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The Man On The Bench

 

Hi, this is my first post, I hope you enjoy it. This happened to me a few years ago in my home town, Driffield, and I remember it was on Valentine's day. Me and my friend, Kerstie, were walking to her house one night. I forget what we were doing, but on the way to her house we had to pass this memorial garden. It has a few flowers, and a bench that faces a monument from the war, it's quite a nice place with a small river. There is a path that runs behind the bench, and this was the path we had chosen that day.

It wasn't quite dark and I remember it was around 6pm because there is a church not far from the garden, and the bells struck just before we walked by. We were both quite happily talking away until we came close to the bench. Then we both went silent, and turned to face the bench. It was very strange because we both did this at the exact same time, in mid sentence, and just stared for what seemed like ages. There was a man sat on the bench with his back to us. He seemed to be wearing a rather large coat, with a biggish collar, it was a greenish color, and he had a large bag next to him. I originally thought the bag was a small child huddled on the bench until I realized how large it was.

After what seemed like ages, but was most likely a few seconds, we both realized we were staring but we didn't seem to understand why. Then, at the exact same time, we both realized the guy had no visible head (I know it sounds lame but honestly it is true). Kerstie started to scream. She ran across the road and waited for me on the other side. I didn't quite know how to react and just continued to stare in shock. The guy didn't seem phased by Kerstie screaming, and this creeped me out a little. I thought maybe he was leaning forward, and his head just wasn't visible, so I slowly walked round the side of the bench, to see a front view. The whole time, he didn't move an inch. As I got closer, I saw that he wasn't hunched forward... He really didn't have a head... Just a gaping collar with blackness. Yet he had hands, and feet and everything else. He just sat there with his hands on his knees. At this point, fear got the better of me and I ran after Kerstie. As I caught up with her I paused and looked back... The guy was moving his arms... We then ran all the way to her house.

When we actually got home, it was the first time we spoke since we went silent and she said to me "You did see that didn't you?"

We then talked about the whole experience, and we had both witnessed the same thing... A headless man in green, sat with a bag on a bench. She also said that she thought the bag was a child too... I thought that was kind of odd. We thought maybe it was a guy from the war waiting for his lover, or grieving for a friend lost in the war, but I doubt we will ever know.

I know it seems unlikely but this really did happen, and if it wasn't for the fact that Kerstie saw it too, I'd wonder if I really did see it. I have seen other things but this is by far the scariest.

Thanks for reading :)

Kneeley

XxX

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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, McKnee, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Abby (710 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-29)
Dear Kneeley or Knee (((huge hugs back))),

Yes, it was a long week-end here in the USA, (Memorial Day week-end).

"Knee" huh? Well, you can call me "Abdomen", just kidding. :) We could be human body parts.

Yeah, I don't know what it would be like not to dream and especially not in living technicolor. I understand that all people dream, but they just do not remember. I think the best way to remember a dream is to ask yourself and your mind to remember, especially each and every consecutive night before you sleep. We are after all the master/mistress of our dreams.

I can't explain how I "know", but I just "know" that the dream was my past life dream. It comes with time and practice I guess, as in all things. I do know that a person will find signs in their waking life and reality of their past lives. One can tell by the material things they like and/or collect within their home. They can also tell by the people, places and things that they are strongly attracted to or have that deja vu feeling about. A good example would be that one person may like things from Egypt while another may like things from Greece. The feeling and knowing is very strong, and may be of great attraction, obsession or great revulsion, disgust or dislike. An example of a past life that one has total dislike for might be like when any mention is made about the Tower of London and/or London, England, they automatically are overcome by a feeling of total revulsion, fear and disgust. They may be reliving and remembering a past life that they had in London, England where they had a hard life, had been tortured and thier life ended in the Tower of London. These are but examples, but it may help one think about the subject of past lives within thier own concept of life and what they like or dislike in this present life.

