When we are younger, our parents explain the whole meaning of life. (Monty Python version not withstanding). We learn the basics. You grow up, go to school, college, work, marriage, family, then finally death. And all the crazy things in between.
The church then educates us on a deeper level. We learn all about our souls and how to protect and nurture them. Our soul almost becomes top priority over all those things listed above. Let’s start with what a definition of a soul is.
A soul in most religions, is thought of as the incorporeal essence of a living being. It’s the mental abilities of a living being to reason, feel, think, etc. to protect your soul so it doesn’t hit the fiery pit, your religion, whatever it is, gives you a certain set of rules to follow. (Some are a little more forgivable than others so read that rule book carefully and read the fine print too). A soul, despite what we know scientifically to be as just parts of our brain at work, is often thought of as a separate part of us. Like your heart. We may say something like, “That came from the heart,” all the time. It’s just an expression, but the heart is different from the soul. To us, the soul is separate from our physical bodies. We need this sucker to ride into the next body so we can be reincarnated.
In my house growing up, odd though I know we all were, we believed in reincarnation. Mostly when the bad things happened. We would smash a knee and say something like, “Come on god, really?” Was I Ted Bundy in my last life or something?” I always went right to Ted, I was young but I remember the day they flipped the switch. Horrible I know. But still true. I still say that all the time. I fall a lot, so you know, I get annoyed here and there.
So, Reincarnation, it is defined simply when you die your soul rides the white tunnel into new digs with a teeny tiny stop to swipe all your hard earned knowledge and memories. So when you think about it, who cares if you get reincarnated or not? I mean, we all aren’t Napoleon who was positive he was the reincarnation of Charlemagne. What fun is it if you don’t wake up in like Angelina Jolie’s body or something and be like, “Hells yeah!”
But if we aren’t reincarnated or shipped to the fiery pit, and it isn’t your soul sticking around, then what is it? My mother always thought ghosts were echos of life essence just doing whatever they would do if they were still corporeal. And every once in awhile we could see them. They passed through our plane. Sounds plausible to me, except for the fact some of those echoes stray from that routine and do crazy s**t like knock over dishes, shut off lights and maybe even reach out and touch someone. When that happens all bets are off and it’s time to call the priest.
And why do you call the priest? Because he knows and wholeheartedly believes that it’s a soul that’s trapped. We all for the most part want to believe that a loved one’s soul or essence that passed is still traveling around close to us.
So we all have to decide for ourselves some of these more fantastical beliefs. Do I believe in ghosts or souls being able to hang around ? Are my parents watching over me or have they reincarnated into my neighbors new dogs? I prefer to think our soul is separate and it hangs close to its former loved ones or in a loved, safe familiar spot. I’ll gladly pass up on reincarnation if my family needs my soul around. Besides, I’m pretty sure I was heading in to Peppermint Pattie’s body next time anyway.
When I started this series, I wanted to shine a light on all the great women of the woods. There are all different kinds of women that encompass that name. Bigfoot enthusiasts and researchers, hikers, writers, artists, outdoorswomen, etc. So this time it brings me pleasure to share a well-rounded woman of the woods. She writes, plays guitar, she’s a lover of the outdoors, a Squatcher, an archer, a poet, and a bush-crafter. I don’t need to aim the light because I’m giving you a lady that comes with her own light. Today I’m chatting with Starshine…If you don’t already follow her on Twitter and YouTube you definitely will after you read about our chat. So here we go a Q and A with Starr ⭐️.
Q. Can you share a little bit about yourself?
A. I’m Starr, most in the Bigfoot world know me as Starshine. I’m an adventurer and explorer, you can always find me doing some kind of hiking, backpacking, visiting abandoned sites or places of interest. I love archery, astronomy, axe/knife throwing and playing music. I am fascinated by mysteries, which leads me to the research of Sasquatch.
Q. What area do you live in?
A. I live in Central Canada, in the Boreal Forest. Most of my adventures are across the west in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Q. How long have you been interested in the outdoors? Nature?
A. Since I was a kid! Catching bugs and snakes, even filled my entire kiddy pool full of frogs and toads when I was young. I think living in small towns mostly, had to go out and explore for fun.
