"The Barrens" The Bed, scary stories!

Many years ago I lived on the Riviera in Santa Barbara, renting an apartment at the bottom of a huge home I worked nights as a security guard. One night as I was heading out to work I ran into an old friend of mine who was homeless and drunk.. That night he slept in the backseat of my car.

The next morning I took him home and fed him telling him if he stayed sober he could stay with me. Well he stayed drunk most of the time but since he wasn't really a problem and a hell of a cook I didn't throw him out...Off and on he stayed with me for a couple of years..

About ten or so years later I had jumped off the wagon and was drinking pretty steady I worked and slept in the shop most of the time one night I ran into my friend Jonathan and he was sober he cried when he saw the mess I was in and offered to take me in...I said "No buddy, I'm doing O.K." A couple days later my girlfriends neighbor a generous older woman that loved to cook for others talked me into getting sober and staying in her house...I moved in.

One night I went to bed and had this dream about my friend Jonathan, I dreamt that he came over to where I was staying and knocked on the door "Well hello come in Jonathan it's good to see you.." I heard Mavis say. I came out of my room "You two know each other?" I asked "Well yes this is Jonathan an old friend.” Mavis said. Jonathan sat down he was wearing all white jogging shorts and a top his hair was blond the color it had been when he was a younger man and his eyes so clear and blue.." David, he says I'm going away and I won't see you for a long time.” "Going back to L.A.?" I asked.” No just moving on but I'll be back you'll see me again someday.” "Well I'll miss you buddy....He went out the door walking toward the back of the house I followed, Where are you going? The street is the other way" he went around a corner and disappeared into thin air....

I woke up. "Wow I said to Mavis who was sitting in the living room I just had the strangest dream about this old friend that came to visit me here.. "Jonathan?" She said. "Yea" I answered jaw dropping "Well he was here talking with us.” "I was dreaming, "No, she said he was here talking to you saying he was leaving you won't see him for a long time but he will be back he had white shorts on and a white shirt golden blond hair and blue eyes you walked him outside and said he disappeared behind the house..." It wasn't a dream, I thought. Huh...

A couple days later I was visiting a friend at Cottage hospital and I ran into my friend Dr. Pete "Did you hear about Jonathan?" He asked I just stared at him, I knew what he was going to say...Jonathan was working on a boat at the Harbor when there was some sort of accident involving fumes he died three days earlier that night a few hours after he passed on he came to visit me...This was many years ago and although I miss him very much he was like the brother I never had I don't want to see him for a long time...

When I was 17 yrs old, I went to stay the night with a friend
during the weekend. He was attending the local college and was about the
only person remaining in the dorms that night. He was from another
country, so it wasn't like he could go home for the weekend.

As I was getting settled in, he told me about what goes on while everyone is away.
Strange noises, doors opening and closing, and voices could be heard all
through the night. I just figured that someone had to be there and there
probably was. The dorm rooms were laid out where two rooms shared a common
bathroom. My friend explained to me that the guy in the room opposite his
had left for the weekend, so not to worry about waking anyone up.

It took me awhile to get to sleep because of the noises he described, but more
than anything else, it was the doors constantly opening and closing. I
eventually fell off to sleep. About 2 or 3 in the morning, I heard the
bathroom door open. I looked over and my friend was sound asleep. I knew
this because he was lightly snoring.

When I looked back to the bathroom door, it was slowly opening. Inside it was a tall, pitch black figure
standing there. I couldn't see any features except the outline. It looked
like someone with an overcoat on. I didn't move, I just stared at the
figure. As I was watching, the figure started moving toward me. It didn't
stop until it was right at my feet. When it stopped, it looked down and
right at me. I was so scared, I was about to cry. I lifted my head
slightly and blinked. When I opened my eyes, the figure had disappeared.
Needless to say, I was very tired the next morning for lack of sleep.

Vietnam bi-location....

Submitted by "Sunny O."
Hailing from: Tehachapi, Ca
Where it happened: DaNang Vietnam
Posted on: 10/17/2008

The year was 1966, I was stationed in DaNang, Vietnam. One day I received a letter from my grandmother saying she was concerned about my return to the states, and the end of my tour of duty. After reading the letter, I walked outside and in my mind said to her that I felt I would return. My tour ended and I went back to the states. A few years passed and I was over to her house to visit. Vietnam became the subject of our conversation, and during the talk she relayed to me an account of one night she was awakened by me in body, and telling her "I'll be back" (I know it sounds like an Arnold S. joke) which were the exact words I had spoken in my mind to her back in 1966.

This story will be laid to rest in the Gardens of Stone section after the viewing... My father was in DaNang at the same time you were, thank you for your service! Wonderful bi-location story!

The Little Red Devil....

Submitted by "Lehlah."
Hailing from: Capetown South Africa
Where it happened: Capetown South Africa
Posted on: 10/17/2008

My story happened about a year ago at my grandma's house where I
grew up.

The first thing that started to happen was that my son was playing
and talking to himself so much that it started scaring me. I then asked
him who he was talking to and he said 'my friend mom' Coming from a family
of fortune tellers and witch doctors the 'friend' was a bit of a worry. I
then took my son to see a neighbor who was familiar with these things. I
knocked at his door and asked him to please say a prayer in my house.

Mr. Johan suddenly asked me to keep quiet and say no more because I had a
'friend' who was walking with me, and it would run if we let him know that
we know of his presence. It totally freaked me out! How did he know about
it? My body was shaking of fear. What was it? Mr. Johan told me not to be
afraid because my so-called friend fed off my fear. Mr. Johan said he would
give me a surprise visit so that my friend wouldn't hide when he came.

