F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction Author

Paranormal

Dog Gone

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There were three dogs in my life that meant a lot to me, and two had the same name (“Mac”; the other was “Crackers“). Two were from my childhood, the third, adulthood.

I lost the first “Mac” to a little sports car out in the country (where we lived) driven by a guy with his girl. He’d come around the bend and didn’t see Mac as he crossed the road. Mac–I swear to you–looked both ways just before he was slammed into. Out comes the little sports car. Next thing I know, Mac’s lying in a small puddle of his own blood in the middle of the road. Mac was a Black Lab and he’d accompanied my young teenage self on my bike to the Post Office, a short jaunt down the way. We were returning home. We’d buried him “up back,” and I put his favorite and well-chewed tree branch across his grave, in homage.

I don’t know exactly when it’d happened, but sometime later, at the top of the stairs in our house, I don’t know what I’d been doing, but I turned around and looked to the head of the stairs…and saw the butt and wagging tail of a Black Lab heading downstairs.

We hadn’t had another dog at that point.

I rushed to the head of the stairs…only to be met by empty steps.

In 2003, our 11-year-old Black Lab, Mac, died of bone cancer.  He was my “Little Buddy,” and we did everything together. When I wrote, he sat at my feet. When I paced working on or reading my manuscripts out loud–he was there, eyeing me always with his big brown, caring, eyes. When I worked in the backyard, he followed me everywhere. Walked behind me when I mowed or sat and made sure I never missed a spot. Went with us on all our hikes.

When he died…I felt his spirit depart. Just as real as if I’d been hit. Or someone leaning on me had left. It was stark, jarring.

I didn’t think I’d cry–I was prepared, understood death as best as I could from my point of view–but I burst out in tears. Uncontrollably. Never saw it coming.

High Summer of 2006, I was out in the backyard, sweeping grass clippings off a sidewalk alongside a window. It was a bright, sunny day. As I worked past the window…in the window…was the reflection of a Black Lab following me.

I whipped around.

No dog.

I rushed back to the window to verify what I’d seen–the reflection of a dog behind me, or maybe just me and my broom at some weird angle–and held the broom back to where I’d had it, moving it back and forth where I’d had it…but no reflection behind me did it yield.

I was extremely surprised to see a dog behind me, because we no longer had a dog, and there were no dogs that size (at the time) around us.

I looked back to the window.

“Thanks, Mac.”

I smiled and continued on.

The Esoterica Challenge!

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I don’t want this site to just be about me.

I really don’t.

I want others to visit and leave a personal “Just Plain Weird” or otherwise “esoteric” story or two about yourselves! For YOU to share weird things that have happened to you. Things that just didn’t “traditionally add up” in your lives. It can be large or small, doesn’t matter–but it has to be true. I’m not looking to pass judgement, may not even comment (unless asked!)…but I’d really like to bring up the “daily weird” into a more open forum in our lives. I believe we all have at least one or two things that have happened to us during the course of our existence that “just didn’t make sense” in the more traditionally viewed mindset most of us have been brought up in, or work in. I’d also prefer these stories to be more fun or curious.

That’s what ‘d like to see!

NOTE: I’m not looking to focus on the dark and negative, nor am I a “go-to” person to fix any such dark and negative experiences. I have no experience there and there are plenty of others out there who do have that experience. That is not the purpose of this site, so please respect that. The purpose of this site is to focus on the positive and constructive.

And–in the realm of the esoteric–I’m not considered any “great shakes.” I don’t speak, hunt, nor work with ghosts (though I have seen ghosts of two of my dead dogs…and some I know have actually heard a “ghost” of me!). I don’t channel (uh, that I know of…). Don’t interpret dreams (see my post and views on dream interpretation). Don’t paranormally consult. I don’t even make any claims that I’m more advanced than any of you out there. My only real claim is that I’m just like many of you out there…except I may be more aware of some of the weird that “happens” to us…am more open about it. I openly allow the “paranormal” to manifest in my life–but in constructive and positive ways, and I’m a proponent for others to be the same. Sure, many of you are like this too–so this might be more like preaching to the converted for those like you–but I really hope that each of us can be more open to the so-called “paranormal” in all our lives, to not fear it, even laugh at the humoursly strange things that sometimes happen to us (see The Grape)….

So, please, feel free to stop on by and conversate–even if it doesn’t necessarily match the current post. I’m really looking forward to seeing what kinds of cool things have happened to others out there, allowing each of you to acknowledge the esoterica in your lives, since we really don’t get a chance to do so in our so-called “normal society.” I would like this site to be a “safe place” to allow each of you to come and talk about things you might not otherwise be able to…without anyone passing judgement.

Looking forward to hearing from all of you!

Welcome!

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This site is under construction!

It is a new endeavor of mine I’ve been considering for some time, splitting off my more esoteric ramblings from my other site, and instigated not only by my own considerations, but also through deep, in-depth conversations with one of my brothers.

What do I want to do and say?

What is my purpose in writing?

What would someone like me being looking for out of the likes of me?

All great questions. On my other site (Runnin Off at the Mouth) I usually deal with things-writing. There have been paranormal/esoteric considerations, but I largely deal with the writing world over there. On this site, the reverse will be in order. Here, I will discuss and deal with those things-metaphysical, dream related, and paranormal that interest me. I don’t intend to be “preachy,” but, really, all who communicate in any way present their own personal world views. I am no different…and my world view is an optimistic Weltanschauung. I’ve put a lot of consideration into life, the universe, and everything and believe in each and all of us creating our own lives, interpreting our own dreams, and resolving our own problems. I’m not a licensed anything, so if you have serious, life-threatening issues, please seek profesisonal help. Here, I’m just going to share thoughts on life, and what I think goes on in the background of our lives. On whatever philosophically interests me. Feel free to stop by, and enjoy!