When I was about eight years old, I used all my savings to buy my first new bicycle. It was truly a dream come true, and every chance to ride it brought me immense joy. One day, my mother asked me to join her for a walk to visit a friend who lived downhill from us. I eagerly agreed, especially because I could bring my bike with me. To reach our destination, we had to use a long concrete staircase with a narrow footpath beside it, followed by another very steep staircase made out of German cobblestone.
Upon approaching the first staircase, my mother asked me to dismount my bicycle and walk it down the steps. Instead of following her guidance, I turned my bike towards the uneven dirt path and started heading downwards. It was exhilarating to have my legs dangling freely in the air, but my joy didn’t last long. The footpath was much steeper than expected, and my small bicycle begun to rapidly pick up speed. My mom screamed for me to stop, but I couldn’t look down to use the pedals brakes.
I was terrified and didn’t know what to do.
Out of nowhere, I sensed a presence appeared to my right side. It was a transparent, cloud-like being that my eyes couldn’t see, but I was acutely aware of its existence. This entity seemed alive just like any other person, though its physical body was not visible. I knew it had been watching me closely and was very familiar with my current situation. I didn’t fear it at all. On the contrary, it felt incredibly comforting to have someone by my side.
I soon discovered that we could communicate because this being was able to hear my thoughts! The presence informed me that it came to assist me in making a very important life decision. I kept hearing, “It’s your choice, but you have to decide quickly!” A great urgency was definitely in the air. Suddenly, I began observing myself and my immediate surroundings from an above perspective. I could see my mother some distance away, feeling her distress. Time stood still, and as if watching a movie, I witnessed my bike enter the steep staircase and my body tumbling down with it! The lack of a helmet caused my head to get severely injured by the fall, as did my bicycle.
The final scene reveled the unfortunate truth that this incident claimed my life…
This vision horrified me greatly and the presence could sense my fear. It communicated telepathically once more, instructing me to avoid the final staircase, if I wanted to live. I was to deliberately fall off my bike, right before reaching the steep stairs. However, I had no idea how to intentionally knock myself down. Again, the entity provided precise directions to powerfully swing my arms to initiate a fall. Following this guidance, I would still get injured and feel a lot of pain, but would survive.
With that message, my out-of-body state instantly receded, and I found myself back on the speeding bicycle. The steep staircase loomed right in front of me! Knowing exactly what to do, I wrenched the handlebar away from the stairs and forcefully threw my body to the ground. It took some time before I opened my eyes to ensure I was indeed alive. My hands and knees took the full impact of the fall. The pain struck me the very next second, but I knew it was coming. Soon after, my mother arrived with a lot of questions.
I was so awestruck by what had happened that I couldn’t find words to respond.
This bike ride remains an unforgettable memory. Never before had I experienced an out-of-body event where I could see myself from above, spoken with an invisible entity using only thoughts, observed a future moment, or been given a chance to change my fate. This occurrence opened me up to the existence of another realm – one that can’t be easily explained. To this day, a permanent scar on my left knee serves as a reminder of that eventful day.
by Hanna Isabelle
English