Days passed and Mr. Johan never came. One night I heard the pitter patter of
little feet, thinking that my son got up and was looking for me I sat up
and looked next to me. My son was sound asleep and the footsteps stopped.
Night after night I was bothered by my 'friend' It went as far as pulling
me off my bed & fighting with me constantly.

My mom saw the fear night after night and month after month The marks were all over my body I couldnot take the pain of the beatings anymore! One night I was awakened by my son
standing in front of my bed telling me to pick him up, he was constantly repeating
the words "pick me up mom, pick me up mom, pick me up mom..."

A fear came over me. When I looked behind me my son was sound asleep! I turned back just to see a small creature with a catlike face It had a reddish skin and huge eyes! I just grabbed my son and
ran out of the room! On my mom's side of the family I was laughed at, but one
night my mom's sister started screaming and said she saw a small thing with
a reddish skin walking down the passage!

All that she could say was "I believe you." My friend stayed around for about a year tormenting and
beating me to a pulp month after month. I finally decided to get some help so I
went to a priest who told me that someone wanted me to die or drive me
into insanity and believe me I was close to it! My priest (OR IMAAM as we
Arabs say ) gave me something to burn every night, which I did.

My friend started getting quiet and after a year four hours of sleep was a dream
come true. My 'friend' finally left I never saw it again but nighttime still
scares me

Thank you for your story, Considering the history of South Africa, I am surprised we have not received even more haunting stories from that part of the world!

Abeula....

Submitted by "Andy Echevarria."
Hailing from: New York NY
Where it happened: New York NY
Posted on: 10/17/2008

This is a true story which happened fifteen years ago. One day I
came home and found paramedics on the living room floor trying to revive
my grandmother. Twenty minutes before, my mother had entered her room and
found her with her mouth wide open and a "strange" look on her face. After
trying to rouse her and getting no response, she called the ambulance.

Paramedics tried for about an hour to revive her, to no avail. We were
informed that she may have been dead for much more than the fifteen-minute
limit during which CPR is considered effective. And so she was declared
dead and shortly thereafter officials from the coroner’s office arrived
and took the body away.

Several hours later, returning home from our relatives’ after informing
them of grandmother’s death, we opened the door to our apartment and, much
to our disbelief noticed, on the floor in the middle of the living room, a
white pigeon. At first I was afraid, but then my mother told me not to
worry, that that was "abuela" (Spanish for "grandma"), and that she was
trying to send us a message. It calmed my nerves a bit, though I still
decided to take a trip to the grocery store while they dealt with this
surprising guest.

My grandmother had professed interest in the supernatural throughout her
life. Often as a child I'd go to her after dreaming the night before and
ask her for the meanings behind the dreams, and she'd proceed to tell me.
For example, I once dreamed that I was running from an angel. She’d later
tell me not to worry, that it meant that I was being taken care of by a
higher force. But her uncanny abilities weren’t limited to dream
interpretation: Once she told me that the Mets would win the World Series
after trailing and coming back, and gave me a final score, which was very
close to the actual one.

We no longer live in that apartment. It goes without saying, however, that
I still get chills whenever I think of that day. Was it my grandmother,
trying to send a message from beyond? I’m convinced that it was. Wherever
she is, I’m sure that she’s happy, and I’ll never forget our encounter
with the bird fifteen summers ago.

Another wonderful story of after-death visitation. I am going to have to research what pigeons especially white pigeons (doves?) mean in the world of the paranormal.... What an experience to have! Your Grandmother was trying to visit you & let you know she was at peace...

Hawaii Horrors....

Submitted by "Amanda Frost."
Hailing from: Honolulu Hawaii
Where it happened: Honolulu Hawaii
Posted on: 10/17/2008

I moved to Hawaii about 5 years ago from Boston Mass. My mother
and I moved into an apartment in a neighborhood known as Punchbowl, known
for "Night Marchers".

Whenever I would take a shower I would hear voices in the bathroom. I got
a feeling that I wasn't alone. I wasn't the only one who heard it and felt
it. My grandmother, who is a strong skeptic of anything paranormal or
religious heard voices as well.

For some reason I got it in my head that there was a little Hawaiian girl
in the house. I told this to my mom and we both said we think she is from
the time period of 1800s. Which was strange, we were both thinking the
same thing.

A couple years later my mother had a friend over who lived in the
neighborhood. My mom had mentioned the strange feelings we got from the
bathroom and he said that an old friend of his had died in the tub before
we moved in.

My mom and I are used to strange occurrences like this so we were not
surprised. But that didn't explain the girl.

My boyfriend was living with me at the time and did not know about any of
this. He told me that one night he had awoken and saw a little girl with
long brown hair hovering above the floor. But was too scared to wake me.

I've never seen her or the man that dies in the tub but I still hear
voices in the bathroom and every once in a while feel like I am being
watched by the little girl.

A few days ago I felt a hand on my hair while I was trying to sleep And
more recently I felt a hand on my shoulder. Little things like that.

I don't mind it so much anymore... I'm getting used to it actually, but
it's still a bit creepy.

How close is your home to the national cemetery at the Punchbowl? perhaps this could explain your "night marchers". Interestingly, Japan boasts a few stories of marching regimens, and Japan also has a large population of Japanese and their descendants.. I would never take a bath again..