The Man with the Black Bow Tie

Grandma was sixteen years old. Born in 1892, with curly dark hair and a welcoming smile, she would grow up to be a real beauty. Having an abundance of suitors was a boon however, for she was not allowed to go courting until her father his gave permission, and on that matter, he was dragging his feet.

One day as Grandma was visiting with friends in her high school's courtyard, she noticed a man standing back a distance from the fence leaning against a tree. He wore a striking suit with a white shirt and a black bow tie. He stood too far away to see the features of his face. His presence there seemed odd as he stared in her direction for some time. When she went to point the man out to her friends, he was gone. Her friends could not see him. He was gone and Grandma did not dwell on the presence of the man again. But he was there once more as she came out of the store the following day. He stood at a distance, wearing the same suit, white shirt and black bow tie. He just stood there, looking her direction. He did not move. Once again, she could not make out his features, but she had an uneasy feeling as he stood there watching her walk away. It was daylight and she hurried home before it became dark. And once again, when she turned to see if she was being followed, he was nowhere to be seen. This time Grandma told her father about both occurrences and because they were new to this town, her father told her to be cautious and that he would ask around about the sightings of this man.

Grandma went to the park one afternoon with her younger sister. Everywhere they went in the beautiful park, he was looking from a distance. She felt stalked but did not want to ask her little sister if she could see the man. She did not want to frighten her. She took her sister for a treat after the park and when they came out of the store with their ice creams, there he stood in the distance. Grandma said she felt as though she was seeing people who were not there, but it was always the same being, the same man always looking their direction. She was afraid to tell her father as he might think she was seeing someone who simply was not there. But he was and always dressed the same. He never changed his attire, never got nearer but always made her feel uncomfortable.

Grandma went to church the following Sunday with her family and mid service started feeling unwell. Though she wanted to go home, her father told her she could not walk home alone. She struggled through it all and when the service was over, she felt dizzy as she went down the stairs to go outside. Near the bushes that landscaped the church yard stood the man. This time Grandma felt especially frightened upon seeing him. She pointed him out to her father, but he simply could not see the man. He raised his daughter to tell the truth so he knew she would not lie. Grandma felt most unwell by the time they reached home. She crawled into her bed and was isolated from her younger siblings. Tucked in tightly, she began to tremble as the chills set in. A fever was brewing, and her stomach was in knots. The bed seemed to rotate as she tried to lie still. She then began seeing shadows moving along her walls and felt a terrible presence pulling her into the depths of despair. She became very frightened. And then, out of nowhere stood the man. He was dressed in the same suit, white shirt and black bow tie. He came closer and closer until he stood looking over her. This time she could see his entire face. His features were grotesque and ugly. They were evil. Grandma saw and felt the presence of a Satanic being. She screamed out for her parents in fear. She screamed once more. When they entered her room, they found her drenched in sweat and trembling with fear. Her father held her close as she described what she saw to her father. He knew that her illness was not causing delusions. He knew something evil had entered their home. He knew that this entity his daughter was describing was Satanic.

Grandma's mother ran to the home of one of the Elders in her church. Other Elders were summoned and they, along with Grandma's father demanded through prayer that these spirits leave their home and leave their family alone and at peace. There across the walls of the bedroom could be seen the shadows of several personages, exiting out through the walls. There was a terrible commotion as the root cellar to the home promptly caved in. The neighbors next door heard it also and ran over to see what was happening.

Soon a story emerged that helped all to know that Grandma and her family had indeed moved into a haunted house. They were to find out that seances and devil worshipping had been a common occurrence in that root cellar. The neighbors had heard chantings called out all hours of the night from that cellar. Evil entities had been summoned on many occasions. Unfortunately, one, most evil in his desires had attached himself to my grandmother. After their home was blessed, Grandma was never to see the man again and many, many years later when my grandmother told me her story, I believed her for when I was a child, she scolded me if she caught me in a lie. I later believed Satan to be real when he tried once to attach himself to me and lock me in my bathroom in my twenties. The room grew cold and I like Grandma felt impending doom.

Be careful not to invite him in and never give him power, for he can be powerful, and........ he is real.