My Life and Karate, Day Twenty-five

My dojo, Sun Dragon Martial Arts and Self Defense, is running its major yearly fundraiser. We're a nonprofit martial arts studio, which is something of a rare beast, and we raise money every year for our scholarship fund and the free self-defense classes we offer in the community. For my part, every day until the day of the Kickathon, I will write a random amusing anecdote about karate and self-defense, or possibly just whatever strikes my fancy. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween! Here's a spooky true story appropriate for the occasion.

On a fine cool day, we hiked up the hill, through the forest, down the road, and across the cornfield to the graveyard. I no longer recall why we went to the graveyard, but we were ten, and graveyards were neat. Our group leader pointed out some significant older graves, and we solemnly examined the inscriptions. Then we scattered a little bit to contemplate our inevitable mortality at our leisure.

I crouched at a particularly interesting grave with two other girls, murmuring perhaps over the youth of its occupant. For some reason, I looked up. Walking along the gravel drive in the bright sunlight was a woman in a long coat. I mentioned her to the other girls, and then we went back to our examination. Not more than half a minute later, I glanced up again. The woman was gone.

I stood up and looked up and down the drive - it was clear for a hundred yards in both directions. The other girls also stood, and we peered all around us. With many nervous glances at each other, we walked toward the road, always expecting to see the woman behind one of the few trees, or perhaps kneeling at a grave. But she was gone.

That evening around the campfire, ghost stories brought a chill - but not for their own sakes. The three of us had seen a ghost for real.

I'm much less convinced of it now, of course, but at the time, that was the eeriest thing I'd ever seen.

Only one week left to donate $5 to our fundraiser!