Okay, Buxton Inn. Let’s Try This Again.

I’m standing outside the Buxton Inn, and I can already feel it—the creeping sense that I’m about to do something embarrassingly stupid. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m standing on a public street corner, my hands shoved in my pockets like I’m trying to look casual, while my duct-taped EVP circuit dangles conspicuously at my side. Maybe it’s the fact that, despite my best efforts to blend in, I look like the kind of person who is absolutely up to something. Maybe I should have worn a powdered-blue crash test helmet to seal the deal.

I glance around. Yep. People are definitely watching.

This is new territory for me. Not just the whole "standing outside a haunted hotel looking shady" thing, but the entire “actively trying to catch something paranormal” thing. Last time, the universe threw me a curveball—I recorded something that shouldn’t have been there. But now? Now, I’m deliberately looking for something. Which, in my experience, is the fastest way to ensure absolutely nothing happens.

I hit record. I wait. I feel ridiculous.

At first, it’s kind of exciting. There’s an energy to the moment, like the world is holding its breath. I half expect something dramatic to happen—a whisper, a cold gust of air, a spectral hand reaching out to slap the recorder out of my grip. Instead, a guy in a hoodie walks by and gives me a look that says “Dude, are you okay?” before speed-walking into the night.

The minutes drag on. I check my watch. I listen. I hear…nothing.

No ghostly music. No strange whispers. No undeniable proof that I should keep doing this. Just the sound of my own breathing and the faint rustle of leaves. I should probably go home.

And yet, there’s something about standing here, feeling a little foolish, that keeps me rooted in place. Maybe this is just part of the deal—most of the time, nothing happens. But every once in a while, something does. And the only way to catch those moments is to keep showing up.

I sigh, pocket my circuit, and head back to my car. Fine, universe. You win this round. But I’ll be back. And next time, I’ll bring more duct tape.