This is something that happened to me just recently. It was too weird to pass off as coincidence:

I was sitting on my porch enjoying the lovely summer day that April brings in southwest Arkansas. It was hot, and I was drinking a glass of iced tea. My family had gone to Little Rock, AR to check up on our grandfather (he was in the VA hospital because of bumping his elbow.) But I digress, I sat, staring at the birds playing in the yard when they all flew off, apparently startled by movement. My dog also perked his head up and began to bark. Nothing major, just "booger barking," if you will. Then, I saw someone walking down the road in an arduous gait. Upon closer inspection, and to my complete and udder amazement, he was bound, arms to his sides, with barbed wire. Normally I don't associate with people walking down the road, but these weren't normal circumstances. I ran toward the man, who looked up, (his eyes had been fixed upon the pavement of our road), smiled, and continued walking. I kept my distance, my fight or flight reaction going haywire. My yard is about four feet above the pavement, ending abruptly in a drop that leads to the ditch. "Hey buddy, what happened to you?" I asked him. He continued walking, an in a voice the likes of which I'd never heard (I associated it with crows... if that makes sense) said, "I wot you already know." I wot? I'd heard that used in books (The Dark Tower series to be exact), but never in real life. But I knew the just of what he was saying, I reckon you already know the answer to your question. I then offered to unbind him, having absolutely no idea how I'd do it, to which he replied, "You don't want to do that pard." And continued to walk. I stood flabbergasted.

Who was this strange man walking down the street? Or is it a case of not as much "Who" as "What"? I don't know, does anyone have any ideas?

What part of Southwest Arkansas, to be exact? Is it particularly historic? I happen to live in Arkansas as well, and in a small town. Do you live in a city? I think it's kinda strange. Ironically, just before I stumbled across this thread, my mother and I were discussing the murder of the Simmons family north of Dover. In case you don't know, this was a case where the bodies were found wrapped in barbed wire in a shallow grave near fences. The bodies had been doused in kerosene.

I'm serious when I say that we were discussing that right before I clicked on the forum.

Are there any ghost stories about a similar man in your area?

That reminds me of that old man in one of the Poltergeist movie sequels who was a preacher. Wearing all black, dressed like a highway man. "Have a nice day!..." is all that I can remember him saying to the family he was beckoning to. Creepy.

I have no clue who that man could have been, but I think you were blessed to get away from him.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html...9619C94669ED7CF

A link to an article of a mysterious murder in another state. I have no clue what is behind what you saw.

How odd... I wasn't really smelling during the experience, so I cannot ratify of kerosene. But I live in a small area in Polk county. (Not going to be exact for safety reasons) It is historic in some senses, but the only recorded haunting I know of was the Mena Poltergeist. I've never heard of anything weird around where I live, save for some strange happenings at a boyscout camp.



Hmm... True... The title "The Highway Man" kinda disturbs me. A blessing indeed...

I understand not revealing your exact location, and I respect that. Hm, what's the story behind that poltergeist? Could it have something to do with your traveller? The only known haunted place in my town is the Resin House, which served as a confederate headquarters during the Civil War.

Do you know anything about previous occupants of your home?

Nope, no previous occupants, when we came here there was a shack, and then there was woods. (The shack still stands however...)(Theres a story about the poltergeist... http://www.prairieghosts.com/mena.html ... here!) I could probably post a pic or too of the shack, with little to no difficulty.

Ooh, after reading that... I think the Mena ghost is unrelated, lol. Hmm... I would like to see photos of the shack, if possible.

Yes, I'll post them soon as I can... tomorrow perhaps (so I can get proper lighting.) Just keep watch on this topic.

I have been, and will continue to do so. Anything Arkansas haunting related piques my interest.

Ghosts of the Prairie has many more Arkansas Haunting things... http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntar.html
Some of the guys have decided to research the most tempting of them.
1. The Mena Poltergeist (We did a documentary of sorts.)
2. Devil's Hole Cave
3. The Gurdon Light
4. The Fouke Monster
5. The 365 Hauntings
6. The Cresent Hotel

I spoke with my mother yesterday morning actually. Being old enough to drive, I more or less told her what I want to do this summer, and that I'd like her to come with me. I told her there are at least three sights I want to visit:

The Mena Poltergeist, which my mother has in fact heard of. She asked if that was the biscuit throwing one.

