Thursday, June 7, 2012

Ghost


I'm a ghost. I live within four walls, married to a man, mother of three children, but I do not exist. I possess no credit card, no driver's license, I have not adopted my husband’s name, and there are many more tiny discrepancies. Some of this is by design, some of it was due to circumstance, and some of it...

is because my husband is a police officer.

We hide in the open. We're cognizant of our surroundings. He never wears his wedding ring at work and his vocation never whispers past my lips in casual conversation. His job makes us a target. You will not find our last name within this blog, or any insinuation of our residence. I've learned to hide in plain sight; ghosts in an effort to stay alive.

So you can imagine my horror when an intruder stepped onto my newly bought property. His shadowy figure looming large through the glass French doors. I held my six week old daughter tight to my chest as midnight slithered into life.

I'd just finished watching television. The baby slept soundly within my comforting arms. I stepped towards the back of our house -- the easiest route to our bedroom. My attention was solely on her sleeping form. My movement was tentative and quiet. Smoothly I glided towards the stairs. I stuttered to a stop when I became aware of him. I strained to see in the gloom, the dark morphed and oppressed my line of sight -- or so it seemed at first.

We stood mere feet from each other. Both frozen in indecision--at least I hoped. I wondered why he remained so still and why he continued to stare without action. He didn't move, not even a hair's breadth. A pane of glass is all that stood between us and I was painfully aware of my home's security risks. I slid my eyes towards the phone base, but didn't dare turn my head. I couldn't risk tipping him off. Another half a minute passed - he never wavered.

It was then I realized I couldn't make out his face. Not one feature. He was darkness personified. A shadow within a shadow. I swallowed hard and broke the spell. I reached for the phone, juggling my still sleeping infant, and in that second the man turned abruptly and walked towards the end of the deck.

My heart beat so hard I would swear my daughter moved in rhythm with it. I dialed my husband. The nervous intonation of his voice betrayed his usual calm -- I never called this late. I inched towards the doors, while my terror soared through the line and spurred my husband to immediately dispatch a patrol car. He talked me through. I turned on the porch lights and extinguished the night that threatened to suffocate me. The man was gone. The gate was locked. And the deck...was still full of boxes, furniture and impossibilities.

In that second it dawned on me...

He could not have moved across my deck without making a substantial amount of noise. He could not have exited my yard without my witness. He had disappeared into thin air and my terror took on a new dimension of fear.

In my rush to tell the story I wrote with abandon. I blogged our location, I blabbed the scenario, and I even posted our neighbourhood. "Ghosts" I said because it was all that made sense.

In the light of day I felt silly and moved to delete my post-- it was dangerous and stupid to have revealed so much. It was then I noticed one lone comment. It was from a neighbour. A neighbour who said I wasn't alone. She claimed to have met this shadow man within her own bedroom. She swore our neighbours had seen him too. I checked her trackback. She'd found my blog by googling our neighbourhoods name and the word "haunting..."

Image © Jason Jam. Image Source:Doctor Fong's House of Mysteries

He stalks our community and spies on those who live within his "territory". He's cognizant of his surroundings. He watches silently. He does not hide.

A ghost more real than me.








read to be read at yeahwrite.me

55 comments:

Unknown said...

creepy!! i hope he has left you alone since then! i don't blame you being quiet about details. that is really really smart.

carrie said...

I've only seen him on one other occasion. I glanced up to notice a shadow walking up my stairs. I just ignore it. Apparently from what I've read they want attention. They feed off your energy.My neighbours are terrified of him and have a lot more run ins. He sits on the end of their beds and they wake up to see him watching them. That would creep me out the most! I'm glad he doesn't appear in my bedroom lol.

Pish Posh said...

OH MY GOD!! Are you serious? I would have a heart attack and need therapy. I wish I could taser this guy for you and end all worries. I am so sorry.

My heart is pounding not just from this experience - but your description of it. Carrie your writing is AMAZING here!! Wonderful. You should publish this!!

carrie said...

I wish I could taser him too lol. But That probably wouldn't work for the undead variety of peeping toms.

And I'm serious lol. This actually happened to me and it's not the only creeptastic ghostly event that has happened here. We live on an old military base that was sold to developers and "revamped". They used a lot of the old barracks as shells for these new fancy townhomes. I guess someone didn't like that...

carrie said...

Aww and thanks! I think I would have to work the crap out of it for publication but maybe the Yeahwrite peeps would enjoy a story!! :)

Lynnjefferson said...

I have heard this recounting many times now. It never fails to send an icy shiver down my spine...

carrie said...

hehe mom, remember the ghost girl YOU saw at my house. And you were never a true believer, until her. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Joe said...

