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Dancing Shadow

 

My father passed away in September 1979 in a tragic car accident. Coincidentally, where he died/crashed is only a little over a mile away from where this incident occurred. I want to state a couple of interesting facts before I tell of my account, in case it might have any significance.

My mom has always told me that my father never knew that she was pregnant with me. She had found out she was pregnant about 2 weeks after his death, but this remains a mystery to me as the only other person in the vehicle with my father during the accident happened to be my father's best friend. He had survived, and the two were close. Both lived in a very small & rural town in western Pennsylvania- a kind of town where everybody knows everybody.

The reason I state this is because the best friend's mother frequented my grandparents store, in which I worked, and she had told me that before my father's passing, he had told her that he knew my mom was pregnant, and was excited. I don't know why she would make this up and was sure he had said this. If you go back and look- I was born on June 11th, 1980 and that would definitely make me conceived around the time- I am not sure if this may play a role in this but you will see what I mean at the end of this.

This is my experience. It was in 1999-2001 - I can't remember the specific year, but my mother and I had a falling out and I had moved into my grandparent's house around this time. The grandparents were my paternal grandparents and the bedroom I was given was my father's old bedroom, which he had stayed and slept in up until he passed away tragically. His 2 brothers occupied the room for a short time after his death, then when they married and moved out, the room stayed vacant- kind of like a storage closet of junk of my grandmother's.

When my father passed away, he was kind of "written off", much like my mother did to me after giving birth to me. My Mother's relationship and mine was rocky ever since I was little. She didn't seem to be too happy that I was there- I don't know if I was a painful reminder of her loss of her first love. My father and her were in love and scheduled to be married in June of 1980. This is before they knew I was on the way. She remarried my stepfather, who was always good to me and in a way more like a "real" parent than my mother.

I always considered him a father since I had no chance to know my own, and he took good care of me. I stayed with my mother and father up until I was 17 and right before my 18th birthday, my mother kicked me out of the house- just as she got the last social security benefit check from my biological father. I moved in with my maternal grandmother for a short time.

My maternal grandmother also lives in the same small town as all of this. All my life, my paternal grandparents were never there for any holidays or special events or anything. It was right after my father passed away that my grandparents took the insurance money they had gotten from his accident and invested it into a couple businesses and were just "too busy" for anything else.

So, once my paternal grandparents got wind that I was in town, I guess they finally wanted to take some part in my life and urged me to move in with them. I had accepted as there was more room in their house, plus I wanted to spend some time getting to know them a little more. I got a job at the town store that they owned, and bit by bit I started to learn how much my father had been looked over.

They-nor any of my paternal side of the family- visited or maintained my father's grave, which disturbed me because the cemetery in which he is laid to rest is right on the way in/out of the main road into town. You have to actually pass the cemetery and can see his grave from the road, as it is only 2 gravestones in from the road. I also did not have many of my father's personal affects- not necessarily items of monetary value, but items that were "his" that I could have. I later found out after his death, both of my uncles (which were his only 2 brothers) had been given it all and they sold it all for any money they could get. I found out that much of this was jewelry and Indian artifacts that he had found while treasure hunting with my grandfather. This all started to make me sick. It bothered me a lot and it hurt me.

Anyways, I stayed and had slept in my father's old bedroom for many nights and no "weird" or extremely out of the ordinary things happened that were to my attention. But one night, something happened that to this day, made me a believer in ghosts, and the afterlife, unless someone can prove otherwise. I have tried to understand any normal explanations for this but I honestly ruled everything else out.

I was in my father's old bedroom, and had just turned all the lights out and lay down to sleep. I was drifting off when something got my attention to open my eyes, like there was something there standing over me. My bedroom door was shut, so I would have known if my grandparents came in because I am a light sleeper and the opening of the door would have definitely woke me up.

So I opened my eyes and (I was lying on my side facing my right side- where there was a wall about 2-3 feet from that side of my bed. On the other side of me- the side my back was facing had windows that were pretty high up from the bedroom floor about 5-6 feet from the bedroom floor to where the bottom of the windows. And that side of my bed was up against the wall, kind of under the windows and on the wall slowly rose a black misty like shadow. It did not rise straight up, but rather slowly appeared and rose and grew and was in a sweeping from left to right motion, kind of like a swooping dance.

