Unfortunately, yes it was. Maybe I should try to tell as much of the story as I can remember...
We went to a graveyard in Beach Park, IL on November 1st, 1996, after hearing of many stories regarding some seriously negative energy plaguing a friend and her family during a recent visit to a relative's gravesite in the middle of the day. We went at night, I believe it was around 9pm when we arrived.
Honestly, looking back, we shouldn't have even set foot inside the gates, as I immediately got a migraine within feet of walking onto the property. I *did* prepare immensely, as I had my crystals, salt, holy water, sage, and blessed candles. I am NOT a religious person, per say - just very spiritual - but I found myself blessing myself with the symbol of the cross.
It started out as a general unease with everyone there (all together there were 5 people that actually chose to come inside the graveyard), which quickly led to widespread headaches (though not as intense as mine) and some were complaining of feeling dizzy or disoriented.
The first thing that I stumbled upon was a pair of graves that just drew my attention... it was a married couple who had died the same day, rather young in life. I immediately felt a presence there, and found myself compelled to actually lie *between* the graves... and had an overwhelming sense of grief and sorrow... and an unborn baby. I truly believe that the wife was pregnant at the time of death, and therefore the infant was simply buried with the mother. Apparently, she was not aware of her growing gift. I buried a crystal between the headstones, lit a candle to set between the gravestones, and tried to assure the infant's spirit that it would get it's chance... it seemed restless and lost because of a chance never achieved...
While trying to "soothe" the infant soul, I felt my body stiffen and an unbreakable force making me turn my attention away from what I was doing and to look to a distant area that was essentially unused as of then. Amdist the many shadows, there was definitely someone... or something there. At first, it was immobile, with no specific features, but I had an overwhelming sense of evil male energy. The strength there was the worst I have ever felt... (and I have another story for a later time!) The one and *only* guy that came with us stood staring into the wooded area, completely transfixed. Another friend of mine was the first to notice his intense gaze at what seemed to be watching us.
I called his name, "Chris!" and he slowly turned to me... his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he smiled. I will *never* forget that image...
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and the figure seemed to grow clearer almost instantly, and revealed a faint yellow glow to it's eyes... no definition at this point, just a hollow, empty feeling, sickly yellow. It stepped forward... and was much larger than I had originally felt or saw. The creature stood, in my estimate, about 7 feet tall, with a DARK human-looking face and upper body... that faded into something resmbling a beast, a goat-type creature, with thick, black fur and cloven feet. The head had 2 crooked horns that seemed to glint a bit in the slight light.
The nest part happened within seconds... it rushed forward, but almost with no movement at all. It was as if it "pulsed" towards us, where one moment it was 50 feet away, and literally a split second later it had closed half the distance without us being able to see how it got there. It continued to rush towards Chris until he was thrown backwards into a headstone.
As we all rushed to his side, I remember shouting, "Don't touch him!" as I was truly afraid of what was apparently now in possesion of my dear friend. I knelt by his side, and whispered his name.
Now, normally Chrsi has pale blue eyes... but his rolled his face towards me and opened the darkest eyes I have ever seen. There was a tiny spark of yellow in the pupil that seemed almost to dance within the dark there. The grin from earlier returned, before Chris suddenly went rigid and started what sounded like a deep growl from within his throat.
My first instinct was to splash holy water on him, which I did... and apparently it downright pissed off whatever it was inside of him. He let out this guttural sound that I have never heard... especially not coming from a human.
The rest happened so quickly that I can't remember every detail... but I will tell you what I *do* remember...
He stood... but without the usual motions that are required for a person to stand. It was as if he was lifted to that position... and he
laughed. I remember him saying, "He's mine..." and I was compelled to grab him and shouted "I have to fight for him!" I somehow knew that Chris could not fight this... thing... on his own, and I grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in those eyes that did not belong to him. The last thing I remember before my actual *battle* was seeing flashing images of slaughter and pain and war... from only who knows how long back all the way to that point in time. I saw Chris collapsed in my mind, and me laying my head on his chest... and then it all went black.
I remember feeling like I was choking... like something had slid down my throat and stayed there, making it hard to breathe. I tried to look around but everything was distorted, like through a thick piece of glass... and there was pain... pain that seared my wrists and ankles, like I was bound with fire, and a burning began in my chest.
All I could do was pray. I focused on the brightest light I could imagine, and literally tried to push from inside my body... I was *so* tired. I wanted to let go. I wanted to sleep... but I knew that would be exactly what *he* wanted.
I could feel my muscles aching as I pictured fightiing with all my might... I felt battered. I felt abused. And then I apparently screamed and collapsed.
I woke to find myself covered in salt and holy water, lying on the ground. I was a good 10 feet away from the last place I remember standing... much closer to the trees where we originally saw this beast. Chris was curled up in a ball sobbing... and I tried to stand.
I pushed myself up from the ground and HURT. I pushed up the sleeves of my sweatshirt and had scrathces all up and down my arms, and bruising around my wrists. My ankles revealed the same, and I had bruising around my neck and on my stomach, chest, and back. Chris had many of the same marks... and at this point was also convered in salt and holy water.
Before I could leave, I knew I had to try and do something... so I buried a crystal at each of the entry posts to the cemetary, and laid a burning sage bundle on top of each one. I then said a prayer and scratched some runes in the dirt in front of the cemetary.
Outside, our ride was gone. We wound up walking a mile to a friend's house to try and call him. Apparently, he had gotten a "9111" page from home... only to get there and find everyone sound asleep.
Any and all photos that were taken within the cemetary developed into black or a grainy haze. One camera actually broke, the lens cracked.
The bruising lasted for about 2 weeks. I had horrible dreams for months. Every time, I saw the yellow eyes.
A lot of details aren't clear anymore... whether that's because of the experience itself, or me trying to suppress it, I don't know. But that's what I can recall...
I won't even drive past this place anymore. The few times I have had to, I almost got sick, and I had a screaming pain shoot through my head.
I think it's still there. But I will NOT be the one to find out.