Back in the Eighties, when first married, we rented a beautiful flat in a big old house. I loved it at first but gradually began to feel uneasy when I was alone. In the hallway, which was always cold, even though it was summer, I used to see movement out of the corner of my eye, and became scared of looking in the mirror in case there was something behind me. I eventually refused to go into the small spare room because it seemed imbued with a terrible sense of dread. The cat wasn't happy either. She would suddenly stand still, staring at something/nothing, her fur standing on end, before dashing outside. My OH didn't share my feelings but humoured me and agreed to move out after three months!
The house had been an orphanage in Victorian times and must have seen some sad and terrible things. Thinking about it afterwards, it dawned on me that none of our fellow residents were happy. Living there seemed to be the cue for health problems or broken relationships - the couple from whom we took over the flat divorced shortly afterwards. I'm glad we moved out when we did.
When I was about 16 I went to our little Youth Club and there was our vicar perched on the edge of a table apparently telling ghost stories to a fascinated group of teenagers.
As I joined the back of the group, he stood up and said to them 'I'm off to lay a ghost now' and as he walked towards the door, he turned to me and said 'Are you coming ?'
I didn't say a word but just followed him out to his car and he said he just had to go to the Church and pick up a few things. I still didn't question anything and sat in the vestry while he disappeared for about 20 minutes.
We then drove to my house and, after some general chat, he set up things in the kitchen and proceeded with the exorcism. My mother and father and I were told to stand in a semicircle and he said lots of half Latin prayers.
We had to say the Lord's Payer but were told not say the last bit...... For thine is the kingdom etc... (I still don't know why).
Afterwards, he started throwing Holy Water round the kitchen and this load clicking started. I thought it was my mother leaning against the kitchen drawer and it was slowly closing but it got louder and faster and seemed to follow every direction that the water was being thrown. The noise gradually turned into more of a loud, furious buzz and then suddenly stopped.
That was the end of the exorcism.
I mentioned all the noise afterwards and the vicar and my mother said they hadn't heard anything but my father and I had heard it.
I realise now that the little trip to the vestry was for him to perform some sort of exorcism on me first.
It was weird that I was totally numb to everything that went on. Not scared or shocked or puzzled. It was as if I knew without being told anything.
As a kid during the summer holidays we used to play in the Cul-de-sac in front of our house, one day may mother came out told me I had to go into work with her that afternoon, I asked why and she said someone is going to get knocked down right outside our house.
When we came back home that evening my dad told us that one of the kids had been knocked off his bike right in front of the house. My dad took him to hospital to have a couple of stitches as it wasn't too serious.
Long time lurker especially on this thread which i have spent many hours reading and scaring myself silly with
Anyway i thought i would add my experience,it doesn't come close to a lot of the things i have read here but thought i would share anyway.
When i was 18 i briefly dated a male friend,it didn't last and we parted,not on bad terms at all but we didn't stay in touch,i went on to meet my now husband and he met a nice girl and got engaged,in fact it was her i remained vaguely friendly with.
Going forward to when i was 28 and 3 months pregnant with my 3rd child i had a very vivid dream in which my husband was telling me that this guy had been killed in a road accident,he was giving me very specific details of the area and type of accident,i was surprised to have had the dream since i gave this guy very little thought but put it down to overactive hormones.
I forgot about it until i was about 7 months pregnant and had the exact same dream again,this time it shook me up more but again i put it down to the hormones.
Two weeks before my due date i had a very uncomfortable night's sleep,my husband wasn't due to be at work until 2pm and in the morning he told me to go back to bed whilst he took our older children to school and preschool.
I fell asleep and the next thing i knew was him shaking me awake and telling me that he had seen this guy's fiance whilst out,she told him that there had been an accident the night before and he had indeed been killed on the exact road and in the exact way that i had previously dreamed of,she had known nothing of my dreams but my husband had and was as white as a sheet.
I will never be able to explain it,was it absolute coincidence? Was it some kind of premonition? I felt horribly guilty for a long time,i felt as if i could have prevented it but really how do you approach someone and tell them you had that kind of dream about them?
To this day almost 8 years later it still shakes me up.
I don't know if you ever found out what the book was called but it was a story called The Blue Lenses and it was from an anthology called The Breaking Point, looks like it could be a good read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breaking_Point_(anthology)
Well I'm confused. Have you missed out a couple of pertinent details Blackmanta or are you describing a dream?
