The interviewer’s comments are denoted through initials GM, while the interviewee’s responses are denoted by a CB.

GM: Has anything happened to you or your family that you can tell me about regarding a weird text or something cyber-related that you couldn’t explain – like an anomaly?

CB: I was 12 years old and I was at my friend’s house playing flag football in his front yard. After a little while, I needed to use the computer so I went inside to my friend Joseph’s house. Joseph’s house is a large Southern style estate with very high ceilings and wood paneled offices. The computer I used was inside one of wood paneled offices. I spent almost an hour on the computer, and when I was about to shut down I saw someone on the screen. Not an image or screensaver, but a very real person on the screen. Naturally, I freaked out for a second and took a double take, but suddenly no one was on it.

When something of this nature happened, I obviously ran away from the computer and yelled out to my friend’s mother: “Sherry, Sherry!!”. I found her in the kitchen and told her I saw something.  She said, “what did you see?” and I said “I was on your computer and I saw something on the screen for a split second”.  She said “You saw something? Did you see a little girl in the mirror about your age (10 or so) with pigtails?” In the moment, my heart skipped a beat because she had described to me exactly what I just saw on the screen before I even yelled her name out. She went on to explain that I’m not the first person see someone on the computer, and that her husband and her husband’s father had both seen the little girl in different computers throughout the house. As far as they knew, no little girl had entered the house in years. From that day forward, going back to her house always terrified me because I thought I would see her again – but I never did.

Conclusion, written by the interviewer:

This story, although experienced by a 10-year-old, shows the incredibly real feeling that cyber ghosts can provide. His friend’s mother’s knowledge of the ghost and acceptance of its recurrence shows that in the modern day, this is how people believe ghosts must appear in our lives. Instead of a dead ancestor lying on the couch or a young girl in a cemetery, most ghosts can now show up on texts or on your local screen. The ghost on the screen was described as very realistic, but haunting and momentary – both elements that have persisted since old ghost stories, but simply in a new format for the 21^st century.

The interviewer’s comments are denoted through initials GM, while the interviewee’s responses are denoted by a BH.

GM: Has anything happened to you or your family that you can tell me about regarding a weird text or something cyber-related that you couldn’t explain – like an anomaly?

BH: I was in my sophomore year of high school doing my computer science homework. I had to write a program for an assignment that we were given.  I had naturally started on it late at night being the procrastinator that I am. Around midnight, when I was about done with my program, I noticed something strange. I had failed to make my program run several times before this instance, but this time was different: it didn’t even compile.  I went back up to look carefully through the entire program and suddenly almost got a heart attack. One line of code that I had never written had somehow turned up in the Dr. Java program.

Normally when coding, you put two backward slashes before phrases not actually intended to be in the program. However, because these slashes were not placed in front of them, the program read them as actual code and therefore my program was not working. The haunting line said: “Geno is watching you.” Now, obviously I thought this had been a prank, and felt at ease for a second – before realizing that both my parents were fast asleep, and I had never left the computer since I began writing the program. I immediately shut down my computer and went off to sleep – I knew that I would be less scared to deal with this in the morning. Somehow, the next morning the line had vanished, and my program worked flawlessly – but that sentenced never left my mind. I asked my parents, my friends, and my cousins all about this name. No one could tell me anything, until my grandfather told me he had a long-deceased uncle with the name, who he barely remembered. I still have no clue how that line showed up, but if it was the ghost of my great Uncle, maybe I shouldn’t be a computer science major anymore.

Conclusion, written by the interviewer:

This story seems very unbelievable – how could such a random ancestor appear in his code. The natural assumption is that in his tired state, he miswrote some code. However, when he told me that the name Geno actually meant something, I was absolutely stunned. This is yet another example of the “cyber” ghost in our modern age – instead of chilly winds and flickering candles, these supernatural characters can find home in the screens that we spend our entire life around. My friend very genuinely believed that this was the work of a ghost, and was deeply nervous to tell me this story. The past themes of ancestors and late nights shows its evolution in this modern experience, and yet again, the only force to push away the ghost was the light of the following morning.

