I work security at Disney World... well, I mean I did.

I work in security at Disney World, the happiest place on Earth. Most nights it's an enjoyable job, especially when I get assigned to the Magic Kingdom. It doesn't matter how old you are or where you're from, there's just something about walking past It's A Small World at 4am, the theme song echoing through the empty streets. It's serene, in a way.<br><br>I've been working here for 23 years and I've gotten to know the other guards very well; we're all a big family. We always have a great time chatting each morning before we head out on our assigned patrols. We always joke about one another being lazy and trying to get the easiest jobs. The theme parks are best because we can stand still and watch the same areas all night. It's easier than patrolling in the resorts or on the back lots, where there are a lot of places for people to hide.<br><br>The other guards used to always say I was the luckiest because I got the magic kingdom assigned to me most often. I'd joke that it was because they wanted the best for that park, but really I knew it was because they didn't want to deal with me if I ended up on the back lots.<br><br>I've always been what my wife calls a "wimp." I don't handle frightening or intense situations well. We went to see The Exorcism of Emily Rose in theaters years ago and I had a panic attack in the parking lot. It was so bad that I had to go to the emergency room to get an EKG done to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack.<br><br>Because of this, they rarely send me to the resorts or the employee areas. This has become more true in the last few years anyway, since a few things have happened that they don't talk about.<br><br>It started with rumors. Whispers that someone was sneaking into guest's hotel rooms at night and watching them sleep. We'd get a call about a room a night and when we'd go to check it out, whoever it was would be long gone. We'd never find anyone and the guest would just seemingly make it up for the thrill of it. It was annoying, but nothing was ever taken and no one was ever hurt so we just rolled our eyes and went on with our lives.<br><br>Then we had a guard go missing. He was on patrol one night and his radio would stop responding around 3am. When his shift ended they went looking for him and never found him. His car was still in our parking lot and his lunch was still in the break room, but he never came back. They sent out an all park alert to all the guards and we searched for him, but he was gone. They sent the police out to his house and they never found anything. His wife and kids were left on their own with no idea where he went and no one ever came forward about seeing anything. <br><br>It was around that time that we really started to think that something creepy was going on. We'd hear footsteps behind us when we were walking, but stop and turn around and find no one there. We'd see things out of the corner of our eyes, turn, and again there'd be nothing. We'd hear strange noises, but only when we were alone.<br><br>Finally, a guard caught something on her camera. She was sitting at the security desk and she swore she saw a figure walk behind her. She turned and looked, but there was no one there. She looked back at the camera and rewound it. Sure enough, a man had walked past from behind her, right where she swore a minute ago someone had been.<br><br>This is where I come in. They know I don't like this sort of thing, but they also thought that the person behind this (if it truly was a person) would never target me. I was the weakest link, I'm not going to lie, they knew if I was alone whoever this was would be more likely to approach me. I told them no, I wasn't going to fall for it. They convinced me, though. Told me I had to be braver for the sake of my co-workers and whatever was going on.<br><br>I finally agreed only because I wanted this to be over. They set me up at a desk and gave me a camera, with the hope that whoever (or whatever) this was, they'd attack me. I sat there for hours, not taking my eyes off the screen. I didn't want to miss it. Finally, right around 2am, I saw something. I did exactly as I had been told: I stayed where I was, I didn't move or try to look at whatever this was behind me.<br><br>I watched the monitor as a man walked behind me, his arm reached out near my head as if he was going to grab my hair. I shivered, but I didn't move. I watched in amazement that I was braving this out as the rest of my shift arrived and switched with the person that had been there.<br><br>I watched the monitor as they went back to the cameras we kept at all the entrances. They fast forwarded to around the time that the man had appeared behind me and then they switched to different cameras, slowly following the man out to the park.<br><br>The last camera they could see him on was the one nearest to It's A Small World, which was where James was patrolling. They called him over the radio and he picked up the first time. They told him someone was heading his way and they told him the description. He laughed and said it was probably just a costumed character taking a late night walk.<br><br>"James, listen. We saw this guy walk behind someone on the security cameras. All of the guards are switchin out right now, so it's just employees in here. Costumed characters should be in their dressing rooms changing, not walking around the parks."<br><br>"Hell, maybe he's just doing some drugs then. Meth or something." He laughed.<br><br>"That's not funny James."<br><br>"Hell I know it's not funny, I'm an addict myself." I heard him stop walking and take a deep breath in. I could hear rustling. "You know, I'm near It's A Small World right now. I'm not seeing anyone."<br><br>"You haven't seen anyone?"<br><br>"No, but I can't see the whole walk from here. I'll go look." He sounded slightly irritated at having to go search for someone.<br><br>"Hell, I thought you were right near the walk." One of the other guards chimed in.<br><br>"Yeah, I am, but there's a whole damn castle between me and the path."<br><br>"Well go look, addict." The guard who had been talking joked.<br><br>"Hey, fuck off. I've been sober for five years." His voice raised, but he stopped and took another deep breath in. "Listen, is anyone on the cameras seeing anyone near me?"<br><br>"Hold on a minute," The shift leader said. We waited, I could hear him clicking on the computer next to me. "Alright, I don't see anyone on any of the cameras near you. But you're about where that guy was heading. Go look around a bit."<br><br>"What the hell am I looking for?" James asked sarcastically.<br><br>"I don't know, a guy walking around in a black cloak, maybe some witches. Just go out there and make sure there's no shady people out there, addicts." The guard who had made the addict joke said again.<br><br>"Shut the fuck up. You don't know what it's like," James said, raising his voice. I'd never heard him talk like this. He was usually very calm and collected.<br><br>"Whoa, back off, buddy." The other guard said. "Sorry if I hit a soft spot."<br><br>"What the fuck am I looking for, Ellis?" He asked, his voice still raised.<br><br>"I don't know, man. Just make sure there's no one out there, okay?"<br><br>"Hell, I'm out here. I don't see anyone." He said, exasperated.<br><br>"Then just give me a count."<br><br>"A count? What the fuck am I counting?"<br><br>"The trash cans. Count the trash cans." Ellis laughed. This was a joke we played on the new guards. Counting the trash cans was an old joke that had been going around since I started here. The very first time it had happened, I'm sure it was necessary. They'd just opened a new ride and there weren't enough trash cans, so they were sending a person out to count them all and write down which areas needed more. But now it's just a starter job. We know exactly where every trash can is in the parks, and we know that number is not going to change.<br><br>"Hell fucking no." James said. "You think I'm out here counting trash cans? Fuck off Ellis."<br><br>"What? No. I didn't mean it like that. I just need to make sure there's the right amount of trash cans. Or I mean, I need to make sure there's the right amount of James'. Count how many of you there are."<br><br>"one."<br><br>"One what?"<br><br>"One of me. Are you happy? Now I've counted and there is one of me."<br><br>"Okay, James. Thank you. We appreciate it." Ellis laughed.<br><br>"Whatever. I'm going back to patrolling." He said.<br><br>"Alright, James. Thanks." He said as he switched the cameras again, following James as he walked away. He went back to fast forwarding, going all the way back to when the man had been seen on the security cameras. They fast forwarded enough that I could make out a distinct walking pattern. It almost looked like a skip. Every few steps the figure would hop over a little bit as if he had hurt one leg.<br><br>They followed it all the way back to where it started, a service door leading backstage where all the employees worked. They