Post #121302 by Gigantalope on Sat, Oct 23, 2004 12:18 PM

I don't belive in Ghosts, god or anything else like that...This having been said, I don't expect any of you to belive this, which happend to me. (and to "Big Rudy")

in 1986 I was wasailing around the UK as I had inherited some money, and parle'd it on Teddy Ruxpin (Worlds of Wonder) stock.

I had problems with my flight back to the US and got stuck in Heathrow overnight.

I slept most of the afternoon, read that night...quite late, the place became deserted. (Where I was anyway) excpet this frail old man.

I feared he would latch on to me and tell his life story...which he started to do, then said "I know you are afraid I'll latch onto you and tell my life story"

we chatted, and I got a coffee, taking my bags with me. I was quite a distance from him, maybe 150 yards and I hoped he was not offended by me taking my belongings as I got the change for the coffee machine thing.

out of nowhere he appeared behind me laughing that I didn't trust him, and acted dissapointed, but aknowledged that this is how people are nowadays.

It stuck me as very very odd, but I thought I must not have noticed him, or spaced out trying to figure out british money...

we ended up talking for hours...he was one of the funniest people I ever spoke with, almost being able to read my mind. Many of the same books read, many of the same places visited.

We even talked about pop music which he seemd interested in, and asked for a list of records to get...I remember ranting about the brilliant "Rain Dogs by Tom Waitts" as well as about 10 others.

He frequently made refference to a condition he had which was trminal...I assumed maybe cancer (as I said he was frail looking)

at a point about 4:00am he said the best time to leave a party was when it was at it's peak, so all the memories of the people were at thier best.

He then gave me a brass button from his pocket and said "this was so I would remember the chat, and jokes we shared" as I might not remember it or think about it later.

He walked off slowly, like an elderly person does...and in my head I replayed the conversation...jokes, books stuff.

My trip home was hellish, I got detained for smuggling drugs. (which turned out to actually be horse shit in my boot treads, in a plastic bag...disguised as hash)

The syringes I had, were clevery camofloged with ink, and were in fact rapidiagraph pens.

I was angry and my belongings were a mess...but it was kind of funny...horse shit and all...but really distracting and a crappy end to a fine vacation

It took about 3 months for me to piece together all the details of the encounter with this guy as being more than just wierd...but it wasnt until I noticed all the books and records I said he should get...every one of them was gone from my house that I knew this guy wasn't of the same world as us.