My Second-Most Weird Paranormal Sighting

by Bill Russo

In 2013, with the release of the Bridgewater Triangle Documentary Film, my encounter with a little-foot creature that may have been a Puckwudgie, was seen and heard by some 1200 people attending the premiere of the movie.  Many more thousands of people have seen it since.  The work was shown in a brief theatrical run and then settled in for a long stay on Amazon Prime where it has recorded millions and millions of viewing minutes.  

That meeting with the pint-sized hairy little thing that kept calling me with the eerie cry "Eee Wan Chu!" remains the most singular paranormal event in my 77 years on this planet.  

The second weirdest thing that I have ever seen or experienced took place late in 2020.  During the autumn, I started work on 'The Jilted Arbor of Bell's Neck', a new short story and audio-play for my podcast series, 'Bill Russo's Short Story Theater'.  

The story is about a word - "J I L T E D" - that was carved by a lover into the largest tree in the town square.  In that one word is contained a sad tale of love, betrayal and ultimately, redemption.  

I hope you will listen to the episode - it can be heard for free on all podcast sites.  https://www.spreaker.com/user/11578348/the-jilted-arbor-of-bells-neck

The story, I have been assured, is an interesting little yarn - but what made it weird was the ending. Actually there were two endings.  The first ending was the finish of the story which I was typing into my HP Laptop.

As I was typing the ending, which involves a large woodpecker tapping away at the letters carved into a tree - I heard a tapping on my window.  

I knew it wasn't a person, because that window is three floors above the ground!  I ignored the tapping at first because I was intent on finishing my story - but the hammering on the window got so loud I was afraid it was going to break!  I looked over and saw a large bird, at least a foot long, feverishly smashing its beak into the window.  

I dashed over to the window and shooed it away but it paid no attention to me.  While it continued to hammer even more intensely at the window, I felt a real concern that it was indeed going to smash the window and fly in!  

I reached for my Nikon Coolpix and took three photos.  With the last click of the shutter, the fierce woodpecker launched one last window-shaking tap and flew off.  

In my life I have never had a bird attack any of my windows - except for that one, huge Yellow Hammer Woodpecker.  It was a singular event - and made more so, by the fact that it began its frenzied attack just as I was typing a similar attack into my PC for the ending of my story.  

What does all this mean?  I have no idea.  Co-incidence?  I have no idea.  Significance? I'm open to suggestions!  Make a comment here or send me a comment to Billrrrrr@yahoo.com