I’ve seen ghosts on rare occasions in my life. When I experience them, things become ephemeral. Solid reality seems to lose definite lines and shapes.
Gwen thinks I’m nutty but she’s slowly coming around.
We both teach Victorian Literature at the U of T.
I feel I should tell you at the outset, we are by no means experts in parapsychology—but here we are… muddling along.
And since I’m being totally transparent with you, I should also mention that we know even less about anthropology or archeology—I mention these latter disciplines because we’re dabbling in areas that professionally we know nothing about, but to tell the truth, neither do the experts we consulted.
So I guess you’d say we’re stuck—stuck with our own undeniable experiences and left to make sense of it all from our own conjectures.
But maybe I should start from the beginning so you’ll know exactly what I mean.
I began teaching third year students at Victoria College two years ago and part way through the first semester I met Gwen—she was also a novice lecturer in Victorian studies across campus at Trinity College so we had a lot in common.
Did I mention she was beautiful?
Admittedly that’s what first drew me to her—especially her long dark flowing tresses but it’s not what keeps me intrigued. She’s just as beautiful within as without and vey compassionate, and incredibly patient which helps because I am high maintenance—some would say quirky.
When people hear about my spirit tales they inevitably depart, but not this girl. She seems committed to me full time.
Maybe that’s why she also moved to my Victorian village on the outskirts of Toronto where we can pursue our other interests such as hiking and orienteering and share the commute into the city.
But it’s not all sweetness and light—at times Gwen and I conflict especially concerning the supernatural.
I see dead people—not all the time, mind you, usually on rare occasions, but lately it’s been occurring more and more.
It all started just before Gwen decided to move to our little village.
I had been out walking with Mollie, my golden retriever, the first time it happened.
I had just started down a crescent street leading to the trail I usually walk when I spotted a dark form about twenty houses away. The shadowy figure was standing at the curve in the road and as I began to draw near it suddenly disappeared.
Now, it was twilight and the sun was low in the west just behind the houses so I attributed the phenomenon to a trick of the light.
I continued onto the footpath that led across a short bridge and the path through the woods.
It was getting dark and I calculated I had twenty minutes until nightfall—just enough time to make it to the part where it intersected a street.
I didn’t feel comfortable walking the trails in darkness although our little village was generally quite safe, but still, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.
As I started down the trail I noticed a woman walking ahead of me at about the same pace I was walking. I kept her in view until suddenly I couldn’t. She disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I quickened my steps until I arrived at the point I last saw her, and had a clear view for a hundred yards around. There was no one in sight.
During the rest of the walk I felt someone was watching me, even on the well-lit residential streets.
It was an eerie feeling—not so much a sense of danger or being stalked, but something else, almost undefinable.
I felt I had crossed a threshold into what felt like another time and space.
It was definitely supernatural and somewhat spooky, but I knew even though it was dusk, people just couldn't melt into thin air...
so it was then I decided to confide in Gwen knowing I was about to embark on investigating another mystery.