Q. What does the feeling of being out in nature feel like to you?
A. It’s an escape for sure. It’s getting away from the craziness of life. Out there you’re free.
Q. Do you go out specifically to Squatch, or is it about being out in nature to you, and Squatching a bonus of being out there?
A. In the beginning, I used to go out just for research; But now it’s more for the escape and enjoyment of nature and squatching is a bonus.
Q. How long have you been interested in or believed in Sasquatch?
A. About 10 years. I mean, I’ve been a lover of mysteries since I was a kid, so when I got injured from work and had a lot of extra time for researching and digging into things, that’s when my fascination with Sasquatch really took off and my entry into the Bigfoot world began. I started with just being an enthusiast, but I was very opinionated and had ideas of my own, my mentor (In sasquatch research) said in order to have a valid opinion, I have to be out there in the field too, doing the work. Since then, I never looked back. It’s what I do now.
Q. Have you ever had an encounter or weird vibes being out there?
A. Ya, of course. I won’t go into a lengthy story here, but in short. I heard of this small town, a hidden hot spot for Sasquatch. I was told that they seemed to migrate through the area every Fall. I went in October to investigate, and it was the creepiest location I have ever been to! The Bush was super thick, you could hardly see in front of you, being forced to stay on the game trails. The forest floor was littered with bones, everywhere, like a feeding ground. It had an eerie feel in general. But it was at this location where I heard loud bi-pedal steps of a large creature walking through the woods. I couldn’t see it through the thick bush, but I could hear walking. It took all the strength I had not to hightail it out of there! Your body just has a natural instinct when it knows it’s unsafe. So I sat there low and quiet, because it sounded like it was literally going to walk right in front of me on the trail, but some noises in the distance must have spooked it. The steps started trailing off. I did try to follow afterwards. But whatever it was, it was gone.
Q. I saw that great print you found, were you able to cast it? And what was the experience like?
A. Thanks! The track you’re referring to wasn’t my first suspected Sasquatch track, it was my fourth. It is always exciting to find for sure. Unfortunately that recent one wasn’t able to be cast. It was a boggy area and it rained from the moment I got there for a couple of days. But as long as I’m keeping my eyes open and stay prepared I’m confident I’ll run into more.
Q. Is there a favorite Squatch encounter you’ve heard that is particularly fascinating to you?
A. I’d seen a video once that blew my mind, and then it disappeared off the net. I’ve never been able to find it again, which is suspicious in itself. It was of a gray/white, very tall creature, in full bipedal run and then went down on all fours and continued moving at the same pace. I don’t know any animal that could do this! Nor a human because of the arm length. There was a cow it ran past, so you could get a very good idea how large it was. If anyone can find this video, please send it to me! I’ve been trying to hunt it down for years.
Q. What does your belief in Sasquatch lean towards him being? Ape, ape/man etc. and your thoughts on whether you think he could be paranormal or interdimensional at all?
A. I believe it is an undiscovered great ape, but that’s controversial, as well as all other theories. I guess we won’t know for sure until we find legitimate proof but that’s part of the mystery and it’s thrilling.
Q. Do you rely on intuition and experience out in the wilderness to let you know if you should leave an area?
A. I’ve never left an area yet, I would think so.
Q. What wildlife have you seen on your adventures?
A. Oh of course, bird, squirrels, I’ve had deer jump in front of me plenty of time. Rabbits, badgers, beavers, and bear. Lol, I could really go on and on. The woods up here are filled with wildlife.
Q. Do you enjoy the night hikes as well?
A. Yup sure do.
Q. What do you pack and carry while you are out hiking for the day?
A. For the most part, I’ll always have knife, fire starters, water or water filtration device, whistle, measuring tape, phone/camera, paracord, bug spray, pretty basic stuff.
Q. Do you travel mostly alone? A. Sometimes, or there will be 2-4 of us on the team. Depends where we are.
Q What have been some of your favorite things you’ve seen out there?
A. Anything strange, like structures, random abandoned things, and of course every waterfall I find.
Q. Favorite places?
A. Rocky Mountains hands down. Although Harrison Hot Springs area is a close second.
Q. Do you have a favorite view?
A. Probably no surprise to most but waterfalls, for sure. But I love being out in nature in general, I really do appreciate it all.
Q. Can you describe what a perfect day out there is for you?
A. Spending the day hiking in nature, random finds, beautiful pictures, good stories overall. Then wind down with a warm bonfire and food. Perfect.
