Interstitial Beings: The Doppelganger Connection

By James A. Gauthier

Have you seen someone that looks like someone you know, but it is not them? Doppelgangers are exact copies of you and me. How about things you believe you see and feel that lack an explanation. A new race of beings, called Tolasians, have been existing within the interstitial spaces of homes, and throughout our world for more than 500 years. The

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Jan 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647531683

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Are you Really Alone?

Do you ever have a feeling that you are not alone when you are? Or that you are being observed? What about seeing that image flash before you, as if someone, or something, ran from one room in your home to another? Do you set something down on a table, and a moment later it is missing, only to be found after you have given up looking? How about hearing distinct noises that upon investigation do not exist, and could not exist? Have you felt a touch, or a tickle on your neck or hair? What about unusual odors when the source cannot be located? Does your furniture move without you moving it, such as a rocking chair rocking, or a toilet seat in the up position when it was purposefully closed? Do your pets react to something that you cannot see or hear?

My name is Matthew Miller. I am sixteen years old and the foregoing events reflect unexplained conditions that I experience regularly in my home. I am uncomfortable living with these experiences. The night sounds, and physical contact with my body, haunts my sleep on a regular basis. At times, I have been startled awake, believing that I had just been kissed, or my face, or hair, softly touched. When I look around, I see nothing but my room.

It is my desire to understand how, and why, these experiences occur. What I do understand is that the experiences are inconsistent and unpredictable. At night, I silently watch for shadows and movement, and listen for unusual sounds that might invade my bedroom and my sleep. What I have seen, and heard, lacks a logical explanation and results in my loss of sleep and personal comfort. My parents believe that I am dreaming without being aware that I am asleep. They have no explanation as to why my sister, Keri, experiences similar events in her bedroom. One evening, my sister woke me up and let me know that she had been touched and the touch startled her awake. She refused to say where she was touched.

I personally do not believe in spirits, guides, ghosts, orbs, apparitions or the sinister world of the undead. I abhor listening to people that claim to talk with the departed, or have visions of things yet to come. I am a pragmatist, and a realist. What I have experienced is real, and I cannot accept any explanation that suggests that it is all in my imagination, or arises in the spirit world. Neither explanation is acceptable to me, or my sister Keri.

My home is not old, or unusual. It is not located near a cemetery, and I don’t have neighborhood vandals, or pranksters, interfering with my life. The house next door has been vacant for some time, but has no bearing on my life. My family consists of my father, Joseph Miller, my mother, Carolyn Miller and my fifteen year old sister, Keri Miller. We are just ordinary people who occasionally attend church and try to live honest and godly lives. I would suggest that we are a close and loving family. We are so ordinary that I wonder what, or maybe who, might be interested in our lives.

Many of the events that I have experienced have also been experienced by my sister at one time or another. Like me, my sister is tired of not understanding who, or what, is entering her dreams and touching her body as she sleeps. At one point, Keri blamed me for trying to scare her. That night, she woke up after being touched and grabbed for me – but I wasn’t there. Keri checked and I was asleep in my bedroom. Keri reported the incident to me and said, I went back to my bed and was trying to get back to sleep when I felt something brush through my hair. When I reached for my hair, I felt something touch my lips. I heard a sound, but couldn’t understand the sound, or find the source of the sound. It almost seemed like laughter.

Rarely do I see, or feel, something happen to me when it can also be observed by my sister, or one of my parents. I often wonder why my sister and I experience events, independently of one another, when very little has happened to our parents. My parents are forever saying, Matthew, leave it alone. It’s your imagination playing tricks on you. They tell Keri the same thing when she experiences unexplained events.

I am in tenth grade in high school and Keri is in the ninth grade. We attend the same high school. I turned sixteen and obtained my driver’s license, along with the use of one of the family cars to drive me and Keri to school. The very first time we drove to school, I told Keri to fasten her seat belt. She pulled over the belt, but refused to fasten it because it would wrinkle her new dress. I was upset, but told Keri to sit still so I wouldn’t get a ticket. About half way to school, the belt was pulled out of Keri’s hand and the buckle clicked locking her into her seat. Keri screamed and told me what happened. I could see in her face that she was scared.

