Power Outage

Where were you when the lights went out?

It was an exceptionally warm May evening, just a few weeks ago.  Our family was gathered around the table chatting when suddenly, the power went out. Living in rural northwest Illinois, occasional power outages are just part of life. Whether it’s a combine taking out a power pole, an ice storm snapping lines or a squirrel getting into a transformer, we all take the loss of power in stride.

Armed with smart phone flashlights, life went on as usual as we all prepared for the next day.  Well, I thought life went on as usual, but some things ended up being a little abnormal. You might say paranormal.

It was hot. And I had a hard time sleeping, so I went out to the back deck and lay down on the canopied swing. The breeze was cool and the dogs were right beside me (and the cat was on top of me), so I had no worry about my safety.  After about an hour, I started to actually get cold, so I picked up my blanket and pillow and headed inside with my entourage. A quick trip to the bathroom and I was ready to try sleeping on the couch, which was cooler than our upstairs bedroom.  I walked past the back door, saw Riley, one of the dogs, laying on the floor in front of it and smiled at him. “Hi,” I said softly.

“Hi,” was the clear response in a male voice that came from the kitchen. I froze and glanced over into the dark kitchen. No one was there.

I walked into the great room. My husband called out from one of the couches. “Terri, are you okay?”

I exhaled with relief. “Did you just say hi to me?” I asked.

“No,” was his unfortunate answer. “I just woke up.”

“Well, darn,” I replied. “I sure wish it had been you.”

The next day, when my daughter and I were coming back from the gym, I told her about my experience. She looked amazed and then said, “I had something happen to me last night too.”

She was in the kitchen earlier that evening, getting some spoons from a drawer.  A candle had been lit across the room, so she was standing in mostly darkness. She said she felt pressure on waist, like someone was trying to get past her and didn’t want her to move. She thought it was her dad, but when she turned to look, no one was there.

“I tried to recreate the sensation,” she explained. “But I couldn’t.  Someone or something actually touched me.”

Makes you kind of wonder who comes and visits when the power goes out.

Like what you read?  Find more stories by Terri Reid here.