OK, I'm Rattled..

[Armistead]

I almost always take a nightly walk. I head through a field, walk an old sunken road by the river, cross an old iron bridge and take the old "scenic trial" and come back. Seldom does anyone walk this old trail as the park it was once part of is closed. I have ran into a few hikers during the day, but never at night, not in two years. Course I always have Bear and carry my holstered pistol for critters, bears, general creatures....

Anyway, Bear is loose running and sniffing around, often I lose site of him or he'll run ahead. I get to the old iron bridge, about 150 yards long with Bear in front and he takes off barking. This is common if he sees someone, he will run up towards them, stop a few yards and bark until I call him back. I saw a man standing in the middle of the bridge. Sort of shocked me, I was about 30 yards away now on bridge. The moon is bright and could see his outline clearly. I told him my dog won't bite and yelling for Bear to come back, which he did and I leased him. I said " How ya doing- I'm just walking - can I help you, ect.," He said nothing.... Sort of concerned, I had hand on gun and continued to talk, finally asked him did he have a problem, need help...nothing. The next thing I know he turns and walks away...Thing is this is an old swinging cable bridge, even when Bear walks on it, it creeks from end to end, a human walking on it, the entire thing shakes and creeks...I heard no noise. I could clearly see a figure walking away. Bear was barking at it, growling, he never growls. I let Bear loose and again he ran towards it, but came running back tail between his legs. I pulled my gun and walked fast towards it, about 10 yards away from it I stopped and then it was gone......
It was still another 20 or so yards to get across it...

This really had me shook up. I don't believe in ghost. I decided to cross and Bear wouldn't, he just sat down in the middle of the bridge. Not once in his life would he not follow me. I stood there in the quite for several minutes and not a sound but common night sounds. I went back got Bear leashed and had to drag him across the bridge. I stood there and noticed Bear was like in his something is there stance watching the woods, I let him off and said "get it" but he just did his low growl. I only had my phone light, didn't want to light it, so slowly walked to the field edge at the woods....saw nothing. Course chills were running through me, but being logical, know it's just a body response. Course, being silly or stupid, I'm even saying "if you're a spirit will you show yourself."

I finally decide to leave, so we crossed back over the bridge. We got about 20 yards down the path from it and the bridge starts creaking, same sounds if someone is walking across it. Bear is on alert looking, we slowly walk back. It stops creaking when we get back to it. I look across it in the moonlight and see nothing. I slowly cross it, see nothing, now with gun drawn. This time I say," "I see you , come out or I'll shoot." Crse, see nothing. We stood there for another 10 minutes, this time I left and went home about a mile away. I got my shotgun, light and took one of the Tibetans this time. I know that dog will attack on command anything... I came back very quite a different way, got to the bridge, let Cliff run about......everything seemed fine, saw nothing and came home....

This shook me up. I know of all the old ghost stories related to the old bridge. One is some CSA deserters were hung from it, other nut stories.
Nothing about this makes any sense.

Crse, my wife hates me walking out there, but says it had to be a person or I was seeing shadows, but it couldn't be, you can't walk on that bridge without it shaking and creeking. I saw something, Bear saw it,......I know I wasn't seeing things, not a shadow... I'm stumped.

[Red October1984]

Wow...

I honestly don't know what I'd think if that happened. I don't believe in ghosts either....but...

I want to know more...these kinds of things are interesting.

If that happened to me, I'd probably be rattled too...

(Cue Cybermat47 and the Slenderman posts)

You can't just open fire because you are unsure of your target....

Idk what to think honestly... Talk to a priest? Idk.

Certainly is curious.

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

Wow...

I honestly don't know what I'd think if that happened. I don't believe in ghosts either....but...

I want to know more...these kinds of things are interesting.

If that happened to me, I'd probably be rattled too...

(Cue Cybermat47 and the Slenderman posts)

You can't just open fire because you are unsure of your target....

Idk what to think honestly... Talk to a priest? Idk.

Certainly is curious.

Don't worry, I wouldn't open fire regardless, unless I knew it was human and attacking me.

Logically, I want to say it was a man, but I know it couldn't be. I know how my dog responds, he first acted like he would around a stranger, then he acted like he never has....ever. It would also be impossible for him to get to the other side without me seeing it.

What chilled me is when this figure walked away, the bridge made no sound, none, if I walk on it it creaks loudly and sways... It set me back. I could see a clear figure of a man wearing what appeared to be a coat. It was 10 yards or so in front walking away, and like when I blinked....it was gone. I damn near crapped myself....

The only other option would be someone had to jump off the bridge, but that's about 50 ft to the river and would make a big splash.

I went to our counties ghost forum....I know, silly. Thing is our area abounds in ghost stories due to all the plantations around here falling apart around the river. They're several that use to be along the sunken road I walk....Funny, they say sightings were reported during eclipses, but I wasn't aware that one was tonight, but it was really brighter than normal..

I knew of a few stories, but found several more. Seems they did several hangings from the bridge, but can only find two documented. Today there's no access because it's surrounded by farms with no trespassing signs and the old park that is no trespassing.

