Hey, everyone. There are countless mysteries around the world, most of which will never be solved. I had a few topics in mind for today, but nothing resonated enough for me to finish the post.
But thanks to friend and fellow author, Mae Clair, who wrote about a personal event in a Weirdness Wednesday post, I felt inspired to write about a couple of things that happened in my own back yard.
Those of you who read the Story Empire blog may recall I wrote an abbreviated version of this first story last year. It happened when I was seventeen years old but I remember it like yesterday.
One night my mother awakened me around three in the morning. “Get up,” she said. “Something is in Sam’s yard.” Sam (not his real name) was our closest neighbor.
Sam’s house was near this old building.
Grudgingly, I got out of bed. From my window, I could see what appeared to be an ambulance backed up to Sam’s front porch. I followed Mom into the kitchen, still half asleep, and ran straight into the dining room table. I hit it hard. Needless to say, I was wide awake after that.
We both knelt by our kitchen window, where we could get a better view. Although we couldn’t see everything, it was apparent the paramedics were putting someone into the ambulance. We both knew Sam had a heart condition and naturally assumed it was him. A few minutes later, the ambulance drove away.
Mom and I were about to go back to bed when we saw a man walk out of the shadows and onto the porch. Sam’s dog, Cisco, was sitting near the door. The man bent down to pet the dog before walking into the house. Cisco recognized his owner because we could tell he wagged his tail.
“Mom, that was Sam.”
“Yes, it was. It must have been Maggie who was in the ambulance.”
Imagine our surprise when we saw Maggie walk outside, get into her car, and drive away. We were perplexed. If it wasn’t Sam or Maggie in the ambulance, who was it?
The next morning, Sam’s brother-in-law knocked on our door to tell us Sam had passed away—pronounced DOA at the hospital.
Who did we see? Was it Sam’s ghost going back into his house to say a final goodbye? It was years before we told that story to anyone.
The creek near my brother’s cabin.
A second strange event also happened close to home. In the late seventies, my brother built a small cabin near a creek on our property. One day, Mom decided to visit, so she walked the short distance through the woods.
When she neared the cabin, she saw a woman walk inside. She thought it was my brother’s girlfriend. But when she got to the door, the only person inside was my brother. No one would have wanted to visit that day as he was sweeping out sawdust and particles left by sheetrock.
Several years later, my brother said he was sitting outside the cabin when he heard someone say, “How are you doing?”
There was no one around. I’ve been there at night and heard sounds near the creek that could best be described as footsteps. I can easily attribute the noise to animals. Coyotes, foxes, and even bobcats roam these woods. But none of us can explain the sight of the mysterious woman or the voice.
Sometimes we don’t have to look farther than our own back yard for a mystery. What about you? Ever experienced something you can’t explain? Share in the comments.
31 Responses
When I was younger, there were a lot of mysteries going on around me. Now I am really old, they must be visiting someone else, but I miss having something to wonder about…
I haven’t had anything happen in a while. Maybe I’m just too busy to notice these days.
Same here…
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
Thanks for the reblog!
Great post, Joan. My family used to be full of spooky tales and other-worldly visitations. The one I experienced myself was one I shared in the comments on Mae Clair’s blog the other week … here it is …
When I was young, I remember being in the kitchen with my mum. She saw a little girl in rags out through the kitchen window. But when Mum went out into the garden to investigate, the girl had gone. And, then, when my Mum came back into the house, looking perturbed, she went back to the sink to finish the dishes, and there was the girl again through the window.
I wasn’t tall enough back then to see through the window, but it was the first time I’d seen my Mum that freaked. Mum checked another two or three times to my memory, and each time, the girl could only be seen through the window.
For sure, I really need to make up a story about that one of these days!
Have a lovely day, Joan 🙂
Real-life experiences certainly make great fodder for fiction. That’s spooky about the little girl. I don’t blame your mother. It would have freaked me out also.
Ooo, interesting stories, Joan. I was tapped on the shoulder at a BnB. It was a significant tap. I didn’t know it until we went to check out and perused the visitors’ diary, but many other people who stayed there had also been tapped on the shoulder. Maybe there was a ghost trying to say howdy to the guests.:-)
Wow! I’ve never had anything happen like that. Sounds like it was a friendly ghost.
I love these stories. Thank you for sharing them.
I probably have a few others filed away. I know my mom told me several mysterious things that happened when she was growing up.
Interesting! Pardon my ignorance, but: what is sheetrock? Cheers, Jon.
It’s a term for drywall. I believe it’s actually a brand name but we most often use that term in this part of the county. Kind of like Kleenex vs tissue.
Thank you! In the UK we call drywall plasterboard 😉 A similar generic name.
It’s fun to hear how different countries and even regions used different terminology. We have some unique sayings in Texas that people who don’t live here would understand.
I do believe animals can see what we can’t. This time you got to see what the dog did!
As for the cabin, very glad the entity is friendly:)
You are right it’s there if we remain open to it.
She does seem friendly. Hasn’t made an appearance in a while.
Although I’ve seen these stories before, I still get goosebumps when you tell them.
Oddly, I just mentioned you in a comment on my blog. If you reference my WW Ghosts of Time Part 1 post (not part 2), check out Frederick Anderson’s comment (at the bottom). It so reminded me of what happened to you, I had to share yours with him 🙂
Wow. I just read his comment. I’ll try to respond later. It’s like both my neighbor and his were saying goodbye.
I thought the same thing!
Chill bump stories, Joan! I was asleep one night in our house in Coleman and when I awoke, there was a small-built man with a Fedora hat on standing in our bedroom looking out the window. I saw it plain as day. I wasn’t afraid and didn’t dare move. Then I blinked and he was gone. The next morning when I told my husband, he said I described his grandfather. Rick said the old man had come by to check out the rock patio he was laying out our bedroom door.
Wow, Jan! I would have been scared too. It’s like Rick’s grandfather wanted to make sure he was doing the job right.
Both of these stories give me chills, Joan! Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? I’ve always kept an open mind about things like this, but I have to admit, I’ve never had anything happen I couldn’t explain. And I can never decide if that makes me happy or sad. 😀 Cool post! Sharing! 🙂
Believe me, it was an “interesting” experience. One I’ll never forget.
I have never had anything interesting like this happen to me, Joan. There don’t seem to be many ghosts in Johannesburg or many I am just not tuned in enough to see such things.
It’s been a while for me. I’m either too busy or they just aren’t around. Not that I want to experience an encounter with one! 🙂
Yes, a supernatural experience might not be that desirable.
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Reblogged this on Archer's Aim and commented:
Strange sights shared by Joan Hall. I’ve seen a few things like this too over the years. They’re slwatmys a curiosity no doubt.
Thanks for sharing, P H. I know there are a “passel” of ghost stories in Alabama.
There certainly are!