Most definately not a dream.
It's just that I went through the whole experience without questioning what was going on or why.
I didn't want to bore you with all the poltergeist details like doorbell ringing, light bulbs and curtains falling, doors opening, bed thumping, rooms filling with white mist. When it started on the electric switches my father decided it was time for it to go and called in the vicar. He didn't tell me, though.
I thought some readers here would like to see this photo/story. It's not exactly a ghost story as there seems to be an explanation, but it's odd all the same (sorry, it's from the Mail!)
I thought some readers here would like to see this photo/story. It's not exactly a ghost story as there seems to be an explanation, but it's odd all the same (sorry, it's from the Mail!)
Does it feature middle class penis' and testicles? I'm not keen
I thought some readers here would like to see this photo/story. It's not exactly a ghost story as there seems to be an explanation, but it's odd all the same (sorry, it's from the Mail!)
It's a really upsetting image of that brutal march.
I like to think that people who die in a horrible way especially at the hands of someone else find peace in the afterlife.
Like Scaface's post I hope that we all look and feel better and at peace when we have crossed over.
This really isn't that creepy, probably. But me and my friend got kind of unsettled by it.
My friend and I were watching television (probably a talent show or something, that kind of crap) and she mentioned that she could smell a certain type of perfume. I couldn't smell anything. But then she said that it was the second time she'd smelled that scent, that day. The first time had been at her workplace. It's really nothing to write home about, but we both agreed that saying it out loud like that was kind of unnerving. I thought it could be like an omen of bad things to come or something. Dumb, I know.
That's probably not the creepiest thing to have happened to me, but it's the most recent that I can remember.
It's a really upsetting image of that brutal march.
I like to think that people who die in a horrible way especially at the hands of someone else find peace in the afterlife.
Like Scaface's post I hope that we all look and feel better and at peace when we have crossed over.
I found it really upsetting too, like the people had been stuck in an eternal march to their death.
I've experienced 'phantom smells' too. I was at my auntie's a few weeks ago and could smell a smoking pipe really, really strongly. Nobody in the house smoked and it was such a strong, overwhelming smell. I told my auntie and she got really upset and said that her uncle, who died before I was born would always smoke a pipe and the smell wouldn't disappear for days.
Then my sister said smelling things that aren't there can be a sign of a brain tumour.
O.M.G..that'll teach me to click on a link and read a person's account of seeing something called 'The Flincher' !! That is just downright frightening! I'm still shaking.. lol
I've got a few spooky stories I can write about besides the ones I've already posted, so here's one of them... but apologies as it is also very sad.
My Father had been diagnosed with cancer and eventually secondary cancer in 2001. There was nothing further the Doctors could do for him so we had to just make the most of what time he had left with us. He was feeling ok-ish during the summer, enjoyed Christmas 2001 and although he was clearly ill he was able to get out of bed. One Sunday in January we took our two children to see him. He was upstairs in bed and I spent quite a bit of time with him alone and even took up his lunch, which he ate. He seemed pleased to see us, but later on that day, just as I told him we were leaving he started to cry... not something he ever did and I tried to reassure him the best I could that he would be ok and start feeling better. (although clearly this wasn't going to happen). I've never been hugged or kissed by my parents, but I made sure he knew I cared, even though I so wanted to hug him at that moment. I told him we would visit him the next Sunday, never realising it would be the last conversation I was having with him.
After the Sunday, due to his illness and the medication, he started to sleep most of the time and when on the Friday we were told it would be days, instead of weeks, I made the decision to visit him on the Sunday 27th.
So, come the Saturday and my husband is firmly settled in his chair reading the paper, while I was on the computer busily typing a message to my friends to expect my absence from the Sunday. All of a sudden, I had this sudden desire to be at my Father's side. My husband, who wasn't expecting to go anywhere that day, was very surprised to say the least when I suddenly jumped up off my chair and told him I wanted to go NOW! ... and even more so when I hastily packed a few things in a bag, told the children to look after themselves and the house and left the house with three Gospel Cd's by one of my favourite artists at the time. It was extraordinary. More so because I'd packed a bag (why?), told the children they were not to come with us, (never did that before!) and taken the CD's.. (what was all that about?) and in all of a rush.
