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The Disappearing Tourist

 

I'm pretty new to this site, and have read heaps of the stories posted, I thought it was about time I started sharing my experiences with you guys

It was late June, we had just come back from Alice Springs racing, our next stop would be Broome. We were at Halls Creek or near enough to it. We had stopped for the night a free camp road side, we lit a fire and settled down to cook our dinner and have a beer.

As we were packing up a young American guy came over to our camp and said that they couldn't get their fire started as the wood was wet (from the recent rains) and wanted to know how we were able to get ours going. Dom told him that it was bush magic laughing he handed him a jerry can of petrol, the young man looked confused (I'm guessing he was from the city). Dom saw the expression on his face and invited him to use our fire and have a few drinks. He informed us that he was traveling with some friends and asked if he could bring them along. He went over to get his mates as Dom and I cleaned the Barbie plate (BBQ).

Some time later they came over, Dom and I had already cooked and eaten our dinner and we chatted to them as they went about using the fire to cook theirs. There were 5 Americans 2 females and 3 males, one of the males was sort of quiet and never addressed the group but quietly sat down next to me. He looked my way and smiled, I asked "You're not eating?" he shook his head and replied with, "I don't eat much." Trying to make conversation I asked, "Where are you headed?" He replied with, "Here". End of conversation apparently. He wasn't rude, he was just enjoying the fire. I focused my attention to the fire listening to the 4 Americans with the young man sitting beside me looking mesmerized by the fire.

We sat like this for at least an hour, when I dozed off sitting in my chair. I woke up to Dominic carrying me to my swag (sleeping bag), I asked him what time it was and he said just after midnight. He put me down and walked with me to the swags. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I woke up at 7 with the sun shining and a cool breeze hitting my face, I crawled out of my swag and walked sleepy eyed to the fire where Dom was standing with the American's. Funnily enough the young man who had briefly spoken to me last night wasn't there. I asked where their mate was and puzzled looks fell across everyone's faces, including Dominic's. "What friend?" they all asked me. Now it was my turn to have a puzzled look on my face. "The young quiet kid who sat in the seat next to me." I spun around and pointed to where I had been sitting the night before and saw only my chair. "What...?"

Dominic walked over to me put his hand on my shoulder and asked if I was ok.

I felt as though they were playing tricks on me. Dom sat me down in my chair, poured me an orange juice and told me to just relax for a bit. I heard him walk back to the Americans and say, "She must have a headache". I was furious sitting there with no one to believe me. I looked down at the spot where I thought his chair was the night before, there was no chair marks or footprints. I felt my heart sink and I knew I must have imagined it...

Any help with this would be great. I talked to that man and at one stage my arm touched his. I know he was there. Any one have any idea what could have happened? I've never hallucinated before and I swear I touched him. Please help!

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, AussieChick95, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

supernatural11 (8 posts)
 
10 years ago (2014-06-23)
Wow that is pretty interesting! Maybe that camp ground could of been haunted or something and the guy you were talking too was a ghost for sure! That's a pretty neat story!
jazzyq (1 stories) (16 posts)
+1
11 years ago (2013-07-10)
Very interesting story I agree with Christine Pandora it would be quite easy while sitting around a campfire to not be able to see or hear the person across the fire from you, I'm also from Australia and the area where you were has a lot of strange happenings, I have a feeling he was with one of the Americans.
kritesh (22 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-15)
good story but I don't understand why that thing is so quite seem that he don't have any friend
AussieChick95 (10 stories) (40 posts)
+1
11 years ago (2013-06-15)
Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the late reply I have been away, I'll try and answer all comments. When I was talking to him the others we on the other side of the fire with no one facing in my direction. I believe this is why no one saw me talking to him (or as it would have looked me talking to myself as no one else saw him)
Sadly we didn't see the Americans again on out travels, Considering the large area in which we were camping and how big Australia is, it would be hard to try and find history for that area. I'm not sure whether the ghost was American or not, I just assumed that he was as he was with the Tourists. I hope that this helps any questions that you have 😊 😊 😊
alandhopewell (28 stories) (145 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-12)
SmokenMirrors (6 stories) (78 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-11)
HI Aussiechick, thank you for sharing a fascinating story.

