Blake Monnard was not lost exactly. But he tells about his amazing forest encounter to a few who are interested.

     "It happened on Christmas night," he would always start the account.

     I heard it during the Christmas break from my college. I was visiting the Tylers and he happened to be there. I supposed that he was some old friend of theirs, but I never found out.

     When I heard the story, I was hypnotized; but I never took it to be any more than just a story.

     "Things looked really down for me that year," he explained. I'd hurt my back and couldn't get around around very well. I'd been fired a week before that because of the injury. My hospital bills were through the roof.

     Helen had left me a month before. We couldn't make it on what I had left, so she went home to her mother. When Christmas Eve came that year, I can honestly say that I was at the lowest point of my life. It was a really bad time - the worst I can remember.

     That afternoon in the house, the lights all went out. As far as I knew, I had paid the bill; but maybe it was just a problem with the lines somewhere. Anyway, everything went dark and there I was.

     I found an old kerosene lantern, and lit it. Luckily, we had a wood stove, so I didn't freeze. But it was cold in that house just the same. I had to sit right next to it with my coat on. I cooked a can of soup on the stove. The cupboard was almost empty.

     Outside, it was drizzling rain. After sitting by the fire, I figured the only thing to do was to turn in for the night. It was really early; but there was nothing else to do. And really, all I wanted to do was escape my life for a few dark hours anyway. Sleep was the way out.

     There wasn't much wood anyway, since we hadn't used the stove for that much. I went to my bed in the coldest room in the house. I got under my covers and buried myself in the blankets. I got pretty warm and felt better than I had the whole day. I must have gone out pretty quickly. It was only around eight o'clock.

     I woke up; and the room was really cold. I sat up; and you know how it is when you do that. You have to gather your mind to remember where you are. I think I had been dreaming. I had the feeling of some vision in my head, but nothing would come when I tried to remember.

     I could see out of my window and there was some light out there. There was only woods in back of my house - we lived in the country back then. I couldn't imagine who could be out there with a light on Christmas eve. The light wasn't moving, just a small glow, and I couldn't tell from where.

     There was no reason in the world why I should even care. But the truth was, I couldn't sleep now. I hate it when that happens. But when it does, I have to get up and stir around some.

     But this was one night that I didn't want to crawl out of bed. I could even see my breath now. Well, I did need to at least light another fire in the stove. I figured that might warm things up a bit.

     So I got up and gathered up enough wood to get the stove going again. It was cold work; but after a few minutes, I had a nice blaze going in the rusted old excuse for a heater.

     How empty and desolate the house was. I was watching the eerie light rise and fall in the room. I had never done this before, especially at this time of night. While I sat there, depressing thoughts came to me. It was horrible. I looked out of the window again and again. That glow was still out there.

     I thought I felt there were eyes watching me. This was crazy; but I was looking around to see who it could be. I knew that no one would be lurking around the house at that time of night. But this feeling of being alone was really getting to me.

     That's when I saw two eyes that were watching me. It was a deer; and he was right up to my window looking in at me. This was crazy. Deers just don't do that. I clapped at him and lunged a little forward. He didn't move a muscle. For some reason, I was intrigued by this.

     I got up and went to the window to have a better look. I was a little scared then, I'll admit. I wouldn't get too close. But when I looked beyond my watchful friend, I could see the woods pretty easy. In fact, the light had gotten brighter.

     The deer looked toward the woods and then back at me. This was too much. Even though I knew it would be risky, I decided to check it out. I grabbed my coat and hat and left quietly through the front door. I thought I might be able to sneak around to the back and get a closer look at my watcher.

     It wasn't very cold outside, not as much as I would expect. It seemed like my house was actually colder than the outside. When I got to the back, the deer was gone. I didn't see him no matter where I looked.

     But the incredible thing was the snow. The ground was covered with about an inch. There was no moon up; but I could barely see the land. And I could still see that light.

     I decided to have a closer look at the woods. I could tell even better now, that the light was coming from inside there. My house was still dark as midnight. I was too curious about what it might be. I noticed too, that the closer I got to the woods in the back, the warmer I was getting. And it wasn't from the woods themselves, but more like coming from the ground.

     More than once, I really thought that this was only a dream. I would wake up any second and find myself back in my cold bed. But I kept walking. There was some reason for this happening. It felt like a door was being opened for me, and I had to accept the invitation.

