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The Mountain

 

This story might not be very frightening but it made a great impression upon me.

I have lived most of my life in the State of Georgia but from 1993 to 1996 I lived with my father and my stepmother in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

It may be worth noting that the reason for this was that there was a domestic abuse situation in the home of my mother in Georgia. The "Powers That Be" contacted my father. My sister and I were hastily placed on a flight with very few belongings.

My grades in school were always very good up until then for the simple fact that studying and doing homework was the best way for me to "shut out" all of the chaos around me.

When I started high school in Arizona, my math grades started to slip in a big way. I had a lot on my mind. I had very serious questions going on in my mind about the life that I left behind in Georgia.

Shortly after arriving in Arizona, I made a lasting judgment of my father. The impression that he gives off is of a highly intelligent and highly creative person. Creative in an artistic way and creative in abstract thought. At the time, he worked as an instructor within Palo Verde Generating Station. A Nuclear Power Plant. He is retired now.

Unfortunately, I also quickly found him to be very emotional and prone to snap decisions. In other words, he says many things that he comes to regret later. I probably don't need to say that, even now, we have a relationship that is under strain. We have a great history of misunderstandings that we share together.

One of the things he said to me that he later came to regret was: "If you get another bad grade in math, you'll be sorry!"

From the hellish environment that I knew of in Georgia, "sorry" could have meant any number of terrible things. As it turned out, his threat made my concentration even worse and my report card reflected that. I was too afraid to get on the school bus home.

At the time that I was living there, the students of Litchfield Park from the 10th grade and up had to go to "Agua Fria Union High School" in Avondale. I was too afraid to be available for a confrontation with my father at home. It wasn't likely that he would forget to ask me for my report card.

My best plan of action was to "mill around" in the vicinity of the high school until dark and then head home. I reasoned that he would be worried about me and that it would outweigh being angry about my math grade. It was a terrible and selfish idea. It wasn't my finest moment.

I wandered around and found myself in a desolate looking area well before sunset. It was far away from the road and behind some buildings but it was roughly in the direction I judged to be towards my house, which might have been six miles away.

In this area, about fifty feet away from the nearest structure, I came upon a mountain of shoes. There were hundreds of them. As I looked at them, I could clearly see that there were matches to be found amongst them.

I went closer to the mountain of shoes with the intention of walking the perimeter but a loud and authoritative male voice shouted: "STOP".

I jumped back. There was no one around. The sun was still high enough in the sky that I knew no one was around. I knew that the voice had come from either the mountain of shoes or from very close to my face because I felt the sound waves from the word. As soon as I jumped back, the top of the pile tumbled down a bit, though I had never touched it.

I ran from the area. When I ran between two buildings, I was in such a hurry that I ran through and obliterated an old, dried up wooden fence and fell on the street behind it.

I was seen by a police patrol car while I was on the street and they brought me home. I told them that I missed the bus. These were the days before everyone on Earth had a cell phone and it was a plausible story that I said nobody answered when I called.

When I got home I explained to my dad about being afraid to show him my report card. When I told him what had happened with the shoes he said: "It was your self conscious. You should know your old dad only wants the best for you."

How the heck should I have known that I wasn't going to face some kind of abuse in Arizona too? By that time my experiences had made my faith in adults abysmal, at best.

I still got a punishment for the grade. I had to go in the back yard and pick up, what seemed like, a hundred rotten lemons off of the ground from under his lemon trees, replete with fruit flies.

He didn't remember to punish me for my lack of faith.

My math grades improved after I was finally able to talk to my mom again. I was and still am a great reader of all kinds of books. Right now I'm reading "Titus Alone" by Mervyn Peake.

Thank you for reading my story.

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

Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+5
4 years ago (2020-01-16)
Miandra,

Thanks but I'm not worried about karma points anymore. I don't care where they go. I don't even care if they go into the negatives. I was only angry a couple months ago because I was worried that other people would think that I was not trying to be helpful.

I have decided that karma points were a rookie concern of mine. I don't ever look at anyone's karma points so why should I think that I might be judged on mine?

I don't.

I'm going to distance myself from this karma point subject. It takes away from the value of the comment section.

I wish I was at the beach right now.

- Maria
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
+1
4 years ago (2020-01-16)
Hello LeighLea,

Jubelee gave me some great self cleansing information. It has kept me strong and confident. I didn't know about the ocean.🏖️

I'm always at the beach because I live on the coast and love the fresh air. I get a cappuccino and head to different beaches near me every day.☕

I just up voted you again. I've decided that I will keep up voting you until your stats make it to the thousands. My new motto... Take Marias karma points into the thousands. 😉 Lol.

