Paperweight

Male / 47 /Filipino-Japanese
Location: Big Island/ Oahu, Hawaii

Over 20 years ago, four of us went to the Big Island for a two week melee of fishing, camping and just having a good old time before going back to school.

We landed in Hilo in the early morning hours, had breakfast at Mcdonald's and picked up our Beach Boy Camper which was a Toyota truck with a over-sized camper mounted to the back. Our trip consisted of stopping and camping at as much sites as we could, playing tourist in a foreign land that we'd never been before. We headed to Kalapana Black Sand Beach where we camped out for some days and then we headed for Kilauea via the Chain of Crater Road. We stopped up at Volcano House to admire the sights and then proceeded to the many lava tubes and craters that make up Kilauea.

Well we stopped at this one spot along the crater and had lunch and beer. We were, I guess, fortunate to have along with us a University of Hawaii Hawaiiana major with us (I won't mention his name). My friend Paul and I decided to get a closer look at the inside of the crater and noticed the a'a lava and the pahoehoe lava littered around the crater. I noticed this one pahoehoe lava rock that would look cool on my desk at home as a paperweight. My friend Paul had the same idea. Before this trip my dad, who was a wise old man, told me not to bring back any rock from the volcano or anywhere; in fact he threatened me not to take any thing at all. So Paul and I talked amongst ourselves and decided to ask our UH major about his opinion on taking the volcano souvenirs. Our Hawaiiana major tells us that if we were sincere about it we should ask Madame Pele if we could have the rocks. So like naive fools, we stood there at the edge of the the crater and yelled out if we could have the rocks. There was no answer from Madame Pele. we took that as a "yes." We packed up our precious cargo and left for the great frontier. Through the remainder of our trip, it was nothing but choke fish to eat, starry nights and sunny skies and there basically couldn't have been a more awesome vacation.

We got home to Honolulu, everyone went on their merry way. High school started up for fall season and life went on. About six months since our trip to the Big Island, Paul's and my household experienced an all too weird change.

I got a call one day from Paul. He told me that while he was working at the Gibson Dept. Store in Mapunapuna one night, he finished his grocery job and went to his car. When he got to where his car is usually parked he noticed it was missing, stolen as what HPD later explains. Paul never found his car but later it was found in Waianae. Right after his car got stolen, my house got burglarized and our second car got stolen too because they got a hold of our extra keys. We never linked what happened to Paul and my dad's car and our house. Maybe it was all coincidental.

Another time, I was cruising at home one afternoon when my parents burst through the door arguing about missing money. I asked my mom what happened. She explained that they withdrew $600 dollars from the bank and placed the envelope of money in my moms bag. She went on to say that while they were driving home, she opened the handbag to check on the money and found it missing. They scoured the parking lot right after and even checked with the teller if she had seen the envelope of money. No money was ever found.

One day my mom was cleaning the house and she came across the rock in my room. She called for my dad and my dad hit the roof. He blamed all the misfortune on the rock in my room and he mentioned the same for Paul's car getting stolen. All my dad wanted to do was to get rid of the rock even though it meant me swimming back to the Big Island. Things got weirder. One day I noticed that there was like some kind of object in me eyes. It first felt like there was dust or dirt in my eye but as weeks went by, it felt like there was a piece of rock inside. I would go through bottles of eye wash but to my dismay it still felt the same. I finally went to an eye doctor and after the test he said my vision was 20/20. I still complained about the sensation in my eye, so the doctor gave me some extra strength eye wash and sent me home. My vision got worse over time. I just lived with the discomfort. As for Paul, I hadn't heard anything about any more problems. By this time my mom and dad made plans to fly us all up the Big Island for some vacation and to return the rock. My dad booked our flight for one weekend, and he told me to call Paul and bring his rock because my dad wanted all rocks off this island and the bachi to end.

It was now the Thursday before our trip. Paul brought his rock and I placed both rocks in a shoebox and waited for our big trip. We flew out on Aloha Airlines and made it safely on the Big Island. We grabbed our bag and my dad and I went to grab our rental car. As we were leaving, my mom who was watching the bags called out hysterically for us to come. She had this mouth open, bug-eyed look on her face. My dad asked her what the yelling was all about. So she stuck her hand in the bag and showed us the $600.00 that was missing. It was still in the envelope that the teller gave them. My dad had his doubts. He told her she didn't look good in her bag before she left the bank the first time and that it was probably in one of the pockets. But my mom told him that the bag she had was totally different from the one she had that day at the bank. Coincidental?

We packed up our rental car and arrived at the Hukilau Hotel in Hilo. I was too tired to go anywhere so I sat on the lanai while my parents got a bite to eat. It was a nice cool night, and the stars and the full moon were out. Our room overlooked a canal right across the street, and I stared at the waters and noticed the reflection of the stars and the full moon. Then I realized that my vision was cleared up and I could see clearly. I told my mom that I could see better again. She never said anything back.