Q. I see your favorite animal is the snake. How long have you had yours? What do you like most about them?
A. Indeed, the snake! Yeah my girl Raiden is a cornsnake. I adopted her from a reptile rescue 4 years ago. She was just a little baby noodle back then, it’s been fun watching her grow so big since then!
Q. I love pictures of you with your bow. How long have you been using that? What is your favorite brand?
A. I’ve been doing archery a few years now. I love it. Currently I have Bear, but my favorite bows are Diamond. Q. I’ve also seen you carry a knife? Do you have a favorite size/brand for them?
A. Yeah, my Ka-bar is my absolute favorite knife
Q. Do you hunt or fish at all?
A. I do fish, I have plans to take up hunting in the future.
Q. Third favorite animal after a snake and cute puppy?
A. Ha! Yeah snakes and dogs are definitely my thing. Not an animal but I also have a fascination with bugs and spiders. I spend a ridiculous amount of time researching them, just for fun. You can pretty much bet anything people have a phobia of I’m totally into lol.
Q. Favorite time of day inside or out?
A. I am not sure. Probably night.
Q. I see you play guitar and write as well. How long have you been doing both? Do you have a favorite musician, writer, and poet?
A. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12, I think? Music has always been apart of my life tho, since I was a little kid. My uncle is a musician, so playing and writing music was just something that happened in our family and eventually I picked it up too. My favorite musician or band is Coheed and Cambria, forever will be. As for poets, I’ve found I love poems themselves for the feelings it gives me, as oppose to entire bodies of work.
Q. I’ve read some of your poetry too , love it. Is there a favorite one you wouldn’t mind sharing here for everyone?
A. Aw thank you so much! Sure? I can share one. Sorry they are all sad though.
Last night I watched my world explode
I laughed the loudest, who would’ve known?
I’ll love you forever, never forget that
And we’ll burn in the fire
In the dead fall of the snow
Arouse the flames,
now watch them grow
And butterflies came out of my mouth that night
As shadows tucked me in, under sheet
“But we’ll show them won’t we?”
Wry and awake
As I said we would be
And I’ll keep you safe
So your heart won’t break
We watched the sun come up
As creatures hid in the darkness
“Won’t you come with me?” I said
” just like you promised?”
And ash fermented my mouth
Which to you still had to caress
As we dunk into sleep.
Q. How about some fun random questions for your followers to get to know you better…ready!
Favorite book? Currently it is the Red Rising Series.
Favorite movie? Alien, the original trilogy.
Favorite band? Coheed and Cambria and my favorite song of theirs is “Faint of Heart” (acoustic version)
Favorite activity? Archery, Urbex, hiking and exploring.
Favorite go to snack? Fruit, berries and hummus.
Q. Can you tell me a little bit about the Starry Dawn Adventures?
A. We started StarryDawn as a fun project so people could share in our adventures. We do hiking and backpacking in different locations across western Canada. We have plenty of footage recorded and excited to share, it’s just the long process of editing. So lots to come there.
Q. What is coming next for you?
A. The next big thing is heading to the US in the fall. Until then, just getting out into nature in my area. I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by many lakes and forests.
Q. Any goals you have set, squatching, outdoors or otherwise?
A. I think my biggest goal is just learning as much as I can. Spend time with ones who’ve been researching in the field and have 20+ years of experience to share with me. As well as learning more outdoors and survival skills.
We will see where I go with the skills…
I’m looking forward to seeing where you go too…I’ll be following along.
There are many wonderful woman of the woods. From outdoor and bush-crafters, all the way to researchers and everything in between. If you think you know of a great woman of the woods I should highlight, drop me an email at:
This past Saturday afternoon, I visited a place I believe a Bigfoot might just be inhabiting occasionally. On my very first visit there, I got a weird vibe and a strange sensation that I wasn’t alone and maybe not entirely welcome. It’s a different feeling then the one I get at my usual spot inside Freetown Forest. There I also feel I’m not alone and definitely being watched, but not unwelcome or unsafe. I feel entirely comfortable there. I don’t feel a need for a weapon or equipment and maybe that is why I am welcomed.
In this new spot I feel as though I have not been invited yet. I am coming too far into their territory without their (whoever they are) permission. I know everyone likes to say, “just science and cold hard evidence no “feelings”. But instinct has served me well, some people are just more in tune to themselves and their environment. But I do understand that if you’re not, it might be hard to believe. And that’s okay too.
