My ‘Out-of-this-World’ Experience - June 2016

Have you ever had experience a phenomenon that cannot be explained no matter how you tried to understand it?  Are you familiar with the phrase ‘beyond one’s imagination or understanding’?  If you have this some sort of experience that makes you feel that hair-raising/eerie or déjà vu feeling, please share through email message to merlinagp@gmail.com.  It is my pleasure to post your experience in this Blog.  Let the circle of sharing begins.

Experiences for the Month of June, 2016

Please VOTE for your FAVORITE Experience. Select among the selected weekly entries. Enter your choice on the COMMENT Section.

Experience No. 18: The Old Man
Experience No. 19: Mere Coincidence of the Hand of Fate?
Experience No. 20: We're Lost

Experience No. 21: The Big Man Who Stole The Boy
   

Thank you for your participation.

My ‘Out-of-this-World’ Experience No. 20

Have you ever had experience a phenomenon that cannot be explained no matter how you tried to understand it?  Are you familiar with the phrase ‘beyond one’s imagination or understanding’?  If you have this some sort of experience that makes you feel that hair-raising/eerie or déjà vu feeling, please share through email message to merlinagp@gmail.com.  It is my pleasure to post your experience in this Blog.  Let the circle of sharing begins.

Experience No. 20: 
“We're Lost!”
(Shared by Reyne June Bawisan <junebawisan@yahoo.com>)

It was a cold foggy morning and my mother’s radio is on. I sing along with the double diamond music of Jose Mari Chan, “Christmas in our Hearts”. Yes, it’s Christmas time again and I’m looking forward to another exciting school Christmas Party.  I have to prepare for school now for a thrilling adventure of the day. 
As I walked along the pathway of the school, I observed that most of the classes are preparing for classroom and Christmas tree decoration. It has been a tradition in our school every yuletide season for decades now.  All sections are competing for cash prize and bragging rights.  The most beautiful and unique décor and Christmas tree will take home the prize.  More than anyone else, we are the most excited class as we are freshmen.
This day, we have to implement our plan.  A Christmas tree made of footstool palm leaves and pohuehue, locally known as Anahaw and balagon, respectively.  Balagon strives only along the beach while Anahaw are abundant in upland areas. To maximize our time, I grouped the class into two.  The first group will go to the beach, while the second group will trek to the mountain.  I love trekking so I joined the second group.
Based on our research, we can find good quality Anahaw leaves in a mountain located in the barangay near our school.  We reached the jump-off point of the mountain in 15 minutes by tricycle.  By regular phase, the trek up to the location where the Anahaw leaves are widespread is one hour, so we need a maximum of 3 hours to go back to the school. 
We started the trek at around 7 AM.  We just followed the trail up to the place. Being young and energetic, we reached the place in less than an hour.  We didn’t waste any moment so we picked all the best Anahaw leaves (just enough to build a Christmas tree) and left the place immediately. 
Still full of energy, we engaged in conversations tumultuously while heading back to the jump-off point.  After 30 minutes of trekking and chatting, there was silence. Another 15 minutes had past and we’re already exhausted.  I asked the group to take a 5-minute rest. My classmate sitting beside me whispered and asked me, “aren’t we lost”?  To my surprised, each of my classmates is also asking the same question to themselves.  Fear had started to develop among us so I need to pacify them. “ We’re not lost, we’re just getting slow so we need to move forward”, I ensured them. 
After another 20 minutes of trekking, I’m convinced, we’re lost!  I remembered the guava tree along our way.  As I recalled, we had passed through it for 3 times already.  A situation had started again in the group, as others looked terrified and worried already.  One of my classmates suggested to take our clothes off and wear it again inside out.  According to him, that’s how his father told him incase he got lost anywhere.  I also heard about this superstitious belief, so we did what he suggested and then we continue walking. 
After about 100 meters of walk, we reached a farmer walking and heading the same way as ours.  We asked him if we’re in the right tract back to the jump-off point.  He nodded and asked us why?  I replied “I think we’re lost, we should have been there at this moment”.  He offered himself to be our guide until we reached our destination.  While walking he said, “this place is enchanted.  You should have hired a guide who is familiar with the terrain and have established a relationship with this place”.  After almost 2 hours of trek, we have reached our destination. Thanks to our guide! 
As we reached our school and share our experience with the other group, I asked to myself, is the superstitious belief true or it was just a co-incidence that we met the farmer who led us into the right track.  Impossible but it happened to me!

My ‘Out-of-this-World’ Experience - May 2016

Have you ever had experience a phenomenon that cannot be explained no matter how you tried to understand it?  Are you familiar with the phrase ‘beyond one’s imagination or understanding’?  If you have this some sort of experience that makes you feel that hair-raising/eerie or déjà vu feeling, please share through email message to merlinagp@gmail.com.  It is my pleasure to post your experience in this Blog.  Let the circle of sharing begins.

Experiences for the Month of May, 2016

Please VOTE for your FAVORITE Experience. Select among the selected weekly entries. Enter your choice on the COMMENT Section.

    Experience No. 14: The Creepy Transect

    Experience No. 15: The Fireball

    Experience No. 16: The Paranormal Place

    Experience No. 17: Ghost Hunting turned Ghost Haunting

   

Thank you for your participation.

My ‘Out-of-this-World’ Experience No. 15

Have you ever had experience a phenomenon that cannot be explained no matter how you tried to understand it?  Are you familiar with the phrase ‘beyond one’s imagination or understanding’?  If you have this some sort of experience that makes you feel that hair-raising/eerie or déjà vu feeling, please share through email message to merlinagp@gmail.com.  It is my pleasure to post your experience in this Blog.  Let the circle of sharing begins.

Experience No. 15: “The Fireball”
(Shared by Reyne June Bawisan <junebawisan@yahoo.com>)

It’s already 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon and my mother is busy cooking while I’m playing holens (marbles) with my two brothers. We looked so dirty already, my knees and elbows are full of sands and my brothers got dirt on their faces. Our clothes are full of mud stains and so as our feet as we usually take our slippers off when playing. This is how we spend our whole day in the province especially during school break.

At around 6:00 PM, our mother told us to stop playing and clean ourselves, as we’re about to have our dinner. My two bothers go first, so I have to wait. While waiting, my mother asked me to bring my sister her dinner who was in the municipal hospital that time. She was confined in the hospital due to inflammation of her toenail. As she told us, she did a pedicure herself and tried to get the ingrown out of her toenail. Unfortunately, it bled, and a day later, it swelled.  The next day, she could not stand anymore and she had developed a fever --- she got an infection. The pain is unbearable as she described it, so my mother rushed her to the municipal hospital.

It’s dinnertime, we need to bring her food and I’m the lucky one to do it.

We’re living in the poblacion area and the hospital is just less than a kilometer away from our house. However, before reaching the hospital I need to pass a 300-meter rough road in the midst of a rice field. I have to leave right away, as it’s getting darker already. As I grabbed the food, my mother reminded me to get back immediately as I still need to clean myself. So, I put my slippers on and start walking. I walked faster than the normal. By normal walk, the hospital can be reached by 25 minutes --- I got it by 20 minutes hahaha I was just a child then so I had shorter legs (as if I have longer legs now...lol). As I put the food on the table beside my sister’s bed, my sister requested me to assist her to the toilet. Afterwards, she asked me to assist her in having her dinner. It’s already 7 o’clock and I need to go back home. As I get out the hospital, the surrounding was totally dark. There were streetlights but the bulbs were busted so I relied on my night vision. The dogs were barking, owls were hooting, and bats were flying around. Nothing to be scared, it’s the normal scenario in our place during nightfall.

As I approached the rough road, I got goosebumps, precisely because I’m walking in the midst of a vast rice field, where you can see nothing but darkness and silhouette of bats flying around. It likes I’m in a horror movie. As I walked faster, I recalled all the horror movies I’ve watched before. Lol! I’m scaring myself to death! I’m heading north and I was already in the middle of the 300-meter rough road. As I uttered to myself (that the next house with light will be 100 meters away), I recognized on my left a ball of fire flying towards me. Damn! It’s getting closer to me! I remembered my cousin telling us about the story of Saint. Elmo’s Fire (Santilmo) during my cousin’s husband funeral (remember?). He said when captured by this fire, you will be trapped in there forever. As I looked back, it’s almost closed to me. Being so terrified, I took my slippers off and put it on to my hands, to my elbows, and ran as fast as I could! I felt like I’m flying that time. I didn’t fell the roughness of the road, not to mention the rocks and pebbles. I couldn’t believe to myself, I have reached the lighted and paved street in less than a minute. While still panting, I looked back to see if the fireball is still following me --- thank God, the fireball has disappeared.

As I reached home, my mother asked why I look so terrified? I replied nothing and I proceeded to the bathroom.

It was just another terrifying experience, Impossible but it happened to me!

My ‘Out-of-this-World’ Experience No. 11

Have you ever had experience a phenomenon that cannot be explained no matter how you tried to understand it?  Are you familiar with the phrase ‘beyond one’s imagination or understanding’?  If you have this some sort of experience that makes you feel that hair-raising/eerie or déjà vu feeling, please share through email message to merlinagp@gmail.com.  It is my pleasure to post your experience in this Blog.  Let the circle of sharing begins.

Experience No. 11: “The Big Tree”
(Shared by Reyne June Bawisan <junebawisan@yahoo.com>)

We’re in the jungle. 

Greens, tall grasses, colorful wild flowers, and big trees, these all we can see. 

It’s a paradise for all of us who hunt spiders for derby. 

We have empty matchboxes divided into compartments 

using coconut leaves to separate each of the spiders we caught. 

I’ve already got three, others got more than I thought. 

I don’t want to go any farther, the jungle gets deep, shrubs turn thick, big trees are many. 

My heartbeat gets faster and pulse rate becomes quicker.

OMG, we’re already in front of a very big tree, known to everyone as the “Mysterious Tree”.

The story about the Tree, 

which was passed from one tongue to another is already a folklore to our community.

According to many, the Tree, 

when gets angry to those who pass by without saying "tabi-tabi po" (excuse me) will get sick.

As I recall the story, the surrounding felt so creepy, 

I ran off the tree, leaving others behind me. 

Oh no! I forgot to say excuse me!

As I returned home, my sister asked what happened to me as what she can see,

 I looked so terribly. 

I told her, we have reached the “Big Tree” and I forgot to say excuse me.

She pushed me to go back to the "Big Tree" to say sorry for not saying excuse me.

I refused, I was so scared, I don’t want to go back to the tree.

Three days had passed, nothing happened to me, the story is untrue. 

Four days…5 days…6 days, I am still okay.

On the 7th day, I’m freezing, I’m hot, I’m sick. 

I’ve got rashes around my waist. 

Rashes turned burn-like skin with fluid inside. 

Some had erupted, while others had just sprouted.

 It’s too hot, I can feel the smarting pain.

It’s the “Big Tree” my sister said to me. 

I requested her to bring me to the health practitioner, 

but she said, “let’s go to the faith healer”.

The faith healer instructed us to go back to the “Big Tree” 

bring my used cloth to offer to the tree.

 Offer some prayers and say sorry for not saying excuse me, she added.

After 7 days, according to the faith healer, my rashes will disappear. 

She was right, I am healed, the spots are gone! 

It’s a great new day to have another fun!

It’s the Big Tree, which made me feel so sorry.

But now, I’m free from the spots made by the tree.

Impossible but it happened to me! 

Note:  I was just 9 years old when this happened to me.

My ‘Out-of-this-World’ Experience No. 10

Have you ever had experience a phenomenon that cannot be explained no matter how you tried to understand it?  Are you familiar with the phrase ‘beyond one’s imagination or understanding’?  If you have this some sort of experience that makes you feel that hair-raising/eerie or déjà vu feeling, please share through email message to merlinagp@gmail.com.  It is my pleasure to post your experience in this Blog.  Let the circle of sharing begins.

Experience No. 10: “The Walking Dead”
(Shared by Reyne June Bawisan <junebawisan@yahoo.com>)

Have you ever heard a story about dead persons walking?  Yeah right, I know what you’re thinking, but it isn’t the one you’ve watched on TV series titled, the “Walking Dead”. 
The story of a person who died but still walking during nighttime is a rumor back then in my province.  Whether you believe it or not, it’s up to you to find out by reading my story.
Sometimes in 1995, my cousin’s husband who was then in his late 30s, died due to cardiac arrest.  He left his wife and his three children behind that early age.  When he was alive, he spent most of his time cultivating the land, which is just a kilometer or two away from their home. As a farmer, my cousin’s husband is one of the persons I know who is very hardworking.  His day starts at 3:00 o’clock in the morning by feeding flocks of chicken and a number of livestock in their backyard.  At 4:00 o’clock, the breakfast for his family is ready.  At 5:00 AM, he is already at the farm to start his long hard and hot day.  This was how my cousin told us as she recalls the daily routine her husband.  Until one day, they had lost them due to heart attack.  He could have been saved if he was rushed to the nearest hospital, but it’s impossible, their place is too far for him to survive.  I remembered going to their place, from our house, we took an hour of motorcycle drive and another 1 hour of walkathon.  We need to cross at least three rugged rivers to reach their home.  This is how far-flung their place is --- anyways, in the province, this is just ordinary.
During the wake, some of the cousins are present.  Of course, some of the closest relatives of both sides are there too.  The elders were sitting near the casket chatting animatedly as they reunited again after so many years.  Some adults are busy playing cards on the other side.  Under the big tree, just near the transient structure built for those attending the funeral is a group of children (myself included) playing “truth or dare.” 
It was around 12:00 midnight and we’re already hungry.  Thanks God, the midnight snack is served.  We rushed into the table to get our share, a cup of coffee and some pieces of biscuits --- hahaha the most awaited part of the night.  While eating and chatting, one of the older cousins joined us and shared with us some creepy stories --- very common in every funeral.
Some of his stories are sigbin, santelmo, and manananggal, etc.  But what frightened me most was the story of the “walking dead”.  Who the hell wouldn’t be scared about it?  We’re in the funeral that time.  According to him, dead people shouldn’t leave unattended during the night as they will rise and walk.  Being terrified with his story, we ran away and I cowered at the back of my mother who was near the casket that time together with the other relatives.
It was 2 AM and only 6 of us are still up.  Until eventually all of the other five need to go home or sleep.  I am still up and still terrified.  Should I sleep, or should I look for the dead? What if the story is true, and I witness it happening?  Haha I could be scared to death. Eventually I forgot everything as I fell asleep on the table outside the house.
It was around 7:00 o’clock in the morning, the sun is already up.  I heard some frightened voices inside the house.  As I entered the living room where the body was lying, a group of people including my cousin staring at the body and talking among themselves.  As my cousin started to wipe something out from her husband’s pants, I asked what happened.  One of people present there that time told me that they found something unusual on the remains. Out of curiosity, I tried to force myself into them so I can see the body.  They’re right, his pants from the knee down to the bottom hem was full of something like, dried mud?   Some wild grasses locally known as amorseko (weeping lovegrass) were also attached to his pants.
The people surrounded the casket were asking, did he rise and walk while everybody are sleeping?  But I am awake until 2:30AM and I saw nothing unusual.  We’re already scared at that moment, but my cousin and some of the relatives pretended as if it was a normal occurrence.  Maybe because they want everybody present there not to panic.
I didn’t personally witness my cousin’s husband walking but the evidences before us can tell that the story could be true, or maybe it was just his spirit who tried to go back to his dead body.
This is one of the a little bit scary experiences I couldn’t ever forget. From then on, I rarely visit funerals, and if I do, I skip looking at the body. 
Impossible but it happened to me!