"Welcome to the tenth chapter. In the previous chapter, I promised to share an incident from the childhood of the person closest to me.
You might have guessed it by now—after all, our family members are our closest bonds. That person is my father. You might wonder why I am sharing something so personal; the answer to that question will gradually reveal itself to you.
My father has experienced several unexplained events in his life. First, I will describe an incident from his childhood, but before I begin, let me assure you that these accounts are one hundred percent true.
When I was a child, I often slept beside my father. I would stubbornly insist on hearing stories. Usually, he told me stories that carried a moral or a lesson, but once, he shared a terrifying incident from his own childhood. This incident also took place in the same village, Bari.
My father told me, 'I was about 10 or 11 years old. My friends and I had a peculiar game. We would put a stick between our legs, grab the front end with both hands, and lift it. The other end of the stick would drag on the ground. As we ran, the dragging end would carve a deep line into the soft earth. We loved seeing those marks. We would run around, mimicking the loud horn of a train—choo-choo!'
'One afternoon, none of my friends were around to play, but I was determined. I grabbed a stick, tucked it between my legs, and started running. I kept my eyes fixed on the ground, watching the line I was carving while making train noises. Lost in my play, I ran far into the middle of the fields, completely alone. When I finally looked up, I was shocked. I had no idea how far I had come or where exactly I was.'
'It was broad daylight, but there wasn't a soul in sight. Panic set in, and I began looking for a way back. That's when I saw it—someone sitting under a tree, covered in a white cloth. Because it was afternoon, I could see the face clearly. It didn't look like a human; it looked like a demon. It had massive, protruding teeth—so long they went past the lower jaw. These are what we call "canines," and those sharp fangs made it look horrifying. Its entire body was covered in thick, black hair, like that of a bear. I couldn't bring myself to look into its eyes; I was so terrified that I lacked the courage to make eye contact. It had a nose like an animal and long, claw-like nails. It was gesturing with its hand, nodding its head, trying to call me toward it.'
'It was only about 7 or 8 meters away. I was so petrified that a scream escaped my throat. I turned and ran faster than I ever had. On my way back, I tripped and fell several times, but I scrambled up and kept running without looking back. I didn't stop until I saw people. Finally, I met a man who knew me, and he escorted me back home.'
My father and grandfather knew that I asked many questions and that I didn't get scared easily after hearing such stories. That's why they often shared these incidents with me.
Father added, 'I never mentioned this to anyone at home back then. I knew if I told them, they would never let me play in the fields again. I believe it was a spirit, but it didn't harm me. Perhaps that tree was its home, and it didn't want to leave. Even today, I have questions that no one can answer.'
Let me tell you that my father holds two degrees. He is highly educated, yet whenever I ask him if ghosts exist, his answer is always a firm 'YES.' He believes that supernatural entities exist and that we shouldn't dismiss them lightly.
However, my grandfather and I believe in science. We only reach a conclusion after rigorous questioning and logic. Yet, this incident remains beyond my reasoning.
Do you have any logic? What actually happened in that field? Our Earth is full of mysteries that even science cannot explain today, but that doesn't mean there is no solution to those mysteries.
That was an incident from my father's childhood, but I have personally witnessed events involving him that left me stunned. There was a time when even I began to believe in supernatural powers.
In the next chapter, I will describe those incidents where I was an eyewitness myself.
Thank you!"