Since the spirit responded to your questions I think we can safely rule out a residual haunting.
As others have said it's difficult to say if the spirit himself is attached to the area or one of the Americans.
Perhaps he was someone who had got lost in the outback and succumb to exposure, hence been attracted to the fire.
RedWolf (31 stories) (1292 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-11)
Hi AussieChick,
There is another explanation. Maybe one of the American tourists had a spirit attached to him/her. This could be why he sat away from the group and said very few words to you.
When you asked him where he was headed his reply was "here". He could have meant Australia with the Americans.
Either none of the Americans were sensitive or someone didn't want to admit they knew about him.
Regards
Red
Bluerose19 (3 stories) (164 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-11)
I think the line-
"Trying to make conversation I asked, "Where are you headed?" He replied with, "Here"",,explains something. As others have said, I too feel he might have been a spirit attached to the specific area that you people were camping and so the answer 'here'. Might be a case of residual haunting.
Take care,

Bluerose19
sds (14 stories) (1436 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-10)
Hello AussieChick95, that was quite an experience. I have the same questions Val asked. Was there no else near you or were you sitting at a distance from the fire. I feel that the spirit might have been attached to that place and perhaps drawn attracted to the fire. I also feel that the American might have died there in the place and probably would have enjoyed fire while he was alive and that was the reason why he might have been attracted to it.

Thanks for sharing.

Regards and respects to you.

SDS
DARKNESS (3 stories) (2022 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-10)
The fact your arm touched his is what is telling me that there is more to this. I am quite familiar with the area you were at, being from WA myself, I have heard of some weird things that happen in the outback and also the Aboriginal beliefs regarding the supernatural aswell.
It would have been great to question the American tourists a bit more, perhaps one of their friends was meant to be with them on this trip but had passed away etc? Thanks for sharing.

Dan
Shady4u (2 stories) (188 posts)
+1
11 years ago (2013-06-10)
Hey there! I think that the spirit you saw was of a guy who maybe was trapped at the camp site who could've died because of the cold, reason why he was probably enjoying the fire. The spirit definitely was a harmless one or he can be feeling a lil lonely. That's all I can come up with.
[at] Bizzjoe, gold star to val actually 😆
-Shady
Christine_Pandora (1 stories) (80 posts)
+2
11 years ago (2013-06-10)
I'm a fellow Australian chick and I can vouch that sometimes when sitting around a fire you may not be able to see across to the other person depending on the height of the fire and I sometimes the crackling can be loud enough to not spark anyone else's attention that you've said something at all (yes thought i'd throw in a pun) 😊

The American's may just have been too interested in talking to Dom to really even pay attention, people can also sit a fair distance apart and away from the fire so sound would also be more difficult to hear.

MyLiliMarlene I believe what she meant is that this spirit came over with the other Americans and she just assumed he was one also especially because he didn't seem to talk much so picking up an accent would be difficult, American accents aren't too different from Australian's especially with the younger generation who get most of it from the TV.

But those are just a few reasons why this experience makes sense to me, I also find the reactions to be very real and not at all too obvious or over-the-top and cheesy, they seem genuine.

Back to AussieChick95 I think you should do some research on the area but I do find BadJuuJuu's idea rather interesting also, pity that you may never find out unless you were able to be-friend the American group and could contact them again comfortably enough to enquire 😊
bizzjoe (1 stories) (162 posts)
-3
11 years ago (2013-06-09)
so nobody else saw you talking to yourself, when you believed you were talking to someone?... What a fantastic question... I can't believe I thought of it... Gold star for me.
valkricry (49 stories) (3269 posts) mod
+2
11 years ago (2013-06-08)
AussieChick, there's something I don't quite get - did no one notice you talking to the man? It may have appeared to them that you were talking to yourself. I'm doubtful they would have said anything directly to you, but perhaps to Dom.
I know there have been times that I could see someone that no one else could, and to me they appeared very solid. Perhaps this is the same in your case. He may or may not have been part of the American group. It's difficult to say because we have such few details to go on. But, if it's any comfort, I believe you.
BadJuuJuu (guest)
+2
11 years ago (2013-06-08)
I have kind of an odd opinion on this. I wonder if maybe the Americans had a friend who wanted to come, but was unable to make the trip and astrally projected himself there? It's a kooky thought, but it's the first thing that popped into my head from this experience.
MyLiliMarlene (9 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-08)
Sorry, but the ghost was also an American? That sounds a little off to me. Unless I read this incorrectly?
allesgute154 (3 stories) (254 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-08)
Good story. At least he did not hurt you. Just a spirit attached to this place.
ghostly94 (2 stories) (23 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-08)
This was a great spooky story:)
Maybe the ghost was from the place you was at repeating itself like something had happened there before 😲
Ghostly94
Seraphina (7 stories) (147 posts)
+1
11 years ago (2013-06-08)
Hi, AussieChick. Thanks for sharing this puzzling experience with us. It certainly seems as though the uncommunicative young man was a spirit attached to the place where you stopped to camp. Could he have been drawn to the group of tourists because they were his fellow countrymen? Anyway, I enjoyed reading your story. You gave us such a careful narrative and such vivid details that I felt like I was sitting next to you by the fire!
CharyWithThePoltergeists (3 stories) (61 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-06-08)
I believe that this spirit died in a fire because you said that he was mesmerized by the fire. He could have died on the way or just at the place. Try looking into the history of the place. You never know. Interesting story. Thanks for sharing!

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