I replied, Good. It should be buckled. At the time, I wasn’t hearing what Keri was telling me. When I finally thought about it, I felt around the seats to see if I could feel anything.

Keri replied, I was just sitting and holding the belt buckle in my hand when something held my arm and yanked the buckle out of my hand. I felt the buckle lock, but I saw nothing unusual. Did you buckle my belt?

I replied, I didn’t touch your belt. Maybe next time you will listen to me and buckle your belt.

Keri left me a note on my locker, which read, Matt, I am going home on the bus tonight. That was just too creepy this morning. On my way home, I held my seat belt to see if the same would happen to me, but nothing happened.

I sat with Keri that night and discussed the events haunting our lives and affecting our sleep.

Keri said, You and I need to figure this out because mom and dad do not believe these things are happening to us.

I mentioned that whatever was haunting us seemed to be benevolent and not harmful in any way. I use the word ‘haunting’ for lack of a better descriptive word for the happenings that we have experienced. I remembered a quotation from Arthur Conan Doyle said that,

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

Keri then asked, What is truth when it comes to what is happening to you and me?

I replied, I have a quote for ‘truth’.

"[T]ruth’ is that fleeting moment in time when an event first appears and can be explained satisfactorily. Truth, being a simple construct, or moment in time, means that it is perceived by different people having a different perspective in time of the same event. As such, what is truth for one may be a falsehood to another." J.A. Gauthier

Keri and I were determined to find the truth behind the events that so devilishly interfered in our daily lives.. We recognized that there were different forces acting upon us and our home environment and we needed to isolate the forces by logical groupings for our planned investigative purposes. I wanted my ‘truth’ to be consistent with Keri’s truth; whatever the truth may be.

In the first group, we listed the physical realm, which included objects that move without our assistance. A good example would be car keys that we would hang on a hook by the entry door. When we returned to get the same keys, the keys are no longer hanging in place and could not be found. However, the following morning, the keys would be hanging on the wall where we had left them. No one in the family would admit to re-hanging the keys.

The same physical anomalies occurred with cell phones that we would lay on a table, but wouldn’t be there when needed. In a period of one month, I went through a box of twelve writing pens. I would lay my pen on my desk, next to my writing tablet, but it was never there when I needed it. I would replace the pen with another and the following morning, I had two pens on my writing pad. No one would claim responsibility for the missing pen.

The second grouping was the observable realm. This would include shadow images and movement of light and darkness throughout the home. For example, seeing the shadow image moving from one room into another room. Seeing an object move by itself, like a rocking chair, or a faucet turn on without assistance. Our television regularly turned on without us being present, and when watching television, it would randomly shut off, or channels would change. We often accused each other, but then we would see the television remote resting on a table beyond our reach.

The third realm was what we thought of as the invisible realm. This realm dealt with the physical touching of our bodies, and our sense of not being alone in our home and bedrooms at night. We would feel a tickle on our necks, or touching of our hair when we sat watching television. I would feel the touch, but when I looked, my sister’s hands were on her knees and she couldn’t have touched me.

The final realm was the sound realm. We regularly heard unusual sounds, including what appeared to be whispers, laughing, singing, talking and even soft mechanical sounds. Keri would report that she would hear the whispers, singing and similar talking sounds while in her bed. I would hear similar sounds, as I would try to sleep, and especially after an event like being kissed or touched on my mouth.

Keri and I decided that we would begin an investigation of each realm and hopefully identify what might be touching our lives.

Keri jokingly said, If I am going to be touched, then I want to know who, or what, it is that is touching me.

I looked at Keri and said, Let’s just hope that it is a male and not a female or something much more sinister.

Keri screamed and replied, The thought of that makes my skin crawl.