Shortly after getting into the woods I felt watched and heard a loud noise that sounded like a hard thumping on the ground like a bull was charging. Someone heavy running up a hill fast. Than full stop. Then around the corner I heard more noises, just like snaps of branches on ground and tree etc. To me, even a squirrel makes a loud enough sound moving around in the woods so I generally don’t pay attention to it but at that moment I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and when I came around the corner, a large tree was down, blocking the entire trail. And in my mind I’m thinking “the way is shut!” So I snapped pictures all around the area and then I kept moving because I knew, without a doubt, I was not alone. I started toward the exit and finally listened to one of the noises that had been ongoing that I was tuning out before, It was a murder of crows hovering.
Why a murder of crows? A warning system maybe? But for whom? Me, or my possible hominid stalker? I headed home after awhile and was racking my brain, what was that hard thumping? I began going through my pics looking for anything. Why were crows everywhere? Was there a dead animal in the vacinity? They say a murder of crows got their name because they were always around death. Hanging at cemeteries, and coming around when there was something dead around they could feed on. A crow is a member of the carrion birds. They feed off of the dead. So why are they following me? Superstitious people believed if they hung around you it could be an omen of your death. They believed when you saw them you should either bow down to them, or tip your hat at them. A pity I didn’t know this at the time.
Later on that night when my sister helped me review all my pictures she saw what she thought could be an eyeball dead center of one of the pictures staring at me. Nothing to worry about there.
Eyeball is in the center of picture but I freely admit not easy to see.
My second trip inside, I was waiting for the crows to come back and caw away at me again and they didn’t disappoint. And again, I knew I was not alone out here. The difference today was me, I was more confident and intending to stay this time. But like the last visit, I was again not entirely comfortable and neither was my sister whom I dragged along. But we kept going all the way to the downed tree and around it off the path. As we happened to look on the ground we noticed prints, two very suspicious prints. One very large print and the other was going at an angle on a muddy slope, but the toes were easily discernible. We looked closely around the whole area looking for more prints, hair and generally anything out of the norm. and then we noticed that behind us was a busted up shed that appeared to be hanging half way down a hill and it was where my very strange picture of something that resembled an eyeball in the black was taken. Down in that area also happened to be where all my uneasy feelings came from. Was this also where my thumping and running was coming from? Did something run up that revine?
On the third visit the crows were upon us from the second we got on the path. This was a larger murder and possibly more aggressive. They were low flying and circling. When we got to the spot that uneased me the most, a crow feather hit the ground near us. A more stern warning? But again, to whom, me or my new friend. We noticed more prints again as well, but these seemed to be of your average animal varieties so documented everything and moved on until we were both beginning to feel that heavy negative feeling, if that makes sense at all, and we headed home.
At home I began wondering if the crows hovered to act like a type of sentinel for them, and if so, how would these two different species communicate together? And is the warning for them to keep from being seen?
After thinking it all over for a couple of days. I decided to head back in a fourth time alone again. Actually, to be honest, I was getting an itch in my brain that morning telling me to get off the couch and get in there. It had rained just the night before, the ground was mushy a bit and I thought maybe I’ll get lucky and catch another print. I decided to enter the woods using a different path this time, coming up to that area from behind instead And there not to far off trail, were two large prints. Large and deep prints perfect for casting. So I looked around the area, checking for other prints, hair or an actual Bigfoot. I didn’t notice anything else after a thorough search. So I snapped some pictures sent them to my friend at Wpi Hunts the Truth and he kindly walked me through my first footprint cast. It was messy, challenging to do alone and watch my back at the same time, but it also was completely exhilarating, I was casting my first print!
When I went back to the area next and so on…I checked on the print regularly and took pictures of the print slowly fading away…
It was an exciting time and I felt I had to really take this seriously and document everything. I feel that this area has most likely all it would need to sustain one, a river, ponds, dog and blueberry bushes, (I may have tasted some of those) plenty of vegetation, wildlife, miles of connecting forest, conservation land and an old railway turned into the Southern New England Trunkline and Greenway that was a straight corridor that could easily get them from as far north as Maine and down to Florida. A good migration route if that was what they needed. So I needed a plan and I decided to keep an eye regularly on this particular area, but to also expand my search and follow and explore the river and abandoned railroad lines and corresponding forestry right through the Heritage Corridor. There is a lot of Native American and colonial and settlers history in this area as well and I love history so there is extra bonus for me.
