This was an experience which occurred in a forest that I have been visiting for over 10 years.It seemed as if I were transported 400 years back in time to that very same location. This was not at all like a ghostly apparition; it was like a real life re-enactment of the past.
It was a beautiful fall afternoon. Most of the leaves on the trees had changed colors and many had already fallen off onto the forest floor. As I walked through the woods randomly between the trees each step had the typical seasonal crunch. It was perfect flannel shirt and jeans weather, a chill in the air and a warmth when in the suns direct light. And I was in my favorite wooded haunt to just relax and breath.
After a while walking amongst the big old trees, I sat down and began to give thanks and speak to my gods and the forest spirits. When my words and respect was given I stood up and decided to walk down to the small slowly moving river. Almost as soon as I stood up I noticed the silence and density in the forest had changed. I am familiar with this anomaly (when the forest goes quiet and dense, spirits or gods are present). I knew I was no longer alone.
As I approached the river, I had a pull to walk upstream along the bank. Not even a minute after, I started walking as silently as possible, I saw movement ahead around a turn in the river. I proceeded slowly and tip toeing to make not a sound. (I was very familiar with this river and this location had a rare small sandy beach leading into a 4 ft. deep watering hole beneath a large natural rock shelter. Very peaceful and quiet.) As I started to make the narrow turn, there was a large old tree which had fallen across the river. Its branches were thick with vines and leafy brush. The tree completely blocked out the left side of the bank from sight as it merges with the woods.
Suddenly a figure stood up from the center of the river from the water hole half behind the trunk of the tree. It was a deep tanned, lean, younger man with long black straight hair. He was wearing no shirt; and at that moment I thought maybe I walked up on some guy nude bathing in the river. (I got a little nervous and wasn't sure whether to made loud stomps so he would see me and move on or should I just turn back and walk away. I thought that if I walked away and he saw me walking off he would think I was a pervert or something and had been watching him. So I decided to make loud footsteps and step on the crunchy leaves as if I had noticed him yet). After all the noise I made, he did not even look over, but he crouched back down into the water, seeming to be cleaning himself or something. So I picked up a big rock and turned my back and threw it into the river. Then I turned back towards him, but he was still not seeing me. I knew something was odd now! So I watched him and his actions without proceeding forward.
He rose up out of the river a few times before finally walking towards the blocked out part of the beach by the forest edge. I moved outwards and forward so I could get a better view. I saw him much clearer as he got into the shallow water and near the beach. He had a small deer skin wrapped around his waist and privates. From head to toe he tanned exactly the same, no tan marks. His face was very Native American, and at that point I knew he was an American Indian. He still never looked over once as I was fully in the open and about 60-70 ft. away. As he proceeded to the beach I mildly yelled out, "Hey how ya doing man?" He continued to ignore me as if I were not even there.
He started to become fully blocked out by the tree branches, vines, weeds and bushes. He was quickly getting out of view. So now I thought, this guy is a spirit and I am witnessing the ways this river and shelter were used hundreds of years ago. I began to move towards his location as he walked out of view onto the beach. There was lots of brush on the bank so I had to cut into the dense brush to get around the trees and bushes. Within 30 seconds I popped out of the brush onto the trail in the forest about 30ft. from the beach. I looked to the beach and saw nothing; then to the open trails and forest around me, nothing. I moved non-stop to reposition to see where he was but nothing at all. I called out; and got no response. I was silent for 30 seconds and listened, but heard nothing. It was still dead quiet.
At this point I wanted to look for evidence. At the beach there were no footprints at all in the sand. The water hole was as clear to the bottom as possible; no evidence at all of disturbed water. Also the beach was dry along with the rocks. There was zero evidence of any disturbance; especially from someone wet and walking in the water and on the beach.
I sat down next to a very old sycamore tree on the beaches edge and said some more words of respect and understanding. About 5 minutes later the density and sounds in the forest slowly returned. I arose and it seemed as though I had returned to my world and time. It was an amazing brief experience.
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