I do believe in the supernatural in all manner of things. I hear things occasionally that no one else hears—like my name being called, or the phone ringing so loud that it wakes me from a dead sleep but it isn’t really ringing. But, I don’t see much of anything. I listen to stories from people who do and I am always intrigued. I ask questions like, "Was it solid, or could you stick your hand through it?" And I listen carefully to the answers, somehow trying to validate the experiences, and at the same time figure out what is going on in some other, very close plane of existence.
So when we were living on Jackaroo, our 37ft sailboat with the lovely layout and the long, white leather couches, and the warm teak wood, and the green pillows thrown about, I often asked Lee to describe the people he saw ducking in and out of the companionway.
Of course, I never saw them.
He said they were usually short and often looked older and had dark complexions. Most were men and were as wrinkled as dried apricots.
Lee said he could see them clearly enough to see their clothing, which he usually described as rumpled looking. I think they must have been old sailors still wandering about wondering when we were going to sea.
I don’t really like the idea of phantoms in my space. I never did.
I remember when my grandmother died. I had very real dreams of her ghost walking into my bedroom. I could not wake up. I was paralyzed from fear. It was like someone had stuffed rags in my mouth and I would struggle until finally the struggling broke the spell and I would wake up screaming.
This was not like that.
Often we slept on the long, white couches in favor of the soft bed in the stateroom because the stateroom was hot—sweat-running-down-the-middle-of-your-back hot—and we had air-conditioning in the main cabin.
The couches were on opposite sides of the boat. I slept on the starboard side and Lee on the port.
It was early or late, depending on how you count time—probably around 3:00 am—when I woke up. I lay quietly, gazing at the ceiling in the half-light from the moon. I was looking toward the ceiling over where Lee was sleeping, just sort of gazing into the middle space, not really looking at anything, when the face came into view.
It was huge.
It covered that entire side of the cabin. It had a big head, but no body. Kind of alien looking. There was no color. But, the details were clear and shifted in and out of view. It was very reptilian looking and just floated there on the ceiling.
Of course my first question was; Did I do some kind of hallucinogenic drug right before I went to sleep? To which, of course, the answer was, No. I was very curious about ayawaska, but had never had the opportunity to try the South American spirit drink and would probably be too afraid to drink it even if I was given the chance.
My second question was really a myriad of questions all rolled into one.
Was I dreaming? Why was I seeing an alien when I didn’t believe in aliens? Was it really a demon? Was I having a problem with my eyes? Why was there no fear, or any feeling what-so-ever for that matter, attached to my viewing of the apparition, especially when I was so afraid of ghosts? Was I seeing something real that was in another dimension? Was it aware of my presence? It didn’t seem to be. It was more like I could see it, but it couldn’t see me.
It didn’t move much, but it did seem to be speaking. It hovered there for the longest time, kind of turning this way and that a little, and giving me ample opportunity to explore it in detail.
I finally fell back to sleep with it still hovering there, just above Lee's sleeping form.
Talk about messing up your theology.
I have always been a Christian with your typical Christian beliefs. But, I have also studied my Bible extensively ever since the age of sixteen. I’ve read between the lines and done a ton of research trying to answer questions like; Who were the Nephilim that were described as the offspring of fallen angels and earthly women?
Maybe I was looking at one.
Maybe I was looking at something I'd never considered the existence of.
I have seen a few other things—lights mostly.
Lights are more easily dismissed than giant, hovering faces.
For now, I do not have any answers. So, I will file my experience in my mind until future light can be shed on the matter.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” said Alice, as she explored the depths of wonderland…