Real Life Paranormal Experiences Part 3

The Scent of Woodsmoke

Told by augustquartz

I have had many paranormal encounters. I have experienced unknown entities kindly reminding me to turn off lights before exiting the house, as well as sternly warning me not to perform certain actions. I have had beings break my pencils and unlock my door as I sleep. I have had personal belongings go missing from days to weeks (things that my family members would have no reason to take), only to end up in obvious places, such as on my bed, on my desk, or on the floor at the entrance to my closet. I have even experienced an attachment with a spirit who went by the name of "Michelle," who would scream in my ears and dart in and out of my peripheral vision. None of these occurrences lasted very long, however. The majority of them only happened two or three times, and "Michelle" only stuck around for a few months. Something that has stuck around for a while, however, is the suddenly occurring scent of woodsmoke in my house.

We have lived in this house for about eight years, and people have been smelling smoke at random intervals ever since we moved in. Interestingly enough, only I and guests have ever smelled the smoke. In fact, I am the only one in my family who has ever had a paranormal experience in this house. I do not know if it is my willingness to accept the paranormal, or my family's "see-it-to-believe-it" attitude, but no one else in my family has experienced the things I have. The only thing I have to remind myself that I am not making it up or losing my mind is that others have experienced the smoke. People tend to mention it, then dismiss it pretty quickly, but there have been some to show genuine concern about the scent, such as a former friend who woke up out of a dead sleep and tried to investigate the smoke to no avail.

For a while, it was only the scent of woodsmoke. I would smell it in passing, or it would surround me and fill my lungs, but it never had an obvious source. Until one afternoon, at least.

I was home alone with the dog I had at the time, Bear. The rest of my family was at one of my brother's functions, either football practice or a football game; I had no interest, so I stayed home. Bear and I were on the couch together. I was scrolling through social media on my phone, while he was fast asleep beside me. Suddenly, we both heard loud footsteps in the main hallway of the house, like someone wearing heavy boots was slowly approaching. There were no televisions on in the house, so there was nothing on that would make that noise. Bear woke up and looked in the direction of the sound a beat before me, so I know he was not simply reacting to my reaction to the sound. For a few seconds, all we could do was glance at each other, then to the hallway, then to each other, and then to the hallway again. Finally, I decided to rise from the couch and head to the kitchen. Bear rose as well, but he headed directly toward the hallway instead. I grabbed a knife (just in case there was an intruder), then cautiously, but swiftly, walked to the hallway.

In the hallway entrance stood a figure I will never forget for as long as I live. It had a basic humanoid shape, but it was made entirely out of black smoke. It had bright red eyes that flickered like a flame but still appeared to be part of the smoke. The creature was tall. From ceiling to floor, the hallway was eight feet tall, and it had to hunch its shoulders to make room for its head.

It simply stood there and stared at us. Bear and I looked at each other, at the creature, at each other, at the creature. None of us moved, except to blink or move our shoulders as we breathed. It did not feel threatening. It did not feel like the being was leeching off of my energy, or any of the stereotypical things people tend to suggest. Actually, it felt sort of awkward. It was like we were two strangers who had run into each other and had no idea what to say or do. I suppose it was exactly like that. I did not know how to react to the creature in front of me, and frankly, it seemed like it did not know how to react to me, either.

After a while of just standing there, I decided to move. While keeping my eyes on the creature, I reached over and turned on the lamp to my left (there were previously no lights on in the house, as there was still natural light coming in, but the area around the hallway was dim). As soon as the light spilled into the hallway, the creature disappeared in a puff of smoke with a loud, effeminate scream. There was no remaining physical sign that it was ever there, but the scent of woodsmoke it left behind was almost suffocating.

It has not reappeared since. It has been at least five years, possibly more. I miss it sometimes. It plagues me that I have no idea what or who it was, what it wanted, or why it appeared to me. I wish it would come back so I could communicate with it somehow. I do not know how, but I would like the chance.

Then again, I do not know if it truly ever left. Perhaps it is lurking in the shadows, regaining its strength. Maybe, when I turned on the light, I weakened it to the point where it could not assume a physical form. I do not know.

What I do know, however, is that one thing never disappeared. To this day, when I walk through the hallway, enter the house, or when I am feeling particularly lonely, the scent of woodsmoke curls around me in what can only be described as an embrace.