We decided to set up infra-red motion cameras in each of our bedrooms. Our parents were not happy that we removed the money from our bank accounts, but we were on a mission and had to know what was happening to us at night. The cameras were connected to our laptops and activated automatically.

Our first night was a complete bust. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and both Keri and I had a good sleep. We set up the second night and noticed that the cameras had activated overnight in Keri’s bedroom. When we looked at the recorded video, we saw what appeared to be a boy’s hand turn the camera away from Keri’s bed. Keri reported that she was touched that night.

I asked her where and she said, In my bed, Duh!

I replied, No, where were you touched on your body?

Keri replied, It’s none of your business. I was a little upset with her and she said, OK, I was touched on my chest and I felt like I was kissed, but I saw no one."

I commented, Your camera doesn’t show anything except the hand that moved the camera. It looks like a boy’s hand, but I can’t be certain.

Keri replied, You are right. I also think it looks like a boy’s hand. It is too big for a girl’s hand.

Keri then said, Matt, come here. I want you to move the camera like we saw on the video. I moved the camera and we looked at the video. The hand looked identical to my hand. Keri hit me in the arm and called me a creep.

Keri said, I want you out of my bedroom now!

I left, trying to reassure Keri that it wasn’t my hand.

On the way out of Keri’s bedroom, she said to me, If you touch me again like that, I am telling mom and dad!

I replied, I promise you, I didn’t touch you.

The next night, my camera was moved and I awoke to what felt like a soft hug and kiss to my lips. I played back the video and observed a girl’s hand moving the camera away. I called in Keri and she repeated the motion. Keri was shocked that the hand moving my camera was identical to her own hand, including the ring on her pinky finger.

Keri said, OK Matt, now I believe you. Someone, or something, is in our bedrooms at night touching us. We have to figure this out.

I suggested that we hide the infra-red cameras so they couldn’t be found or moved. Keri and I carefully placed our cameras in each of our bedrooms and then laid down for sleep. In less than ten minutes, Keri felt something touching her hair and then slowly running a hand, or what felt like a hand, down her neck and arm to her fingers. Whatever it was, it touched her pinky ring and spun it around her finger. Keri was then kissed and she screamed for me.

I ran into Keri’s room. She explained what had happened to her. Keri said, It felt so real. I know that I wasn’t dreaming it.

I suggested that we check the camera. However, when we went to get the camera, it was gone and the computer back-up was empty.

Keri looked at me and said, No way! I know we put the camera there.

Keri and I checked the camera in my bedroom. Although I hadn’t felt anything that night, my camera filmed something dark quickly moving across the room and then it disappeared. I said to Kerry, What in the hell was that?

The decision was made to use both cameras in Keri’s bedroom that night. We filmed from two directions in hopes of catching whatever, or whoever, was touching Keri at night. Keri couldn’t sleep, as she lay on her bed, closing her eyes, and hoping that nothing touched her that night. Keri laid awake for nearly four hours when she finally fell asleep. In the morning, Keri and I checked the cameras, but nothing occurred.

We repeated the cameras in Keri’s room the next night. Keri yelled out of her room and said, Matt, can you hear me?

I replied, I can, so go to sleep.

I then laid down and fell asleep. I awakened to soft touches to my cheeks. I could only describe the touch like someone feeling my beard stubble. I continued to lie quietly and I felt another kiss on my lips and a tickle under my chin. I was sure that I heard laughing sounds before the contact ended." I checked in Keri’s room, but she was asleep.

In the morning, I explained what happened to Keri and she laughed and said, Don’t complain Matt. At least you are getting kisses in your sleep. Maybe you won’t need to find a girlfriend.

