Ghosts in the Woods

My experiences are all related to a certain area of woods near my home, and nearly all of my stories can be validated by witnesses with me out in the woods. In fact, I would of thought I was insane if there had not been anyone with me, and I would never of written them down.

I am a huge fan of hiking and exploring the woods near my home, and jump at the chance to go out and explore some new area, or to visit places that I have never been in the woods. As most of the area I live in is wooded, I have plenty of places to go and explore. However, there is a section of woods near where I live that I have come to believe as being haunted.

The whole story started with a friend of mine and I going on a long hike into the woods, as we do when we can. We were about a mile into the woods when we found a nice spot to sit and talk for awhile. We were joking and laughing when both of us noticed that our voices were echoing in the woods. We screamed various things and could hear of voices echo back, and were yelling all sorts of things and laughing when we suddenly realized that our voices were not echoing anymore. Both my friend and I yelled once or twice more, but heard no echoes. It was strange, and we left in a hurry to get a move on. This was the first time that I remember anything out of the usual happening, but not the first time that there were experiences out of the ordinary in that area of woods. On other occasions, both with and without other people with me, I have heard other voices in the woods, including one occasion when I heard my name called out loudly. I answered with a call of my own "Hello?" but heard no answer. On the way out, I heard children's laughter, singing, and my name called out again, all at different times, as I hike out of the woods at top speed. I brought my friend out there the same day and heard nothing out of the ordinary. I was on the verge of feeling very stupid, when both my friend and I heard a voice saying "Hello?" My friend and I both answered, and received no answer. I know it may of been a prank, but the calls were coming from the middle of a large swamp, and anyone who wished to play a joke on us would of had to wade out into waist deep muck to do it. Other things that have happened in the woods have been various times in which we have caught glimpses, out of the corner of our eyes, of both large deer, (including both of us seeing a white doe jumping through the brush), and of a woman climbing a section of rock that vanishes as we got near. The woods themselves have, to my knowledge, never been lived in, although it is easy to find old "junkyards" of antique bottles, and discarded wastes. Even as soon as a few days ago, we have heard things in the woods. Two days ago (from June 13, 1998) both my friend and I heard whistling the whole time we were in the woods. The "ghosts" if that is what they are, never have hurt us, or frightened us too badly (neither of us enjoys seeing or hearing what we do, but we don't run from it immediately like we once did). At the same time, we do not hear or see the "ghosts" every time we enter the woods. On one final note, as a side effect of our encounters in the woods, it seems that something has followed me to my house. I have heard mumbling from upstairs more than once, and as I sat and read in my basement, it felt as though something ran it's fingers over my back gently, as if letting me know it meant no harm.