The Man Next Door
Rhianna, South Australia
May 2010
I’ve had many experiences with the paranormal, but this one has always stuck in my mind for some reason.
I was visiting my dad for a few weeks. (My parents separated and after a few years my mum and I moved towns). It must have been around September from what I can remember, this particular night I was staying at my best friends place, who I loved visiting considering we had remained close even though I moved.
It was fairly late, I’m guessing close to midnight and we decided to call it a night. But before getting ready for bed I went out the front of her house to have a smoke. I was sitting on a bench they had at the front of the house minding my own business, everything was completely quiet.
For some reason I had an overwhelming feeling to look to my right, when I looked across the house next door had an older man at least in his late 80’s leaning against the fence looking around as if he were lost.
I myself thought it was fairly weird considering it was so late and he was just standing there for no apparent reason. The odd thing about it was, all though I knew he was human, he looked as if he had some kind of gray mist around him.
He didn’t seem to notice me sitting there, I kept quiet as I slowly saw him head closer to the house (I’m assuming for the front door). Right in front of my eyes, he vanished. With that, I bolted inside and told my friend and her mum why I was so out of breath.
I explained every little detail I possibly could. They both looked at me with complete shock, as my best friends mum shivered as if a chill went down her spine. I asked them what it was. They informed me the old man in the house had passed away three weeks before hand. It was only the old lady left in the house.