What I am about to tell you took place about 5 years ago. I was in the mountains north east of Asheville NC. I was taking some time off from work and decided it would be nice to go camping and do a little fishing. It was during the mid to late spring of that year. So the wooded areas were grown over some what I had been their about 2 days it was a thee day camping trip. On the second day about 4 in the afternoon after I had finished doing some fishing I headed back to camp. I noticed some storms moving in from the west. They looked like they were going to be strong the sky was almost totally black in the west. I remember from the day before I past what looked like a vacant cabin to the north of me about a half mile. So I figured it would be best to pack everything up and weather the storms from the old cabin than to try and wait it out in the tent. I packed my gear up and headed out the Cabin was in a small valley after about a 20 min hike I made it to the cabin. Looking at it more I noticed it was larger than a regular cabin in fact it had two floors. I walked up on the porch and opened the door I yelled out just incase some one was their. You never know in these hills if any one lives in these places. I got no answer looking around I noticed a lot of dust which told me no one had been here for a long time.

I could hear thunder off at a distance. I put my gear down and started looking around. The fire place still had fire wood next to it. Their was a table and chairs in the room in the next room was a kitchen with a wood burning stove and cabinets and a small table in the corner. I walked up the stairs and the door was closed going to these rooms. I tried to open the door but it would not open. I forced it open and walked in to look around. The Bed was still their with the blankets still on it a chest of drawers up along the wall. I found what looked like a book of some kind I did not think much of it and just took it down stairs with me. By now the storm was close Lightning was lighting up the rooms and the thunder sounded like cannons going off in the valley the wind was picking up and the trees where starting to whip around from the wind.

By now it was raining and getting dark there was an old oil lamp on the mantel of the fireplace which still had oil in it. I was not sure if it would light or not but it worked that gave me some light I got comfortable and just kicked back and relaxed in one of the old wooden chairs. I was looking through the book it was a Journal of the person that lived there at least I think it was. There was no date on it just hand written pages. It was not all that interesting just about this guy that lived there his daily activities and hunting game and fish that he caught. It was now around 9 or 10 I guess. I started to get tired and decided to turn in for the night. The oil lamp was still going strong so I turned it down and crawled into my sleeping bag. The rain had let up you could still hear thunder from a distance. It did not take long for me to fall asleep around 2am I felt something that was strange. You know how it feels when some one walks by you can feel the breeze from them as they pass by. Well I felt that it kind of startled me out of my sleep. From my military days I learned to just open my eyes a little and not move and look around. I did not see anything I figured it may have been a breeze from one of the many cracks in the wood from out side. So I settled back to try and go back to sleep. It was not long after when I heard the floor creaking above as though some one was on the second floor of the cabin. That went on for about an hour I was getting a little concerned but I know the front door was closed because the latch was still on the door that I could see. I sat up listening to see if I could hear it once more. And sure enough I did I could hear foot steps up stairs.

I reached for my knapsack and got my pistol out when ever I go into the woods I always take my old Colt 45 with me. Just incase you never know when you may come up on something you may have to protect your self. I climbed out of my sleeping bag and slowly walked into the kitchen with my flashlight. I stood at the bottom of the stairs for what seemed an hour listening to some one or something walking around up stairs. It sounded like they were walking back and forth from one end of the room to the other kind of like pacing back and forth. I started up the stairs very slowly keeping my eye on the door that leads to the room on the upper floor. As I approached the door I could clearly hear foot steps I was so nervous I was perspiring as if it was raining. My shirt was soaking wet by now. I slowly opened the door and Shined my flash light into the room. I saw nothing Just an empty room that had the bed and the chest of drawers in it. Then all of a sudden I felt that breeze I told you about as though some one past by me. I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck. As I was standing their trying to get over that feeling I heard the front door of the cabin close I about jumped out of my skin. I rushed down stairs with gun in hand and flashlight only to find the door closed and locked with the latch.

By now it was 5:30 am I did not get any more sleep I stayed up till the sun cam up and packed my stuff up and headed out to my truck that was parked a few miles away. I made it to the truck loaded ever thing up and headed home. I stopped off at the general store I normally go to when I am up here. I talked with the owner a while and told him where I stayed last night. He said ah ok that is Mr. Yates cabin. I asked him to let him know I stayed there and if he wanted any payment to let me know. He told me that he did not think he would be asking simply because he died in 1945. The rangers found him half way in the door way of his cabin tore up by a mountain lion. The story is old Yates still roams these woods looking for that cat. Once more I had chills running through me.