I don’t want to be the catalyst for them having to leave their home so I’ll be as respectful and unobtrusive as possible. I’ll be outside of most of the known park and trail areas here, no one else really knows some of these trails exist except locals, so they could very easily live relatively undetected here. So yes, I’ll be respectful of the area because seeing one isn’t worth costing another being, any being their safety, security and home. Mankind is doing that enough as it is already…
To be continued…
Photo by Arthame for Deviant art
To be continued….I hope….
Copyright July 2018, property of Bigfoot Mountain ™ all rights reserved.
Big thank you to the sister I drag in the woods with me. I mean the one that comes with me when she can. And has a great eye for all things squatchy in the woods…
*Information on crows from Wikipedia
*Pictures from Pinterest and Deviant Art
* Pictures Of footprints are my own and property of Bigfoot Mountain..
all pictures used in accordance with the Fair use act
Twenty years, that was my sentence in that house. Twenty long years. I always thank whomever for having my older sisters there with me so I could tell I wasn’t crazy. We had a crazy great Aunt in our family so we are always checking with each other with our standard, “What do you think? Am I being crazy?” Only we meant it literally.
Luckily we did have a few witnesses along the way. I’ll share two more, the rest I’ll save for the future book, hey you never know, right?
Take those sunken eyes and learn to see…
“When my mom and I came and stayed in gonna call it the porch that was made into a room, oh that was terrifying. Had to get up to go to the bathroom, and when returning to the room I felt something boring into the back of my head. I jumped back in the bed and covered my face it felt very bad, like poltergeist
Another time I was sleeping on a roll away bed next to the big radiator on my back, i was able to tilt my head back and see the clock on the wall but I wasn’t able to move my body like something was holding me down. Then I remember taking a shower and not being able to pick up my feet as if they were glued down.
The hallway was the worst at feeling something to me, in front of the bathroom by your parents bedroom….creepy as hell.”
– K.A
When I find myself in times of trouble mother Judy comes to me…
I wanted to mention just a little bit on the bathroom. Between watching the movie Psycho (which incidentally scared my Mother’s ass off in the theatre) way to young and ghosts running a muck in my house, I absolutely dreaded taking a shower. There was only one way in hell that was happening, my poor mother had to sit in the bathroom with me. To watch my back so to speak. She did it for us all. And when she was in the shower we sat lined up in the room with her like little ducks. I should mention our bathroom was huge. It also had a phone and a good lock in it. It was our panic room. Intruder comes in, grab the aluminum bat, run to the bathroom, lock the door and call 911. We just had to get passed the dead to get there so we had choices to make….
I get by with a little help from my friends…
“If I can just make it past the dryer in the hallway I’ll be fine. This was my thought as I booked it up the back stairs of the Main Street house where my best friend lived, Sasy’s big sister lived. I don’t recall ever navigating those stairs at a walking pace. My dad would drop me off out front and I would make my way down the driveway to the back door. It was a good day if you opened the outside door to find the cellar door closed. There was no gaping maw of evil to deal with then and you could just move fast up the dim stairway, make it around the corner at at the top of the landing, traverse the straightaway, turn left at the dryer and bust through the door, which was never locked and for good reason ( Ghosties hot on your tail), into the kitchen. Here I would be met most times by a heckling crowd gathered around the kitchen table which included Sasy and her sister’s, and their many assorted friends. So safety, in other words.
I had my own creepy basement In the house I grew up in. Not an old house at the time, but built on land where battles took place in King Phillip’s War. There was an unfriendly area there. There were two rooms near the bulkhead, one for laundry and the other myDad’s workroom. I would hear my name spoken if I was alone and the bell on the bulkhead door would ding when no one was done there, my Mom would send me down with a load of wash and as I approached the door I would say out loud “don’t mess with me, I’m just here to do my laundry!” Then I would run through the cellar and back up the stairs. There is a certain feeling associated with knowing there is something other nearby and when you turn your back you damn well better scoot. Like someone is trying to goose you. So I was familiar with this feeling when I was introduced to the Main Street house. I also had my shields in place and my phasers set to kill by that time from my own childhood experiences. I think this is why I wasn’t meddled with to much when I was there. I was locked down tight. If that cellar door was open, I’d be all “oh no you don’t!” And then begin my desperate sprint up the stairs, around the creepy corner landing, gotta get past the dryer and I’m in!