I phoned my Mum on my mobile halfway into the 3/4 hour journey to warn her we were coming and she was shocked to hear where I was, what I was doing and ..where I was heading to! (her house!) I just said we'd changed our minds and we were coming NOW... to which she started to panic over the fact I said I'd stop overnight, (husband was having to go straight back to see to the children) and she hadn't a bed ready and I said it didn't matter I'd see to it.
On arriving at my Mum and Dad's house, we went into the room to see my Dad. As the bed head was near the door, with the bed facing the window opposite, he couldn't see me at first as he was lying down, so my Mum called out.."It's only ***!" and when I got to his side he looked up and smiled at me, obviously pleased to see me. We said Hello to him, etc, then having given him some sips of water, we left him to have a rest as he was very tired. Hubby went straight back home and I went into the room next door with my Mum where we had a cup of tea and had a chat. It was then that my Mum told me that just before we arrived, my Dad had been sitting up in bed laughing and chatting to a friend who had come to visit, so in my mind I was perfectly happy there wasn't anything seriously wrong with my Dad. I then decided to let my Mum listen to some of the Gospel music I had brought with me, playing it just loud enough for my Dad to hear it through the wall if he wanted to, but without disturbing him.
After about 20mins, I played her a song, (which was a medley I particularly liked), and as soon as the end track 'God Be With You Til We Meet Again' started playing I had this sudden urge to go into my Dad's room. However, Mum wanted to hear another song, but I told her to hurry. All I can say is that, as soon as I got to his door I turned round to my Mum, took hold of her arm and said, "Mum, brace yourself", and she said, "Oh..why, what's the matter?" and I said, "Because he's gone!"...and with that I opened the door, told him I was there and held his hand, he gave one last breath and passed away.. with the GBWYTWMA song still playing in the background in the other room. I lit a candle and as the candlelight flickered around the room, I was able to sit and hold my Dad's hand..and be thankful that whatever or whoever 'told' me to rush to my Dad's side twice, I would never have been there to comfort him at the end.
I have just looked at the front page and over 508,000 people have read this thread.:eek:
I am so glad it is still going and that people feel relaxed enough to share their stories that are so personal.
Thank you all who have genuinly contributed, it has been a very thought inspiring, and spine tingling pleasure. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always read with respect.
I thought some readers here would like to see this photo/story. It's not exactly a ghost story as there seems to be an explanation, but it's odd all the same (sorry, it's from the Mail!)
What is this I'm scared of links lol. What brutal march?
What is this I'm scared of links lol. What brutal march?
It's about a group of Australian soldiers, forced by the Japanese to walk through Borneo until they died of exhaustion, in the Second World War. A man who photographed the route they walked in the present thought he had captured their ghosts-but there is a rational explanation for the pale white images that seem to be of a column of men, and which overlies the image of the jungle and land.
Yes, some elderly man fancied me and wouldn't let me be. I shudder when I think about it
I used to work nights alone in a home and had to creep round the corridors putting washing away,we had an old man at the top of the stairs who I had always found to be pleasant,he couldn't talk as he'd had a stroke a while back.This night I was upstairs putting the washing away and I stepped on a creaky floorboard,heard him getting up and the sound of his frame,then he beckoned me to his room so I went in,he motioned for me to sit on the bed and I was waiting for him to gesture to me what was wrong when suddenly he put an arm round me and grabbed my breast!I jumped up saying No!No!and fled the room.Every night shift after then I had to go up them stairs trying to avoid the creaky floorboard and as soon as i heard the rattle of his frame i would leg it back down the stairs terrified.I shudder still thinking about it
I have another story which, although it happened over 20 years ago, still creeps me out whenever I think of it.
I was driving my mum back to her flat from a hospital appointment. She was very ill (only had six months to live) and in the back seat of the car was my sleeping 18 month old toddler, I myself was 3 months pregnant.
It was a lovely sunny afternoon and nothing untoward had happened on the drive from the hospital until about 3 miles from my mum’s home. I consider myself to be a careful driver and in the 30 years I have been driving I have never had an incident of another driver angrily sounding their horn at me and have never had any altercation while driving.
So we were proceeding along the dual carriage way and stopped at traffic lights. I noticed the car behind me came very close to my rear bumper; I could see it was a man (shirt and tie) but couldn't see his face as it was hidden behind his sun visor. I first thought maybe he is in a hurry but then he could have overtaken me, being a duel carriageway.
