It’s October, which means it’s my favorite time of year: Ghost Story Blog Post Time! As you probably know by now (assuming you've been a loyal reader from the start…if not, see past Halloween posts) I have had some peculiar experiences in the past. Some can be chalked up as my conscious psyching me out, others I have undoubtedly ruled as “haunting experiences”. I think this one errs on the side of “haunting experience”, let me know what you think:
Moving to Monterey was one of the scariest moves of my adult life. Unlike Santa Barbara and San Francisco, I was not in college, so I had to rely solely on my "winning personality" to make friends and meet new people. Thankfully after I have a drink in my system I become 'Little Miss Chatter-Box'; a month into living in Monterey I had a pretty solid group of friends, most of whom I’m still close with today. That first month though, that was torture. It was incredibly quiet and I spent way too much time going on adventures alone. My roommates were great and always inclusive, but they had their own lives.
One Sunday I decided to take a drive to Big Sur, specifically to a small store I had gone to once on a childhood vacation. I really didn't know much about it aside from remembering it sold Dream Catchers and Native American Art. I had no clue what it was called, or how far down the scenic highway it was, but I was determined to find it.
I lucked out with the perfect weather for my adventure. The sun was shining and it was virtually wind-free; naturally I stopped along the way to take photos of the breathtaking scenery.
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| One of many photos from the drive. |
A little while past Bixby Bridge I found what I was looking for. The store was at Big Sur Station, just beyond a bustling campground; it was also already closed for the day when I arrived. I’d driven all that way for nothing. I also really had to pee.
There was an old gas station on site and what looked like a restaurant on the other side of the parking lot, also closed (I still have no clue why they closed early that day). I decided to wander around a bit, in search of a bathroom or large bush that would hide me the open road. As I got behind the small building I discovered a breathtaking waterfall and small footbridge, all surrounded by a lush forest. I was floored as to how the small store had somehow shielded this beauty from the street. I also realized that if this gorgeous view was shielded, so was I. As I began to crouch down behind the store I heard a woman say, “I wouldn't do that if I were you, there’s poison oak everywhere”. I jumped at the voice and looked around confused, there was no human to go with the voice. “Hello” I called out rather shakily, and got no reply. I glanced all around me, there wasn't a soul in sight; I did, however, notice poison oak a mere two feet away from where I was about to squat so I said, “thanks for the tip” more to myself than anything.
Suddenly there was strong gust of wind accompanied by a crackling laughter, engulfing the air around me. I felt as though someone had positioned surround sound speakers directly next to my head. My body shook and I jumped a mile. Rather than wait and see what the source of the sound was, I high-tailed it to my car. Once safely in my vehicle I threw the car into reverse and glanced in my rear view mirror as I began to back up; that's when I saw her. She couldn't have been much older than me with long black hair and bright green eyes, wearing a simple white dress. Her piercing green eyes bore into my rear view mirror, staring directly into my wide eyes, hers were unblinking. I froze momentarily, paralyzed with fear, before realizing I was still reversing my car and getting closer to her by the second. I hit the brakes and stared back at her, unsure of how to proceed, there was something off about her, something uninviting. She did not want me to be there. I slowly took my eyes away from the mirror and turned my hear to peer over my right shoulder, to look out the rear window of the car. There was no one there. I frantically looked all around me, she had vanished into thin air! I quickly put my car in drive and hit the gas, refusing to look in my rear view mirror as I drove out of there.
I drove for what felt like forever to the next open establishment, a small gallery a while down the road. After finally using their restroom I began chatting with one of the women working there about local ghost sightings and weird happenings. She told me she had heard stories from campers about a woman who appeared while they were staying at the campgrounds; usually in the dead of night. She rarely spoke or had any interaction with the campers, she just wandered through the campsite as though she had someplace to be, or a mission to fulfill. Campers reported trying to follow her and stated that "although her white dress shined bright in the moonlight, she seemed to always disappear as she neared the woods near Big Sur Station".
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| Big Sur Coast Gallery & Cafe |
I never returned but I've always wondered why she chose to speak to me; to laugh at me; to haunt me; to save me from Poison Oak.
