Three Demons

One of the strangest things, and subsequently one of the scariest I’ve ever experienced, was when I lived just off Stockton Boulevard back in the mid-eighties.

You know that feeling just before you fall asleep that you are out of your body? Well one night that’s just what I felt like, like I'd drifted out of my body, out through the roof of the house and was looking all around at the night sky.

I happened to glance over toward Stockton boulevard and saw the oddest sight. Three smoky gray, pyramid looking things were "standing" on the sidewalk. They stood about three times the height of any of the buildings behind them. Each one had colored electric energy lines running from it's "body" to all the people on the sidewalks and in the bars; the prostitutes, hustlers and drug people, and these three things were sucking up their energy. They had no disernable features, but I clearly recall them wearing dark glasses and pork-pie hats!

About the time I was taking all this in, they saw me, "What are you looking at? Witch." I looked around to see who they were speaking to, and realized it was me. I noticed our roof glowed a bright white amongst a sea of dark houses. Their sudden attention, their hostility and remark startled me so much I jerked back into my body, fully awake. I’d never seen anything like that before. They were "feeding" off of every dark body walking the block that night. They had not actually spoken to me, but they communicated their thoughts quite effectively. So, I was a Witch huh...

The following day I set off for the local library where I had a writers group meeting. I used to take my little dog Dit-Doo with me, and we would walk the six blocks or so along 14th Avenue, a mix of residences and small buisness.

On the way to the library I noticed a going -out- of- business yard sale in front of one little store. There were tables of books, and a man was standing there talking to a few people. I didn't have the time to stop just then, but I wanted to check it out on my way home.

After the meeting, I walked down the sidewalk facing traffic because I intended to stop at the sale. I walked along at a brisk pace, Dit-Doo trotting along in front of me. When I got about three blocks from the store I didn't see anyone out front and the tables were gone. I noticed a white car parked in front of the store, about mid-way along the block, and thought at first they had something to do with the store.

However, I could not take my eyes off that car. It had a dark cloud hovering just above it. It was that dark gray cloud that really got my attention, it was so very odd. Like how many times do you see a dark cloud hovering above a car? I saw someone sitting behind the wheel, thinking it might be the man from earlier, but no, the man I’d seen earlier was white, and this man was black. Approaching closer I saw that there were actually four men in the car, two in front, two in the back seat. I also noted it was a four door, large car, and as I approached the block where it was parked I could hear the engine running.

As I stepped up on the curb, I realized all four of the stocking-capped, black men, were intently watching our approach. With a lurch of recognition in my stomach it occurred to me that they really thought I was stupid enough to walk past them. I "saw" the scene they planned... kick the dog out of the way, pull me in the car, punch me down into the back seat, books flying, it would all be over in 3 seconds. I made an abrupt right, darted with Dit-Doo across the momentarily deserted street, and sprinted a little way down the sidewalk. As I looked back at them they were all watching me like I was escaping prey. The driver mouthed, "bitch".

Suddenly there was a steady steam of traffic between us. Shaken, I tried to get their license plate number but they sped away. As I hurried along, glancing back over my shoulder at the oncoming traffic, I decided that if I had to I’d take refuge in someone’s yard before they caught up to me. However, I had not gone more than a half a block when instead of the white car I expected to see bearing down on me from behind, I saw a black and white patrol car.

I flagged the officers down and told them about the men, who I then recalled as passing me going in the opposite direction when I left the library. They’d deliberately turned around and were waiting for me. The officers offered me a ride home, but by that time I was just around the corner from our house, and I declined, thanking them. They made a u-turn and headed back down 14th after the white car. At the time I thought it was a wonderful coincidence that a police car came along just exactly when I needed one.

As I lay in bed that night I thanked God for my escape, shuddering to think where I might be laying that night had I not turned and sprinted across the street. I also wondered if there might have been a connection to those smoky things I’d seen the night before. That smoky cloud hovering over the car, what in the world was that? Had those cone things sent someone out to get me? If so, were they ticked because I saw through the ruse and escaped?

A few days later, in the Neighbors section of the Sacramento Bee, there was an article about 2 black men in a large- 4 door car being arrested for the kidnapping, beating, and rape of a woman left for dead out behind some building near a dumpster. I prayed for her, knowing it could have been me.

Years later, I was living downtown at 24th and N street next door to the American Market and deli. I became friends with Rena, who owned the store with her brother, Mineer. Rena was a self described Witch.

The Freemont School for adults was across the street, and one night Rena told me about a demon that she’d "see" occasionally on the roof over there. She said it was a cone shaped, dark smoky thing and gave off an unmistakable aura of evil. I’d never told her anything about my experience so you can imagine how surprised I was to hear she’d seen one of those things too. I'd never thought I'd imagined those creatures, but it's always good to have confirmation.