My rational side says that there's a logical explanation.

Stephanie said...

Oooooh...shivers. What a creepy story. And you told it so well.

I'm also intrigued, though, by the fact that you "don't exist". Is this common with police officers' spouses where you are? Do you never socialize with your husband's workmates? Interesting. And kind of lonely.

carrie said...

@Joe - I hope so. At first I thought maybe I was hallucinating because of post partum hormones, but then the damn comment comes into play. And there's also weird voices me and my husband have heard together, and the see through girl my mom saw running through the yard. But I haven't really investigated environmental factors. So maybe there's something environmental causing mass hallucinations? lol. Not sure.

@Stephanie - I think it's common for the federal police. Scott is RCMP which means they move him every three years or so depending on the post. Plus I'm shy so it takes an extra long time to warm up to ppl. And unfortuantely most of Scotts work mates tend to be older with full grown kids so it makes it extra hard to connect with them. His last detachment was awesome because every officer alongside him was about his age so we had a lot of fun.

But not so much lately. Not with this newest post.

Stephanie said...

So interesting! JP almost went RCMP a few years ago, but he decided to stay in the military instead. I DEFINITELY can relate to moving often and finding it hard to put down roots. It takes me a few years to really make a few friends. And then it's just about time to move again.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Awesome awesome post.

Gia said...

I am THOROUGHLY FREAKED OUT. Should not have read this late at night.

carrie said...

@Kim - thanks soo much! :)

@Gia- Whoops...probably should have put a disclaimer at the top "Don't read at night" lol.

Unknown said...

Spooky Carrie, I think I would have wet myself.

Joe said...

One of environmental factors could be wine. If wine is not the cause of the visions, then start drinking. The wine might them go away.

The Dose of Reality said...

I won't lie, this post pretty much made me want to cry. I had total 80's movies flashbacks.

Unknown said...

Definitely creepy!
It definitely sounds like you are calm about it, which is good. I couldn't imagine being scared constantly in my own home!

Jacqueline Bryant Campbell said...

How eerie! I'd be lobbying my husband to move!

Unknown said...

Holy cow! You sent shivers up my spine with this one. Great post!

carrie said...

@Vivian - I think I almost did!

@Joe- That is great advice! I will take up some drinking. BAhahaha.

@Christina- Yes it was! I've only seen him one other time (walking up the stairs in my home).

@dose of reality- Yes, it is freakin terrifying some nights. I just snuggle under my blankets and try my best to ignore it.

@Dawn-I try to avoid watching scary stuff etc because then I am much more on edge with every new noise or dimmed light, but otherwise I think it and I have an uneasy truce, you leave me alone and I won't scream hysterically.

@Jacqueline- Well we might get the chance soon it depends on where my husband sent for his new detachment!

carrie said...

@ Delilah- Thank you! :)

mannahattamamma.com said...

spooky spooky! i mean, to me it's spooky but of course, this shadowy figure isn't showing up at MY house, in which case it would be scary scary scary. A friend of mine swears that burning sage - "smudging" she calls it - will dissipate negative energies from houses. She's done it in every house she's ever lived in...

Kathleen said...

OK, you totally freaked me out!

You did such a great job of telling a seriously scary story. Well done.

carrie said...

@mannahattamamma- I confronted it, kinda. I told it in no uncertain terms that it wasn't welcome, that it couldn't scare me, and if it forced my hand I would have to seek out some help and make it gone for good. Its mostly stayed out of my house since then. My neighbours still have problems though.

@Kathleen- Thank you. I was pretty scared when it first happened!

DearHarrison.com said...

I could actually hear the score from "The Haunting" playing eerily in the background while I read this. Full-on creepy.

Anonymous said...

You gave me the chills. Nicely done.

Dude of The House said...

Very spooky. I was picturing a set of creepy twin little girls and hearing "Redrum". Hope you don't encounter "him" again anytime soon.

carrie said...

@DearHarrison- I KNOW right. i never really knew if ghosts and supernatural stuff was real, I had eye witness testimony from family and weird experiences myself, but nothing that was ever THAT in your face.

@momfog-thank you! :)

@Dude of the House- I havent seen him that blatantly again. I did see a shadoy figure walk up my stairs but that figure did not have the presence the other one did - so I cant say for sure it was the same person.

Unknown said...

This is a really great post. I like how you tied it together. I wasn't sure where it was going, and I was totally stress and scared for you. Not sure I feel 100% better yet...

Robbie K said...

This gives me chills and so glad that I read it during daylight hours.

Anonymous said...

