I love a good ghost story - or chilling stories in general. Many of us do, judging by the popularity of such articles about the haunted happenings in Washington State.

Yes, I'm a fan of a good campfire story that will make the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up, but I'm skeptical that there's any truth to such tales.

I feel this way even though I've had my own encounter with the supernatural. 

Preface to My Paranormal Plot

My ghostly visit was brief, so don't expect too much.

There are no lonely old widow ghosts, prankster poltergeists, or apparitions of workers who continue doing their job in the afterlife.

My home at the time, in Everett, was newly constructed. So, no one had died in the room where I saw the oddest thing one night. There was no storied history of the paranormal within those walls.

But I do have a witness.

Here's What Happened

One dark fall evening, I was laying on the couch, watching TV - I think it was Chuck or something like that.

My wife was in the recliner, keeping one eye on the screen, and one eye on her Sudoku puzzle.

The lights were dim, but suddenly the corner of the room was illuminated in white.

The blinds behind us were pulled, so it wasn't headlights from a car outside.

No, this light was coming from inside our home.

I jolted up as it emerged from the stairs, a glowing sphere, moving in such a way that it's shine left a blurry, fading trail. Like tracers.

It headed towards the kitchen. And it was gone. As quick as it came, it was gone.

All of this probably took less than a second. And my mind was already dismissing it as my imagination, or an illusion of some kind - maybe light could leak through our blinds to create such a mirage.

But as I told you, I had a witness.

Shooting out from under the couch where I lay, our cat sped to the very spot where I had seen the sphere of light and she started yelling. She's got Siamese in her DNA, sounds like she smokes a six-pack a day, and makes her cat noises very loudly.

A chill ran down my spine.

This was not a coincidence. Our cat had seen what I saw. It really happened.

My wife hadn't seen this supernatural event, but she did wonder what had gotten into our pet. So, I told her.

What Was it We Saw?

Prior to this odd episode, I had never heard of "ghost spheres." And it wouldn't be until years later, looking for some spooky stories for Halloween, that I would come across the term.

Other people - lots of them - had reported seeing the same glowing, orb-like apparitions. Somehow this put me more at ease about the "crazy thing" that happened.

I felt less alone.

A Quick Primer on Ghost Spheres

I found some detailed information on these circles of light, from the website Every Day Know:

  • Ghost Spheres are the unexplained lights that show up in photos/videos.
  • Ghost Lights are the proper term for what I saw with my naked eye (and my cat's eyes, too).

  • Ghost Spheres (or Orbs) come in many colors, each a different type of spirit.
  • Clear Spheres are thought to be communicating unfinished business at that spot.
  • White/Silver spheres mean either a connection to God, or it's a spirit in need of assistance to get on with their afterlife (we've all seen that movie).
  • Black Spheres are considered a warning of danger.
  • Red Spheres may be trying to keep you safe.

  • Blue Spheres are also communicators, believed to be guides for the living.
  • Green Spheres are former humans (apparently not all are) who are generally friendly and love nature.
  • Yellow Spheres are the "yield" sign of the afterlife; proceed with caution.
  • Lavender Spheres observe, but don't interfere with humanity, for better or worse. Sound familiar?

Do I Believe in All This?

Hell, no. I remain as skeptical as ever.

But I saw what I saw.

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