The Dover Lights, which are very much like the Gurdon Lights, if I remember correctly.

The Crescent Hotel, I told her I'd like to stay a night in. We spoke about it a while back as a very real possibility this summer.

I really have no desire to visit Devil's Hole Cave, however. A few years ago, the men of my old church traveled there -- I remember the boys telling us about it -- and I do not recall them having any strange experiences.

The man was prolly a schizophrenic who lost his way around.

I have heard this story before, infact, almost exactly like it. I call...well, shhh noah, shhhh

In barbed wire? Lol, poor guy.

Interesting, what do you mean Noah? Like the ark noah? or someone else.

I think he was going to call bull, and then told himself to hush... therefore Noah is his name?

Well, Kudos! Maybe we'll cross paths along the way...

Oh, well, lol...

Sounds like a false story inspired by a certain Stephen King novel but I'll assume it is legit, but why did you run up to a freaky looking dude with barbed freaking wire on his arms and say "Hey Buddy, what happened to you/" I'd just run and scream!

Awesome story though, wonderfully written, very engaging and a breath of fresh air on these forums of bad grammar, dull yarns and boring fads of threads (Dream threads, Grrrrrrrrr...) So yewah all in all you rule dude!

Much appreciated. I try to keep my grammar above par. I don't exactly know why I did it... Its kind of like the feeling you get when you come across a car-wreck and such... You stare, and If you can you try to help. (That is if theres no-one else present.)

Sorry, I will say what everyone is thinking. I don't believe a word of it. Good grief.

Even if you're just lying (As you probably are) it was still a wonderful story and you're a good guy in my book, liar or not.

Probably a drunk guy who was crazy. Pretty creepy though

My question is, and it's aimed at the skeptics: What possesses you to just outright call him a liar? In fact, that's kind of rude.

What possesses you to believe every fantastical story you hear? Hmm. If talks like a duck, and walks like duck. Well, quack, quack.

It sounds like a great intro for a Stephen King novel.

I'm not saying I believe it -- nor do I believe every story I've heard. You can check my post history, if you wish. I do not, however outright call people liars simply because their story is hard to believe. Perhaps it was fabricated. In fact, continuous re-reading of it has lead me to change my conclusion, but I am not going to sit there and say the user who posted it is a liar.

And the whole walk like a duck, talk like a duck really doesn't prove a point. A human being can waddle and quack. It really doesn't take a lot of talent.

I call it like I see it.

Then is it not that the story is a lie, rather than the person a liar? If one lie makes you a liar, then I suppose all the people of this world are liars.

Whatever you like.

I call tall tale - it was overly descriptive at the beginning, but then absolutely no description of what the guy looked like, other than being wrapped in barbed wire? What did he look like? What was he wearing? Was he bleeding? Certainly these details would be hard to forget and even harder to omit from such a descriptive story.

It does sound like a Stephen King opening.

To answer your questions, and to assuage your assumptions... This story was sort of a mixture of fabrication and life.
In fact, I got this story from one of my Grandpa's elderly friends at the nursing home. He told me this and I took some artistic leeway... But for some odd reason (I've been having writers block lately) I couldn't get the character of the barbed wire dude correct. So not a lie, just a creative telling of an old story. But no need to get hostile of such things, we're all friends here.

(Edited due to remembering the term "Artistic Leeway")

Thanks for admitting it didn't really happen to you - a lot of people stick by their fabrications as truth, and that doesn't help anybody.

Dido

And if a tree snaps in the middle of a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

You're fighting a useless fight, just admit you're wrong because this philosphical stuff's gonna get you no where.

You're a good guy, and you told a great story, good job dude

Wrong about what exactly? That calling someone a liar for one thing is rude? If that's the case, then whatever. End of discussion.

And I have recognized his post stating that it was a mixture of fabrication and life.

I like this forum.

creepy
i agree with him... it was probally a victim or the murderer to the people found in barbed wire!!!

BUT, it turned out he was just that.

I acknowledged it.

So you were wrong.

crazy

What's crazy?