Another Spectral Passenger

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The more you might want something, the sooner it becomes a reality as the saying goes. Think of the genie in the bottle who grants you only three wishes. If you're not careful, however, what arrives isn't what you had in mind. Such can be the case with the spirit world.

In this story, a group of young adults drive around late into the night looking for a thrill and get the fright of their lives.

Aerial view of West Seattle and Alki beach.

A short bridge in West Seattle spans over a narrow, but deep, ravine popular for suicides near the Admiral Theater and Alki Beach. Rumor had it that passers-by would see the figure of one of the many pitiful souls who took their lives by jumping off the span. They say that it stares at people at the beach near the scene of his death. Along side him is his dog who followed his master into the afterlife.

Like many teenagers, Mike, a relative of his and a couple of friends, knowing of this tale, were in search of a cheap thrill one night and decided to drive the road below the bridge. At 3 AM, they did not find themselves alone, however, because they were joined by others (living) who had heard of the same story and parked along the side of the road.

An investigation in the ravine. The supports of the bridge
can be see in the background.

When Mike and the rest of his crew did not see the famed ghost after waiting a long while, they began to taunt the spirit daring it to show itself, mocking it. Mike drove away from the site disappointed. After driving for a few minutes, the girls seated in the back began to scream as the space between them began to depress as if someone were sitting down - They invited a spirit into the car!

"... They began to taunt the spirit... The girls... began to scream as the space between them began to depress..."

Whether it was the spirit of the man with the dog or not, they didn't have enough time to investigate. Mike immediately drove to the shoulder. Once he parked car, nothing could stop the quartet from bolting out. After they calmed down and gathered enough courage to return to the car, they found that the rear seat, the "bitch", had returned to normal. Regardless, they waited a few minutes to check if the spirit left before getting back into the car and returning home.

You would think that this was a lesson learned. Years later Mike would want to relive that night, but this time with different and lingering consequences.

(c) 2012 - Joseph S. Maza

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