I was in an instructor in Nee Soon Camp back in 1989 to 1990.

At that time I was a corporal in Camp One, Hotel Company, a 3 storey building at the edge of the parade square. Behind our building lies a deep ravine that winds its way to the Mandai Columbarium some distance away.

Nee Soon was a training camp for young army recruits, who must spend their first 3 months in basic military training before deployment into their active 2 or 2 and a half year of military service.

I was in platoon 20, and my bunk was on the 3rd floor. 2 staircases at both end served the building, and my bunk was the first room at the left staircase. A long corridor ran from one end of the staircase to the other, and right in the middle, runs another corridor that lead at right angle to the toilet and bathing points. On both sides of that corridor were placed two rolls of broomsticks, and the WCs and Urinals is divided on the right, with the shower points to the left.

I remember that on that night, the recruits were given the night off, but I stayed behind, and was trying to sleep. Directly below me, on the second floor, was the Muslim Prayer Room, where some Muslim recruits, together with my fellow Corporal Tahir, stayed behind too, and they were chatting inside.

Halfway through my sleep I was disturbed by some ‘thumping’ sound. I chose to ignore it till I realise that it was coming from my metal cupboard. As soldiers we were all issued with a single bed and a single doored metal cupboard.

It was a repetition of just 2 thumps at a time. “Thump Thump” I raised up my head and looked at the cupboard. “Thump Thump”, There it went again.

I got up and step closer to my cupboard, and peered nearer. “Thump Thump”.. This time I heard the noise coming not from my cupboard, but from further away. It would seem to have come from the toilet.

I walked out of my room to the corridor. “Thump Thump” The sound seem to have got louder. As I walked along the corridor I heard the sound even more clearer. Yes.. it was definitely coming from the toilet.

I turned into the middle corridor. As I approached the toilet, passed the racks of broomsticks I could not hear anything. I walked into the row of shower points and peeped into each compartments. Nothing. I walked over to the other side and checked out the wcs and urinals. Nothing.

I then commenced to take a leak at the urinal. Just then, exactly infront of me, behind the wall where the shower points were, came a very loud “Thump! Thump!”

I ran as fast as my 1.6m tall frame could ran, down the long corridor, pass my bunk, to the second storey, and into the Muslim Prayer Room where Corporal Tahir and the other recruits were chatting away.

“Shhhh… Listen!” I told them. They listened.

“Thump Thump”… “What’s that?” Some one asked. It was coming from above. I told them it was from the toilets.

Then the whole lot of us went out to investigate. We crept up the staircase to the 3rd floor.. “Thump Thump” … The sounds booming loudly in maybe 5 seconds interval as we walked pass my bunk down the hall.

Then just as we turned into that corridor the sounds stopped. Feeling scared we took up the broomsticks from the racks and proceeded to investigate. We scoured all the compartments. Finding nothing, we walked back, replaced the broomsticks, and turned back into the corridor.

“Thump Thump” The sound came back the second we turned. We all ran down the corridor, down the staircase and into the Muslim Prayer Room.

After some agitated discussion (which I forgotten what) Corporal Tahir asked me to sleep and stay there with them. I agreed.

However, after awhile, egged by very sleepy eyes, and noisy racket of languages I don’t understand, I told them that I would go back to my bunk and sleep.

As I lay back on my bed, I heard it again… “Thump Thump” This time it was quite faint… and looking out of my window, as I looked down into the dark ravine I heard it again…… it was coming from the ravine.

As I continue staring I heard the sounds again in maybe 10 seconds pauses, “Thump Thump” …. The sound seemed fainter and further away with its thumping.. as it disappear eventually in the direction of mandai Columbarium.

Tired out, I think I collapsed immediately into bed and slept.

This is my true encounter, narrated by myself, Goh Ann Long of Hotel Company Nee Soon Camp, SBMT.