I replied, I want the cameras in my bedroom tonight. I set up the cameras with Keri’s help and I was ready for sleep. I had been lying awake for several hours when I felt my ear get tickled. I quickly reached up to my ear to grab whatever it was tickling me, but nothing was there. Within a few minutes, I felt something touching my hair. I could only describe the touch to be like someone was running fingers through my hair. I reached again, but found nothing. I explained to Keri that I had been lying motionless to see what else might happen. I soon felt fingers reaching inside my mouth and touching my tongue. It felt like someone used a finger nail to scrape my tongue. I coughed and the hand was quickly withdrawn, but followed by a finger pushing into my nose. I explained, I swatted my nose, but again, nothing was there. I continued to lie quietly when I was kissed. I reached up with both arms to catch whoever, or whatever, it was, but again, nothing was there."

Keri said, Let’s look at the recording. Keri and I were surprised to see me reacting to something. We could see my hair move and even saw my nostril flare out as if something was stuck in my nose. We watched carefully, but couldn’t see anything, or anyone. Keri poked me and laughed as we looked at me getting kissed.

Keri said, Matt, you have a smile on your face. How can you smile when you have no idea who, or what, kissed you?

Keri and I showed our parents the video, but they rejected it outright, alleging that I was simply performing for my sister.

The next night, Keri and I decided to try her room one more time. We hid the cameras and Keri crawled into bed, waiting on something to happen. Keri quickly froze, as something reached under her blanket and touched her nightgown. Keri’s blanket was pulled away from her body and her nightgown slowly moved up her legs. All of a sudden, the motion stopped and Keri couldn’t understand what had happened. She quietly waited and she heard some whispers in her ear and then received a kiss. Nothing more happened.

In the morning, Keri and I saw everything that Keri reported. When our parents saw Keri’s video, they immediately became concerned about Keri, and who or what was trying to molest her in her bed. Our father said, I can’t call the police. What could they do? There was nothing there. Did either of you fake this video?

I explained, Keri and I have been trying to get you to understand what has been happening to us at night. It is not a dream as you now saw. We don’t know what is next, but for Keri, she has to be concerned about someone trying to touch her under her nightgown.

My mother replied, I’m sure that it is nothing. Just sleep like normal tonight and you will see that all is fine. That night, Keri asked me to sleep next to her bed. She wanted me in the room just in case something happened to her again. I grabbed a camping cot and slept next to Keri, while listening for any unusual sounds. Nothing happened. I continued to sleep in Keri’s room for a week, and when nothing more happened, I returned to my own room and the events stopped.

The next step was to record sounds coming into our bedrooms at night. Keri and I placed recorders near our ears. In the morning, we had recorded sounds that made no sense to us. Sometimes, the sounds were like whispers of some form of words, while at other times, it sounded more like organized sound, mimicking, music or rhythm. We recorded our sleep sounds over a week, and each of us had considerable recordings that made absolutely no sense to either of us. On the final night of recordings, both Keri and I received the strange kisses on our lips and identical sounds like someone, or something, was saying good bye.

With the cessation of the sounds and touching in our bedrooms, Keri and I began taking random photographs looking for any photographic anomalies, like spheres, smoke or streaking in the pictures. Keri and I found multiple round orbs in our home, which she suggested were spirits being present. Although Keri believed in the spirit world, I did not and refused to believe that what haunted our sleep was spirits or demons. I also pointed out that we found no orbs in our bedrooms.

I was filming Keri one morning as she left the bathroom. She was being silly and danced in her bath towel on the way to her bedroom. She entered her bedroom and I saw her door close. I stopped the camera in order to get ready for school. I stepped into the bathroom when I heard Keri scream my name. I ran into her bedroom and she was holding her towel and crying. I asked, "Keri, what happened?

Keri replied, I shut my door and someone, or something, in my room grabbed my towel and pulled it off of me. When I screamed, the towel fell to the floor and I picked it up and you came in.. Matt, I am getting much more frightened about whatever this is that is bothering us.

I asked if she heard any sounds. Keri said, Nothing except the dark mass that quickly grabbed my towel. I thought I heard a laugh type sound, but I am not sure.

I asked, Is your sound recorder still running?

