its been quite awhile that i haven't touched my blogspot account when i started drafting this post. it creeps me off whenever i remember this experience that i am about to unveil which happened more than a month ago now.
its a usual schedule during summer to have an annual retreat for school staff before the school year starts. this time, its at "saloma sa kinaiyahan", situated in catalunan grande, davao city which is owned by the franciscan sisters. however, i thought everything will be just any ordinary retreat i attended before until one haunting, unforgettable night.
it was my first night of stay at the place when this thing happened. we were four in a spacious room with seven beds and two wardrobe cabinets at each end. it was humid so we had a hardtime sleeping. at 9 o' clock, i did my usual night rituals and also had a few short conversations with roomates before i began to close my eyes. because i'm not used to that kind of temperature, i occasionally wakes up in between. my bed was situated just below the window. it's facing the side part of the cabinet which is placed before the door. my other roomates' beds are arranged on the other side of the room. therefore, i'm alone at my area. after a number of sleeping interruptions, i finally sublime to sleep and dreamed.... but it was a terrifying one. almost brought me to danger.
in my dream, i saw myself woke up but got annoyed because it felt like someone is attemting to touch my hair. i could only see his/her hand. i'm not even sure if its a male or a female. as i avoid the intruder, i didn't noticed that i crazily turned around and ended up at my other roomate's bed. then, i woke her up and asked me about what happened to me but i can't answer her. it seems that my lips were sealed and no voice could come out from my mouth. when i looked back to my bed, i was surprised to see that its already positioned parallel with the window. i also noticed that there were three angry faces looking at me, almost similar to masks worn during festivals or religous rituals by ethnics. that time, i felt fear and wanna scream or run but i can't do it. it seems my feet were also glued on the floor. something stops me. then my other two roomates woke up too but all of them left the room. i was alone then and started to move back. overwhelmed with horror thoughts, i ran as fast as i could along the corridors without any directions, silently crying. i tried to find my roomates but they're gone. then, suddenly, i wasn't aware that i was heading towards the comfort room at the groundfloor, just below our room but eventually went out. i also tried to leave the retreat house when i realized that i was in the street. it's wet and seems like it just rained. i continued walking when i noticed some live wires along the way. so, i carefully stepped over those. and from a distance, i saw the building of power plant in our town. then, beside it is the retreat house where i came from. i really don't know what happened but its like something is pulling me to go back to that house without being resistant. i was thinking of nowhere to go but only to that place. so, i finally got inside and as i step on the gate, i realized that i'm at the door of my room where i stayed for the retreat. suddently, i heard someone crying and recognized it as my son's voice. i slowly opened the door and confirmed that it was indeed my son, lying across the bed, crying. his position on the bed seems forming like an inverted cross. upon seeing it, i didn't believe that it was my real son right away. when i checked on his eyes, i noticed that those were sharp and pointed and he's also wearing a grinning smile. and it somewhat demonic in the way he stares at me. so frightened about what i discovered, i stepped backward, feeling helpless and crying... but without being aware about it, there was still a little courage left for me which made me repeatedly uttered the name of "Jesus! God help me! God!. all of the sudden, the child stood up from bed and quickly walked away heading towards the other side of the room and eventually lost in my sight. i was still standing at the door step when the door is slowly closing and pushing me out of the room. afterwards, i woke up. still afraid and exausted with sweat all over my face and neck but somewhat felt relieved that i had escaped from that terrifying dream.
the following morning, i relayed my experience to my roomates and they were surprised to hear it. they thought about theories on why such thing happened to me. one angle that we digged into is about the bed. earlier in the morning of the first day, i got the extra mattress of the bed on the other side of the room and piled it on my mattress. i did it to make myself more comfortable in sleeping since it will not be used anyway. my roomates told me that in some way i took something that is not supposed to be for me and didn't asked any permission to do so. there might be some elements or spirits who dwelled on that bed which were disturbed about what i did. oh! how careless i am if that theory is true. consequently, when i was taking a nap on that same bed, one of my roomate made a ritual to drive away the mentioned spirits.
now, i still have a chill whenever i recall that experience. yet, i could never imagine how great the power of God's name. i can't also help bringing in mind the bible verse and prayer, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
Above all, i thank all those who prayed for me earlier on that day prior to the incident. i asked their prayer of healing and guidance for my entire retreat experience. and i am happy that they did. because of their effort, i was saved. God is my savior. He is the only one who could save me from the wrath of evil and in the midst of danger.