When the lights went to green, I continued my journey, but the car behind stayed behind, mirroring my speed and then proceeded to flash his lights at me three times. Very slowly and deliberately, not a ‘there is something wrong with your car’ or ‘I am angry with you’ type of flash.
I first thought that it was very bizarre and felt a bit unsettled but continued my journey.
For the next mile though he continued this behaviour, flashing his lights slowly three times every 15- 20 secs.
So I thought I want to get out of this situation before we get home so I took a left turn, up a housing estate road and he followed me. My mum then asked why wasn't I going the right way so I told her what was happening but I didn't want her to look around so he would see I was unsettled by him.
And I was extremely unsettled. I thought about stopping in the street, there was no one about, but I felt uneasy about doing that and very vulnerable. If I stopped, would he stop, and what then. So I continued driving, around and around, different streets and places, would you believe for the next hour, with him following me, still slowly flashing his lights three times. My mum was really panicking and had she been well enough and able to walk properly she would have demanded that I stop and she would have sorted him out!
But she didn't want me to stop either. He followed me for the next hour as I said and I drove ,not really knowing now where I was, but always looking for somewhere that would have lots of people but never came across anywhere that I felt was totally safe to stop.
I then spotted a supermarket shopping centre and I drove in there, with him still following me. There were no groups of people about, only a few lone men and women going about their business and I still didn't feel safe to stop.
After coming out the supermarket car park, I noticed salvation, with a sign saying ‘police station’ and sharply turned into their car park. He followed me in but then stopped and turned and drove out and away.
The relief I felt was huge. I had never been so afraid in my life. In the police car park there was again no one about. I thought about going in to the station but that would have left my sleeping toddler and my mum alone in the car, whilst I went in, and my mum didn’t want this. So with great trepidation, I decided to leave the car park and drive home.
I never saw the driver again.
We got to my mum’s house and it was agony getting everyone out the car and up two flights of stairs, with me thinking somehow he had followed us and was waiting to pounce. Once back in my mum’s flat, I was able to phone the police and told them what had happened. They sent someone out and went through with us what happened but as I had no proper description and didn’t know what type of silver car it was and had no number plate id ( he was always behind us and we couldn't make it out in the mirror) the police said they would look into it but nothing ever came of it, which I wasn't surprised about.
I’ve often thought about this bizarre journey over and over again and still come to the conclusion that I would do the same things to keep us all safe but with hindsight there were a few things I could have done differently to stop it happening. The combination of having a toddler, ill mother and being pregnant all played its part that day and although everyone after the event said ‘why didn't you do this or that’ you actually had to be in the situation to experience how bizarre and creepy it all was.
Thank goodness for mobile phones now. I never go in a car without one although nothing like that has ever happened to me since then.
The day after I suffered an attack (or whatever you call it) of sleep paralysis I read this thread. It saved my sanity. There is quite a lot of mental illness in my family and I thought my brain had finally snapped!
A creepy thing happened to me when I was a teenager. Our dog slept downstairs in the hall and one night I could hear her whining. I went downstairs in the dark and saw her staring at the front door and trembling. There was a figure outside there, moving around, but not touching the door. There was total silence except for the dog whimpering. And the movement of the person was weird, sort of flickery. It could just have been someone off their face on something, but our dog used to go nuts at people coming up to the door. She was terrified that time though.
I'm up to about page 75 and enjoying all the stories so far, but too chicken to read them after midnight. lol Here's a story providing a little light relief which, although not creepy, the person I was serving at the time certainly thought so. lol I was working at a petrol station in the late 70's. I was stood at the pumps when a car entered the forecourt. It was driven by a man, with his wife and friend sat in the back. As he came nearer, his wife was mouthing the words "£5!" to me and she held up her hand as she was saying it. I indicated okay to her and as soon as the car stopped and the man got out, I pulled the nozzle out of the pump, undid his petrol cap, shoved the nozzle in and said to him, "£5 is it?" to which he said, "Yes, please!". Then all of a sudden he went white as a sheet, got hold of my hand and said in a shaky voice..."D-d-did you just say, £5???!". I thought he was going to faint and replied, "Yes!" then nodded towards the back of his car saying, "Your wife told me as you were pulling in!" "Oh thank GOD for that" he said, "I thought you were one of those mind readers...!" lol
I have another story which, although it happened over 20 years ago, still creeps me out whenever I think of it.
