Ghost Stories of textas written by Joanne Christensen, published by Lompine Publishing their Reaper.
Though hospitals are places of healing, they are also frequently places of death.
No one can attest to that more than the nurses, who tend to
every need of the sick and dying. Perhaps this close contact that nurses share
with their patients is the reason so many of them have witnessed paranormal incidences taking
place at a deathbed. One chilling story was told to Strange magazine in nineteen
ninety seven by a private duty nurse who worked in a Houston hospital. The
nurse had just arrived at the hospital and was hurrying down the hall toward her
patient's room, anxious to relieve the other person on duty. The woman was
almost too preoccupied to notice a strange, dark figure standing in one of the
rooms. She had passed several feet past the door. However, the nurse
stopped short if she had really seen what she thought she had seen. Suddenly
unconcerned about the time, the woman turned and retraced her steps. The nurse
stopped in the hall outside the room and peered through the doorway. An old,
gray haired woman lay in the bed, supported by a net of pillows.
Standing patiently beside her was a still tall, black robed being that made
the nurse catch her breath in utter shock. When it lifted its hooded head
it looked at her, she felt her blood turn to ice. She had
just made eye contact with the grim reaper. The creature's face was a skull,
and its eyes were glowing red coals. It was the very image of
patience when its skelets and hands folded together, and the quiet composure of one
who is willing to wait as long as necessary. As the terrified nurse looked
into the ghastly visage, she was overwhelmed by the stench of wrought. That's
the smell of death, she thought, then broke away from the reaper's horrible
gaze, turned and quickly walked away. When the nurse arrived in her own
patient's room, she was pale and trembling with cold. The melon nurse whom
she was scheduled to relieve, took one look at his shaken colleague and immediately
wrapped her and warm blankets. He then gave her a hot drink and waited
patiently for an explanation. It was two hours before the frightened nurse was able
to tell her coworker what she had seen. Once she did, he simply
nodded. That lady has been fighting death for over seven days, he said.
Soon after the old woman passed away, the reaper's wait was over.