As creepy as the basement gauntlet was, what was worse, to me, was the short hallway between my friend’s bedroom and her parent’s bedroom, with the bathroom in the middle. I was pretty sure this was the portal to hell. I had to make the choice, hold it, with bladder explosion or venture in there alone with good chance I would be sucked somewhere off planet. If I went in, it was fast, don’t look left or right, be as expeditious as you can and get the hell out. This area was ripe with activity for those living there and there was just an active bad feeling there for me. It was like a black hole and I, to this day, Have dreams about that area. I was surprised that Sasy’s sister didn’t mention in her entry how she was grabbed by the ankle and held in place while she was showering. If I recall she was also called by name too. Which is super creepy if it happens to you because it’s personal. I guess she didn’t want to revive that memory.
I remember I slept over one time and one time only. I spent the the night on the floor of the bedroom with one eye open all night, monitoring the bedroom closets, the portal to hell hallway and the underneath of the bed right next to my head. I didn’t even allow my feet to poke out of the blankets.
I don’t even know how they managed to sleep there on a regular basis. My friend is permanently warped by living there as evidenced by her particular sleep habits. When we go on vacation together she packs ear plugs, stygian darkness and white noise are necessary to her for proper sleep.
So, for me, my experience of the Main Street house was the feeling of the place mostly. I didn’t want to see anything or get all touchy feely with a ghost or whatever. But I knew they were there. And I believe the stories of Sasy and her sisters and their mom.
It helps to explain why they are all so crazy…”
BC
He’s as blind as he can be, just sees what he wants to see…
You’ve read that my mom was the kick ass ghostbuster of the neighborhood…who ya gonna call? Judy that’s who…now as for my dad, we haven’t mentioned him often because he saw only one weird thing the whole time we lived there (A red negligee on the bed). He was completely oblivious. Singing away no fear or worries practicing a new song in the shower like we were living in a normal universe. He didn’t realize that everyday was the same thing, whatever we lived with would mimic the sounds he made coming up the stairs everyday, the whistling, keys jiggling and grocery bags crinkling. My mom would say, “open the door for your dad” and guess what he was never there!Now he didn’t say directly he didn’t believe us, but I know at first he didn’t. Then the whole neighborhood had issues and really, we couldn’t all be nuts…I love him, I miss him, but he was the skeptic from hell. And unfortunately he made the money so we were trapped, till he decided we were moving…twenty freaking years later…
We all did the best we could to ignore and adapt to our environment. We had each other. We didn’t let the spooks ruin everything. As a family we loved and laughed a lot. I can see the laugh lines forming now. My friends all wanted my parents to adopt them because they saw us interacting as a family laughing and living life. People always ask why I’m always jacked in, what’s with the constant music? Well we all came together around music. I can hear a song and immediately think of something ridiculous that happened growing up. My dad was an entertainer, he sang constantly. But most important it blocked out noises, voices and kept my brain occupied. Still does, everyone I know I have attached a song to, they just don’t know that…yet. And why the Beatles lyrics? The Beatles was the one band from the beginning we all agreed on, could sing along with… together…
So that was my haunted tale. well most of it, I don’t want to bore you by going on and on. And it’s okay not to believe it all, the floating probably sounded insane, I’m just happy to have it out there and over with. I’ve purged out my childhood…I’m truly free…
And in the end, the love you made was equal to the love…you gave
It’s bad enough when you’re being stalked by ghosts in your waking life to then be terrified asleep too. My sisters and I were having nightmares almost every night since we were little.
Three, four better lock your door…
Bedtime had a ritual while I was little. My mom would watch tv or sleep for a bit In my sister’s and I’s room till we feel asleep. If I woke up during the night and she was gone? Well then you played the grab your pillow and your stuffed protective Sheriff dog and run full speed like your ass was on fire game…don’t stop and look at anything just run.
I feel bad she didn’t get much time to herself back then because I was a chicken shit. But I was a play with my Barbie doll princess. I couldn’t handle this ghostly insanity. I was just to young to deal. But I did the best I could, we all did.