You just scared the crap out of me, and it's bedtime.

carrie said...

@shiftless mommie- I don't feel 100 percent either...Im not sure which would have been better an intruder or a ghost who can come and go as he pleases...

@Robbie- Yeah I was saying I should have probably put a disclaimer at the top lol...

@Mamamash- at least you don't have to sleep here!!! :)

Michelle Longo said...

I was about to ask if you saw him again but I saw in the comments you did. That is so creepy. Love stories like that and yet they scare the crap out of me!! Awesome and so not awesome at the same time!

Great story though for sure!

Unknown said...

ooooh! i love deliciously scary stories! this was phenomenal & well told!

carrie said...

@Michelle-It has been one of the most creepy experiences of my life!!

@Erin- I'm glad you enjoyed!! I've always been a fan of supernatural thrillers...I just never thought I'd be living one!

Kristen said...

Great post. Totally freaked me out. Crazy crap, I'm telling you - crazy crap. Best post yet.

Louise Ducote said...

Crazy! I don't know how you can write so calmly about it. I'd be running down the street screaming or checking into a hotel. In fact, I'm terrified in my own house after reading this and it's mid-afternoon on a sunny day!

carrie said...

@Kristen- Thanks so much, and you're right it was crazy crap LOL. I've been here for three years now so I'm kinda used to it.

@Louise Ducote- Your comments made me laugh. This happened a few years ago so I've had time to adjust!

Jamie Miles said...

Scream. I think I would have a priest or clergy come over to bless the house. If you think it might be evil. It was a wonderfully written account. Lots of tension -- and points for the creepy picture.

carrie said...

@SouthMainMuse-I didn't get a feeling of evil but I did confront it (lots of weird things were going on in the house). I told it that if it didn't leave on it's own accord I would be forced to call in someone who would not be so kind and patient...

No doubt I looked like a lunatic talking to myself but it seems to have worked. All weird activity dropped off substantially. Not completely, but enough that I'm not spooked every night.

Cindy - The Reedster Speaks said...

OK, I was not expecting that ending. Not really until I got to the comments did I realize it was a FREAKING GHOST! I'm with Joe though, the "Scully" side of me thinks - there must be a logical explanation :)

Kerry Ann @Vinobaby's Voice said...

Well that's just really damn scary. I thought it was going somewhere totally different with your husband's job (I share similar fears and had all our private info protected in fear of revenge). Now I have shivers.

carrie said...

@Cindy-I sincerely hope so...course i'd rather have a ghost then a stealthy, stalker...LOL

@It can be damn scary. Its smart protecting yourself like that, especially given his job!

Anonymous said...

Oh hell... there goes my chance at sleep tonight. Kudos to you for your vivid (and frightening) tale!

Whoa! Susannah (Formerly Write, Rinse, Repeat) said...

Creepy!! Totally pissed I read this right before bed, but it was so well written. Besides nearly crapping myself, I enjoyed this post!!

OneDayIllBeThatGuy said...

Whoa! Reminds me of the stories my uncles used to tell about my Grandma's family home, which was about 100 years old.

That's a pretty close encounter. Don't know what I still believe about this kind of thing, but a great post.

Kenja Purkey said...

I bet there is a ghost hunter type group in your area that would come over and do an investigation. It might bring some closure, or at least let you know if you should be afraid of him.

I would have been more afraid if it had been human. Of course, that's easy for me to say because I haven't encountered him!

carrie said...

@50shadesofpeach-lol, sorry about that.

@WRR-Again I apologize...lol. I'm glad you enjoyed.

@DS- heh. I was THERE and Im still not sure what I think about that kinda thing. LOL.

Kenja- I was more scared of the ghost idea at the time of the event, but now its definitely something I would prefer to a real live psycho..

Kim S. said...

Ummm... I should NOT have read this before I'm going to bed. Now I'm afraid to look out the window. Truly creepy stuff!

carrie said...

@Kim- thank you :)

Kait said...

Great story. I don't believe in a lot of things but I do believe in ghosts. I have seen a few of my own & even lived with one for a while.

One of the world's shortest ghost stories:
A man wakes scared and alone in a strange room. He reaches for a match & one is placed in his hand.

carrie said...

Kait-Living with a ghost does tend to make you believe in the supernatural.

AHAHAHA. Great shortest ghost story!

Kait said...

How about the story about the frightened traveler who checks into an inn. Upon entering the room he checks the cupboard, under the bed, behind the curtains. Locks the window, locks the door. Gets in bed, blows out the candle and a soft voice sighs: ahh we are all safely tucked in for the night.

carrie said...

Kait- that would creep me out!