Early the next day we headed up to Kilauea Crater and my dad asked me where we got the rocks. I couldn't remember anything, so we decided to find a nice spot to put the rocks and leave an offering of laulau and a bottle of beer. Maybe Pele would like a quick lunch and a beer. I don't know why it was a laulau and beer combo. I then stood by the rim of the crater and apologized for taking the rocks, sincerely. As we were standing around and admiring the scenery, a park ranger showed up to check on us. My dad told him what I did and what had happened. The pleasant Japanese ranger chuckled and then told us that we weren't the only ones that had problems. He went to tell us that his department has to go down to the post office at the airport once a month to empty out one of the many carts designated for the park service and bring the load of rocks and other items up the volcano to deposit them back inside the park area. Each package has it's own reason and story, but everyone just wants to return the rocks to there rightful home. The stories are the same: bad luck had come to them.

Since we returned the rocks to their rightful home there have been  no other strange things.Well, we hope.

Evil Eyes

Female/27/Ethnicity undisclosed  

Location: Wahiawa, HI 

I lived in an apartment building and became really close with two of my neighbors. We would often have get togethers in each others houses and drink.  Well one night we were in one of my neighbor's apartment when we got into the paranormal and things of that nature. My neighbor told me he found a bible hidden in his apartment with a picture of a woman underneath it. Till this day I can still remember her picture and the chicken skin it gave me. 

After seeing that picture all I could think about was those eyes she had and how it looked like if I stared at them any longer she would snatch me up right into the picture. It was just something about her eyes that just gave you an instant feeling that something was very dark and sinister about this lady. Needless to say I was freaked out. Who was this lady, and why was her picture underneath that bible? I mean, to go and hide a bible and put someone's picture underneath it seems an extreme precaution to go through. 

I finally got sleepy enough to fall asleep. I was dreaming a good dream it seemed, at first. I was with my mother in my apartment (my mother had passed away), but it was my mother so in my dream it was very pleasant. The dream seemed so real it was as if I was really going through the motions. My mother was as sweet as she always was, but for some reason she kept on saying not to go to work and to stay with her. I politely explained, "I can't miss work, you raised me better than that," and I would continue what I was doing. Then she'd say again, "Don't go to work, don't leave, stay with me," with a little more forceful voice. And I would reply the same and continue what I was doing, until it came time for me to leave and go to work.  I reached for the door, and what seemed to be my mother at first grabbed my wrist and pulled with great power and said "Stay with me." I turned to look back, but it wasn't my mother. It was the lady in the picture I had just seen with those eyes staring back at me. 

I immediately woke up in horror, extremely creeped out. I didn't even try to go back to sleep that night. Ever since then in that apartment I felt as if that woman's entity wanted to do harm to me. I could feel her eyes on me in every room of my house.  

As soon as I got the courage to speak about it, I talked to the neighbor who had found the picture. I told him about my dream and he laughed at me. In my embarrassment I went home, trying to convince myself that it was just a dream. Then I about a week later that neighbor came to talk to me. He said he talked to the landlord and showed him the picture of the woman. The landlord told him she was a former tenant that killed herself by setting her apartment building on fire. The landlord also informed him that the picture might have been put there by the lady's brother who claimed that she was possessed days before she killed herself. 

Needless to say I moved out as soon as I could, but I will never forget what happened to me and how I felt.

Loyalty

Informant: Female/27/Korean-Portuguese ancestry

Location: Lihue, Kaua`i

My grandpa told us a story about his middle son, my uncle, who died many years ago from Cerebral Palsy. When all three sons were younger, they used to go play in the baseball park across the street from their house. My uncle at the time had a dog named Trixie. This dog would follow him everywhere he went, so naturally she followed him across the street. But as she was crossing the street, she was struck by a car.

My uncle wheeled his chair over to her and picked her up and cried and cried as he held her. And then all of a sudden, Trixie sprung back to life. As if nothing had happened, nothing broken.

My dad said that this dog was deader than dead. It wasn't moving there was blood coming out of her nose and her mouth. He can't explain how she just sprung back to life. And she lived a very long life after that.

Robert

Informant: 21/Male/Portugese ancestry

Location: Ele’ele, Kauai

This took place on New Year’s Eve maybe three years ago. It was at the house of my girlfriend at the time and it was the usual New Year’s party on Kauai: family, friends and fireworks.   

Now, the girlfriend I had at the time could see things. Often times she would tell me stories of her past experiences with seeing ghosts and I would always take her word for it. I remember the first story she told me about a ghost named Robert that played with her when she was a kid. She told me he hung himself and she could see his broken neck clearly with the rope still around it. 

It was around 1 or 2 am and  me, a couple of my friends and my girlfriend were outside playing on my uke singing songs, when she suddenly says, “ Robert likes your guys singing.” Of course I was like, "Who's Robert?" and when she replied, my friend I remembered. She told me he was by the palm tree near the neighbor’s house which was about maybe 25-30 feet away, but nobody was there. Me, being a skeptic, asked her if she could ask Robert to prove that he was there by shaking the tree he was at. She asked, and as soon as she did a huge gust of wind blew and the palm tree moved violently back and forth. 

