Creepy personal Halloween story!

I debated whether or not to even share this one, but I can't get it out of my head, so here goes. This was Halloween night, not this year, clearly, and highly subjective, I know, but the fear factor was very real. My husband and I were driving on a highway, and he stated that he needed to find a bathroom. Within minutes of his announcement, I noticed a neon-type sign, green and red, as common for many roadside gas stations, off to the right. I mentioned it, and he took the exit. Oddly, the sign was no longer visible. At first, I speculated that perhaps it had just been turned off, but the time was between the hour and half hour, which would be an odd time for that to happen. Also, this was a very small place, near where two highways joined up, and we didn't even spot a closed station anywhere. There was nothing with such a sign anywhere. At this point, I was already starting to fell very tense, and couldn't think of any reason why. No other cars around, not a soul in sight, but I felt tense, as though we were being stalked. After the fruitless search for the station, he ended up pulling over in an area with a lot of big trucks, to relieve himself somewhat out of sight. By this time, the feeling as so strong I insisted that he stay within sight of the car. He felt something a little off, but not as intensely as I did. At any rate, business concluded, he got back in and we made our way back to the highway, and that was prtty much it. The tension faded the further we got from that place.

Later trips, nothing at all seemed off, and we even looked later for a station, during daylight hours. There simply wasn't one there, or anything else with a sign like I saw. I don't know what bugs me more; the feeling of being stalked, or the sign I saw vanishing into nothing. I had the distinct feeling that the sign was some sort of odd ploy to make us pull off the road there, and that the hunted feeling goes right along with it.

As I said, very subjective, but also very real. I don't spook easily, and I am a serious night owl. I have been on foot at night in towns and in the woods, and it doesn't bother me. Anyone else ever experience anything like this?

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Can you describe or draw the sign you saw? Sounds interesting.

a reply to: swanne

I don't really draw well, and even then could only remember an impression of the sign, instead of a station name, which is in and of itself odd. I remember the colors were red and green, not uncommon where we were, and I think it might have been oval-ish in shape, but I can't recall more. I couldn't then, either, which isn't usual for me. That, along with it not being there once we got off the highway, only adds to my suspicions that it was faked [to lure us in. Why, I don't know, and it didn't work, but it had that feel.

I'm sure you've thought of this, but are you certain it wasn't a reflection of lights from the dash inside your car? My car has many red and green lights in the interior.

In any case, you were wise to trust your instincts and move along quickly!

Thanks for sharing your experience.

a reply to: VegHead

Very sure, and yes, I did think of that. Good suggestion, though, as some might not!

The timing was strange, with it showing up right after he mentioned needing to go, and it vanishing, then feeling stalked; well, it adds up to weird. I still don't know quite what to make of the whole thing. I'd dismiss it as nerves, but I don't get that way typically. Even having someone follow the car, which has happened, isn't creepy like this was.

I, too, have had an odd 'neon that wasn't there' experience... but it lacks that intense "stalked" feeling that I, too, have experienced in unrelated instances ... that stalked feeling happened quite a few times in some haunted residences and twice in wilderness areas. But I did feel something was "off" when I got to the area.

Anyway, a friend and I saw a huge, neon lit thing (different colored, bright lights) that resembled an upright, circular array, or huge Ferris wheel, off a highway in a part of my city (Tucson AZ) with nothing of the sort and especially nothing like it at the place we saw it at.

We both commented on it... noting it's location and odd, large size and that we hadn't known any carnival or anything was going on... we drove past an obstruction, and it was gone when we could see the area again.

We went so far as to exit and explore the cross streets where we knew we had seen it... and there was nothing but an empty lot bordering a quiet residential area... but there was an oddness in the air once we were near the area that we couldn't describe well... but it wasn't that "stalked" feeling, so much as a "wrongness."

Not so similar, but your story reminded me of my own.

I ended up thinking my own experience was either a glimpse into another realm, or some ufo related weirdness... it was probably mundane, of course, but I tried to find a plausible explanation with no success.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes
I was 4 years old and looking at the life size "stick monsters" taped to the neighbors doors. I asked my Mother, "what are those; bone people"? She told me those were 'skeletons'. I asked "what is a skeletons?" She answered: "that is what holds your body erect and is inside of you". I couldn't believe something so ugly existed within me (not sure I am over that realization). Candy helps.

a reply to: Baddogma

Well, that is definitely similar! That we both explored the area, trying to find it, is of interest, too. When you and your friend were looking for what you saw, did you see any other people around? Where we were, given the hour, there was no one at all moving, which you'd expect, but I wonder, all considered, if the same would have been what we saw even earlier. A "wrongness", indeed! I'd say someone was playing around with holographic technology in both cases, but the question wold be why, and that wouldn't explain that wrong feeling!

Nice to know, at least, that we aren't alone in such sightings!! Appreciate your sharing yours.

a reply to: vethumanbeing

ROTFL!!! It would need to be chocolate, and in large amounts, for that night! Distance did help, and a later trip, there was nothing odd at all about the area. Whatever it was, it didn't linger.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Huh, now that you mention it, I don't recall anyone at all around that area... which is odd for the 10 p.m. time period... but as this happened back in the late 90's, things are vague and I certainly could be mistaken and influenced by the question... but my recall tells me it was eerily quiet.

A hologram might explain it, sure... but that opens quite a large can of worms about who would do that in a metro area and why? One other point is that that night was the start of a long, unpleasant ordeal... that ended positively, but was a life changing event... and I have to wonder if that sighting was somehow involved?

Well, thoughts like that make one suspect we're puppets on strings... which isn't very healthy! But weird that I hadn't thought about the timing before... so, er... thanks for the memories?

a reply to: Baddogma

10 p.m., eh? It was within a half-hour or so of that when my incident happened, if I recall correctly! Maybe 10"30 range. For where we were, quiet wold have been expected, but we didn't see so much as a night bird or cat. In a metro area, such as where you are, that's pretty weird for ten at night!

The "who" is as interesting to me as the "how". In your case, in a metro area, you'd have expected more people to have seen it, and that none did, at least that you saw, is strange. For us, on that road, it didn't seem so weird, though you did see occasional cars on the highway.

Now you have me curious about the timing issue! Anything you can share? In my case, nothing like that, though there were some issues already being dealt with, that weren't pleasant.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

I can only guesstimate the time... "around 10 p.m." means somewhere between 9- 11... if that means anything.

Of all the weird crap that I've been around, that one was the hardest to figure out... as in my other experiences had some context in that others had experienced them, too ... like haunting stuff and ufo sightings... this "array of neon lights" was unclassifiable... it was round, like a 'flying saucer' but seemed settled on the ground, on it's end... I call it my ucr sighting... unidentified carnival ride.

If you ever figure it out, please tell me!

a reply to: Baddogma

I hear you! I have had some weird experiences, but nothing like that one. Very odd, and until your story, I'd never heard anyone else talk about anything similar.

In our case, the phantom sign appeared right after the hubby mentioned needing a bathroom. Was there anything going on with you and your friend tht might have triggered the phantom ferris wheel?

I'd love to figure it out, but I don't think I'll hold my breath!!