Visitor

[poliphilo]

"Turn over slowly," says Ailz. "And tell me what you see."

We're in bed. We've been in bed ten minutes or so. It's just past midnight.

I turn over. "Where?" I ask.

"About level with my shoulder."

I can't see anything and I say so. "What am I supposed to see?"

"There's a shadow. I was looking at the wall and suddenly the darkness got darker. And there's movement inside it."

"You think we've got a visitor?"

"Yes. You really can't see it?"

"No. But then I never can."

Bah; I find it really frustrating. I'm the one who's interested in ghosts- the true believer- but I never see a thing.

Shortly after she'd drawn my attention to it, the shape faded. I don't think this house is haunted; we don't have any permanent, unlisted residents; but we do get these visitors from time to time. Ailz never sees enough detail to identify them, but there was no feeling of menace or hostility- there never is (we have protection in place)- so I guess it was a friend.

I'd love to know who...

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the ugly thing: I remember him well :)

It's nice that loved ones should come and visit, but entirely proper that they gradually let go and move on.

I agree.

[ajoyfulgirl.livejournal.com]

Some of the loved ones I've known that have passed have visited me before passing on. It's a comforting thing to feel them-- that last sigh of the tangible before they move beyond.

I've had interesting experiences with other ghosts, though. When I first moved to Portland, I was staying in my then-boyfriend's house: it was part of a duplex. There was a little girl ghost that sometimes got a little too rowdy. Only one of the housemates saw her, but the neighbors knew about her from the previous tenants. She liked Alex's room the best-- would flip on the computer at random, throw things around the room-- never meant any harm, that I could sense, but definitely made it difficult to sleep. I told her to go to bed one night in a fit of exasperation, and the boys haven't seen or heard from her since. I feel rather bad for it, actually.

There's another ghost that I never saw, but had an encounter with as a child-- she lives in my grandparents' house, having followed my family for a couple generations now. Apparently she likes us, though she's no known relation.

Spirits are strange things. As a child, I believed in ghosts-- but it hadn't been until these past couple years that I've become more in tune with seeing them, or noticing it when they pass.

*b.

Re: I agree.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Just after my father died- and my mother and sister were drinking coffee in the kitchen- his bedside radio alarm suddenly went off- though it hadn't been set to do so.

I've always thought it was his way of saying, "I'm still here, you know."

There was a similar incident at my great aunt's house ten years before. We were sitting in her kitchen after the funeral discussing the will when her alarm clock went off.

My great aunt and my father were very close. Perhaps he learned the trick from her.

Ghosts seem to have an affinity with electicity. Switching things on and off is something they find relatively easy. The odd thing is that ghosts who date from before the harnessing of electricity are able to do it too. I guess that means they've been paying attention.

Re: I agree.

[karenetaylor.livejournal.com]

I guess that means they've been paying attention.

What else do they have to do? ;-)

Re: I agree.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Some ghosts seem utterly oblivious of present day reality and do things like walk through doors that have been bricked up.

Others obviously try to interact with the living.

I guess I'm curious to know exactly how much they can see or sense.