A true haunting story in my hometown. ~Panther Lover~

Visions And Missoula Witches Some years ago when Fred Teacher* was 17, there were some self-professed witches in Missoula. The witches names were Tom and Diane. Tom was tall and gaunt, Diane pretty and blonde. They told Fred that he was able to see auras around people (Auras are color lights people give off depending on their state of health and frame of mind. Experiments with what is called Kirlian photography-- photos of electrical discharges--have proven there is some basis in this.) and tried to teach him astral projection (This is a method of mind travel--often called out-of-body experiences--which some people claim enables them to travel wherever they want, to see whatever they want. There is far less proof for this than for auras.). They also tried to get Fred to join in their coven.

The coven met in the couple's small apartment near Rattle Snake Creek. They brought Fred there to meet some of the coven members. And, though Fred showed some initial interest in the group, he soon became far from impressed. Fred felt Tom and Diane often resorted to cheap tricks to impress coven members.

For example*: Tom said, one summer day as they sat in the living room talking about softball and two teams who were playing each other that afternoon, "You know I can predict the winners of every game in advance."

"Sure you can," Fred said doubtfully.

"I can predict the winners of the game this afternoon."

"Tell me then. Who's gonna win?"

Tom looked at him for a moment. "I don't think it can work that way. You know, I keep telling you, you've got a lot of power. And I was just thinking. You might be able to change the results of what I say just by willpower.

"I tell you what," Tom continued. He walked over to a cheap light brown table he used as a writing desk and took out a sheet of paper and an envelope. "I'll write the name of the winner of the winning team and the score on this paper. Then I'll write your address on this envelope and you and I will walk over to the post office and mail it."

Fred sat on the couch as Tom thought, wrote and then sealed and addressed the envelope. He walked to the post office with him, where Fred bought a stamp, licked it and slapped it on as he dropped it in the local box.

The next day Fred found the envelope in his mail box. He opened it. Tom had named the correct winning team and the score. But that night, while at a coven meeting, he happened to walk over by Fred's writing desk. He saw a similar envelope, addressed to him, from Tom, marked returned for postage.

It didn't take Fred long to figure out that he had never actually seen Tom put the stamp on that original envelope. Or that Tom could have, after learning the name of the winning team, simply sent another one in its place.

Tom and Diane's apartment was a small one. The walls of the living room were covered with occult objects and dark tapestries. A closet off the living room was filled with ritual paraphernalia,

In one corner of the living room was a large round table that the coven used in its magic ceremonies. One night, Fred was sitting around the table with the coven. All the windows and the door were shut tight to hold in the burning incense. One candle was lit, filling the room with flickering shadows. The only other source of light was the light from another room.

Tom and Diane were dressed in their witches' robes. The others were dressed in normal street clothes. Fred had not taken any drugs and had not seen anyone else take them.

Fred felt excited and nervous. As the ceremony progressed he began to feel a cold breeze blowing over him. He looked around. Others were obviously feeling it too.

Diane said suddenly in her raspy voice, "I feel a presence in the room."

Fred looked up and saw to his horror that Paul's face was gone. And in place of it was that of a middle-aged man with a long hooked nose and hag face. Bill, who was sitting near Fred, hurriedly scooted back from the table retreating from Paul. But an instant later the image faded away and Paul's face was back.

Afterwards Paul asked, "Why is everyone staring at me?"

They explained. "I only felt cold!" Paul said.

A while later Diane called Fred one day, "Please, Freddy, come over," she pleaded. "Tom's not here, and I'm afraid to be alone!"

Diane opened the door at his first knock. She looked awful and seemed terribly relieved to see him standing there.

"What's the matter?" Fred asked.

"You know, Tom has told me never to astral project when he's not here. Well I did anyway. It started out okay. I went over to my parent's house in Boston. I saw my brother getting ready to go to a boy scout meeting. But then, suddenly, I was in a vast cave. And this shrouded figure said, 'Diane, don't stay alone tonight under any circumstances.' And then the vision faded and I was back here."

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?" Fred asked.

"Yes, I was there. I saw it."

"Maybe you could call you're parent's in Boston and see if your brother really had a scout meeting tonight?"

"You don't believe me." Diane practically screamed at him. "I thought you believed me. I don't have to call. I know what I saw."

"I'm going," Fred said.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Freddy. Please don't go." Diane begged. Now she really seemed frightened.

Fred liked Diane and agreed to stay.

Night came. Diane still looked apprehensive but didn't seem to want to talk. Fred was getting bored and wanted to go home. Finally he said "I'm leaving." Before Diane could say anything he went to the door and opened it. A little way from the door of the apartment, lying on the lawn, Fred thought he saw a lady in a wedding dress. Thinking that was pretty funny, Fred began walking closer to get a better look. But, as he got closer, he saw something that made him run back to the apartment and not leave until dawn. Instead of a woman in a wedding dress, Fred saw the decaying body of man wrapped in billowing silken shrouds

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