The best way to get in touch with a past life is to observe, listen and be open. This is good advice for all things paranormal. The paranormal lies in between the daily life routine of things we as humans choose to filter out. Quit filtering and start observing. Well, that is how I go about past lives and the paranormal. Of course, my opinion and alway another's choice to choose to accept all, some or none.

Yes, do be inspired by all things even those things obscure as well as mundane. Never stop being artistic, dreaming and using all your wonderful and beautiful gifts.

Dream and Paint your life in living color "BIG",
As always, you are human, but you are spirit, and you are perfection,
Blessings, Abby
McKnee (4 stories) (11 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-29)
Dear Abby,

Sorry for the late reply, I've been visiting my mum and some friends over the weekend :)

Don't worry about spelling my name wrong, most people do so I'm used to it haha, Just call me Knee for short if you like ;) The noodle thing made me laugh haha.

Thank you so much for taking an interest in my art, it's really appreciated. I think I'm going to try a new piece today while I'm inspired.

Your dreams sound amazing! I also have really bright vivid dreams, in fact I didn't know that most people don't dream in colour until about a year ago. I can't imagine dreaming in black and white, it would be so strange. There's usually some sort of colour scheme going on in my dreams, like greens, yellows and blues.

The past life thing sounds very interesting, although I've never really thought about it. How do you know it's a past life? I believe in past lives, but I wouldn't know how to spot them in a dream. I guess I'm a bit of a novice really when it comes to dreams, my only skill being lucid dreaming.

Some of the dream places you have visited sound truely amazing, I hope one to see something like that too. I have been to a few wonderful places, a couple which I really need to draw because they were so beautiful. I have noticed that I dream about forest/nature places a lot, but whenever I do, I fail to remember the dream, I just remember the colours and the tree's, pehaps a little house sometimes. I think my subconcious is purposely keeping it from me for the time being.

I think it's interesting how some people don't dream at all, or rarely remember them. I can't imagine not dreaming.

I really love reading about your dreams though so thank you for sharing, I hope to hear some more some time :)I hope you continue to have many wonderful dreams and I hope to experience something remotely like yours :)

Thanks for everything *hugs*

Kneeley

xXx
Abby (710 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-26)
Dear Miss Kneeley, McKnee,

Please forgive me for making a faux pas, mistake in the misspelling of your name. It is often times over looked when one misspells and has typos, but it is quite the negative offense to have one's name misspelled. Thus, I will give myself a 1000 lashings with a wet noodle.

Blessings, Misspelled Abby
Abby (710 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-25)
Dear Miss Kneely (McNee),

I know what you mean about "blushing", though I don't often blush, though it may be hard for others to believe, I do not accept compliments well, but I have learned with each compliment, to recieve the gracious gift as mine and thank the giver. This is a bit of a difficult lesson, especially for women due to human society and women's history. Yet, we all are learning to accept and receive gifts.

I know what you mean about dream journaling that sometimes it can become more of a chore than fun or helping oneself to have more lucid dreams. It is best to have notebooks, pen and/or pencils around, especially one by the bed and whenever a dream or even your thoughts occur, you can write them down. Journaling, like all things can become boring and lose thier fun. So go out and do something fun, and make your rules less constraining, and write when you remember and gradually increase as your inspiration of dreaming increases. This works well for other things in your life, as well as journaling your thoughts. If you are more into electronics, you could voice or video record your dreams as you are telling them to your friends and family and have them add their comments. This also confirms for those who do not believe, even yourself when you have self doubt that you indeed dreamed the dream, especially if it was a precognitive dream.

