Encounters

Submissions

"One of the first memories I have of encountering something that was not of this realm, was when I was about 5 years old. I always struggled with sleeping in my own room as I would get scared.

My dad had gotten me a massive white rose, it was just as big as me - if not bigger, it had a plastic green stem and floppy white petals. I loved it, and kept it in the corner of my room.

Because I was notorious for not being able to sleep alone, my parents ensured I had a nightlight on at all times - this helped soothe me as I would try to make myself fall asleep.

One night, as I was laying in bed, I remember looking at the tall flower that stood in the corner of my room, which would have been to my right on the opposite side. I watched in awe as a bright, white light formed above the flower. I could hear what I genuinely perceived as “angels singing”, as this light grew and opened up above my rose.

Perplexed and confused, I watched it get brighter and louder until it came to an immediate halt, and I never saw it again."

Anonymous, 27, Calgary

"...Our backyard looked directly at Camp Chestermere, no other houses across from it, just dirt and prairie. The first week or so that we lived there I didn’t sleep at night. I felt out of place, and creeped out.

I would stay up until the sun started to rise, before I was comfortable enough to fall asleep.

I always wondered if we were on sacred land, or land that had bodies buried around it... Our time in Chestermere was not pleasant, and I don’t think it was for any of our neighbors. My parents and I all recall hearing the sounds of footsteps pacing the stairs. My dad said he would wait, staring out their door for someone to finally get to the top of the stairs - but no one ever did.

Late one night, I had my big bedroom window open, when I heard someone whistling… It was an entire song, over and over, someone whistled - and seemed to circle our house (which didn’t have a fence at the time). I followed it, I listened from the washroom, as it got quieter and then ended up right back at my window which faced the street. I never felt alone in that house, even when I really wanted to be."

Anonymous, 25, Chestermere