The interviewer’s comments are denoted through initials GM, while the interviewee’s responses are denoted by a VA.

GM: Has anything happened to you or your family that you can tell me about regarding a weird text or something cyber-related that you couldn’t explain – like an anomaly?

VA: My aunt’s friend died 7 years ago in a car accident. It was a hit and run, and the driver escaped and was never caught. My aunt got a text 3 years later from her deceased friend’s number, with a very cryptic message. The text said “Hey Kaira. Car that killed me: LP3 WQ56.” In shock, my aunt didn’t know what to do – she simply kept the phone in her trembling hand. A minute later, she received another text that provided her a location – what or who was at that location, she had no idea.

My aunt tried to use “Find My iPhone”, tried calling the cell provider company, but they told her the number simply didn’t exist. My aunt left for the location, purely motivated by her friend’s death and a will to find out the truth. She showed up at the location, and the conversation had deleted itself.  She found herself inside an empty shack or garage – just like a horror movie. Even though she was really freaking out, she looked around a bit, only to find absolutely nothing – no trace of anyone residing or even visiting the area. Eventually, she was far too scared to continue waiting for something to happen. She left and never received a text or call from that number again, but to this day she is forever fearful of her phone.

She is one of the few in our family to actually believe in ghosts, and she still maintains that that night she was texted by the ghost of her friend – she was just too late to find the killer. She never informed the police because the conversation was gone and she had no proof, but she told me this story to forever remember that there are supernatural powers always watching our actions.

Conclusion, written by the interviewer:

This story shows the modern adaptation of ghostly belief. Initially, ghosts were only seen or felt: if they were far, they were irrelevant. However, the evolution of technology and the presence of it in every aspect of our lives has given rise to cyber ghosts that can contact us in many different ways. This creates deeper mystery and fear, and, in the case of this story, can allow for action. While this story shows ties to much older beliefs, like regret over a friend or relative’s death, it allows text messages to bring the story into a very possible modern day experience that drove my interviewee’s aunt to do things she never rationally would.

The interviewer’s comments are denoted through initials GM, while the interviewee’s responses are denoted by a PO.

The interviewee overheard my conversation with another student, and offered to provide me with a story of his own strange encounter.

PO: I have a story to tell you too if you’d like! It’s about this really weird trip I took to Alaska.

GM: Sure! Go for it. What happened?

PO: I went to Alaska for a school trip last year with a bunch of kids from my school. One night, me and 3 other friends were told by an upperclassman of this island nearby where we were camping that was once owned by an extremely wealthy man, but recently died. Being stupid and adventurous, we chose to take one of my friends’ boats and make the short trip to the secluded island late at night while the rest of the group was asleep. Upon reaching the edge of the island, we instantly noted a very weird aura in the area. While there was no human in sight, we began to observe some of the wildlife and their antagonistic attitude towards us. These were not vicious animals: crabs, birds, and insects. We chose to stay the night there (again, stupid adventure). I woke up in the middle of the night to find easily 10-15 crabs surrounding the four of us, as if they were in a cult. The screeching of birds and deafening cricket chirps made all of use jump up from our mats and start sprinting towards the boat. We all rowed back to the mainland at the fastest we’ve ever rowed, and never looked back.

GM: Did you see any person or apparition of any sort as you were leaving?

PO: No, but there was definitely a spirit possessing the nature of the area. All the crabs, birds, and crickets were in a sort of rhythm – under a kind of spell. They were synchronized and coordinated, as if under the control of a human. We all think it was because we trespassed into the deceased man’s territory, and his spirit thought of us as intruders.

Conclusion, written by the interviewer:

This story is one that shows no evidence of a human or ever transparent apparition: but it undoubtedly felt like a ghost story to the interviewee. He was terrified and held genuine belief that there was a spirit controlling the area, and all four of them felt it. For an outsider, it may seem like the presence was a long shot, made up in the mind of the subject. However, the significance of the story to him shows that the “spirit” was definitely present, and had a purpose: to keep his “master” and his land protected.