Yes, you really do need to incorporate your dream life into your waking life art. Your greatest inspiration lies within your waking (day dreaming) and dreaming states. You are gifted in your art, and it comes from your ability to see the vivid colors within your dreams (home). Yes, you really do need to make that piece, you already have titled, "i dream in colour". We will all be waiting to see it on your website, but no pressure, ha, ha. No, by all means, you have the thought sitting dormant there and you are half inspired, so here I am showing up on behalf of all of us humans to say, "Go For It" and we can't wait to see the finished dream work of art! :)

You asked me about the type of dreams I dream, so here goes. I dream many dreams and most of them are in vivid, living color, unless I am to experience a lesson or something from the use of the black and white effect. I dream the usual dreams that most eveyone has had in their dreaming states and these types of dreams are now defined in many books about dreams. I have the usual dreams where I learn lessons and find answers to my immediate daily life concerns and problems. I dream of being in various classrooms being taught by various beings (human and non-human). I dream of also teaching others as well. I dream dreams where I have gone back into my own past lives in order to learn and to continually work on intergration of myself as one. I am bringing myself back to my "self". I "feel" these are my past lives, because I am the person experiencing it. If I am to learn a lesson, learn from observing or help by observing, then I find myself watching the dream as an observer and not a participant. There are other times I just "know" that I am in the body of another in order to learn something about that person, life, lesson, or just to experience the event as one who is there. I have dreams where I travel to all realms of the heavens or what humans also call galaxies and to all the realms of what would by human standards be called hell. In these dreams, I have encountered many types of beings human and non-human. Their demeanors are like the spectrum of the rainbow, as they all have diffrents feelings of energy as measured by my own human way of defining them. Some are full of love, while others are in the spectrum of being in between and of course, there are those humans would call pure selfish and evil. I have dreams where I speak and/or interact with those who have died or will be dying, and they are in their various levels and stages. I have seen what humans call the various levels (heaven and hell). I have dreamed of helping free those who are stuck in the lower levels (hell). I have dreamed about how all is one and that there is also no time as humans define time. The experience of "one" is the most beautiful, unexplainable feeling and sight. Many experience this in near-death experiences (NDE) or deepest of meditations. I was shown more than once higher places of learning, as well as the hall of records and the book of life. I could not read it, as it was shown to me in a written language I am not familiar with. I have precognitive dreams, dreams that tell the future. They may be as simple as what I related to you here about your story or as complicated and unnerving as a traumatic world event. Well, I have spoken enough about my many dreams, and I will now stop here. There will be those who read this and say it is but a dream, and that is always their choice to choose thier opinion, but I "know" who I am and I "know" these dreams are the truth for me. They have been the best lessons and teachers I have had and the best thing is that they were and are always with me... Always, before I even learned about others' opinions and so-called expertise. What have I learned from my prolific dreams? I have learned that I and all of us humans have it within ourselves to find the answers, it is not outside of ourselves. It took me many dreams and hard knocks on this 3D earth world to learn this, but thankfully I am awakening to the truth and the truth about who I am. I only wish the same for all my fellow humans and non-humans. Thank you very much Miss McNee, now I shall step off the soap box. :)

Happy dream trails to you, beautiful soul, Miss Kneely (McNee), present dreamer and future dream artist. Blessings, Abby

P.S. I will keep praying the soldier home to unconditional love. You keep dreaming and painting and don't let anyone else stop you.
McKnee (4 stories) (11 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-24)
Dear Abby,

Haha I didn't expect you to see my site *blush* I started a dream journal in hopes of remembering my dreams better, but for some reason it's had the opposite effect. I don't seem to dream as much, and it's been a while since I had a lucid dream.

I love to hear about other people's dreams, I find them fascinating. Feel free to share them with me, I would always be interested, do you have a dream journal too? Do you think it is possible for 2 people to share the same dream? Me and a friend (the same one who went to the shop) once shared a dream without knowing it for a few days.

Yeah sometimes my dreams do influence my art, especially with colour. I always seem to dream in bright colours and sometimes they inspire me to create a scene similar. A recent one is "Spring" I dreamt of drawing it and I had to create it the next day, I also wrote a little story to go with it :)I really do need to make a peice called "i dream in colour" :)

What types of dreams do you have? If you are willing to share of course :)

Thank you for the prayer, I hope it will help in some way. It's one of those things I think about a lot... Like an unfinished story... What happens in the end?