Keri smiled and said, Yes it is. I didn’t shut it off. We listened to the recording and we could hear some form of music just before Keri screamed. Keri asked, Will you please stand outside the bathroom door while I get ready? I refuse to get dressed in my bedroom after what just happened.

I replied, Sure I will, but please hurry because I need to get ready for school too. While in the bathroom, Keri reported that she buttoned her shirt, but when she looked in the mirror, she had two buttons undone. When she did the buttons a second time, another button came undone. Keri reported what happened to her. I didn’t know what to do. I refused to believe that our home was haunted. Keri was convinced that we had a poltergeist, or some other form of residual haunting. She asked for help, and let me know that she was starting back to church regularly. She said, When I went to church, none of this stuff happened to me. I’m scared to be alone in my own home.

CHAPTER 2

Communications

Keri and I walked out of the house and lef t for school. I realized that I forgot my laptop on my desk. I could go without it for a day, but my computer was needed most of the time for school. Keri suggested that we return to the house and pick it up. She said, We have enough time.

I replied, Fine. When I got home, I ran into my bedroom, flipped the top down and ran out to the car. I didn’t think to look at the computer.

In my writing class, we were assigned to write a story about something of interest. I thought I would write about what was happening to Keri and me at home. When I opened my laptop, a word had been typed onto the computer. The word was Interstitial. I had no idea who typed the word, or even what it meant. On the way home, I asked Keri if she had typed the word on my computer.

Keri replied, I don’t touch your computer. I don’t even know what the word means. I couldn’t spell it if asked.

I said, I have no idea what it means either. When I get home, I am going to look up the word. I will let you know what it means.

At home, I went to the dictionary and learned that ‘Interstitial’ meant, An empty space or gap between spaces full of structure or matter.

Keri said, Now, what does that mean in English?

I replied, The term is used to define any empty space between two objects. For example, if I put these two pencils together, the space between the pencils would be called the physical interstitial space.

Keri replied, So any space between objects is called the interstitial space, is that right?

I said, That’s my understanding, but what does it mean to us?

Keri replied, I still have no idea. Who could have typed that on your computer?

I replied, I only know that I didn’t type the word:

That night, I asked my parents if they typed the word ‘Interstitial’ on my computer."

My Dad replied, Inter what?

Keri said, Interstitial. It means the empty space between objects.

Our parents said, We didn’t do it. We have no reason to touch your computers. Someone must have typed the word at school playing a trick on you.

I replied, Possibly, but I didn’t let anyone use my computer and I don’t know when they could have had access to type the word.

My mother said, Just chalk it up to another unexplained anomaly like your other claims and then forget about it.

The next morning, my computer had the word, Hello typed on it." I asked Keri if she was playing a joke on me.

Keri replied, If I am, then I am playing it on me too. My word is ‘Hi’ which seems similar to your word.

I suggested that we have been hacked by a prankster at school. Keri and I decided to disregard the words and move on in life.

The next morning, Keri’s computer had the word, ‘Hello’ and the number ‘6’. My computer had ‘Hi’ and the number ‘4’.

Keri bent over, somewhat laughing and said, This is really creepy. Who is doing this to us?

I suggested that we ask that question when we go to bed tonight. Keri felt that was a good idea. That night, Keri wrote, My name is ‘Keri’. What is your name? I wrote, My name is ‘Matt’. Who are you?

The following morning, Keri and I reached for our laptops to see if we had a response. On each computer was the word, ‘Traveler’, but nothing else.

Keri typed, Traveler from where? while I typed, Traveler? Are there more of you?

Keri’s computer had the response, Tolas My computer had the sign, ‘ š ž¥ € ‘.

I said to Keri, We need to identify if they are friendly or not.

Keri replied, I think the kisses give that question an answer. I want to know about them. Who is kissing me and touching me in my bed; and what do they want from us.

I typed, Are you friendly?

Keri typed, Who is kissing and touching me in my bed. I want your name and if you are a boy, girl or what.

