The Lady that Wasn't There

Witness: Ed
Location: Wailoku, Fiji
Date of Encounter: July 16, 2006

Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a lady who wasn't there.
She wasn't there again today.
Oh, how I wish she'd go away!
-Anon.

I've been meaning to submit my account of this unusual encounter for some time now and have finally decided to document this true story before I forget any of the details. Frankly, I've been reluctant to put this event in writing because just about everyone I've told it to has been skeptical.

It was just before 9:00 PM and my wife had already retired to our bedroom. She said she was extremely tired and intended to get some sleep and would I mind?

My eldest son, Stephen (age 15) was in his room, preoccupied with the computer. His room is adjacent to the bedroom where my wife had just fallen asleep. Steven was blaring the music on his computer rather loudly as teenagers usually do and I was concerned he would disturb Anne's slumber. I entered Steven's room and requested that he not play the music at such a high volume, lest he awaken his mother.

I then walked out of his room and into the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee. I looked up just in time to see Anne walk slowly past me and immediately knew that she was awakened by the loud music. She probably was not too happy about being disturbed in that manner. I guessed that was why she wasn't talking to anyone. I didn't actually see her face but saw her from the back as she passed by me.

Not turning around, She walked slowly but steadily. She was wearing a blue housecoat over her white pajamas and I contemplated how it contrasted with her hair and how her locks seemed to appear slightly more blond than their usual brownish color. This was odd, because when I saw her before she went to bed, I recalled that she was wearing a white, cream colored housecoat. She was wearing her usual white slippers and the hairstyle was Anne's, even the way she walked was familiar, but something didn't seem quite right.

She didn't say a word or even look back as I watched her walk on into the living room, past my youngest son, Ryan (age 9), who was sitting in a lounge chair. He was watching the TV intensely. She hadn't said a word to Ryan or even acknowledged his presence as she continued to walk right past him, almost brushing against his left arm, straight to the door. She opened it then shut it behind her, without looking back, as she walked outside. I never once saw her face.

Well, by not saying a word or even looking at us as she walked on past and then outside, I surmised that Anne was extremely upset and it might be better if I didn't immediately follow her and ask if everything was alright. She probably had just gone outside to sit at the table that was on the deck, just to get some fresh air.

So I sat on the couch in the living room and pretended to read a newspaper as I anticipated her return after her temper had cooled down a bit. About 5 minutes passed while I sat there so I finally decided to go outside and console her.

I went out the same door she had exited and was surprised and alarmed that Anne wasn't sitting at the table as I had expected. In fact she was nowhere to be seen. It was pitch dark and it didn't make any sense that she would walk off into the night like that. Alarmed, I loudly called out her name a few times but there was no response. Not quite knowing what to do next, I ran back in the house to get a flashlight so I could search for her. Maybe she had walked out to her car, but it was too dark for me to see.

I rushed back into the living room, saw Ryan sitting there and asked him if he had noticed where "Mom" had gone. He proclaimed that he hadn't seen her go outside and as far as he knew, she was still in bed sleeping. I figured that since Ryan was watching TV he was oblivious to all that had occurred. When asked, Steven said he didn't see "Mom" walk past his open bedroom door either.

I ran outside again and called out her name, but there still was no reply.

"Dad, Mom is in bed. She must be, because we didn't see her leave the house," exclaimed Ryan.

"She's not in bed!" I protested. "Steven rudely awakened her and she got upset and walked outside. Are you sure you didn't see her walk right past you and out the door?"

Just to prove to Ryan, Steven, and myself that Anne was gone, I decided to have a look in her bedroom.

And there she was! My wife was fast asleep in her bed! Anne was startled when I awoke her and related what had just happened. Still half asleep, she didn't really comprehend what I was talking about. She told me she had not left the room and I must have just imagined the whole episode.

Was Anne sleepwalking? It's not likely! Anne has never had any history of sleepwalking. Additionally, we live in a small house and there are only two doors. Both doors can be seen from the living room, kitchen, and even from where I was standing outside. Ryan, Steven, or I would have seen her return to the house and to her bedroom. Also, I was right about the housecoat. Anne has a white housecoat.

So who was that "lady"? I've determined that 25 to 30 seconds elapsed from when I first looked up and saw her walk past me in the kitchen, over to Ryan in the living room, then strait to the door, open it, walk outside, and close the door behind her. I also watched her walk past the living room window when she was outside. I was the only one who saw the "lady."

She didn't appear as an apparition but as a real, live, flesh and blood person. I recall clearly seeing her light-blue housecoat moving as she walked by me and remember seeing her hands and wrists protruding out of the long sleeves of the housecoat. I heard the door hinges creak, as they always do, when she opened it. I heard the familiar "clink" when it was closed. No Sir! This was not my imagination running rampant.

I cannot think of any reason for the "lady" to have visited our house. We built this house on vacant land 15 years ago and are the only family that has lived here. I have not found anything to be unusual about this land on which we live. It used to be jungle before it was developed and subdivided into residential lots around 30 years ago.

I've only encountered the "lady" this one time and I've never had an experience like this ever before. I've never been a ghost hunter. But now I am definitely a ghost believer! I just can't help but wonder: Why has this happened? Why was I the only one to see the "lady"? What can I do to meet her again?