I know what you’re thinking. It was just a huge gust of wind. But none of the surrounding plants, hedges or other palm tree moved...only the one Robert was at. Of course I thought it was just the wind, so I made her ask again…and the same thing happened. A strong gust of wind, but only that one tree moving. I went on to ask a third time with the same results.  

It was around 2:50 am where my girlfriend said, “ Robert said to go inside. He’s going to leave 'cause bad people are coming.” It freaked out everyone and we all went inside. There were at least five of us there that witnessed the palm tree event.  In the house my girlfriend said not to move that much and not to make any noise, and we were like, "How come?" And then 3 am came and instantly the air pressure in the room became heavy and it was hard to breathe or move. She described and angry ancient Hawaiian man by the window looking at us and she told us not to look at him. She also said there was a woman with glowing red eyes in the window that was directly behind us. Then came the scratching sound on the walls, and you could hear things dragging on the ground in the garage. Then suddenly, it stopped. The pressure was gone, and I looked at the time. It was 3:15 am. 

The pressure was intense and the fear was so real, but none of use could see it but my girlfriend.

Menehune of Mililani Mauka

Informant: Male/Age unknown/ Japanese Ancestry

Location: Mililani Mauka, Oahu

I am hoping by sharing this story, other folks in Mililani Mauka will share their stories.  There is definitely something going on up here but I can’t seem to find any history, tales, fact or fiction supporting my experiences up here.

My family and I moved into a brand new home in Kapanoe, a subdivision at the top of Mililani Mauka, about six years ago.  My son, now eight, was two at the time.  Many nights at around 2 am, he would call out for me and I would wearily go to his room, hop in bed with him where we would both fall asleep.  One night, after calling for me, he pointed to a corner of his room and asked, “Daddy, who’s that?”  I am actually blind but, needless to say, the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood straight up.  The next night, I permanently moved into his bedroom.

Over the next month or so, my son would regularly awaken around 2 am, sit up, and stare at this particular corner of his room.  He described what he saw to me as a boy that looked like a little man.  One night, I asked my son if the little man-boy was telling him anything.  My son replied, “Yeah, he’s putting his finger to his lips and telling me ‘Shhh.’”  That was it – I called a kahu to bless the house, which he did, and planted a couple dozen ti leaves all around the house. 

Over the years, my son gradually saw less and less of this little man-boy but would still occasionally wake up at around 2 am and jump into bed with  me as I was, and still am, sleeping in his room.  Although these appearances diminished, I couldn’t help but notice that, even with our windows closed, shutters would open and doors would slam.  Could this little man-boy be a menehune just trying to befriend my son and play pranks on me?  For the longest time, I didn’t bring this up with anyone except for a few family members and friends who I knew wouldn’t laugh at me. 

One day this past Summer, for some reason, while talking to a former neighbor who was visiting, I mentioned this little man-boy spirit or ghost to him and I could tell from his reaction that he knew exactly what I was talking about.  He shared how, when he lived in the neighborhood and had a sleep-over birthday party for his son, one of the boys was woken and startled by this very same little man-boy, got freaked out, and insisted his parents pick him up right then and there … at 2 am.

Then, just a few weeks ago, a neighbor across the street mentioned how his young son woke up one night at around 2 am and saw something little walking up the stairs toward his room.  And to top all of these encounters off, the day after Halloween, I bumped into my new next door neighbors who embarrassingly laughed and asked if I knew about any ghosts or menehune in the neighborhood.  I froze, dropped my jaw, got chicken skin up and down both arms and on the back of my neck … “Why?” I asked.  The husband replied, "because our two-year old was talking to someone last night and when we asked who it was, she said a little boy. … and when we asked if the little boy said anything, our two-year old simply put her finger to her lips and said, ‘hush’”.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween my ghoulies and ghosties! I hope you are having a spookily fun (and safe!) holiday. I posted a new story below, so enjoy!

How did you celebrate this year? What did you go as? I went as  gypsy, did some palm readings and tripped some people out.

I'd love to see your Halloween costumes!

Trouble Comes Down The Road

Informant: Female/27/Korean-Portuguese Ancestry
Location: Lihue, Kauai

My sister and her husband were about to start building their new house. Before they could get started, the construction crew insisted that the land be blessed first. So since they couldn't get a priest on such short notice, they got a Hawaiian Kahuna to bless it.

Me, my sister and her husband, and the construction workers all stood and did what we were told by the Kahuna. She said, "You're at the end of a cul de sac. Since you are at the end, I suggest you plant Ti plants here because trouble comes down the road. If you don't, there will be many arguments and fights in your house."

Not too long after that I was talking to a friend of mine who lived with his sister and her boyfriend. He was telling me that lately they have been getting into a lot of fights together. I remembered what the Kahuna said, so I asked him, "Do you happen to live at the end of the road?" He said, "Yeah, actually. How did you know?"

I told him to plant some Ti leaves. Not sure if they did or not, but they no longer live in that house anyway.