I was driving my mum back to her flat from a hospital appointment. She was very ill (only had six months to live) and in the back seat of the car was my sleeping 18 month old toddler, I myself was 3 months pregnant.
It was a lovely sunny afternoon and nothing untoward had happened on the drive from the hospital until about 3 miles from my mum’s home. I consider myself to be a careful driver and in the 30 years I have been driving I have never had an incident of another driver angrily sounding their horn at me and have never had any altercation while driving.
So we were proceeding along the dual carriage way and stopped at traffic lights. I noticed the car behind me came very close to my rear bumper; I could see it was a man (shirt and tie) but couldn't see his face as it was hidden behind his sun visor. I first thought maybe he is in a hurry but then he could have overtaken me, being a duel carriageway.
When the lights went to green, I continued my journey, but the car behind stayed behind, mirroring my speed and then proceeded to flash his lights at me three times. Very slowly and deliberately, not a ‘there is something wrong with your car’ or ‘I am angry with you’ type of flash.
I first thought that it was very bizarre and felt a bit unsettled but continued my journey.
For the next mile though he continued this behaviour, flashing his lights slowly three times every 15- 20 secs.
So I thought I want to get out of this situation before we get home so I took a left turn, up a housing estate road and he followed me. My mum then asked why wasn't I going the right way so I told her what was happening but I didn't want her to look around so he would see I was unsettled by him.
And I was extremely unsettled. I thought about stopping in the street, there was no one about, but I felt uneasy about doing that and very vulnerable. If I stopped, would he stop, and what then. So I continued driving, around and around, different streets and places, would you believe for the next hour, with him following me, still slowly flashing his lights three times. My mum was really panicking and had she been well enough and able to walk properly she would have demanded that I stop and she would have sorted him out!
But she didn't want me to stop either. He followed me for the next hour as I said and I drove ,not really knowing now where I was, but always looking for somewhere that would have lots of people but never came across anywhere that I felt was totally safe to stop.
I then spotted a supermarket shopping centre and I drove in there, with him still following me. There were no groups of people about, only a few lone men and women going about their business and I still didn't feel safe to stop.
After coming out the supermarket car park, I noticed salvation, with a sign saying ‘police station’ and sharply turned into their car park. He followed me in but then stopped and turned and drove out and away.
The relief I felt was huge. I had never been so afraid in my life. In the police car park there was again no one about. I thought about going in to the station but that would have left my sleeping toddler and my mum alone in the car, whilst I went in, and my mum didn’t want this. So with great trepidation, I decided to leave the car park and drive home.
I never saw the driver again.
We got to my mum’s house and it was agony getting everyone out the car and up two flights of stairs, with me thinking somehow he had followed us and was waiting to pounce. Once back in my mum’s flat, I was able to phone the police and told them what had happened. They sent someone out and went through with us what happened but as I had no proper description and didn’t know what type of silver car it was and had no number plate id ( he was always behind us and we couldn't make it out in the mirror) the police said they would look into it but nothing ever came of it, which I wasn't surprised about.
I’ve often thought about this bizarre journey over and over again and still come to the conclusion that I would do the same things to keep us all safe but with hindsight there were a few things I could have done differently to stop it happening. The combination of having a toddler, ill mother and being pregnant all played its part that day and although everyone after the event said ‘why didn't you do this or that’ you actually had to be in the situation to experience how bizarre and creepy it all was.
Thank goodness for mobile phones now. I never go in a car without one although nothing like that has ever happened to me since then.
Comments
The house had been an orphanage in Victorian times and must have seen some sad and terrible things. Thinking about it afterwards, it dawned on me that none of our fellow residents were happy. Living there seemed to be the cue for health problems or broken relationships - the couple from whom we took over the flat divorced shortly afterwards. I'm glad we moved out when we did.
As I joined the back of the group, he stood up and said to them 'I'm off to lay a ghost now' and as he walked towards the door, he turned to me and said 'Are you coming ?'
I didn't say a word but just followed him out to his car and he said he just had to go to the Church and pick up a few things. I still didn't question anything and sat in the vestry while he disappeared for about 20 minutes.
We then drove to my house and, after some general chat, he set up things in the kitchen and proceeded with the exorcism. My mother and father and I were told to stand in a semicircle and he said lots of half Latin prayers.
