"The Mist in the Garden"

"The Mist in the Garden"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

     It happened during a summer much like this one. I was in a Youth camp because there was nothing much to do in the province during that time. The fiestas were over but I still didnt want to go home to Manila so my summer was filled with one Summer camp after another in Romblon. I enjoyed those times because I was meeting a lot of new people. Of course there was something else that was willing to meet me as well.

     So it was the second day of the camp. We stayed in the Looc elementary school that had great open grounds for the activities but not enough shower facilities for around 200 people. So a friend and I decided that we would take a shower during the early hours of the morning in the front of the school where no one was around. Along the wall was a garden hose that we immediately used. It was going to be another hot day and I looked forward to being refreshed by the water. My friend found another garden hose further to the north of the wall so he started to take a bath with his back toward me. 

    That  summer has been one of the most paranormal in my life. So I think I wasn't so surprised when across the gardens a mist started to form. It was white and floating. I thought someone was already awake  and burning leaves to smoke the trees. I realized that it was just  4am and it was too dark to burn leaves or to even rake them in one place first. There was no possible source for it but that white mist was there and forming a vague shape. The place was too far off the coast and there was no fog in a hot place like this.  It was one of those classic apparitions that people talk about but I was not afraid. I just paused while the garden hose poured water on me because I wanted to know what it would do next. It  then crossed to the right , a floating mist that went  to the nearest building and disappeared.  I kept on showering. Oddly I did not feel afraid , The Mist merely wanted to have its presence felt. I never saw it the following morning.  It was not the first time I saw a ghost that summer and it was not the last.