This past weekend, I was invited to be an actor on a "ghost walk" being held in a nearby state park.  There were three of us, performing a reenactment of an 1887 murder that took place very near the trail on which the walk was taking place; in fact, part of the trail is the old wagon track where the incident happened.  It was just past dusk on a clear evening, about 69 degrees and low humidity.  I was hiding near a small rocky outcropping maybe 15-20 feet off the trail, behind a stand of trees and brush.

Nothing happened during the tour itself; but after the tour group had been taken away and we were given the signal that it was safe to come out, I had an odd experience.  As I came out of my hiding place, just as I moved through the tree line and into the brushy area between the trees and the trail, I walked through a patch that was distinctly warmer than the surrounding area, by at least ten degrees; it was very noticeable.  At the same time, it seemed as though there was a bit of haziness or smokiness in the same spot, though that was most likely my eyes adjusting to the change in light level between my shady hiding place and the dusk of the world beyond it.  I immediately turned around and retraced my steps, but the spot was gone, the whole area a uniform temperature.  One of the other actors caught up to me then, and we caught up with the third, and started back up to the head of the trail.  I started to say that I'd just felt "something odd" and one of the other guys cut me off, saying "It was a hot spot.  I felt it too."

I'd never even thought of a hot spot before, though I take it that they do happen, albeit rarely.  Having corroboration from another person was heartening as well!  The only downside to the whole evening is the fact that I must have walked through a nest of chiggers in addition to my hot spot; there are literally hundreds of bites on me, and today I'm about as miserable as one can get!  Tonight's ghost tours should be entertaining; thank all the Gods that I'm at my usual haunt (pun absolutely intended) tonight, a historic home with climate control and no bitey insects!

Back to my Benadryl and calamine,

~~taijiya

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