True Ghost Tales

Stranger's Warning

Here's a briefstory as told to me by a co-worker at a major U.S. university.He's a relatively intelligent guy for one shuffling papers at auniversity, and though he tends to be almost orthodox in hisreligious beliefs, he otherwise seems well attached to reality.He often talks about his paranormal experiences that can eitherhave a mystical religious aspect or are simply creepy.

My friend graduated from high school roughly fifteen years ago,and at the time, won an award to travel to England on what mayhave been some kind of archeological tour or dig. As a firstgeneration American from a Mexican immigrant family, this tripwas a dream come true; no one in his family had ever travelled toEurope before. It was to be the first of many trips abroad forhim, as he would later develop quite a passion for world travel.

For this first trip, he was in England for an extended period oftime which allowed him to do a little bit of touring in theEnglish countryside. On one of these side-trips, he was walkingwith a friend along what I imagined to be a typical Englishstreet of tourist shops in a small village. As they were walking,his friend said to him, "Tony, those an old man over theretrying to get your attention."

As I recall the story, an old man they had passed during theirwalk was now shouting Tony's name from down the street waving acane at him as he shouted, "Tony Rodriguez, get out of here;I told you never to come back here again."

My friend heard these shouts and froze at the sight of this manwho apparently had turned and continued on his way. Tony wasdumbfounded and the only reaction he could muster up was towonder out loud to his travelling companion, '"How did thatold man know my name? I've never been here before in my life."