We had to say the Lord's Payer but were told not say the last bit...... For thine is the kingdom etc... (I still don't know why).
Afterwards, he started throwing Holy Water round the kitchen and this load clicking started. I thought it was my mother leaning against the kitchen drawer and it was slowly closing but it got louder and faster and seemed to follow every direction that the water was being thrown. The noise gradually turned into more of a loud, furious buzz and then suddenly stopped.
That was the end of the exorcism.
I mentioned all the noise afterwards and the vicar and my mother said they hadn't heard anything but my father and I had heard it.
I realise now that the little trip to the vestry was for him to perform some sort of exorcism on me first.
It was weird that I was totally numb to everything that went on. Not scared or shocked or puzzled. It was as if I knew without being told anything.
Well I'm confused. Have you missed out a couple of pertinent details Blackmanta or are you describing a dream?
When we came back home that evening my dad told us that one of the kids had been knocked off his bike right in front of the house. My dad took him to hospital to have a couple of stitches as it wasn't too serious.
Anyway i thought i would add my experience,it doesn't come close to a lot of the things i have read here but thought i would share anyway.
When i was 18 i briefly dated a male friend,it didn't last and we parted,not on bad terms at all but we didn't stay in touch,i went on to meet my now husband and he met a nice girl and got engaged,in fact it was her i remained vaguely friendly with.
Going forward to when i was 28 and 3 months pregnant with my 3rd child i had a very vivid dream in which my husband was telling me that this guy had been killed in a road accident,he was giving me very specific details of the area and type of accident,i was surprised to have had the dream since i gave this guy very little thought but put it down to overactive hormones.
I forgot about it until i was about 7 months pregnant and had the exact same dream again,this time it shook me up more but again i put it down to the hormones.
Two weeks before my due date i had a very uncomfortable night's sleep,my husband wasn't due to be at work until 2pm and in the morning he told me to go back to bed whilst he took our older children to school and preschool.
I fell asleep and the next thing i knew was him shaking me awake and telling me that he had seen this guy's fiance whilst out,she told him that there had been an accident the night before and he had indeed been killed on the exact road and in the exact way that i had previously dreamed of,she had known nothing of my dreams but my husband had and was as white as a sheet.
I will never be able to explain it,was it absolute coincidence? Was it some kind of premonition? I felt horribly guilty for a long time,i felt as if i could have prevented it but really how do you approach someone and tell them you had that kind of dream about them?
To this day almost 8 years later it still shakes me up.
I don't know if you ever found out what the book was called but it was a story called The Blue Lenses and it was from an anthology called The Breaking Point, looks like it could be a good read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breaking_Point_(anthology)
Most definately not a dream.
It's just that I went through the whole experience without questioning what was going on or why.
I didn't want to bore you with all the poltergeist details like doorbell ringing, light bulbs and curtains falling, doors opening, bed thumping, rooms filling with white mist. When it started on the electric switches my father decided it was time for it to go and called in the vicar. He didn't tell me, though.
Does it feature middle class penis' and testicles? I'm not keen
I like to think that people who die in a horrible way especially at the hands of someone else find peace in the afterlife.
Like Scaface's post I hope that we all look and feel better and at peace when we have crossed over.
My friend and I were watching television (probably a talent show or something, that kind of crap) and she mentioned that she could smell a certain type of perfume. I couldn't smell anything. But then she said that it was the second time she'd smelled that scent, that day. The first time had been at her workplace. It's really nothing to write home about, but we both agreed that saying it out loud like that was kind of unnerving. I thought it could be like an omen of bad things to come or something. Dumb, I know.
That's probably not the creepiest thing to have happened to me, but it's the most recent that I can remember.
I found it really upsetting too, like the people had been stuck in an eternal march to their death.
I've experienced 'phantom smells' too. I was at my auntie's a few weeks ago and could smell a smoking pipe really, really strongly. Nobody in the house smoked and it was such a strong, overwhelming smell. I told my auntie and she got really upset and said that her uncle, who died before I was born would always smoke a pipe and the smell wouldn't disappear for days.
Then my sister said smelling things that aren't there can be a sign of a brain tumour.
Do not read alone or at Night
I've got a few spooky stories I can write about besides the ones I've already posted, so here's one of them... but apologies as it is also very sad.