Thanks again :)

Kneeley

XxX
Abby (710 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-24)
Dear McKnee,
Thank you and you are welcome. Ah, we are both fellow precognitive dreamers. I saw your site briefly and see you have the makings of a dream journal and wonderous artist. I have learned that these journals are great to keep for referral when the dream comes into being. I also tell those who know me about my latest dream. Pretty soon it becomes old, and I forget to journal and people sometimes get tired of hearing my dreams, ha, ha,...until it has to do with thier own life or a big world event. Ha!Ha! People can be so fickle, myself included. ;)

Keep journaling and letting others know about your dreams and experiences. I sense they influence you and show up in your art work or shall I say "play" too. By the by, I like Van Gogh.

I will send a prayer up for the soldier to be picked up by the other side in unconditional love (so he makes it to the right side).

As always, Blessings, Abby
McKnee (4 stories) (11 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-24)
Abby,

Thanks for that, it was very interesting to read, especially the bag and child part. We did actually wonder if there was a body in the bag. There are also many tree's in this garden, and there is a little lookout point (for kids I think) with a ladder, which is near the river. There is also a childrens park next to the garden. I find it really interesting that you had a dream similar, and I do believe you :)

I actually had a few dreams where I have seen a place I have never been before. I once dreamt of a strange antique shop, it was quite small and had many strange items such as sea shells. There was a mirror next to the counter and an old woman with white hair in a bun. I didn't think much of it until I told my friend about it and he said he had been in that shop and seen sea shells the day before. He described it just like my dream, it was very strange but in a good way :)

Back to the guy though, I agree, I think he is looking for some closure. I remember feeling very sad for him and dispite the initial shock of seeing a headless guy, I didn't feel all that threated by him.

Thanks again :)

Kneeley
XxX
Abby (710 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-24)
Dear McKnee,
Funny thing when I first saw your story, I immediately went back to the dream I had prior to reading your story. I had dreamed of a scene which took place outdoors, a man with a severed head, wearing a long black coat was standing on a ladder or more like floating near a tree. In the tree, placed on limbs, I saw a large duffle size bag, a wrapped bundle, like a kid in swaddling clothes. I thought it might be a body. I could see the opening of the man's neck which appeared sealed off like when one cuts off a tree trunk. It was odd to me, since I am familiar with such physiology, and I laughed within my dream, and I said this was not real. As always I relay my dreams to others. It was a fun treat to see that my dream related to your story. I know, I know, nobody but myself and those I told here in my household will believe this. That is fine.

In any case, back to your story. I liked your story, especially having had a preview, ha,ha. I would say your interpretation of what you and your friend saw is a very good one. I sense that the person was a soldier who appears to have been decapitated (beheaded) in the course of battle. I sense he is lost and looking for (not just his head, pardon that comment)...closure. I also sense some injustice was done to him and that is why he haunts the area.
McKnee (4 stories) (11 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-23)
I'm glad you like it, and thanks for believing me :)

The strangest part was when we were staring... We just didn't seem to notice what was missing right away, it was really strange, I can't really explain how it felt... Just very very odd.
deejaymigs (3 stories) (11 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-23)
cool story... If I was there, I wouldn't be able to move or scream at all... Congratulations on your first posting... It's a success...
McKnee (4 stories) (11 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-23)
I'm supprised anyone believes me, most people don't, they think it sounds cheesy, but that's just the way it happened I guess :D

Hehe I've never seen it again altho I'd really like to go back at 6pm on valentines day just to see if he reappears... But I have a boyfriend now who isn't really interested in ghosts. Of all the days to appear haha.

I wasn't as scared as I could've been though, I tend to be curious more than anything :)
kathia (14 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-05-23)
that's really sraryy wow! I hope you don't see this again. You haven't seing anything yet.

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