Monday 12 May 2014

A Ghostly Experience

Not many people believe in ghosts. I didn't either. Until one day I saw one. Yes, I saw a ghost and he spoke to me. I'll never forget the experience.

It happened years ago on a dark and wintry night in the depth of a mountainous region of Scotland. I was driving late at night after visiting some business customers up North and somehow I lost my way. It was the days before satellite navigation systems and cell-phones to help you communicate and get from one place to another. It was raining heavily with thunder and lightning brightening the skies for brief intervals and piercing the darkness of the road ahead. As usually happens in ghost stories and movies, my car eventually stopped having run out of gas. But this was for real. Not a movie script which I could put down and return to my reality sitting next to a warm fire with a hot chocolate drink in my hands. This was for real. My car stopped in the middle of nowhere on a cold rainy night with thunder and lightning for companionship. I swear I heard the howling of some wild creature in the distance.

What was I to do? I couldn't stay in the car all night and possibly freeze to death. Or be tinned food for whatever hungry creature is out there. I had no blanket in the car and I'd forgotten my overcoat at the office of the business I was visiting on behalf of my employer.

So there I was. All alone in a car with no means of communication. Cold. Hungry. Afraid. And I wanted to go to the toilet too. I should not have had that second cup of coffee they offered me. Coffee is quite diuretic, you know.

Stupidly perhaps, I decided to get out of the car and water a nearby tree. I could hold it no longer. Moments later I was back in the car totally wet and even colder than before because of the driving rain; but greatly relieved. After all, I had to do what I had to do and I could not do it from inside the car.

Now back in the car I was shivering and my teeth were chattering in tune with my racing heartbeat. My wet clothes stuck to the leather seat. My shoes and socks were soaking wet throughout. Because of the rain ... the rain ... are you paying attention? Please don't make up your own jokes at my misfortune.

Stupidly again, I decided to get out of the car and walk in any direction trying to find shelter. I locked the car and walked ahead in total darkness and driving rain, (or should I now say walking rain?). Every so often my solitude was broken by the occasional clap of thunder followed by a flash of lightning. (This was Scotland where thunder comes first because up North sound travels faster than light. Everyone knows that!)

Anyway, after walking for about half an hour there it was. Not a castle, as you'd expect in the Highlands. But a house. Admittedly a large house; again just like you'd expect in horror movies, big and dark with overhanging trees and climbing ivy everywhere. But not a castle.

I knocked at the door ... no bell. And eventually, after what seemed an eternity an old man opened the door.

He was wearing an eye patch. What I mean, he was wearing clothes, very old clothes, and he had an eye patch on. Did you really think he was wearing nothing else but an eye patch? I wish you'd pay more attention.

"Och aye ... It’s a dreich day! Aye right." he said in his native tongue. I didn't understand a word he said, so I asked him whether I could seek shelter for the night.

"Yer're drookit!" he said, "Aye ... come in ... come in ..."

I entered a dark room lit by a couple of candles. He beckoned me to sit by a small log fire to keep warm. As I sat there still shivering he walked away towards the wall and vanished through it. My blood ran cold. A shiver, ran down my spine ... that's a new shiver, not the one I was shivering with previously. I could have said a frisson, but I was in Scotland not France. So a shiver it was ... och aye!

I could not believe my eyes. The man had actually walked through a wall. Admittedly, it was dark, I was cold and freezing wet and quite hungry, but I assure you I was not hallucinating. I did not imagine it. The man just walked towards the wall and vanished through it. The experience made me want to go to the toilet once again; and this time it had nothing to do with the coffee. I must have cried in fear a little because I felt tears running down my leg.

Moments later he returned through the wall just as he had vanished. He stood there looking at me with one eye. The other eye was covered by an eye patch, remember.

My knees were knocking together in rhythm with my heart and chattering teeth. I had butterflies in my stomach and their knees were knocking too. Even my goose bumps had goose bumps of their own.

"Are you ... are you  ... a spirit?" I heard myself mumble.

"Yer mean ... be I a drop of whisky?" he muttered, "Of course not ... I be a ghost ... A ghost, laddie. I been here fer' years. Och aye! Trapped in this house of doom fer ever, laddie."

I gulped and asked "Are you the ghost of a pirate? I mean ... the eye patch ..." I continued pointing at his face.

"Och no ... laddie," he said, "this be no pirate's doing! I got this one day as I was sliding through a keyhole and someone put a key in it. Occupational hazard for us ghosts!"

I smiled and said nothing.

"Now I just walk right through walls and solid objects" he said in perfect English, "much safer what?"

I picked up a bottle of vintage whisky nearby and took a gulp to keep me warm.

They found me the next morning fast asleep with an empty bottle beside me.

14 comments:

  1. ((( They found me the next morning fast asleep with an empty bottle beside me. )))

    Victor#1, most puppets, "I" mean human animals, no, no, "I" mean human beings will probably say that you just had too much to drink and got drunk. Then they'll probably be thinking that like "The Body and Blood of Christ" you were seeing things and then you just dramatized "IT" "ALL" from there cause you Christians are so great at doing things like that but YA can Relax cause Victor believes YA NOW. Did "I" forget to tell you that he's add similar experiences and..........................................

    END YA SAY sinner vic? DON'T BE LIKE THAT! BE NICE NOW!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L51jJVcDcdY

    Go figure brothers and sisters in Christ?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EAZlArfDOw

    Believe "IT" or not, "I" had a big brother and everybody called him big Joe who weighed about 210 and you will please pray for him cause one day, he lost his life.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EAZlArfDOw

    By the way folks, I met one of these two singers through a friend of a friend and even got one of his recording tape for only five dollars and then he shook my hand.

    God Bless Peace





    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well ... I hope you enjoyed this story.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  2. Hi Victor! I usually laugh so hard I get tears down my legs...well, different strokes for different folks.

    I am right there with you on the coffee thing. My bladder would be exploding too! How nice to have a little something to warm up with, and help you even out after seeing a ghost!! Yikes. I'd need a little help sleeping after all you went through that night.

    Makes you glad to be warm and dry today, right! LOL :)
    Ceil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Ceil,

      I'm so glad you enjoyed this story. I assure you that the only spirits I have ever seen were in bottles. But not for long.

      It's good to laugh, Ceil. Thank you for joining me. God bless you.

      Delete
  3. Oh I could use a shot of that whiskey tonight. But no, I won't. Thank you for an enjoyable story. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Manny for visiting again. Cheers. God bless.

      Delete
  4. This is an awesome ghost story, Victor! Bet you gave up coffee after that experience ;)

    I hope you don't see any real spirits for a very long time, my friend. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have to be very careful with coffee. More comes out than goes in. Oh I do love spirits ... especially in bottles. Have you tried Drambuie? Best Scottish spirit there is.

      God bless, Mary.

      Delete
  5. No, I don't think I have tried it. Is it a whisky? Because if it is that would explain why I've never tried it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Drambuie is a sweet, golden coloured liqueur made from malt whisky, honey, herbs and spices. You savour it rather than drink it. Best served with the sound of bagpipes. Sometimes I have it with a wee bit of haggis. Best when caught fresh upon the Highlands hills on a fresh dewy morning. Och aye, ye ken!

      God bless.

      Delete
    2. Forgive me for putting in my belated Canadian two cents worth again but for years my favorite drink was Scotch and Drambuie and it was called A rusty nail.

      Went down great with ice that made the sound of bagpipes while a ghost was on the prawl. LOL :)

      God Bless

      Delete
    3. You certainly can't beat a good Scotch or a Drambuie.

      God bless.

      Delete
  6. Helen from Arkansas22 October 2014 at 18:28

    As you can see, I am reading this in October and I just love it. I really enjoy spooky stories from Scotland and Ireland and this one seemed do real... for a minute, lol. Thanks for sharing :-) Happy Halloween from Circle AB Goats, Prattsville, ARKANSAS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Halloween to you and your family, Helen. Thank you so much for visiting my Blog and commenting here. Look forward to your return visits.

      God bless you and yours.

      Delete

I PRAY FOR ALL WHO COMMENT HERE.

God bless you.