My Father had been diagnosed with cancer and eventually secondary cancer in 2001. There was nothing further the Doctors could do for him so we had to just make the most of what time he had left with us. He was feeling ok-ish during the summer, enjoyed Christmas 2001 and although he was clearly ill he was able to get out of bed. One Sunday in January we took our two children to see him. He was upstairs in bed and I spent quite a bit of time with him alone and even took up his lunch, which he ate. He seemed pleased to see us, but later on that day, just as I told him we were leaving he started to cry... not something he ever did and I tried to reassure him the best I could that he would be ok and start feeling better. (although clearly this wasn't going to happen). I've never been hugged or kissed by my parents, but I made sure he knew I cared, even though I so wanted to hug him at that moment. I told him we would visit him the next Sunday, never realising it would be the last conversation I was having with him.
After the Sunday, due to his illness and the medication, he started to sleep most of the time and when on the Friday we were told it would be days, instead of weeks, I made the decision to visit him on the Sunday 27th.
So, come the Saturday and my husband is firmly settled in his chair reading the paper, while I was on the computer busily typing a message to my friends to expect my absence from the Sunday. All of a sudden, I had this sudden desire to be at my Father's side. My husband, who wasn't expecting to go anywhere that day, was very surprised to say the least when I suddenly jumped up off my chair and told him I wanted to go NOW! ... and even more so when I hastily packed a few things in a bag, told the children to look after themselves and the house and left the house with three Gospel Cd's by one of my favourite artists at the time. It was extraordinary. More so because I'd packed a bag (why?), told the children they were not to come with us, (never did that before!) and taken the CD's.. (what was all that about?) and in all of a rush.
I phoned my Mum on my mobile halfway into the 3/4 hour journey to warn her we were coming and she was shocked to hear where I was, what I was doing and ..where I was heading to! (her house!) I just said we'd changed our minds and we were coming NOW... to which she started to panic over the fact I said I'd stop overnight, (husband was having to go straight back to see to the children) and she hadn't a bed ready and I said it didn't matter I'd see to it.
On arriving at my Mum and Dad's house, we went into the room to see my Dad. As the bed head was near the door, with the bed facing the window opposite, he couldn't see me at first as he was lying down, so my Mum called out.."It's only ***!" and when I got to his side he looked up and smiled at me, obviously pleased to see me. We said Hello to him, etc, then having given him some sips of water, we left him to have a rest as he was very tired. Hubby went straight back home and I went into the room next door with my Mum where we had a cup of tea and had a chat. It was then that my Mum told me that just before we arrived, my Dad had been sitting up in bed laughing and chatting to a friend who had come to visit, so in my mind I was perfectly happy there wasn't anything seriously wrong with my Dad. I then decided to let my Mum listen to some of the Gospel music I had brought with me, playing it just loud enough for my Dad to hear it through the wall if he wanted to, but without disturbing him.
After about 20mins, I played her a song, (which was a medley I particularly liked), and as soon as the end track 'God Be With You Til We Meet Again' started playing I had this sudden urge to go into my Dad's room. However, Mum wanted to hear another song, but I told her to hurry. All I can say is that, as soon as I got to his door I turned round to my Mum, took hold of her arm and said, "Mum, brace yourself", and she said, "Oh..why, what's the matter?" and I said, "Because he's gone!"...and with that I opened the door, told him I was there and held his hand, he gave one last breath and passed away.. with the GBWYTWMA song still playing in the background in the other room. I lit a candle and as the candlelight flickered around the room, I was able to sit and hold my Dad's hand..and be thankful that whatever or whoever 'told' me to rush to my Dad's side twice, I would never have been there to comfort him at the end.
That's the best time to read them!
I am so glad it is still going and that people feel relaxed enough to share their stories that are so personal.
Thank you all who have genuinly contributed, it has been a very thought inspiring, and spine tingling pleasure. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always read with respect.
What is this I'm scared of links lol. What brutal march?
It's about a group of Australian soldiers, forced by the Japanese to walk through Borneo until they died of exhaustion, in the Second World War. A man who photographed the route they walked in the present thought he had captured their ghosts-but there is a rational explanation for the pale white images that seem to be of a column of men, and which overlies the image of the jungle and land.