Best wishes,
Miandra
😘
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+5
4 years ago (2020-01-16)
Miandra,

Months ago, Rook said that the beach is another good place to go if you want to do a personal cleansing of your negative energy; if you get in the water, Mother Earth can help to pull the negativity out. I can't find the place where he said it.

So, you may have something there. Every time I have gone to the beach, I have felt better.
***
Lady-glow,

Thank you for your confidence! It was in August that I decided that I would quit on New Year's Day. My stepfather has COPD and my mother has Bronchitis that keeps recurring; it's really scary and I don't want to be sick all of the time like they are.

- Maria
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-01-15)
Kudos to you. The first step is always the hardest one to take.

You CAN do it!
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
+1
4 years ago (2020-01-15)
Congratulations LeighLea on giving up smoking.

Think of the money you are saving and how much better your health will be.

I gave up too and the first week was difficult. I just went out for a drive to the beach and had a cappuccino and tried not to think about it.

I up voted you and would up vote you several more times just for giving up smoking. 😉

Well done Maria.
🚭
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+5
4 years ago (2020-01-15)
Hello YGS,

On New Year's Day, I quit smoking. My anxiety level is out of this world but I am still going strong at fifteen days. This is very difficult; my stepfather thinks it's really funny to blow smoke in my face.

I learned a new word:

Suzerainty

I will now quote myself:
"Quitting smoking is not Hell but it is under the suzerainty of Hell."

I have posted this on YGS because there are several members on this site that knew of my New Year's resolution to quit smoking. If I make it to February, hopefully, I won't be thinking about it anymore and I will make no announcement.
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+6
4 years ago (2020-01-02)
Cherubim,

Yes, the thing that still makes me curious (though I should wonder about other things) is: what the heck were all of those shoes doing there?

"The Mountain" was at least four feet from the ground to it's summit. I have not gained an inch in height since then and I am 5'3; the shoes came up almost to my shoulders. That's a serious amount of shoes.

The shoes gave me a problem because I am something of an introvert and I make associations where there might not be any. I thought, at the time, that there was some kind of compelling mystery behind their existence.

This is going to seem ridiculous but I'll just "say" it. I thought it was some kind of elaborate gangland scenario; I thought that they were the shoes of victims (hey, I was fifteen). They were all men's shoes.

Nowadays, if I were to see the same shoes, I would just see them for what they were and not try to apply some greater meaning.

Yes, Cherubim, experiences in my childhood have made me stronger. I had a difficult childhood but, then again, childhood is a difficult school for all who pass through it.

Thank you very much for reading my story; the period of my life that this story takes place in was a very personal turning point for me.

- Maria
Cherubim (14 stories) (245 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-31)
How strange to see all those shoes there? Even stranger that someone yelled out "Stop!" It sounds like you were being warned. I'm glad your dad wasn't as angry as you thought, and you got to talk to your mom. It sounds like your trials have made you a stronger person. ❤ Thank you for sharing your story.
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+7
4 years ago (2019-12-18)
Miandra,

Thank you for your kind words. I love reading stories here and commenting; I have been reading stories on YGS since 2012 but it was a long time before I registered.

I seemed like I was complaining but the reality is that it is difficult for me to manage writing a comment for anything in less than three paragraphs. In the real world, I don't have as many words but I have plenty of thoughts.

No hijacking took place here! 😊
- Maria
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
+1
4 years ago (2019-12-18)
Hello Lealeigh,

Try not to be concerned about your karma points. Not everyone is going to vote you up OR down. Most members just read the Post and comments and move on, OR comment themselves.

I went through a stage of voting you up to the point I gave you over 160 points and I know I don't get those 160 points back but still I do it.

With regards to the trolls and karma points, YGS is about discussing real experiences karma votes or not.

You DO contribute in the comments a lot and you WILL eventually get points OR lose them. That's just how it goes.
Stay well and Happy.

Melda,

I've been trying to read members old and new post and I promise you, I have voted you up so many times that I have lost count. Once again, I don't get as many points back, buts that's ok. I will continue to read as many posts and up vote every single one, or just scroll past. I have up voted every single comment of Lady-Glow, Jubelee, Rex-T, Curious Dee, Mrs Rizzo, Biblio, Rook, Silverthane61, Zarurie, Cherubim, and so many other members here, its hard to list them all.

Lealeigh I'm sorry to hijack your post.

Best wishes,
Miandra.
😘 ❤ 😘
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+6
4 years ago (2019-12-18)
Melda,

You're right; I am going to adopt a fatalistic attitude on the whole business of trolls. If they won't speak up about what's bothering them then I have to think that they have nothing to say. I'm not going to look at anything that isn't a comment, story or bio from now on.

