I've always been a lover of the Paranormal and Supernatural. It's been a special interest of mine, something I've poured my heart into and spent hours researching to learn more about. Now, when I was in sixth grade, we had an essay to write. We could choose any topic we wanted, as long as we did the research and presented a lot of information about it. While my classmates went with more typical sixth-grade topics like fishing or making things, I decided to take the supernatural route. I chose to research the mysterious creatures known as Nightwalkers.
Ever since watching an episode of a paranormal investigative show where they explored the enigmatic Nightwalker Canyon, I had been captivated by the idea of these creatures. I spent hours delving into their folklore and learning all I could. My final essay ended up being around 12 pages long, and I was incredibly proud of it. Some of my classmates thought it was a little strange, and a few teachers were concerned, but it never caused me any real trouble. It was quite ironic that I had chosen this topic for my essay, considering that the knowledge I gained did nothing to help me understand what would happen to me that July, during the summer between sixth and seventh grade.
We were in the process of moving houses, not too far away, just about 15 minutes to be closer to my grandmother. The house we lived in at the time was surrounded by dense woods, which my younger brother and I had always enjoyed exploring. Though we didn't have much property, we had a nice patch of forest to run around and investigate. Back then, we knew almost every square inch of the land. I loved spending time outdoors, and I would often play there for hours, especially when I had my dogs with me.
Our house sat on a small hill, and we had a modest porch on the backside that overlooked the woods. It was just big enough to hold our grill and a few camping chairs. I would often stand out there at dusk, listening to the sounds of the forest at night. The tree line was about 20 yards away, and the angle made it so that whoever stood on the porch would be a good six or seven feet above the ground at the tree line.
One night in July, I was standing on the porch as usual. I had been sitting there, reading one of my favorite books and relaxing. I was around 12 years old at the time, and my attention span was quite short. Once I had finished reading, I got to my feet and leaned against the railing, gazing out into the trees. After a few moments, I realized that I could hear something walking around in the woods.
Living so close to the forest, it was not uncommon for us to have deer wandering through, sometimes coming right up to our house if we were quiet enough. Naturally, I went silent, waiting for a deer to emerge from the bushes. Sure enough, after about 30 seconds, I saw a pale, slender shape stepping out from the brush. There was a brief moment of excitement at the sight of such a graceful creature, but my enthusiasm quickly turned to confusion.
This deer didn't look quite right. Its neck was slightly too long, and its limbs seemed thin and spindly. It shouldn't have been able to support its body on such thin legs. Surely, it would have collapsed under its own weight. Yet, it stood perfectly steady on its hooves as it walked towards me. At first, I felt no fear, only curiosity and fascination. But as it approached, I realized that no deer should be this close to a human. It looked directly at me, and I knew it was aware of my presence. With a thrill of terror, I suddenly realized that this deer might be sick or possibly rabid.
There was no way the deer could reach the porch where I stood, but I slowly backed away from the railing, went inside, and locked the door behind me. I pondered the situation for a moment, then shook it off, convincing myself that it was just a sick deer. I immediately told my mother about the encounter, worried for the safety of our dogs and my brother. I didn't want them to be attacked by the sickly creature or possibly contract whatever had made that deer ill.
My mother immediately went on high alert and kept my brother and the dogs indoors for the next few days. We moved to a new house that week, though it wasn't directly related to the sighting of the strange animal. I never saw that deer again, or any other like it. Several years passed, and I had forgotten about the incident until a few nights ago.
My interest in the paranormal has remained with me, and I have continued to explore these mysterious creatures. While searching through the Cryptid tags on an app, I stumbled upon videos of beings called "Not-Deer." I was immediately intrigued and began researching these creatures. After a few moments of exploring the information, memories of that night in July flooded back to me. It allstarted to make sense. The appearance and behavior of the deer I had encountered perfectly matched the descriptions and behaviors associated with Not-Deer. The story I thought I had concocted with my 12-year-old imagination turned out to be true.
I felt somewhat embarrassed for not realizing the truth of my encounter until all these years later, especially considering how much I had researched these folklore beings. However, I decided to set aside my embarrassment and share my story instead. If I ever come across another creature like that, I'll be sure to share more.
In the days following my realization, I found myself gazing into the woods more often, wondering if I would catch a glimpse of a pair of large, haunting eyes staring back at me. The allure of the paranormal and the unknown still held a strong grip on my imagination, and I couldn't help but hope for another encounter, even with the mixture of fear and fascination it would bring.
Whether or not I ever come face to face with another Not-Deer, my passion for the supernatural remains unwavering. I continue to delve into the depths of the unknown, seeking answers and unraveling the mysteries that lie beyond our everyday perception. And who knows, perhaps one day, my curiosity will be rewarded with another extraordinary encounter that will ignite my imagination and reaffirm my belief in the extraordinary realms that exist alongside our own.