Unexplained In Weird NJ
From Lon Sticker, Phantoms and Monsters
I recently received the following account:
I just need to tell someone about this. Back in September of last year, my girlfriend and I were staying at a hotel in Atlantic City. It wasn’t a large hotel/casino, but it was a nice place regardless. It was early Saturday morning. We were awake and hosting another couple from Philadelphia, sharing stories and enjoying each other’s company. Well, at about 2:00 a.m. we realized that we were out of beer and we really didn’t feel like calling it a night. My girlfriend told me that there were a couple of bottles of wine in the trunk of the car. So she tossed me the keys and I made my way out to where the car was parked. The parking wasn’t very convenient at this hotel, so we had ended up parking in a spot off on a side street over a block away.
I could hear the noises coming from a club down the street. But as I walked to the car, I found myself feeling unusually alone. I turned down the street to where the car was parked. The air was very heavy, misty with drizzling rain, and the streetlamps reflected on the wet sidewalk. As I reached the car and unlocked the trunk, I heard this voice call out. “Sir?” I was very startled, and I quickly turned around to a teen boy who was gazing at me from just a few feet away. I was really unnerved, and I jumped back and said something like, “Man, you scared the shit out of me.” This boy just kept looking at me unfazed. He appeared to be 16 or so, wearing old faded jeans and a dark hoodie sweatshirt. Then I noticed that his eyes reflected the light from the streetlamp and were completely black! I thought that he may have been on drugs, causing his eyes to dilate. But he didn’t seem to be high, and appeared calm and sober.
Regardless, I was totally alarmed by this encounter. He then said, “I’m lost and tired. Could you give me a ride to my mom’s house?” But this kid didn’t look tired or worried at all. It was almost like a predator leering at it’s prey and I was beginning to feel fear. He started to move closer to me. I immediately broke eye contact from the boy. It wasn’t easy to do. His eyes were compelling, as the deep cold blackness sought my attention. I sensed a venerable energy trying to control me. I backed off, and stepped up onto the curb. I uttered, “No…I can’t, I have friends waiting.” I kept looking down. I didn’t want to look at his black eyes, feeling like an insect in a spider’s web.
After a few seconds, he responded, “OK, never mind. Here come my friends.” I looked up and past him. There were two young kids about a block away and they were walking in our direction. Then I noticed that they weren’t walking, that their legs weren’t moving. They hovered a few inches above the sidewalk and were floating towards us. I freaked out and quickly turned around to run. As I did so, I heard a horrifying groan behind me. I ran faster than I ever thought was possible, directly towards the hotel. I felt like they were right behind me. I has the painful sensation of something clawing at my back, a feeling I will never forget. It was pure terror. When I reached the entrance to the hotel, I looked back and found myself alone. I continued moving quickly, not stopping until I was back in my room. My girlfriend and the couple were startled to see me panting and bending over in pain. They asked, “What happened? Where’s the wine?” I collapsed onto the couch and didn’t speak until I could catch my breath. I never told them what really occurred, only that some thugs tried to attack me. I no longer felt like playing host and I told my guests that I wanted to call it a night.
I didn’t sleep a wink that night, fearing that these black-eyed kids would find me. -Jayson
NOTE: This black-eyed people phenomenon gets stranger and stranger. Are these otherworldly beings, or some other type of entity? These particular BEKs seemed to be malevolent…but that’s not always the case. Is their existence connected to an infiltration by unknown forces from an alternate reality? Are their encounters an attempt to study our reaction to their presence…or possibly far more dubious intentions? These BEK, black-eyed kids, are not seen in schools or other locations where youth congregate. Their base or lair are a complete mystery. Then again, maybe these are actual humans who are possessed somehow and able to transform under certain conditions. Are these the vampires and werewolves of previous eras, now conforming to our modern world? I’m keeping an open mind. –Lon
Weird Sightings
Paramount Paranormal?
by Glenn Harbour and Lauren Fitzpatrick
Is this bearded image one of the spirits who is rumored to haunt the lobby, hallways and catwalks of the historic Paramount Theater in Asbury Park?
And if so, which one is he? Could this spirit be the janitor employed as the building first opened in 1930 after replacing the 5th Avenue Arcade which was destroyed by fire? Or, was he a sailor on duty four years later when the Morro Castle was seen engulfed in flames just offshore after a mysterious fire claimed the lives of 137 passengers and crew? And, might this presence have assisted with the bodies that were laid out in both Convention Hall and The Paramount which were used as make-shift morgues?
Perhaps he was witness to the tragic 1956 Paramount fire taking place during a performance, which claimed the lives of two dancers, one child and a fireman, some of which were trapped behind a locked door that has been sealed ever since.
Whatever era this spirit hales from proves that the rumors of The Paramount being rife with spirits are probably true.
One Day At The Barbers…
by Steve DelRay
I often hear supernatural stories from my barber in Woodbury, NJ One visit however, was unlike anything I’ve heard before. When I entered the barber shop, I was greeted by a group of older gentlemen engaged in conversation. I thought I would be waiting for a while to get a haircut, but Sal, the barber, told me I was next. The men in the barbershop that day were just hanging out and discussing various supernatural eyewitness encounters. It felt like I had entered a secret meeting spot of some secret society.
As I sat in the barber’s chair, I heard stories ranging from the Jersey Devil to various alien encounters. One gentlemen revealed that he was a former government employee that actually took part in a stand off with the Jersey Devil. Apparently there were other local officers present with guns aimed at the Devil when the officer in charge ordered the men to lower their guns and return to their vehicles. According to this guy, the Jersey Devil used telepathy to order the men to lower their guns and leave.
At this point I thought I heard it all, but there was more. My barber asked if I believed in aliens. Then the ex-secret government guy opened up about an alien encounter. He revealed that, “They die just like the rest of us.” I asked him how he knew this, and he stated that he had killed an alien with his gun. The alien corpse is apparently still stored at a secret government facility. Needless to say, I have never heard such weird stories at a barber shop before. However, after that visit I have heard stories of various hauntings and local creatures that were described as a cross between a werewolf and Sasquatch. If you’re looking for a barbershop with some weird supernatural stories, you better call Sal.
Nun In The Graveyard
by Shaun Burris
From our friends Ghostman and Demonhunter. We know it’s not New Jersey, but this is a great photo. -Eds.
Look close to the top right of the Lewis tombstone. See her? Yeah, we did AFTER this photo was taken. We didn’t see her at the time. Nate and I searched the cemetery immediately after this photo was taken, but no sign of a nun in white.