This is the last time I will ever talk about this subject; I promise never to bring myself into it again.

If anyone comes across this comment and wonders why it is here: it began in another thread but I didn't have any wish to keep cluttering up another person's story.

Thank you. I have said this before, Melda, but you have a very kind soul.

- Maria

PS: I googled "Lealeigh" and the blonde lady that comes up in the results is not me. I don't know who that is. I should have checked to see if that name was out there first; thank goodness it wasn't worse!
Jubeele (25 stories) (882 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-13)
Hi Lealeigh, my mum and I resolved our differences thirty years ago after I got married and left home. It took me a while but I eventually understood what drove her at the time and she meant well, though I don't agree with her methods. She's in her mid-eighties now and I go back to visit her in Singapore when I can.

You said there were matches with the shoes? Just found these on getting rid of old shoes and someone making a political statement:
Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0wpSC4ed28
Https://www.businessinsider.com.au/nike-advert-with-colin-kaepernick-has-people-burning-products-2018-9
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+5
4 years ago (2019-12-13)
Jubeele,

I look back with love for my father; not only because he always had benign punishments for me and my sister. He wouldn't hurt a fly (literally; he once reprimanded my sister for killing ants with a magnifying glass. He said: "They work so hard and never stop and all they get in return is more work.).

I remember that you and I exchanged a couple of comments on a story called: "Blood Vein Jade" where we talked about your mother; the things she used to say to you saddened me. I have to think, however, that she somehow meant well. Her values were from a different time.

Because of what happened with the voice, I too believe in guardian spirits. I can remember the voice the way it sounded (or, at least, I think that I do) and it sounded like a clear spoken young man's voice. The word was said loudly, quickly and with authority.

I have thought of it in the years since and I have never been able to remember if I had ever heard it at any other time. I never heard it again and I certainly never tried the same kind of stunt again; I just came home with my report card and faced the music.

Another thing that I am still curious about, even though it is silly, is: I wonder what all those shoes were doing there. They seemed out of place and, when I heard the voice, I was about to look more closely at them. It isn't important and I will never know even if there is some compelling story behind them.

Thank you for reading my story and for your thoughtful comment!

- Maria ❤
Jubeele (25 stories) (882 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-13)
Oh Lealeigh, that was quite a frightening ordeal for you.☹ Growing up in SE Asia, my mother was what has been described as a 'Tiger Mum.' She would check my math exercise book and give me a stroke of the bamboo cane on the left palm for each wrong answer. Ouch. I've been afraid to go home whenever I got less than 100% on my report card.

I believe in spirit guardians. Once, I've received a warning, clear as if someone had spoken in my ear, saving me from harm when I fell off a horse. I'm so glad someone was watching over you and you didn't come to any harm. A BIG hug to you.

Have you ever thought about who that voice could have belonged to? Some relative or friend perhaps?🤔

Rotten lemons with fruit flies? Eeeuw!
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+5
4 years ago (2019-12-12)
Lady-glow,

I remember the lemons well. That was my dad's go-to punishment for the errant teenager. Before I started, he armed me with a fireplace poker (to "spear" the lemons from a distance; even I don't deserve to inhale fruit flies); why he even bothered to have a fireplace poker is beyond my mental faculties. A fireplace is largely a decorative item in Arizona. The poker was there only to complete the look, I guess.

Times were kind of bad when I was a kid in Georgia. I would have been much better off had I stayed in Arizona. I thought that my mother needed a protector; I came back here before long and had new struggles but they have made me into the person that I am and I can't imagine being a different person with different baggage.

Thank you for reading my story and for your kind words.
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-12)
It seems like you were going through a hard time, fortunately you were not completely alone and had a chance to learn that not all people react the same way.

You really made something good out of those proverbial lemons that life had trowed at you.

Thanks for sharing this lovely story with us.
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+6
4 years ago (2019-12-12)
Thank you Silverthane!

I agree. The neighborhood that I was wandering around in was very sketchy. At the time, the schools in the area had a program where the police would visit and talk to the kids about gang violence.

My father has told me that things in Avondale have improved and it's not really like that anymore.

I think that there is a very good chance that something bad could have happened to me if I hadn't met the police on that other street.

Thank you for reading my story ❤
silverthane61 (4 stories) (344 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-12)
This story I would like to submit as proof that guardian entities exist. Had that voice not scared you into running, then you would not have made that narrow window in which you were able to meet up with that police car exactly when you did. Think about having to walk home late in the evening by yourself in some questionable neighborhood. Like I have mentioned in a previous post, sometimes your guardian angel effects your behavior by subtle means, and sometimes your guardian angel is more overtly obvious - like in your case.
I really enjoyed this story!

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