Encountering Judith: My Paranormal Experience

I hesitate to describe my encounter with Judith, not because I fear you won't believe me; I can't control that, think what you will. No, I fear telling this because I can't find the right words.

I would love to find literary, painterly terms, but the experience is too confusing. Even sloppy, everyday conversational descriptions, grammar and passive voice be damned, are difficult. How do I tell you I think a dead woman stepped inside me?

My friends Mary and Dan bought a house about 20 years ago. They couldn't afford much at the time and Bennett, the owner, offered to carry the mortgage. He was a dirty, rough man, the stereotypical biker from hell. Before long, some legal shenanigans came to light and they realized he had somehow defrauded them of their down payment and equity. It was all too convoluted for me to understand, but essentially, they had to start from scratch and give another down payment to a bank.

The neighbors weren't surprised. They told Mary and Dan that Bennett could never be trusted, and in fact, most people suspected that he had killed his wife, Judith.

"It was in that front bedroom on the right," Mary explained. "The neighbors said Judith was found shot to death. The police knew he abused her all the time. They had been here on one call after another."

"Bennett had an alibi and the police even tested his hands for gunshot residue. He was clean. Then two days later, he married Nancy, a woman he was having an affair with. They never tested Nancy. The cops ended up ruling it a suicide."

Mary and Dan began to remodel the house, bit by bit. Their garden became a dazzler and the new kitchen was beginning to take shape.

One day Mary related a bizarre story about a dresser moving in the front bedroom. It simply was found in a different spot from where they put it. I didn't know what to say. I trusted Mary completely, but, well, this couldn't happen. She wouldn't lie to me, but dressers don't move on their own. Maybe job stress was getting to her.

After a time, they read Bennett's death notice in the paper and said "Good riddance!"