the wall. Reaching the middle landing the darkness was broken by the door to the roof opening and letting in some of the weak light from outside. When she looked up saw the silhouette of someone just leaving the doorframe to the roof.
When she was to the door Marsha slightly hesitated in opening it. Did she really want to see what was on the other side? She pushed her doubts aside, opened the door, and stepped out into the sprinkling evening. The only thing out of the ordinary she could see was that the door to the bell tower slightly ajar.
She walked to it with the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Through the slight opening she could hear voices from within the bell tower.
Marsha pushed the door open and inside was a girl she didn’t know standing in front of a little tiger.
“Oh, wow,” Marsha said walking up to it.
“It’s been here a long time I think,” said the teenager.
Picking up the tiger Marsha saw out of the corner of her eye the girl looking toward the door, which was now closed. Had she closed it? Marsha couldn’t remember.
She walked up and opened it to the ever-darkening night.
“What should we do with it,” she called to the mystery girl behind her.
After receiving no answer she glanced over her shoulder and saw the girl was gone. Because she was blocking the only way out she knew she couldn’t have gone through the door.
Suddenly her arms felt really light and in in horror she realized the tiger was slowly fading. As the tiger became more transparent it began to run through her fingers like fog on a cool summer night. She shook her arms wildly and backed up against the doorframe. As she began screaming a bell tolled all around her. Then the darkness enveloped her.
As her eyes flickered open Marsha could see nothing but bright white all around her.
“Wow, I’m dead,” Marsha said emotionlessly to herself.
“No, you’ve just had a scare that’s all,” said a woman in a white suit that walked up beside her.
Coming to her senses Marsha realized she was in a hospital room. “Where are they? What were they?” Marsha asked the woman she presumed was a nurse.
“Who are you talking about dear,” the nurse said looking at her questioningly.
“The girl and the tiger,” Marsha said.
“You must not have slept off your medication yet,” the nurse said with a chuckle.
“How did I get here,” she asked.
“One of your friends found you by your locker. She said you hadn’t even opened it yet. You were just lying on the floor and she couldn’t wake you up,” the nurse said.
“My locker? I didn’t ever get to my locker,” Marsha said confused.
“Well sometimes it is hard to remember things that happen right before someone blacks out. It will come to you soon,” said the nurse matter-of-factly.
Marsha rubbed her eyes then got a curious expression on her face.
“Why did they ring the bells before I blacked out,” Marsha inquired.
“Bells in the tower at your school? That’s not possible, dear. The bells were taken out years ago,” the nurse said.
