Stalking Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page A

because when they died they crossed over, and chose to come back from time to time to check on things.
    The day before my children came home from their trip with my parents, I went upstairs to see how things were progressing with Nathanial. I wandered from room to room in search of him, but to no avail. Nathanial was gone—he’d finally made the transition into the light. The house suddenly felt empty, as if a hole opened up in the energy of the house, and the void I felt in my soul was painful. While I was relieved that Nathanial went into the light, I desperately missed my friend, but it was for the best.
    You’d think the story ends there, but it doesn’t. A few years after Nathanial left, we sold the house and bought another house a mile or so away.
    The day of the move, I was the last one in the house and walked around to make sure nothing was left behind. I went upstairs and wandered through the empty room my daughter once occupied and when I turned around to leave, Nathanial appeared in the doorway. He appeared strong and robust.
    “Nathanial!” I said. “What are you doing here?”
    “I just came to say goodbye, and to thank you. I’m so happy now that I am where I belong. You have always been my best friend in the world, and I will be there to greet you many years from now when it’s your time to cross over.”
    “You’re welcome, my friend,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m so glad you’re happy. I miss you and love you.”
    “I love you, too. I will never be far away,” he answered.
    Nathanial’s energy faded, and once again I was left alone with my thoughts and emotions.
    I took one last look around and walked out of the house, closing the door on that chapter of my life.
    I didn’t think about it at the time all this was going on, probably because I was so busy with the move and the kids, but since writing this book I’ve had time to reflect on my experiences with Nathanial. It dawned on me that I really don’t recall the other two spirits in the house, who will be discussed in greater detail in the next story, interacting with Nathanial in any way.
    However, it’s entirely possible that they did interact and Nathanial never mentioned it. This wouldn’t surprise me, because Nathanial spoke very little about his existence as a ghost, and it never dawned on me to ask him about it. I’d assumed that ghosts were not uncommon and they existed just like the living do.
    It’s also possible that all of the ghosts in the house weren’t really aware of one another’s existence, and so they wouldn’t communicate with one another. This could explain why the other ghosts in the house, who obviously had crossed over and chose to return from time to time, didn’t leave when Nathanial did, nor try to convince him to cross over.
    Just as in the world of the living, in the world of ghosts there are differences between them. For example, some ghosts are earthbound, meaning that they never crossed over to the other side, and some ghosts have crossed over, but have chosen to return from time to time.
    There are reasons a ghost might be earthbound, just as there are reasons a ghost has chosen to return. In the case of an earthbound ghost, they may have died suddenly in an accident. They could also have died in their sleep or had a heart attack so severe that death would have been instantaneous. In the previous example the person might not even realize they’re dead, because death was so fast.
    In the case of Nathanial, he was afraid to cross over because of his life experiences, and who can blame him? I’ve also run into earthbound ghosts who wouldn’t cross over because of their fear of being judged by a higher power, for things they’d done when they were alive.
    Spirits that have crossed over may return from time to time to check up on family, deliver a message, or to visit places they loved so dearly in life. These spirits may also show up for special events like weddings, birthdays,