I used to work nights alone in a home and had to creep round the corridors putting washing away,we had an old man at the top of the stairs who I had always found to be pleasant,he couldn't talk as he'd had a stroke a while back.This night I was upstairs putting the washing away and I stepped on a creaky floorboard,heard him getting up and the sound of his frame,then he beckoned me to his room so I went in,he motioned for me to sit on the bed and I was waiting for him to gesture to me what was wrong when suddenly he put an arm round me and grabbed my breast!I jumped up saying No!No!and fled the room.Every night shift after then I had to go up them stairs trying to avoid the creaky floorboard and as soon as i heard the rattle of his frame i would leg it back down the stairs terrified.I shudder still thinking about it
I was driving my mum back to her flat from a hospital appointment. She was very ill (only had six months to live) and in the back seat of the car was my sleeping 18 month old toddler, I myself was 3 months pregnant.
It was a lovely sunny afternoon and nothing untoward had happened on the drive from the hospital until about 3 miles from my mum’s home. I consider myself to be a careful driver and in the 30 years I have been driving I have never had an incident of another driver angrily sounding their horn at me and have never had any altercation while driving.
So we were proceeding along the dual carriage way and stopped at traffic lights. I noticed the car behind me came very close to my rear bumper; I could see it was a man (shirt and tie) but couldn't see his face as it was hidden behind his sun visor. I first thought maybe he is in a hurry but then he could have overtaken me, being a duel carriageway.
When the lights went to green, I continued my journey, but the car behind stayed behind, mirroring my speed and then proceeded to flash his lights at me three times. Very slowly and deliberately, not a ‘there is something wrong with your car’ or ‘I am angry with you’ type of flash.
I first thought that it was very bizarre and felt a bit unsettled but continued my journey.
For the next mile though he continued this behaviour, flashing his lights slowly three times every 15- 20 secs.
So I thought I want to get out of this situation before we get home so I took a left turn, up a housing estate road and he followed me. My mum then asked why wasn't I going the right way so I told her what was happening but I didn't want her to look around so he would see I was unsettled by him.
And I was extremely unsettled. I thought about stopping in the street, there was no one about, but I felt uneasy about doing that and very vulnerable. If I stopped, would he stop, and what then. So I continued driving, around and around, different streets and places, would you believe for the next hour, with him following me, still slowly flashing his lights three times. My mum was really panicking and had she been well enough and able to walk properly she would have demanded that I stop and she would have sorted him out!
But she didn't want me to stop either. He followed me for the next hour as I said and I drove ,not really knowing now where I was, but always looking for somewhere that would have lots of people but never came across anywhere that I felt was totally safe to stop.
I then spotted a supermarket shopping centre and I drove in there, with him still following me. There were no groups of people about, only a few lone men and women going about their business and I still didn't feel safe to stop.
After coming out the supermarket car park, I noticed salvation, with a sign saying ‘police station’ and sharply turned into their car park. He followed me in but then stopped and turned and drove out and away.
The relief I felt was huge. I had never been so afraid in my life. In the police car park there was again no one about. I thought about going in to the station but that would have left my sleeping toddler and my mum alone in the car, whilst I went in, and my mum didn’t want this. So with great trepidation, I decided to leave the car park and drive home.
I never saw the driver again.
We got to my mum’s house and it was agony getting everyone out the car and up two flights of stairs, with me thinking somehow he had followed us and was waiting to pounce. Once back in my mum’s flat, I was able to phone the police and told them what had happened. They sent someone out and went through with us what happened but as I had no proper description and didn’t know what type of silver car it was and had no number plate id ( he was always behind us and we couldn't make it out in the mirror) the police said they would look into it but nothing ever came of it, which I wasn't surprised about.
I’ve often thought about this bizarre journey over and over again and still come to the conclusion that I would do the same things to keep us all safe but with hindsight there were a few things I could have done differently to stop it happening. The combination of having a toddler, ill mother and being pregnant all played its part that day and although everyone after the event said ‘why didn't you do this or that’ you actually had to be in the situation to experience how bizarre and creepy it all was.
Thank goodness for mobile phones now. I never go in a car without one although nothing like that has ever happened to me since then.
A creepy thing happened to me when I was a teenager. Our dog slept downstairs in the hall and one night I could hear her whining. I went downstairs in the dark and saw her staring at the front door and trembling. There was a figure outside there, moving around, but not touching the door. There was total silence except for the dog whimpering. And the movement of the person was weird, sort of flickery. It could just have been someone off their face on something, but our dog used to go nuts at people coming up to the door. She was terrified that time though.
Ever seen the film, Duel?