5,6 grab your crucifix…
Okay back to bedtime. It took me awhile to fall asleep. I needed the TV on, the kitchen light and my mother to do it. But when it sleep did come? It was a different kind of fear.
There were a few hot spots in our house I especially didn’t like – the hallway by my mother’s bedroom, her actual bedroom, and the front hallway. They were all to be avoided whenever possible. Just thinking about the basement in that house gives me the creepy crawlies. Full on nightmare material I’m telling you.
I recently purchased my own home, do you want to know what it doesn’t have? A basement, that’s what. I’ll take my chances with the tornadoes of the world. The lack of a basement was one of the things I liked best about the house. The realtor was like, “You probably won’t like this, but it’s just a slab.” Well then, pop the champagne, I’m buying a house today!
I don’t want to go down in the basement…
On Main Street there was a huge basement and the only way to avoid being close to it when you came and went was to go through the front hallway. Well I didn’t like that vibe either. For some reason there were always hornets there (which I got stung by many times). So the basement it was.
There’s something down there…
I can’t describe the feeling of walking through, or passing by the door of the basement any better then by saying, pure terror. I’m talking, break out in sweats, wide eyed terror. I have no idea what could have ever happened down there that could have been so bad. Whatever it was, it left an echo or evil stain on it for the rest of eternity. By the way, one second in that basement actually felt like an eternity. My sisters and I were all terrified of it. I never actually saw anything odd down there. I don’t think James Brolin is walled in there but you never know. And even though we didn’t see anything, we felt something menacing down there watching us, and we always thought if we stood still in there long enough whatever it was would grab us.
I don’t want to go…
I can’t talk about the basement and the staircases without talking about something that I always kept secret. I was young and I thought maybe I was losing my mind. I was afraid to tell anyone, even my family and we shared everything.
Some days I would walk to the top of the stairs and then the next thing I knew I was at the bottom by the basement door and outside door. I was always panicked at first because I didn’t remember coming down, and what if I fell? But I would remember a sensation of floating down them and I definitely knew I didn’t walk down them on my own. Some days I would stand up top and wait and see if I would float down, like a game. Later, when I was in my tweens, I never felt that again. And I wondered, did they jump into me trying to find a way to get outside of that house? All I knew was no one said anything about it happening to them so I wasn’t saying a peep.
About a decade ago, give or take, my sister’s and I were having dinner and chatting away. The Main Street house came up, as it often did, and my sister said she had something happen to her there that she never talked about before. Well we were all ears. She started to explain how she felt like some days she floated down the steps and my other sister said “You too?!” And then we realized we couldn’t all be having the same hallucination, we must all have actually experienced this.
Here’s one sister’s account of “floating” down the stairs…
“So, some of the times that I came home…and actually sometimes when leaving the house…I would get the feeling that I floated up the stairs (or down depending which direction I was going). And I wouldn’t know really how I got to the top or the bottom. It was surreal. This was just the crazy leading to crazier.”
Here’s my oldest sister’s experience…
“I didn’t like anything about that entrance. At the bottom, to the left of the stairs, was the entrance to the terrible basement, at the top was the door to our kitchen. Not exactly at the top, though. the door was around a blind corner, and you never knew if you were going to run into whoever was always turning the doorknob. The staircase itself was…mysterious. For a good chunk of my childhood I had many trips down the stairs (it only happened to me when going down the steps, never up) that I had no memory of walking. I’d be at the top, have a brief sensation of falling, and then floating. My brain would be all foggy, like when your under a mild anesthesia. Suddenly, I’d be at the bottom of the stairs, wide awake, hand on the doorknob to exit. And I’d be SCARED, because I knew something wrong was happening, but I had no way to make it stop and no way to PROVE it was happening. So, I said absolutely nothing about it, until I mentioned it at dinner one evening, ten or so years ago…
I don’t want to go down in the basement…
What did the spirits want with us, with our body? Why only float us on the staircase? (I should mention I only floated down). Were they trying to get out of the house, and when we got to the door they realized they couldn’t leave? I can’t believe all these years as adults who understand and believe in hauntings we never told each other. I truly thought I was crazy. I’m amazed I can share this with everyone now. I’m learning it doesn’t matter if you think I’m a silly, crazy girl at the end of this story, because what’s important is getting it out of my system. There just may be a person (or a family) like ours that needs to know they are not crazy. Isn’t that why most of us in this paranormal world are here? We want to understand what we went through, we want to help those living through it now, and we want to show the world we aren’t crazy, we are not alone in this.
