This is another story about my experiences in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. As you may recall from my previous submission, "Haunted Ozark Church House", there is an old cemetery (Ft. Douglas Cemetery) adjacent to the church house. This story takes place in that very cemetery later that same night.
As I have said, we had some friends with us as well as a few cousins close to our age, and we got together and decided to scare the newcomers. We were still hyped-up from the day-trip to the Church, so we thought it would be fun to play a practical joke on our friends. We made arrangements with some older cousins and relatives, including my mama and aunt (who had accompanied us there earlier that day), to leave out ahead of us and lie in wait in the cemetery.
Now, we have always been a fun-loving family who also enjoy a good scare, so my older cousin, Scott, rigged up a fishing pole with a small flashlight covered in gauze hung from the end. When flung over trees and cast through the air in the dark this is a VERY creepy effect. So seeing the mysterious light all over the cemetery and hearing all manner of unearthly sounds (wink, wink) we sufficiently scared the pants off of our friends.
This is were the pranks end and the REAL experience begins: but before I begin I must explain the layout of the cemetery and adjacent roads for you to fully appreciate the story. (I know, I know. AGAIN with the explaining!) Okay, running parallel to the cemetery is a highway (not at all a busy one). Facing the highway is a walk-in gate and behind and off to the side of the cemetery is a small dirt road that ends at a drive-through gate (used to convey the deceased to their final resting place). We were parked at this gate.
Now, the way the highway curves these roads are actually almost parallel to one another, only there is a wide stand of trees that runs between them. The back road actually forks off from the highway and veers toward the back side of the cemetery and is probably a half mile long. (Now that you are thoroughly confused!)
Anyway, after we had them good and scared we waited a few minutes to give our accomplices time to get out without being seen so we just sat down in the middle of the cemetery and discussed our experience, excitedly. After a few minutes we were about to head out the way we had come when we noticed a strange fog or mist-like formation. It started out kind of small and then became larger until it was blocking the way to the back gate, outside which we were parked. We began to get a little uneasy but curiosity got the better of us and we just watched as it seemed to be glowing ever so slightly. As it slowly floated across the cemetery towards us, we decided to take the long way around because we weren't ABOUT to go through this strange foggy-misty-creepy-whatever.
We were still very curious and began backing away slowly and discussing what it might be. We had experienced many strange glowing "mists" back home, when we used to go "Booger Hunting" on the banks of the Red River at night. We believed these to be the latent energies of the many unfortunate souls who have lost their lives to the River, especially Native Americans back in the day. Way back in the day! (Sorry I'm off the subject!)
Anyway we would back up and pick a certain point and say okay, if it comes to such-and-such point, we'll run. Then it would reach that point and we'd back up a little further until finally it had us backed almost to the fork where the two roads met. Well that was it! We took off like bats out of somewhere hot! We ran to the fork in the road and doubled back toward where the truck was parked. By this time we were all arm-in-arm again and weren't about to let go of one another!
Just as we reached what was probably about halfway to the truck, we looked up and saw the "mist" coming out of the woods! It had come across the woods from the highway and had cut us off! I know this sounds crazy and believe me, I KNOW crazy but it moved across the narrow road and just sort of hovered there. We knew that it was probably pointless to try to go back around since it seemed to know a short cut. So we waited. And waited for about half an hour (it might not have actually been that long but it sure seemed like it!)
Finally it was getting late and we knew that everyone back at camp would be getting worried, so we decided to go through it. Well, the plan was to run through it as fast as we could (we were still arm-in-arm), but I don't think we ever got any faster than a brisk walk. As we passed through it the air got noticeably cooler and smelled damp and musty. I might have chalked that up to my imagination if EVERYONE hadn't noticed it. As soon as we were clear of it we broke into a dead run and piled into the back of the waiting pick-up.
By the time we got turned around to head back up the road we just caught a glimpse of the thing as it slowly disappeared back into the woods from the direction it had come. Luckily camp was the OTHER way so we didn't have to pass back by on the way out!
Thanks, again for letting me share another of my weird experiences!
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