Reader Submission: The Trench Coat Man
“I was very young, around four-years-old, I think. While it’s hard to remember events from such an early age, my mom was present and backs up my memories of the ‘man in the big trench coat and hat.’
It happened one evening when my father was working the night shift and my mom and I were alone in the house. We were in the front parlor room which at that time was where the only TV was (1969). Well, my mom likes to keep a dark house so about the only light on was that of the TV. She was on the sofa, and I was sitting on the floor with a view into the hallway.
To the best of our memories, the encounter went mostly like this: My mom asked what I was looking at. She noticed my head kept turning to the direction of the hall. I remember saying something to the effect of ‘I’m watching that man walking back and forth from your room. Why is he doing that?’
Well, as you would imagine, my mom was horrified to hear that there was a man in the house when she and her young son were there ‘alone.’ My mom asked, with all the composure she could muster, ‘What man is that dear? You know it’s only you and I here right?’ I simply answered, ‘No mom. There’s a man in a big, long coat and tall hat that keeps walking back and forth between the bedrooms!’
After a frantic search with a butcher knife in hand, my mom determined that there was no man in the house. Since young children don’t tend to lie, she took what she had observed of my behavior as the truth. It wasn’t until much later that I heard about ‘shadow people’ and realized they matched nearly the exact description of the entity I saw so many years ago. I assumed for many years that the lack of much visual detail was on account of the darkened house at night time. However, it perfectly fits with the ‘darker than night silhouette’ description witnesses give.
I know that many people go on seeing these beings, but in my case it was an isolated event. On the other hand, paranormal activity at my parents’ home was, and from time to time still is, an ongoing event. Lastly, I would like to add that while the creep factor was high there was no feeling of malevolence attached to the encounter that I could detect. Not to say that I am eager to see this visitor again anytime soon!”
Have you see a shadow person? Share your story with Ghosts and Ghouls’ readers!
Great story. Thanks for sharing. I’ve never seen a trench coat shadow man before but I have seen one with a top hat on, he was very tall as well.
Yes, shadow people. Alive and well and heavily patrolling the fourth floor of Waverly Hills!
My brother and I have seen a man like that but, with a different hat. My mom says he’s a demon and that if you see him, he’ll make you sleepy when you see him. So if you get sleepy you’ll now he’s there, also he screws with by making you see your worst fears!
I recently had a dream in which a man of the same description, he also had a long knife, was appearing in random visible spots as we were driving down the road, motorway etc. He appeared in house windows that we drove past, advertising boards etc. and he was always standing sideways from us. Anyone have any ideas if this is related?