Friday 2 March 2018


Friday March 2nd 2018

In general ghostlore we have often come across stories of 'haunted', or possibly 'cursed', objects..... but this isn't something that - to our knowledge - features heavily in tales and experiences from the lore attached to the English  Midlands.  That said though, we HAVE recently spoken to one individual who certainly seems to have experienced a situation that would appear to be somehow 'linked to' a particular 'object'..... rather than the more usual 'location', maybe?

"Well, it all started around 13 yrs ago when I came across a book on a car boot sale, being sold on the stall of a very odd-looking couple.  The book was about the occult and witchcraft.... and the history of how it all started in Britain.   As I handed the money over, I distinctly remember feeling a little uncomfortable with how the couple looked at me?

Anyway, I took the book home and tried to have a quick read through it later that evening.  Some of the paragraphs were in Latin, so I ended up getting fed up and putting the book on the side....   A few days later, however, I picked up the book again and started reading it.  Not the Latin parts; I tried to make sense of them, but I couldn't....  For whatever reason, I remember feeling a little queasy after the first chapter and went to bed.

Later that night, I woke up to hear something... and sat up to see the handle of my bedroom door moving!  As my door opened -  I still find this part hard to think about - I saw a small, black figure in my doorway.  Although I don't remember seeing eyes, I knew that it was staring straight at me!   Like a child, I pulled the duvet over my eyes... then pulled it down and looked again.  I can assure you that, by then, I'm fully awake; my eyes are adjusted to the light and 'it' is still there.... just staring!!

It appeared to be wearing some kind of black gown with a hood.  It's arm, although I couldn't see a hand, was on the door handle.  It was only about four foot tall.  I was petrified.  I shouted for it to 'go away...' and 'leave me alone'...  I pulled the duvet over my head again, my heart thumping!  Again, I looked and this time, the thing - whatever it was - slammed the door shut!  I actually heard footsteps running down my landing, but no sound from the stairs.....

I sat there in the dark, frightened of where it was and what to do next.  I decided I had to go and look, so I grabbed a hairbrush.  I know it's crazy, but thought I could 'strike it' if it was still there and went to harm me!  It wasn't, however; it was gone.   I went downstairs and checked the whole house. 

The experience left me very shaken.  The next morning, after trying to sleep with a light on the landing, I came down and saw the book....  I decided the only thing to do was to get rid of it, as I no longer wanted it in my house!  My father was going to the tip that day, so I grabbed a bag of rubbish, put the book in, and asked him to take it.... 

The following few weeks were fretful and I just didn't feel right.  I have to say the matter played on my mind a lot... to the point where I got in touch, online, with a paranormal lecturer in America.  I decided to tell him my story, via email, as I felt I just needed closure.  Three or four days later, he replied and said - in his opinion - I had definitely awoken something?  It had come as a warning to me to not delve into things I don't understand and to never delve into the occult again.

The image of that figure has haunted me ever since.  

The thing is - and is where people would think I'm a 'nut job', and why I don't openly share these details - but, ever since then, my 'senses' have changed......  I find that I have 'feelings':  smells of things, for no reason.... like pipe tobacco, or   old perfume.  I've even had 'flash backs' of things from my childhood that had genuinely happened.  Ive questioned my mom and she has confirmed these things.  One of the things I remembered was walking home from school in XXX and I walked into the road, right in front of a car!  A tall man, dressed in black, grabbed me and pulled me onto the pavement.....  When I looked up, the driver had his head in his hands.... but the man in black was gone!?!  The driver got out his car and just shook his head... asking how I had got out the way?  I never had any recollection of this incident until I saw that figure.... but, apparently, it did happen!"


In responding to the person involved, it was suggested that - reflecting from paranormal culture - a lot of people would probably suggest that it is possible for people - through 'occult dabbling', purposeful practices or whatever - to 'conjure up' something which had perhaps become attached to that book, for some reason?  (This is pure conjecture, of course).  In buying the volume, would it be possible to somehow 'take on' the related influence and have these negative experiences that appear to have come afterwards?   Needless to say, paranormal / occult history is chock full of different examples of how certain objects have somehow - purposefully and accidentally - been 'invested with' some form of 'guardian spirit', or 'malign attachment' that has potentially affected people innocently coming into contact with that item....... 

No comments: