Excerpt from The Ghost of Whispering Willow Chapter 3 A Presence: “I can see you!” 
With the last camera finally in place, Stewart was ready to get out of the Willows and head for home. He had a sense of uneasiness, which had suddenly swept over him for no apparent reason. Not understanding or expecting it had made it ten times worse! Stewart wasn’t sure if he felt fearful, but it was safe to say he wasn’t comfortable. He stopped walking and looked behind him. Thankfully, he couldn’t see a single person. He suddenly felt as if eyes or something were watching him; the feeling was so strong, he could barely move, though physically he couldn’t see anything. All of a sudden, to his horror, something whispered, “I see you,” and then brushed past him.
Stewart knew it was likely only seconds, but it felt like an eternity that he had been standing there on the path. “Ahhh!” he screamed, wishing he hadn’t as soon as he had. “Ahhh!” slipped out again, and even though he desperately wanted to run away, he was too scared to move. He looked all around; nothing was there.
The voice had said, “I see you,” but that was it. It hadn’t done anything. Stewart put his hand on his chest to make sure his heart was still beating; it was. He wanted desperately to move his feet, but they were planted firmly on the ground. His goose bumps had goose bumps! He couldn’t scream or call out again, because the words wouldn’t form. The air felt thick around him, as if the oxygen itself had suddenly become so dense he couldn’t breathe. Looking at his arm again, pinching it to be sure, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the thing had spoken to him. It had to have intended to prove to Stewart that it was there – that it existed.
For the first time, Stewart felt very afraid and started to panic. Gasping for air, he was frozen in one spot. He was alone, and he had no idea what to do. “Breathe, breathe, breathe,” he said out loud, “It didn’t hurt you! It can’t hurt you, it can’t hurt you!” he repeated over and over again, trying to convince himself it was true. He wasn’t exactly sure about the last part, but he was holding on to that part anyway. It hadn’t hurt Andy either, for that matter, during his personal experience. These are good things, Stewart told himself. Good things! “Relax. Breathe and relax,” he said taking in a deep breath.
Amanda M. Thrasher Copyright © 2022 Amanda M. Thrasher
The Ghost of Whispering Willow
