I was asked to post this report by the original investigator. Since I'm intimately familiar with the location, I agreed to post. The old college is in Ilchester, MD and sits on a high ridge overlooking the Patapsco River. It is actually 3 miles downstream from Ellicott City, MD. I have written about several locations up & down the river, including a few paranormal experiences. If interested in the history of the area, may I suggest you read The Patapsco: Baltimore's River of History
It was Friday, July 18th 2014 at 5pm. I was taking digital pics at the site of The "Hell House" (formerly St. Mary's College). This Historical Site in Ellicott City, MD is nationally known for its Paranormal / Supernatural Negative and Evil activity -- this is what peaked my site exploration curiosity, especially since it was very close to me now - I have a new job close by (about a 10 minute drive).
I took the pics of the "Hell House" Site you see on this webpage - the main building I later learned may have been torn down / a safety hazard to say the least. While following the faint and overgrown trail back to my car, I realized I must have walked about 30 minutes DEEP into a thickly wooded area, which is where I took the majority of these Site images. It was 85 degrees that day, humid, and there was no wind at all.....very relative info, as you read on......
Then -- it happened. About 1/2 way back through the quiet, peaceful (seeming) woods, I got the feeling that someone / something was following me -- I could hear a faint 'rustling' sound about 5 feet behind me. I stopped and turned around- nothing. As soon as I started walking again, same noise -- stopped and looked back - still nothing. Walked again, faster this time / looking back over my shoulder - heard the same noise, and realized it was coming from a tree leaf that was trailing me -- small and stiff / dry, and clearly the source of the noise. Easy to explain-- I must have walked into a spider web at some point, and the web was hanging from my leg or shoe, and caught the leaf and dragged it along -- the leaf was always at the same exact distance behind me, regardless of my speed ( normal walk to eventual heart racing, fast jogging! ) - yup, had to be a web.
This leaf was clearly 'following' my every move, like a child playing a game of 'Follow the Leader', or trailing something very fast moving (not me- I wasn't). With my hands, I cleaned off my pants and shoes, felt my shirt as well -- there was no web -- this leaf was not attached by anything -- that is a certainty. Walked again, head turned -- leaf 5 feet behind me, moving at my pace, stopping when I stopped. My heart raced -- could this be really happening? It was. I picked up the leaf - no web / anything attached to it. It's movement was tumbling and rolling along the old, cracked roadway like you would expect a leaf to move on a windy day, but this was the only leaf moving, and it did so in a perfectly straight line centered perfectly to my bodies location on the road. There was no wind during this 'event'. Using logic, I can not explain the cause.
I RAN back to my car, completely spooked out, carrying the "lifeless" leaf in my hand. It is now pictured on this website, in a sealed jar to stop the freaky, unexplained following in my footsteps. I went back the next day and marked the spot* where the leaf was finally picked up / last "moved", and added my initials S.M.
Steve Meyer - Ellicott City "Hell House" HAUNTED LEAF