I truly hope this helps some young girl or boy. If you’re reading this, you are not alone and you are not crazy. I believe you. If you can have ghost encounter PTSD, then I have it. I’m a night owl who barely sleeps at all, and I need a light and noise to not be afraid to close my eyes. And unless my sisters and I had shared hallucinations, then spirits are real, very real, and hopefully they aren’t in your home right now…
To be continued…
Song lyrics are from, I Don’t Want to go Down to the Basement by The Ramones
Part six and you’re still here, I thank you for that. I think I mentioned I’m one of three sisters. My older and wiser sister has a story to tell as well. Hers is fresher in her mind because she was older when it all began. I like to keep saying older sister just to annoy her. Okay I’ll stop now, and here it is, my oldest sister’s tale (I tried, but you are older after all)…
You can call it surprise there it is…
“When we moved into the Main Street house I was incredibly excited about the move because our previous apartment was very tiny, and this place was HUGE. Built in the early 20th century, it was a maze of interconnected rooms, lots of doorways and hallways with 2 entrances and a large basement.
In the beginning it was fine for us kids, but my mom immediately began hearing people walking around in the kitchen in the middle of the night when we were all asleep, seeing doorknobs turn with nobody on the other side, waking up to find “people” around her bed talking to each other, but not seeming to notice mom in the bed, and many other bizarre experiences.
As we got older we were better able to recognize that some of the things we were hearing, seeing and feeling were not normal. I have a few memories of my own that haven’t faded with time….
In the night I am real…
My bedroom-Most nights I’d lay in bed with my eyes scrunched closed, trying to sleep, but there was so much NOISE. Items, large and small, sliding around on my dresser, drawers opening and closing, sometimes windows. I never saw anything moving because I never, ever, opened my eyes.
My parents bedroom-For a while we had my great grandmothers rocking chair in their bedroom. It was one of those 18th century padded, apholstered numbers with flowery fabric. I loved that chair, but often when you entered the room it was rocking. My scariest memory was the night I decided to lay on my parents bed for a little rest because I could still see into the dining room where everyone was sitting and chatting. After a couple of minutes I could hear the dresser at the foot of the bed, drawers with jangling handles, opening and slamming, over and over. My eyes were open but I refused to look. Suddenly the window opened and slammed shut, then all was quiet. And I ran.
My sisters’ room-I think my sister may have already told this story, but here it is again! We were sitting on the floor, listening to a Duran Duran record, and our cat was laying on the open window’s sill behind the slatted headboard of the bed. Shockingly, she was pushed through the headboard, ribs first, with her head and tail following. Bent in half. It was awful. I still can’t believe she came through that scared but unhurt.
The back hallway-The worst. Door knob always turning with nobody on the other side, footsteps up and down the stairs at all hours, the basement door at the bottom of the stairs that we were all too scared to walk by if it was open (major creepy-crawlies). And the stairs…that’s a story for Sasy to tell in another installment.
Many of the homes on our street were like our place, and I can’t finish up my story without mentioning that my mom was the neighborhood kickass ghost buster. Strange noises, doorknobs turning, faces in the window? No problem! She would pick up her broom (I’m not even kidding) and march into dark hallways, fling open doors, windows, anything, with her broom raised high. And she did that for all the neighborhood kids whose parents worked and they came home from school to an empty house. Well, almost empty house…”
VBE
The moon to the left is a part of my thoughts, and a part of me is me…
I’m glad my sisters are purging this story from their mind and soul as well as myself. It wasn’t fair to grow up, make friends, go through puberty, first loves, etc with this always humming around us making us doubt our sanity. I’m glad we were close and always had each other. But at least you’re learning now what makes me…me and how and why I’m so weird. Seeing is believing they say. Well like the expression goes, I’ve seen some things. And the spirits in my material world were just a gateway to all other high strangeness. You can tell me anything, you won’t shock me and I will believe you, because I know…I know, how important it is for someone to be that ear. Someone you can be weird with and they’ll support you no matter what, I hope you all find that one person…