     I made it to the edge of my yard, where woods began. I never knew that there was any path in there, just clomps of thicket. But here was a nice wide little path which I could walk easily through.

     The snow was deeper now, as if it was falling heavily around me. But the sky was clear. In fact, I never remembered seeing so many stars in the sky. And when I looked back at my house, there was something wrong. It was a blur, like my eyes were out of focus. I couldn't figure this out. I should have been alarmed at this point; but for some reason I was very calm.

     I also noticed how silent everything was around me. I know that the noises on a Winter night are not that many; but it was too quiet. I walked down that trail; and it all looked different. The trees were everywhere; and they were pretty big. I had never noticed such big trees in my woods before. But I'd never spent much time there before.

     The trail went off around to the left. I knew then that it was all changing. I was looking at a huge forest that looked like it went on for hundreds of acres. The light was brighter; and I could see a lot more.

     There was something way ahead of me, something like a building. I think the path that I was on led to it, the best I could tell. But the light was off to my left as I passed this clearing.

     It was a place, maybe cleared out by hand. Trees lined it in a circle; and I was standing in the entrance. But what was inside was more than I can tell.

     It was a fire, or maybe just a glow on the ground. I couldn't actually see any flames. But there were animals gathered around it. My deer friend was there - at least I figured that was him. There were a few coons, rabbits, even some mice.

     They were sitting and standing around this fire; and they were very still and quiet. I actually thought that it might be some display set up by someone. But the fire, I could see had a magical feel all of its own. For several minutes, I was like the critters, just standing and looking into its light.

     It's crazy, and I know that you had to be there to feel what I'm telling you. But it was like, I had nowhere else to go - that I could just stay there forever and never have to leave. I felt safe and secure right there at that light, right with them critters.

     Then, the deer turned his head and looked at me. I guess that broke the spell somewhat, because I took a step back. I guess that's the way it feels to be hypnotized; because it was like I was waking up.

     I looked again at the house. It looked like it was closer to me than before. I walked in the snow to go have a look. When I got closer, I saw that it really was a nice looking home. There was a fence around the front yard. I never knew that a house had been in them woods.

     I got closer and realized that I wanted to go inside. For some reason, I felt like there was something really wonderful waiting for me in there. But, I had enough wits to know that I couldn't just walk on in. A house this nice had to have someone living in it. And they probably wouldn't want any prowlers around at this time of night.

     I got to the fence and started to open the front gate. I think that I could hear some noise inside like someone that might be talking. But it was very light. I couldn't make out any words.

     I thought it might be a good idea to walk around the house first, just to get a better look. To my left, there was a barn in the woods. I saw that there was light inside the house. There were curtains in the window; and a nice glow coming from behind it.

     I knew it was risky; but I wanted to have a look. I crept up to the window. There were a few blocks on the ground; and I had to stand on one of them to be able to see in the window.

     You won't believe what it was. It was just a room; but I could see a woman sitting in a chair. There were two kids standing beside here, a boy and a girl. The woman was reading them a story from a large book it looked like.

     I don't know why; but it seemed like it was such a nice thing. I felt really good when I looked at them, even though it was sad too. I knew that I was looking at something that wasn't really there. None of this stuff was real. I knew that. I thought I was watching something that should have been, or maybe some ghostly scene from the past.

     They could have seen me if they had looked up; but I don't think they knew I was there. It was still warm outside, more like a Spring night than anything else. But I was still standing in the snow.

     And then something happened. Maybe I was getting dizzy or something, I'm not sure. But things kind of blacked out for me. I remember going down to my knees. When I came to, I was in this room. It was a place that I've never seen before in my life. But I was sitting in this stuffed chair.

     It was a room that was dimly lit. I could hear voices of people talking; but I couldn't make out anything clearly. On my right side was this table and a candle in a red jar. I could see a large fireplace with burning wood, and could even hear it crackling as it burned.

     I should have been confused, even alarmed at all of this. But I was at peace. I felt that I was welcome there in that strange room, even that I belonged there. Here was a place that I could spend countless hours in complete contentment.

