Paranormal Story Archives
September 2001
– Page 10
Asleep
for 20 Days
by Marlene H.
Every time I read that there is a shortage of math teachers, I think of a bizarre experience that happened to me in 1974 right after I graduated with a BS in math education from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. My plan is those days was to become a math teacher, but it was changed by the fact I went to sleep for 20 days straight and missed the start date on my contract, which ended that job plan and started me in a totally different career. Here's what happened:
To believe my story, you have to believe the fact that I didn't do drugs, overdrink and that I was in excellent health at age 22. The only thing bothering me that summer was that I was obliged to stay on campus, and therefore in my apartment, during the summer quarter in order to finish up my degree. My girlfriend, who later became my wife, was on vacation in Europe until October. So I stayed alone in our apartment. My friends were all gone off on summer vacation. My family was occupied with other problems and probably thought I was with my girlfriend in Europe. The good thing is that I had signed a teaching contract in Massachusetts. I was supposed to start on September 3. Teaching jobs were hard to find in those days, so I was happy. School ended on August 16th. My plan was just to hang around for a week or two in Kingston then go to Massachusetts for preliminary orientations and find an apartment then start my career as a teacher.
It didn't happen that way. I accompanied a friend of mine to Maine on August 17, returned to Kingston by Greyhound bus August 18, arriving in town approximately 8:45 p.m. I walked to my apartment (by the way our lease ran until October 10), watched television and rolled into bed around 11 p.m. I fell asleep normally and didn't wake up until the morning of September 9, 1974. I smelled terrible and was sticky all over, though, strangely enough, I had not defecated nor urinated on myself. The room was closed and smelled like mold. I had a very hard time using my legs or arms at first, but eventually I overcame this. My skin had a funny quality to it, but I was healthy, and the first thing I did was drink a glass of water and urinate. I went out. The bothered my eyes, but they also adjusted. I looked around. I was okay. Mail was piled up outside. But it was summer break at URI and people didn't expect you to be in. I was shocked that no one had missed me, but remembered it was summer. We all had plans. Also, remember in 1974 phones did not have answering machines. You either picked up the phone or you didn't... remember? Yes, certain people had missed me a little. Like my girlfriend who'd sent cards. In 1974, calls from Europe among common people vacationing were rare. We had simply agreed to meet as planned in October. But I lost my job. I simply vanished. I violated my contract which stipulated that I report no later than August 30. And school started on the third. They must have called, but I wasn't awake to answer. So they hired someone else.
Why did I fall asleep for 20 days? To this day I have no answer. But I've been afraid all my life that it would happen again. It hasn't.
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