True Ghost Tales

Strange Party

The "CultHouse" thread put me in the mind of the following storywhich I received recently via The Paranormal Project web site. Isuppose parts of it could be considered "ghostly",however the whole story is so weird that it is difficult topigeon-hole into one category. I have been searching for anexplanation in "rational" terms (the reason "CultHouse" made me think of this story is because I'm wonderingif the sender of this story didn't perhaps have some kind oftraumatic experience at the hands of some cult in the house hedescribes); perhaps you guys can help me. Regardless, I thoughtyou might enjoy it. Here goes:

Our correspondent was an undergraduate at the University ofMaryland in the late 1960s. One Friday afternoon, as he wasleaving the campus and heading for his car, his attention wasdiverted by one of the many young women dispensing flyers alongthe path. Not only did he feel unusually compelled to take aflyer from this particular girl, he also felt that "therewas a sort of telepathic connection" between them. He saysthat he knew what the flyer concerned (directions to a partytaking place that evening) as soon as his eyes met the girl's. (Thismay sound a bit flaky, but I can assure you that judging from thecontent of his correspondences this person gives all appearancesof being a level-headed and rational individual and he isperfectly willing to accept a "non-supernatural"explanation for the following incidents.) He describes the girlas "short with very fair skin, crystal blue eyes, a busterbrown type haircut of straight blonde hair...very angelic looking..."

As the day wore on, our correspondent felt more and morecompelled to go to the party and to go alone which, he says, wasextremely unusual for him. At this point, however, he attributedthe source of all such feelings to an attraction to the girl.

That night he drove out to the then rural Largo (MD) areaindicated on the map and eventually located a large "country/farmtype house" which, he was certain upon sighting, was theplace he was seeking. Pulling up to the house he noticed twoyoung people on the porch, but no overt signs of a party. Heparked his car next to several others that were lined upperpendicular to the side of the house.

As he made his way up to the house he noted that the two peoplepreviously on the porch were no longer there. Assuming that theyhad gone inside, he climbed the steps and peeked in the framedglass door but saw no one, let alone any indication of a party inprogress. He knocked on the door and then let himself in. At thispoint he became aware that someone was approaching him, but his"consciousness began to fade or shift and [he] could not'see' them." From this point on he experienced extremedifficulty in perceiving his surroundings, as though he was in asort of "mental fog" (although he assures us thatalcohol/drugs played absolutely no part in this episode), howeverhe could make out a pair of staircases that bordered the back ofthe entrance hall on each side and led to a second floormezzanine. On the left staircase he discerned a small figure inblack moving up the stairs and on the right several identicalfigures moving down. The scene was accompanied by an "eeriesilence." Our friend experienced extreme confusion givingway suddenly to abject terror and an urgent need to leave, whichwas easier acknowledged than achieved. He compares this stage ofhis experience to a nightmare in which one is trying earnestly toescape something, yet is barely able to attain movement. Heinsists, however, that this experience was not a dream.

The next thing he remembers is driving home in his car andfeeling "numb." The details (such that they are) of thestory did not come to him until several days later.

Three years later found our correspondent living in Seattle andhunting down a job. One day, on his way to an interview, he wasstopped at an intersection where several streets merged into amain artery. While waiting for the light, he "became aware (sensed)"that the person in the lane to his left was "staring at [him]intently." He turned to see an "old junker type"car in which sat "a woman with an exceptionally large roundhead (sort of obese looking). She stared at [him] and then fixeda very broad Cheshire cat like grin showing very square yellowbrown teeth that looked like they were made of wood. Her eyeswere wide open and very blue and her skin was pale with very redlipstick and straight short blonde hair. Her general appearancewas grotesque and menacing"; so menacing, in fact, that ourcorrespondent accelerated through the intersection against thelight, remarkably without detriment to life or limb.

He says that it was not until several years later, "in asort of flash of insight" that he realized that the woman atthe intersection was probably "a darker image" of theone handing out flyers on the University of Maryland campus backin the late '60s.