The Shelter

 

 

 

 

Me and my then 1 year old, Cody, were living in a homeless shelter due to unfortunate circumstances, and we had our own room due to being in a specific program at the shelter to help me get beck on my feet. Shortly after moving in one night, being so hot I did not pull my covers up.  I got up to check on Cody then went back to bed facing the wall.  It was then I felt an open hand touch my left side of my butt.  I flipped over and no one was there.  I checked my door it was locked.  I looked under my bed no one there.  I checked the hallway...nothing.  I got back in bed and pulled the covers over my head for the rest of the night!

 

One night me and Cody were alone up stairs in the lobby reading a book. Cody started looking over across the room and laughing and talking as if he were playing with someone.  I watched this go on for a while then I asked him what he was laughing and talking to.  He pointed and said, "A man".  I said, "A man?  Where?".  He pointed again and said, "There, a man with a stick".  I grabbed him due to he was freaking me out and ran downstairs where there were other "visible  people" around us.

 

I had mentioned this to another woman, who was of Indian decent, and residing at the shelter in the same program I was in.  She said as if not surprised at all, "Oh yeah, that is the guy who keeps calling my name and coming in my room all the time, I see him too".  She described him as an elderly dirty looking man with a cane, probably died on the train tacks behind the shelter or in the building before it was the shelter it was the city incinerator.  One evening I was eating dinner sitting next to her at the table and heard her name whispered between our seats.  I'm sure I looked spooked as I only looked at her and she said, "Yeah, he is over there calling me".

 

On another occasion, Cody and I were in our room upstairs.  He was in his crib playing and I was lying on my bed doing a crossword puzzle.  Before I knew it I looked over at Cody and he was standing in his crib laughing and talking to nothing standing by his crib.  I didn't run this time, due to getting used to the idea we were not alone.  I asked Cody what he saw and he said, "Man and pointed".  I said, "Well tell the man you have to go to sleep and he has to leave".  I turned out the lights and since it was hot, I did not pull my covers up.  I then felt a very hard pinch on my lag so I flipped on the lights and nothing was there.  The next day I had a bruise on the spot I felt the pinch.  

 

Karen

                                                                                                                 

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