The next morning, my computer had a ‘ ’ while Keri’s computer had a ‘?’.

Keri typed, Are you a human being? I typed, Are you male or female?

Keri was first awake and checked for a response to her question. Keri ran into my bedroom and reported, When I asked if he or she was human, the response was ‘No’. Did you get a response to your question?

I replied, My screen had a question mark.

The entire interaction was becoming more creepy by the message. The decision was made to shut off our computers and break off communications.

In the morning, both computers were on once again. My computer had the word ‘Why’. Keri’s computer had the word ‘Don’t’. The next morning, both computers had the word ‘Stop’ on the screen. I wrote, Why and don’t what? Keri wrote, Don’t do something? The response was again the word ‘Stop’.

The words ended just as quickly as they began. Keri and I left words and messages on our computers nightly, but no replies were received and we finally stopped typing messages.

About two weeks after the computer dialogue ended, I began hearing clear voices from those around me. My first experience was Keri yelling, Matt, please come here.

I yelled back, Keri, where are you?

She replied, I am in my bedroom. Please hurry.

I ran into Keri’s bedroom, but she wasn’t there. I looked around and checked the bathroom. I couldn’t find Keri anywhere in the house. About two hours later, Keri came home and indicated that she stayed after school to help a friend with some school work. When I recapped what had happened, Keri said, Creepy, but it wasn’t me. I wasn’t here.

The next day, I was in the bathroom combing my hair when I felt fingers running through my hair. I heard Keri say Hi just before she messed up my hair. I turned around to ask her to knock it off, but Keri was nowhere to be found. She had left for school early with a friend and wasn’t home at the time. I was positive that the voice I heard was Keri’s voice.

That night, I was awakened by Keri. She said, Matt, I am afraid to sleep. Can I sleep with you tonight?

I replied, Sure. I will get you the camping cot."

Keri said, No need. I am comfortable beside you if that is all right with you.

I replied, It’s all right with me, but it is a little weird having my sister sleeping with me at our age.

Keri asked, Please, just one night.

I felt Keri getting comfortable and I said, OK, let’s go to sleep.

In the morning, I asked Keri if she slept all right. I explained that I was afraid that I might roll onto her in my sleep, which would have been really weird.

Keri replied, Matt, what are you talking about? I didn’t sleep in your bed last night. I was in my own bed sleeping soundly.

I replied, Don’t joke with me. This is serious. I felt your body next to mine. It was your voice. I even touched your hair and moved your hand from my face at one point. I know it was you.

Keri said, Sorry Matt, but no way. I am telling the truth. I did not sleep in your bed last night.

I said, If it wasn’t you, then who could it have been?

Keri replied, I think someone, or something, likes you. Did you get a kiss?

I angrily replied, No.

Keri asked me if I wanted her to sleep with me tonight on the cot. I replied, No, I will be fine.

That night, Keri woke up from a sound sleep after feeling her hair stroked and gentle kisses on her neck. Keri had complained at dinner that her right shoulder was sore from her book bag. When she was awake, Keri thanked me for rubbing her shoulder, but asked why I would kiss her neck or run my fingers through her hair.

I replied, I didn’t do that. I did none of that to you.

Keri replied, Sure you didn’t. I was talking to you while you were rubbing my shoulder.

I replied again, It wasn’t me. It may have sounded like me, but it wasn’t me.

Keri asked if I thought someone, or something, was trying to establish a line of communication with us, instead of just poltergeist activities.

I replied, I have no idea what is going on. I am going to ignore it like Mom says, and get on with my life. I suggest you do likewise.

That Friday, my best friend, Duncan, was spending the night with me. Before he arrived, I walked into my bedroom and said, Whoever, or whatever you are, I am asking that you stay out of my bedroom tonight and leave my friend alone.

I experienced nothing unusual, as Duncan and I played video games and watched a movie. At one point, I felt a tickle on my neck, but nothing more happened. I told Duncan that we could flip to see who gets the camping cot and who gets the bed.

Duncan