The Uninvited Passenger

June 2020 brought with it my 73rd birthday, our 50th wedding anniversary, and very nearly my death. The bite of a Lone Star tick passed an infection into my bloodstream that was nearly fatal. Had treatment been delayed by a day I would have died, according to my doctor.

That experience confirmed that life is short and death can occur unexpectedly. I knew that, but still, it was a lesson learned. What troubled me most was passing on without sharing this life experience. "Story" does not apply here. What happened to me is being shared in this recounting. Make no mistake. This is about us, not just me. I am not a favored member of the human race, nor do I hold any special status. This could have been you, or it might be you one day in the future.

We are being watched. By who or what I do not know. Something certainly knew who I was and what I was doing at the time. I find that fairly easy to accept. Being watched supernaturally seems benign and is a common religious concept. Besides, what can we do about it? Of far greater concern is that something of a supernatural nature has the ability to appear in our physical world and interact, intercede or interfere in our respective lives. This is more difficult to accept or believe than simply being watched or observed. That is what I personally encountered and I have struggled with this memory for 50 years. It is a haunting of sorts, though not evil or demonic. You see, something almost indescribable presented itself to me in order to intercede in a critical decision that would impact the balance of my life. Had I not personally experienced what I am going to tell you, I would not believe it.

I was a soldier during the Vietnam War and assigned to a military installation in the eastern U.S. Circumstances required me to attend a week's training at another military post. While there I met a girl and we dated twice, as well as shared a few telephone calls. I returned to my unit, and after a few letters and phone calls we decided to marry. While odd, unusual things happen during wartime. I was an infantry soldier and my future was not assured. At 22, I thought I had nothing to lose by marrying. The war, on the other hand, was a more immediate concern.

It did not take long to arrange a return trip, perhaps a week or 10 days. We opted to drive to a Justice of the Peace to be wed. I drove her slightly less than mid-size American car, and in a few minutes we were on the interstate highway. There was a little nervous tension in the air as we undertook the trip. Then, about 10 minutes into the drive, it happened. An invisible entity appeared in the backseat of her car, directly behind me. It radiated an almost indescribable power through what seemed an invisible aura. I nearly blurted out "There's something in the car with us!" but managed to hold my tongue. My fear was appearing mad in front of the woman who would soon be my wife. Then, being somewhat psychic, I thought for an instant that this was a related experience. That thought left as quickly as it arrived. There was an entity in the back seat of the car and there was no denying it. Whatever it was, my soon to be wife had no idea something irregular was going on. This was happening to me alone.

There were no spoken words. Words were unnecessary at that point. It communicated with messages that appeared in my consciousness. They were complete conveyances. They arrived as whole ideas, not words that had to be assembled into an idea. Its communications resulted in immediate understanding. It was knowledge instantly gained and comprehended, though short and simple in presentation. Communication could be physical as well as mental. As soon as I grasped the idea that this was really happening, it pushed me forward toward the steering wheel rather abruptly. That was a confirming wake-up call.

I saw nothing of this being. Somehow I knew it to be about 8 feet tall. As I drove down the interstate I envisioned its head, neck and shoulders to be through and above the roof of the car. I do not know if that was communicated to me or not. I just seemed to know. I have no idea about its legs, assuming it had legs. I felt no sense of evil or dread, though it was non-physically oppressive to some degree. It was as though there was some sort of radiated pressure that served to confirm its presence. I felt the oppressive energy made this being unapproachable. A giant electro-magnet comes to mind, with its power of attraction reversed to instead repel. Yet, though very powerful, the repelling energy was initially gentle but firm. It was apparent that this being was not there to be my friend. It was, in fact, delivering a message. I do not know if the message was generated by this being, or if it had been sent to delivery a message created by someone else. It soon became apparent that it was interceding in my life in a surprising way. Its purpose was strictly business.

There was no time to be afraid. This was a real time ongoing encounter and I was instinctively responding to it. At the same time I was operating a motor vehicle on an interstate highway. A tiny part of me wondered what the woman riding with me was thinking. She was actually unaware of what was happening and, in fact, 50 years later still does not know this encounter took place.

DO NOT MARRY THIS WOMAN. That's what appeared in my mind. There were no words to quote. There was only knowledge and understanding, though reenforced by the somewhat oppressive energy I mentioned previously. Once started, the communications continued. They became more intense and more urgent, though not overwhelming. A father telling a child not to touch something hot comes to mind. Not all communications were identical as the phrasing sometimes differed, even though there were no words involved. No matter how the idea was passed, I was not to marry this woman. That understanding was amplified by unpleasant energy that was now becoming overbearing. If this being wanted my attention it was fully successful and I had nowhere to hide.

The entity's appearance, confrontation and interference were undermining my driving ability. I was slowing down in response to what was happening to me. Was this due to being distracted? Was my mind or body being influenced beyond my control? I do not know. In the distance a turn-around for emergency vehicles appeared. The communications, still in idea or knowledge form, changed to TURN AROUND AND TAKE HER BACK TO HER FAMILY. That came to me loud and clear with enhanced urgency. I am ashamed to say I almost did exactly that, and was involuntarily slowing to make the turn. The oppressive energy was taking a toll. All I seemed to be doing was responding to this being or entity.

I chose to stay my course. Not that I was deeply in love or a brave soul with steel in my spine. I was just afraid of returning her to her home and telling her family a ghost made me do it.

The emergency turn-around approaching, we came to the completely unexpected climax of the encounter. I had hands on the steering wheel and apparently the entity did as well. Now we struggled for control of the steering wheel as the entity tried to force me, or to physically encourage me, to turn her car around and take her back. How odd to write these words as I am absolutely certain I could have easily been overpowered by whatever this was.

The Scotch-Irish half of me surfaced and I blew-up in anger. I hate being bullied and that's what this experience felt like. Now it was my turn to communicate without spoken words. My sternly transmitted mental message was "Leave me alone. I intend to marry this woman, and I am going to marry her, and that's it! Leave us alone.

It worked. Then it was gone. But the drive to the Justice of the Peace was unsettling. I kept wondering about the who, what and why of this experience. Now I had doubts about marrying this woman and, once again, I was too afraid to turn around and take her home as it would have hurt her emotionally. I felt like I going down a drain as things were getting out of control.

We wed. When I said "I do." it felt as though a 60 pound rucksack had been dropped on my back and I hunched over under the load.

That night I had a dream that showed me what I had done to myself and accurately foretold my future. The entity was trying to save me from myself. The horror was about to begin.

Who watches over us? Who intercedes in our lives? Fifty years have passed and I still do not know.

Thank you, Lord, for letting me get this off my chest.