     I was curious about the crowd in the room; and I intended to get up and mix and mingle with them. But also, I felt like I knew them too. I know it's crazy. The general mood and feeling was that of happiness. I thought of them all as family, even thought I could not clearly see anyone's face.

     I got up and wandered around a bit. I went over to the fire and warmed my hands, really not needing too. Another man came up and stared into the fire.

     'Nice party,' I said to him.

     'The best,' he said not looking at me.

     'This is really dum of me, but what place is this?'

     Then he did look at me.

     'This is your first time here,' he said to me.

     I told him that it was.

     'I can tell you very little,' he answered. 'In time you will learn. But if I told you too much, well . . '

     He was very mysterious.

     'You see,' he said. 'You may have to return; and it wouldn't be fair or right for me to tell you anymore than you already know.'

     But he hadn't told me anything. The dream feeling was no longer with me. I felt that this was a real as anything I can see or touch. And when he had mentioned returning, I think I was getting the idea. This was some sort of . . I can't find the word - but paradise comes to mind. If I returned to my world, then it would be a great disappointment to me.

     And that's when I realized that this was only a visit. Yes, I would return back. I had to. But if I were given the choice, I think I could have stayed there the rest of my life. It was such a great place.

     A young girl came up and had a tray of mugs with red liquid in them. When the man saw her, he looked a bit disturbed and turned to walk away. She held the tray toward me, and I took a glass.

     Before I could ask her anything, she had turned away and left. It seemed like the sounds around me were starting to fade. And something else, the room was getting cold. I took a drink from the glass, and I felt warm again. But the lights in the room were going down, like in a theater.

     I knew what was happening. I felt a dread come over me like I can't describe. In a few seconds, I shook my head and found myself outside again, right beside the window. The lights inside, and the sound were still fading to black. I had never felt such a loss before in my life. I wanted more than anything to be back in that room, even if it was drifting away. Just another hour would have made all the difference. But time was not in there I know. Time had no meaning.

     But I was in the snow outside once again. And the house was now nothing more than an abandoned building, completely empty of any life. I was very lonely, back where I belonged, in my own world. I wouldn't have ever expected any more than that. It was the way things should be I suppose - just cold reality, in a cold woods, looking into a dark house of lost memories.

     Has anyting like that ever happened to you?" he asked me suddenly.

     I told him that nothing ever had.

     "Nobody I know or meet has either," he said. "I wonder why I was able to do that. I figure that it happens to hundreds of people at one time or another. I mean, who were all those other people in there?"

     "What did you do after that?" I asked.

     "I started to head back. It was a lonely feeling leaving that place, hearing the slow crunching of my boots in the snow. There was one more thing that happened - really two things since then.

     While I was heading back, I realized that I still had my drink. And each time I took a sip, I was warm all over again. But it wasn't anything like alcohol. I wasn't getting drunk with it. I just kept moving.

     And the light that I've talked about, it was still there. I wasn't lost now or anything. I knew the way back. And when I turned in the path, I saw something pretty strange. But it gave me a good feeling when I saw it.

     It was my deer friend. He just came out of some of the thicket and stood there, looking at me. I told him - thank you. And I know it's silly; but he was something like a messenger to me. After all, he was the one that I'd seen in my window, trying to get my attention.

     It was like a gift to me. I know that such a place is there, or somewhere. I made up my mind to watch for it the next year. That's all I can figure about it.

     The only thing left is the star. When I came out of the woods, there was my dark house waiting for me. But when I looked up in the sky, I saw the biggest star that I've ever seen before. I'm not even sure if it was a star, but it didn't move at all - stayed right in the one place.

     Not much happened after that. I got some wood up from around the place and took it inside. For some reason, I couldn't sleep for a while, so I sat by the stove for a while, trying to sort out all that had just happened.

     Finally, I got into bed and got to sleep. I was hoping for some dreams, but none came that I can remember."

     I told him that he had a great story.

     "Have you ever been back there?"

     At this, his eyes took on a sad look.

     "I have tried to find it a few times. After all, it was just another place in the woods, which are still there. I can always go to the place where I thought it should be.

     "But I have never found the fence or the house ruins. I may have been missing it; but I don't think so.

     "I think it was a special place to go with the event - a phantom place if you know what I mean. It only appeared there for that hour during that one night. And then it is gone, except for what little bits I can remember.

      William Darby    Dec 2007