I know I am not the ony one that has come into contact with things that are not of this world. I’m not talking about aliens, or Bigfoot or the Chupacabra. I’m talking about those elusive figures you see out of the corner of your eye but when you confront them straight on they vanish. I have had so many experiences throughout my life that I probably should have gone into Parapsychology. We all love to hear a good ghost story with the ideal setting being a dark stomy night. I have such a dark side that I was naturally drawn to the occult and the secrets it harbored, despite biblical verses warning me not to tamper. There’s a reason.
I have had many a run-in with demons. The ones I have actually seen were harmless, just wanting to scare you. The ones that I didn’t see were probably the ones that wreaked havoc in my life. No I did not invite them in intentionally. I am not a witch or a Satanist. They can come in through various means but one of the most devious ways is through the ouija board. It looks like a harmless game, right? wrong! It’s very seductive to those wanting to have a chat with someone on the other side but it opens a door that is VERY hard to close. I found this out at the tender age of 16. For fun my friend Amy would drag out her board and we would ask all sorts of questions to the spirit: What’s your name? When did you die? When will I die? All mine seemed to tell me was that his favorite artist was Nagel and he called himself Mom. I guess I had a flamin’ spirit on my hands. Leave it to me to find the gay ghost. At least he had good taste. Anyways, nothing happened during these sessions and all was forgotten. Late one night I awoke to see someone standing in the corner of my room. I was definitely not expecting that. The door was cracked a little which let in a stream of light. I still could have seen him if there had been no light. He was blacker than black, negative space. He was definitely standing there – short and stocky. I could see enough to notice he had his arms crossed and something on his head almost like a turban but I did not get close enough to inspect it. I dove under the covers and screamed for my mother. I finally got the courage to dart out of the bed and into the den where my mom had fallen asleep on the couch. She hadn’t heard me at all. I’m glad at least it wasn’t a knife wielding flesh and blood psychopath.
For years I was visited by these Shadow People and they even followed me to college. They seemed to come in all shapes and sizes just like we do. I’ve seen short and stocky and I’ve seen tall and skinny. One particular night that is forever etched in my memory, I woke up out of a dead sleep in my dorm room to find one standing right next to the bed. It’s arms were crossed with it’s back to me and facing the doorways as if waiting for someone or something. I sat up in bed and the minute it realized I was awake, it spun around. This time I actually saw it face to face – the closest I have ever been or want to get again. I coudn’t believe it had a face. It had an old mans face but it happened so fast that I would not recognize it if I saw it again. All of a sudden it evaporated from the floor up as if it was made of pixels and it was gone. I could not believe what I had seen. It is so vivid in my mind today though it happened in 1995.
I believe when we play with ouija boards, tarot cards, runes or any fortune-telling devices, we open an invisible door that is not so easily closed. This can and does wreak havoc in your life. It did mine for years but it was my fault because I didn’t listen to advice given to my by my mother and God’s word. I am ceertain there is a whole spirit world we don’t see often but sometimes catch glimpses of and sometimes hear. Which is good because somethings I just plain don’t want to see. The words of Morrissey come to mind as I close this chapter:
Ouija board, ouija board, ouija board
Would you work for me ?
Do you remember when we burned those tarot cards?
Yes. That was such a bad idea. It closes the portal. At least that’s what I heard.
You were right, this one is creepy…reminds me of something out of that T.V. show, “The Haunting”, or in a movie theater and that is exactly where I want to keep them. I have been fortunate Not to have seen any ghosts or demons (UFO, yes) and that’s the way I like it. My mother had a nervous breakdown (Paranoid Schizophrenic…hallucinations and all) when I was at the tender age of 14 and I use to worry about that happening to me. I remember joking with my grandmother about if anything should happen, please don’t come tapping on shoulder not even just to say, “Hi”. She would just laugh and laugh….I really loved to make her laugh!
When she passed away, the night before her funeral, my cousin swears that in the middle of the night (and while I was sleeping) my grandmother came to see us and was floating between our twin beds. She disappeared when I awoke and my cousin was asking if I had just seen that…No, of course not, I said, with a laugh and a knowing smile…but I sure am glad she came. 
Cindy, I’ve heard many instances just like this but, just like you, I don’t want a vist either