Ever go on a vacation where you expect to get away from strange events and beings? My recent stay in southern France was interesting. This account was shared with me by a British expat who lived a few yards away next to our “gite” or rental house while my husband and I vacationed this time in the small village near Avignon.
The cottage we rented for three weeks was nestled on a hill behind small trees and a shield of bamboo. Tucked away a few miles from a main road, there were four other neighbors around us, but since everyone lived behind cement and stone walls, each individual home was gated. The only exception was our cottage and the landlord’s next door which was accessible by foot once you step down a stone path, past a border of trees and the swimming pool. A small haven far away from the tourists of the village which was about 6 km from us, the neighbors quickly took note of our arrival as we were up on a hill and visible to passers-by who habitually walked past us to get to a canal which was situated about a quarter mile past a house where an elderly lady lived with her small dog.
The British couple, eager to speak in English to us, invited us to stroll with them one morning. Eventually, by week’s end they invited us for a “apero”, a mid-afternoon meal which consisted of light drinks, a pastry or an appetizer, since dinner usually commenced at seven or eight in the evening in most of France, if not western Europe.
It was during this visit with our eager British neighbors whereup they heard of my genre of writing that they related an account to us. However, allow me to preface the narrative by first telling you our experience the previous night at the cottage which we shared with our hosts:
There were two bedrooms in the cottage and we first had tried the bedroom on the ground floor and decided it was not as private as the first floor (Second floor in US) as the pool was in view and could be used by the landlord if he was inclined. Thus, in the interest of privacy, we decided to move our sleeping arrangements to the second bedroom right above. The room was not as big and had no direct access to the bathroom, but nevertheless the room had a sizeable window at the other end of the room and was cooled by the air conditioner as it was the beginning of September and it was still warm.
I awakened around two a.m. to an intense light coming through the sole window near the foot of the bed. I ignored it at first, thinking the landlord had switched on the street light for some reason. In this area of France, the residents provided their own lighting. I proceeded to the bathroom which was downstairs. When I climbed back up the steps, I discovered the light had awakened my husband, who was now stepping sideways to let me pass as he made his way down.
I climbed into bed and noticed the light appeared to be moving. I thought it highly odd that anyone at that time of night would be walking towards the canal which was accessible on this narrow path just outside the side of the house. Once my husband had rejoined me, I decided to examine the source of the light by standing by the window. It was a casement window with real usable shutters. A tree was partially blocking the light, but then that was when I saw that the light was way beyond the lamp post.
I got an eerie feeling and my husband told me to draw the curtains so as not to allow the light in. In another few minutes, as I climbed back to bed, it winked off.
It was interesting that the following day was when we met the British couple. By week’s end, we would learn of what they both encountered at the canal the afternoon before the light we saw at our window.
I will post the couple’s uncanny account of an entity that they encountered at the canal less than a mile behind the houses – and the cottage we stayed in. Meanwhile, stay dry and warm. The weather’s changing in our part of the world back home on the East Coast of the US.
Stay tuned for my next installment. Thank you for reading!