Anyway, I'll check it out tomorrow and look around. I'm still wide awake. Gonna set up my old motion video motion cams tomorrow. I was going back out there, but my wife pitched a fit.....she's sure some stranger, but I know it wasn't....Crse, I don't believe it was a ghost, but twas some odd something going on..

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Oh that's jes a warp in the ol' space-time continu'um in which your psychologic arrow done conjuncted with his cosmological arrow...briefly. That ol' boy is now back a'wondrin' what HE was'a lookin' at hissef and his ol'nag wife is a'tellin him ta stay in too. Wait till you see your best friend and dormmate TOTALLY on fire while you are talking directly to him (he noticed the look on my face and inquired if I was ok) and then have a dream about it THAT night of 9/11/1970; Thirtyone years later, to the day, he is killed on the hundredth floor of building one in his northside window office 20 ft. directly above where Mr. Atta steered the jet... Edgar Cayce, the seer, said there is really NO time; it is an illusion so we may steer our 'corporeal entities' in what APPEARS to be our continuum- put against the logic course I took- the only solution is: he's NOT entirely wrong. It is referred to as 6th sense, sight or whatever. I've had peculiar notions since but none as direct: but I, and those who know me, pay more attention to 'em...and I'm seldom off by much. Chalk it up to minor time warping and move on...keep yer hand on the Lemat an' give ol' Bear an extra dog biscuit, he earned it!

I was 100% sure I had came upon some stranger. Bear acted totally normal, as he would run up barking loudly at any stranger. Sometimes he scares people, but he'll always stop short and bark until I yell a few times for him to come back...The figure turned facing me and I was concerned, talking to it as a stranger, mainly not wanting it to kick my dog or worry about it. When he or it wouldn't respond to my talking, I got a tad concerned, but I damn near crapped myself when it walked away and I realized the bridge wasn't sounding off....I got real concerned when we were leaving and the bridge sounded off like someone was walking back across it....but nothing there.

The only logical answer that it was a person and they crawled over and under the bridge to hide, but I don't see how, that would make a lot of noise and not sure how well someone could get under it and hang on.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll never know, but it won't stop my nightly walks....

[Stealhead]

I am not a believer in ghosts either I have never seen something with my eyes to make me question what was that?

I have a few times though (and it seems like this only ever happens when I am alone) I will feel this feeling like someone is there and the feeling varies sometimes it feels like a bad presence and sometimes it feels like a good presence.When I say presence I mean the feeling that get when you do have a living breathing person near you only there no one there you kind feel them I guess not sure how to explain it but you know what I mean.

On place where I really felt this was at the old Civil War POW camp in Andersonville,GA and in that case it gave me an uncomfortable feeling.

Another time it was at this bed and breakfast in Natchez,MS my sister was getting married there and we all stayed in this old plantation house.My wife and I we where a part of the house that had been where the servants lived actually a separate house altogether .In this case what ever it was it made you feel very good inside and content.In this case I asked my wife and my brother and his wife who where in the other room in that part of the property and they said the same thing.It was not constant though just every so often while you where in the house you would get this good feeling all of a sudden for a few minutes.

I do not know if I would call such things a ghost but it is something.I think perhaps in some places you can pick up the presence of person that was in the same place you are only they where there in the past or in the future.

[periunder]

A couple concerns here.

I'm a bow hunter. I don't carry a sidearm when hunting because in this area of the country there isn't anything out there that isn't more afraid of me than I of it. I also have my bow on me. Plus, look big and make noise, etc... I don't live in Grizzly country but we have cougars, black bear and some other cats. When hiking, unless I'm in some known cougar area, I might carry it or some bear mace. Where I hunt is much more sparse than a park with bridges.

My concern is this: why carry your sidearm in your nightly stroll through the park? I ask you this because its a psychological thing. You say no one is around during that time, and man being the greatest threat to you, rather than other animals, what are you so afraid of? You also have your dog with you. Also, if you are so feared in taking your nightly stroll, then should you be strolling at all? Think about it.

It's your right, great thanks for exercising it, but its what is psychologically happening here that concerns me.

Also, as a gun owner, I was trained and told since I was a yougin' not to pull out my gun unless I was going to use it. Because I may not be able to get the first shot off. And if the other person has a firearm I better get the first shot off. If I don't plan on using it, then I wont pull it out. Simple as that. Anyhow, why did you pull your gun? Were you threatened? Or just startled? There is a difference. The shadow was also walking away from you as you say. This would indicate it was not a threat. You were just scared because it behaved weirdly.

This concerns me. I fear you don't cause an accident in the future and find yourself behind bars.

On to other things. You are very brief and imprecise with what you said outloud. What exactly did you say to this "shadow"?

[periunder]

That last thing I want is Washington publishing another story about some leadhead shooting an innocent kid who he thought was a ghost. And they'll publish that S##t till the sun goes down and the media's brainwashed everyone into banning guns. And then we're up s##t creek.

So don't be that guy.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

(Cue Cybermat47 and the Slenderman posts)

Nope.

Armistead, do you think you'll ever go back there?