At this time, I immediately looked behind me to the other side where the windows were to see if there was something outside of my window. Keep in mind that on the other side of my bedroom windows- these windows started at least 9 feet up from the ground and were way too high for anyone to see in from the outside. I could not see anything. I turned back to the wall and by this time the shadow was as big as it was going to get. It extended from just below where the wall meets the ceiling to the floor and was continuing in this -what I refer to as a "dance" of sorts- same slow motion of swooping left and right. Sometimes it would go up and down and it looked like a person with a defined torso and arms extending out.

It was a rather peaceful type dance, but nonetheless, I had never experienced anything like this in my life, and I was so frozen I did not even want to swallow. It was if something wanted me to know it was there and it was happy and that it was watching me as it never left this spot of 3-4 feet across on my wall while this time. Normally, I would dismiss something as being explainable and ignore it- but this had an almost mesmerizing and frightening affect on me at the same time, I have never felt that feeling since, but it was definitely not anything I had felt before. After about 1 minute of sitting there stone frozen watching this, I jumped up and stood on my bed and looked out the windows.

Now, I forgot to tell you that how I knew this shadow was there was there was a street light outside and it shown in to produce a small patch of light right where this shadow centralized itself. When I looked out the window, there was nothing hanging from the street light, nothing blowing in the wind- in fact, that night there was absolutely no wind going at all, no trees moving or blowing, no bugs on the windows or near the light- there was absolutely nothing. And believe me, after seeing this, I was looking for anything- ANYTHING- to prove what I was seeing could be discredited as anything related to something of that of the other world. I could not.

At this point, I did not know what to think, so I figured well maybe whatever it was went away but when I looked at the wall, there the shadow was in all it's glory- still moving in the ghostly but graceful dance movements. I could not believe what I was seeing- so I let out a scream, and my grandma (who was in the living room watching TV, and was adjacent to my bedroom) and I ran out to get her to see what she thought. She quickly came into the bedroom, and just as she was coming in, the shadow was disappearing into the ground -or my bedroom floor-, which is where it had originated and grew from.

She had seen it there and then disappear, and that was it, it was gone. She then asked me to explain what was going on, and what was that. I told her what I seen, what happened, and that whatever it was must not have wanted her to see it, or be around when she was there. The bedroom closet, which was right by the door to the bedroom, I could feel a cold draft from. I then opened the closet door and inside the closet was very, very cold, much colder than the temperature of the bedroom.

I never really understood this, as the closet did not have anything to do with the shadow I had seen, and the closet was across the room from the spot on the wall. My grandmother also thoroughly looked outside the bedroom windows, and the both of us went outside to check anything that it could have been, and there was nothing. The night was calm, as could be, no wind that would produce any movement, nothing moving like a bug or flying animal.

After this incident it had taken me about 2 months before I would sleep in that room again. I slept on the couch, as I could not explain what I had seen. I gradually accepted it, and began sleeping back in the room, and after this, I never seen anything again. I eventually moved into my own apartment and nothing weird like that of that specific night happened to me again. There has, however, been 2 near-fatal car accidents which I was a passenger in the car that I had premonitions about.

I am wondering, if what I seen could have been my father letting me know that he is around fearing that he was totally forgotten, disregarded, and knew that he wasn't forgotten by me. Also that he knows that I am here, and since I was the only person who visited and took care of his grave and remembered him quite frequently. That he only wanted to contact me, thus the reason that the shadow would disappear before my grandmother.

And if he is still with me in nature, thus warning me of any (fearing of an accident that might kill me, as it tragically did him. I am also wondering, if what I seen, and the movements mean anything- if there are any accounts of shadows similar to this being seen and moving in such a manner? I know it was different from any ghost evidence that others have recorded or stated seeing or behaving.

