Sinister Encounter - True Story

This is so unbelievable that I can hardly believe it myself. But it is true. It happened to me and it has really shaken me, I tell you. I have not mentioned it to anyone since.

It happened two years ago ... twenty three months to be precise. I was driving on business in Scotland and I took a detour not very far from Loch Ness, which is a deep, freshwater loch, (lake), in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 kilometres Southwest of Inverness.

 

I can hear you sniggering already. I wish you wouldn't. This has nothing to do with the famous monster. 

 

It was late at night, dark, gloomy and wet from continuous rain. It was a winding road so I was going slowly for fear of driving off the road into a ditch. I saw in my headlights some hundred yards ahead a figure cross the road from my right to the left - on my side of the road. In Britain we drive on the left. The steering wheel is on the right of the car. I saw the figure cross the road slowly from right to left, he stopped, and waved at me to stop.

 

I had to stop or else I'd run him over. He tapped on the window on the passenger side - i.e. on my left. I opened the automatic window, (foolishly) ... he put his hand through the apperture and opened the door and got in.

"Thank you for stop and pick me up!" he said in an unusual accent I'd never heard before. I can still remember the exact words. It was as if he had a heavy cold, or had difficulty breathing. There was a certain wheeze in his throat as he spoke and took breath.

 

I felt my knees knocking. Sometimes fear gets hold of you before you've had time to realise that you're afraid. 

 

"Where do you want to go?" I heard myself say, although I did not mean it. I wished I'd never stopped; but then I would have hit him for sure since he was standing in my way. Had I swerved left or right I would have ended in a ditch because of the wet greasy road.

 

He pointed forward and said, "ahead ..."

 

Hardly precise directions, but I moved on. He remained silent. I noticed from the corner of my eye that his face was a little un-natural. How can I describe it? It was white ... somewhat ashen. I'd noticed that when he opened the door and the internal light in the car came on. He had what I'd describe as a triangular head. A wide and large forehead and then the head narrowed as it went down to a very narrow and small chin and a small mouth. More like an upside down isoceles triangle. 

He didn't say much as he sat there wheezing with difficulty as he breathed. I noticed he breathed every thirty seconds or so. 

You know how your mind plays tricks on you when you're in a panic? I tried to imitate him by holding my breath every thirty seconds. I could not do it. We humans breathe more often than that. 

My fear created more panic in my mind. For something to say I mumbled, "rather terrible weather isn't it?"

"This is so ..." he replied.

An unusual answer, I thought. Normally people say, yes it's cold and wet, or something else about the weather. They don't just make a direct statement like "this is so."

To keep up the conversation, and perhaps to control my fear, I asked him what he was doing walking at this time of night.

"I am looking for the Loch Ness monster," was his wheezy reply.

Somehow, this allayed my fears a little. He was one of those people who believe there's a monster in the lake and spend their time searching for him. I smiled to myself. 

Pity none of them ever have a good camera on them when they see such a creature, I thought. It is always a blurry image that could be anything that they claim to have seen. Why is Nessie, as the monster is so fondly named, so inconsiderate and why does he, or she, not pause for a photo with the passing tourists like a good Scotsman would do in his national costume and bagpipes? Why is it alway a grey image with nothing to see or prove?

I continued the conversation as I kept driving not knowing where he wished to be dropped off. 

"There are many tourists ... and scientists ... (I added cautiously), from all over the world who visit these parts in search for the monster," I said, "where are you from?"

"I am not from earth," he wheezed, "I am from another galaxy not in your solar system!"

Somehow, maybe it was the way he said it, but those words suddenly felt true and extremely sinister. At first I was afraid, I was petrified. I kept thinking who or what is this sitting by my side.

Terror gripped every fibre of my being. I started trembling again. My knees started knocking again. I had butterflies in my stomach and their knees were knocking too. My skin had goosebumps and the goosebumps had their own goosebumps. In my sudden sense of panic and hopelessness I must have cried silently because I could feel tears trickling down my legs.

For some unexplainable reason, whilst still driving silently, I started thinking perhaps there's a spaceship flying in orbit high above us following our every movement. Perhaps he was in communication with the mother-ship by telepathy. Various films and TV program I'd seen started replaying in my mind. All thoughts jumbled up adding to my fear and confusion.

Until such a situation actually happens to you, you do not know how you will react. What else could I do? Stop the car and run? Run where? As my mind froze at his revelation all I could do is continue driving. Suddenly it all seemed so plausible. So true. So real, yet so surreal.

I said nothing because there was nothing else left to say. What do you say in such a situation? I could hardly ask him inane questions about the weather where he comes from. Or where he'd been on holiday, or what food he likes. You know ... all those inane conversational questions we ask each other to pass the time.

This was not such an occasion. I had with me in the car a strange passenger whose appearance and behaviour had from the start seemed to me to be somewhat unusual; and who had now said he was from another planet, or galaxy, or whatever. Something about it all seemed truly genuine albeit bizarre.

I continued driving, saying nothing. Hoping and praying that this is all a dream, or a nightmare, and that I'd soon wake up.

Five or so minutes later he said, "Discontinue driving here. I wish to alight!"

I stopped almost suddenly. The car stalled as it was still in gear and then jumped once or twice like a kangaroo. When it came to a halt, he opened the door, got out, and said, "with gratitude and appreciations!"

Then he vanished into the undergrowth. 

I drove away as fast as my feet could carry me.