[Stealhead]

What good would a firearm be against a ghost or spirit anyway?

It is possible that it was a deaf/mute person who being only able to communicate via sign language if they encountered a person they did not known especially a night in such a place they might choose not to use sign language as...
1.the person will likely not read sign.
2. the person might see a hand movement as threat.

I have to agree with periunder you have to be very careful in such a situation and not allow fear to cause you to make a serious mistake.

Sound can travel in very strange ways at night and something that should be easy to hear will not be and other times something very quite can get your attention.Just from my experience living out in the woods many things can throw you and your senses can fool you.

My personal rule of thumb at night or in other low light conditions if I see another person I will keep my distance if they do not pass I will go another way not with my back turned of course.Part of this reasoning is because around here in this part of Florida there are black bears and very rarely cougars.
Once after a summer nights rain I walked out into my field with one of my dogs.It was nice misty out and you could smell the rain in the air still.At the end of the road I stood for a minute looking up at the sky my dog seemed not notice anything.We where standing down wind so any thing downwind of us we could not smell.

I looked down the dirt road and I could just see roughly 50 feet away what I at first thought was a person crouched down sneaking>I own several guns but usually do not carry them unless I am getting ready to go hunt or to do some shooting so I have nothing but by fists.My dog (a lab) she could now smell what ever it was and froze which made me think this must not be a human but something the dog fears.I see then that it was not a person but a black bear now it is only maybe 20 feet away.
I yelled "Holly flying(*) stingrays (*) its a fantastic(*) bear!!" This sudden noise startled the bear and it stopped I yelled at my lab to run and she ran and I threw the glass of water I had in my hand at the bear and it turned and ran and so did I back to the house.

Now normally you can smell a bear from a ways up to 100 yards if you are down wind from one in this case the air was thick with moisture and on top of that the bear was up wind of our noses so even my lab did not smell this bear.

(*)= family friendly version real word starts with the same letter

[periunder]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Oh that's jes a warp in the ol' space-time continu'um in which your psychologic arrow done conjuncted with his cosmological arrow...briefly. That ol' boy is now back a'wondrin' what HE was'a lookin' at hissef and his ol'nag wife is a'tellin him ta stay in too. Wait till you see your best friend and dormmate TOTALLY on fire while you are talking directly to him (he noticed the look on my face and inquired if I was ok) and then have a dream about it THAT night of 9/11/1970; Thirtyone years later, to the day, he is killed on the hundredth floor of building one in his northside window office 20 ft. directly above where Mr. Atta steered the jet... Edgar Cayce, the seer, said there is really NO time; it is an illusion so we may steer our 'corporeal entities' in what APPEARS to be our continuum- put against the logic course I took- the only solution is: he's NOT entirely wrong. It is referred to as 6th sense, sight or whatever. I've had peculiar notions since but none as direct: but I, and those who know me, pay more attention to 'em...and I'm seldom off by much. Chalk it up to minor time warping and move on...keep yer hand on the Lemat an' give ol' Bear an extra dog biscuit, he earned it!

This is an English only forum.

Originally Posted by periunder

This is an English only forum.

Really? 'Nuf said.

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by periunder

This is an English only forum.

Pourquoi?
Kaj to misliš?
Hvorfor?
Warum?

[periunder]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

Really? 'Nuf said.

It gets better...

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by periunder

It gets better...

Quid?

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by periunder

That last thing I want is Washington publishing another story about some leadhead shooting an innocent kid who he thought was a ghost. And they'll publish that S##t till the sun goes down and the media's brainwashed everyone into banning guns. And then we're up s##t creek.

So don't be that guy.

I generally carry a gun during my nightly walks, but only concern mostly about wild dogs that sometime roam the area. It's not that I'm afraid of anything here, I simply feel safer with it. I never pointed it, just concerned for my safety in the dark. Fact is it happened so fast and something wasn't right, mostly because the stranger or whatever it was wouldn't respond to anything I said. Frankly, no one should be in this area, so that concerned me as well.

I don't remember what all I said, as I stated my main concern was to get my dog on a leash. I said several things, such as my dog doesn't bite, hows it going, I'm walking, can I help you....numerous things,,,,no response...it just walked away. I kept my distance..

I can't explain it, all I know is I know that bridge is loud if you walk on it and it freaked me out a tad, but I wanted to know what was up, so I pulled gun and kept it at my waist....I almost don't want to say it, I'm not crazy, I could see a figure outline in the moonlight, like I blinked and it was gone....

Rest assured, ghost or human I wouldn't have pointed or shot unless I felt my life threatened. THing is my house is near along those trails and no one needs to be out there at night....

I can't explain it, it did freak me out, but I was trying to logically make sense when nothing in front of me was logical....I know my dog, I know that bridge, it simply makes no sense to me....Well, it made sense when I thought it was a stranger, but it made no sense when what I saw simply went away during a blink.....it's like your staring at it and you shake your head and say "where did it go"......There was no where for it to go, no where....

I'm still up trying to make sense out of it, probably stay up until the sun comes up and head back out there first light.