Could anyone please help explain to me more about what I seen, as this has always stayed with me since that fateful night

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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, blueidblondie, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

Tonith (1136 posts)
+1
15 years ago (2008-10-15)
I think your father understood what you were going through because he had known the same kind of apathy from his own parents and siblings. Be glad you had one parent that was there for you albeit not a biological one. Always amazes me that a parent can throw away a child just because they no longer are a viable source of income. Most of us give to our kids, we don't get from them until they are also adults and we are old then we hope they will come do what is necessary. Your mother missed out on a great kid and it's her loss. I just think your dad was trying to tell you he is watching over you. I didn't have a good father figure but I had a wonderful mother. I can't imagine the pain of a mother's rejection. No matter what differences I have had with my kids they are my life and concern. I would die for them. You are going to make a great parent one day because you already know this.
mesa25 (1 stories) (14 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-14)
I too, enjoyed reading your story. I honestly hope that if it is your father he comes back in some way to visit you. It is rough indeed not having a father in your life. Hany in there as I am sure you do. Rhodes, you give wonderful advice, I totally agree with everything you suggested in your comment. 😊
Velvet (2 stories) (72 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-13)
Wow I really enjoyed your story. I also appreciated the way you didn't hesitate to go into details about your Mother and how she only cared about the checks. Not everyone has a perfect life growing up nor the perfect family, (I sure didnt).
I think you are a strong individual, youve been through a lot and you overcame it all. I bet it was your Dad that time in the room stopping by to visit you. I think that was a priceless experience. I'm also sorry for the lost of your Father, I know it can be tough. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
KimSouthO (27 stories) (1960 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-13)
What a beautiful and heart felt story.

You indicated that your father was sort of forgoten about as you feel you are as well. It is probable your father sensed what you are going through and wanted to be sure you are not alone.

Take this as a blessing, not a warning if doom and gloom. With out any further occurances, I am certain it was a blessing to see this phenomenon.

God Bless!
ChrisB (6 stories) (1515 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-13)
Im very sorry that your father passed away. But I bet hes proud of you. You see money rules the world nowadays but there are people who care about otheres. Your father saw that. And I bet he wanted youy to know that he is ok. That he is having a good time on the other side. And trust me he is watching you. Allways will be. A father always will loves his son. Maybe he chose you to see him because you deserved it. Out of all the people, he chose you. Be proud of youir father just like he is proud of you. Thanks again. I hope to hear from you soon and take care
Flutterofwings (13 stories) (428 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-12)
Just because a person dies and leaves there physical body behind, don't mean they are not on the other side in spirit form. They watch us from beyond, but most don't know how to contact us humans, just as many of us humans in our physical bodies don't know how to contact them either. In either case I do believe this was your father coming to you in the only way he knew how.
GreenNails (8 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-12)
Very Sad Story, I Got Losted
Somewhere In There, But I ENjoyed
It. I Dont Really Know What It
Means, But Maybe Your Probably
Right About Him Thinking That You
Forgot Him. But In My Point Of View
Im Just Guessing That He Just
Wants To Show You That He Probably
Appreciates What You Have Done To Him,
Like Keeping His Grave Clean.
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-12)
That was a heart breaking story blue-I'm sorry you had to go through a very tough life but at least now you must know you're not alone. You seem to have a guardian angel and I think that deep inside you know this IS your father. I too believe that it was him who came to reassure you that he does see what you've done for him, of your love and concern for him.

You know what? If I were you, I'd try to see that visit as confirmation that life after death exists and that in that life, those who love one another never get parted. Be sure that you will meet again in a world that can not be "touched" or "altered" by human flaw and injustice. Live your life to the fullest and love yourself twice to make up for the love you were deprived of. You deserve that much!

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
ElectricTNT (1 stories) (45 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-12)
I too believe it was your father. I know the pain of loosing a father as mine died when I was 6 years old and I am now 61. Its something you can never quite get over. You are doing the right thing by maintaining his grave. I can't do that. My dad never had a head stone and by the time I was old enough to buy one for his grave, the cemetery had lost the location of his grave.

Your dad probably feels terrible that he was not there for you and is doing all he can to now look over you and protect you,
evilquicksand (4 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-12)
umhhh well a long story, but a nice one indeed, I think the shadow or ghost that you saw that night was your dad telling you that he cares for you as you do with him, is sad they way he died but I hope he is in peace and he can take care of his child and warn you of danger, oh and about your mom, I'm sorry that she didn't love you so much but well maybe your dad's death hurt her a lot, but well I hope you can someday be happy with your mom, that's all take care, bye:)

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