November 11, 2009

The Hand On My Shoulder

Rate this encounter:[an error occurred while processing this directive] [Name Withheld Upon Request] - Clinton, Indiana - July of 1998

When I was about the age of seven, I went with my mother and my sister who is two years older to my mother's friend's wedding. The wedding was held at my mom's friend's soon to be in-laws in the evening with the reception to follow. Everything was outside, and the party lasted well into the night. Their yard was pretty open with a lot of trees and an old barn in the back drop. As it got dark, my sister, two friends, and I decided to play on the trampoline, which was placed in an odd place. Like I said, most of the yard was open, excluding the front and east side, which faced a wooded area. I was the second oldest of our friends, yet, the smallest and weakest. As we ran around the east side of the house, my friends and sister took off way ahead of me. Upset, I began to slow down. I kept hearing footsteps behind me, I'd look, and no one that I could see was behind me. As I got closer to the trampoline, I checked behind me again, and as soon as I looked forward, I felt someone's weight of their hand on my right shoulder. As I turned to look again, I was pushed down, and nothing was there, no footsteps or anything. I quickly got up and ran to find my sister. I blamed her for it, even though she swore up and down to our mother that she didn't know what I was talking about. As I got older, I put it in the back of my mind, until I was about 15. My mom's friend whose wedding we attended, visited from Oklahoma, and I talked to her about it. Apparently almost everyone with blonde hair who has been there has felt the hand of someone on their shoulder.