The Trail Runner

By omerta
(2 stories) (1 posts) (the author is a young adult)
Date: 2019-12-05
Country: Philippines
Paranormal Category: Apparitions / Voices / Touches

Who of you here enjoys a good ride on their bike? I'm one of those individuals. I usually hop on my bike during dawn or dusk (the air feels cool during those times) and pedal my way to my favorite loop.

You will pass through a dam when you ride this loop. The loop is around 3-4km and it consists a series of uphill and downhill with twists and sharp turns.

While riding my bike one time, I didn't go to my usual path. Instead I went the other way, knowing it would still lead back to where I started.

As I was pedaling my way around the bend, it was around 5pm already and I'm losing daylight. I was determined to finish on time so I pedaled hard during the uphill and prepared myself for the sharp turn.

The sharp turn is a tricky part of the trail where, if you lose speed, you can easily get unbalanced and crash. When successful, you cruise below the tall trees of Mahogany facing an almost 2km straight uphill.

Now, as I was about to put all my might to conquer the sharp turn, my eyes caught something ahead. Then there it was, a man dressed in white barong and black slacks. He was far ahead but I can see clearly how he's dressed. Apart from his clothes, he is not wearing any shoes or slippers and his slacks are folded up to his knees.

He was just there, staring at the distance, not moving a muscle as I slowly approaching him from behind. When I was about to pass him, I bowed my head down as if to put all my might to pedaling. I was curious as to who the man might be.

I looked over my shoulder immediately when I believed I passed him, when suddenly he was gone. I stopped, breathing heavily, puzzled as to where the man went. He couldn't possibly hide or run that fast for me to lost sight of him. I was quite spooked.

I gathered myself and just decided to continue, worried of losing the daylight. I aligned my pedals to strike a powerful stride. After some time, gaining speed again, I looked on my back, he was not there. Continued pedaling until I saw the same back all over again, it's the same old man with same clothes.

I was terrified when I saw him again, ahead of me. I didn't know how to react to the situation. I was hesitant to continue and pass the man again and experience the same scenario. Hesitating, I stopped and just stare at him at a safe distance. After some time, his ankles have become less visible until it reached his knees and his torso until he was just more like a haze.

Terrified, I pedaled so hard on the downhill risking the crash. I would risk anything rather than continuing after what I have seen. FYI, I didn't crash. And I got home safely.

I got home, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. I consulted my family as to what my experience could mean and why can't I saw the man's face when I passed him.

They informed me it was a form of paranormal activity wherein a soul of a man who recently died, finds its way to the place where he lived. This phenomenon happens during the believed "40 Days", wherein the soul is trapped in the present world and cannot proceed to its destination without the offered prayers from his/her loved ones.

I asked around my neighborhood if someone have been deceased recently around that area. They confirmed that an old man was robbed and murdered in his hut by a newly released ex-convict a few weeks ago.

I guess the soul of that man was still wandering and seeking justice for his doomed fate. I just hope that whenever I got around that trail again, I would not see him again. Praying he got the justice he deserved.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, omerta, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Cherubim (14 stories) (245 posts)

5 years ago (2019-12-31)

I started to pray for that man immediately when I read his soul was trapped. We probably don't have to be scared when we see apparitions like this, but it's not normal for us and hard not to. If he doesn't get justice in this life, I'm sure he will in the next. ❤ It was nice of you to pray for him too. Thank you for your story.

Amor (5 stories) (64 posts)

5 years ago (2019-12-26)

Hi Omerta,

Thanks for this. I do love biking, too, and used to take my mtb into the woods to take photographs of birds. One time I actually found a dead person, faced down a puddle of mud. Turned out he was too drunk the night before and drowned in a puddle when he fell, too inebriated to move. Yeah, things you find biking. Some fun, some scary such us these.

Maybe I can answer some questions for you since you haven't replied yet.

Hi James Bond, Barong Tagalog is a traditional and formal clothing in the Philippines usually worn in formal gatherings. And yes, it is also usually the "best" option to dress the dead with in preparation for burial. So it is not uncommon to hear stories of apparition of supposedly male ghosts wearing a Barong.

Hi Miandra, I think what he meant with becoming less visible "...until it reached his knees and torso..." is that the apparition started to fade from bottom up "...until he was just more like a haze."

Would like to hear from the writer, though. I hope prayers indeed have been offered according to their tradition and that justice have been served for him to rest peacefully, and for the robber not to do it again.

Take care and well done for not panicking and crashing in the process.

jabond99 (3 stories) (61 posts)

5 years ago (2019-12-21)

Omerta,

I am curious if the white barong and black slacks are a common everyday set of clothes, or if these are for funerals and burying?

I am not familiar with the 40-days tradition. Is it possible that the old man lived alone and without family, and therefore did not receive any prayers during the 40 days? If so, perhaps you can say a prayer for the old man and help to move him onward. Maybe he was looking for someone to help.

James Bond

silverthane61 (4 stories) (344 posts)

5 years ago (2019-12-16)

The "40-day" rule is one of the beliefs among many Catholics concerning the fate of those who have passed. The prayers offered either are supposed to ease the soul into or out of Purgatory or into Heaven. There was another story on this site where someone wrote about seeing a phantom dressed in a white barong and black slacks - or maybe I am mixing up 2 stories. In any case, the facelessness of the entity also means different things to different cultures. Very interesting story!

Sleeping-with-steve (guest)

5 years ago (2019-12-12)

Hello Omerta,

Your post is quite intriguing.

You say, 'He was just there, staring at the distance, not moving a muscle as I slowly approach him from behind'. If you were approaching from behind, how could you see what he was staring at? 😕

Also you say, 'After some time, his ankles have become less visible until it reached his knees and his torso until he was just more like a haze'. What do you mean by his ankles reached his knees and torso? If he was a haze, does that mean he was like a white shadow or transparent like fog?

Sad that an old man was murdered and left in his hut. May his soul RIP.

Perhaps tell him to go towards to light if you see him again.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Best wishes,
Miandra
😘 ❤ 😘

lady-glow (16 stories) (3194 posts)

5 years ago (2019-12-12)

And I hope the criminal is back behind bars.

Were you able to confirm that the man you saw was the same person who had been murdered?

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