The Panther of Colma Creek II

I had no intention of writing a second part to this, and this goes against my better judgement due to the "high strangeness" of it, but having had another similar type of experience in the same location has coaxed me into it. I have had experiences up there that I wouldn't share in text, but perhaps vocally where I can at least express certain strange encounters better. This general area was once the location of roads and sporadic homes up to I'm guessing about eighty or ninety years ago. Virtually all of the old foundations that had long survived the homes have been torn out now, but some of the paved roads are now walking trails.

There was one well-documented incident where a very troubled young woman committed a totally senseless murder on one of those roads against a male motorist in the 30s I think it was; and another murder took place up there in the 70s, where a male stalker had overheard a young woman discussing the trails that she liked to hike on and had waited for her up there. Being so close to an urban center, there have been some incidents of murder victims being dumped up there over the decades. There has overwhelmingly been positive energy injected into the area, and somehow it all seems to have created an atmosphere of restless spirits and unusual activity. When I say "unusual activity," I don't mean every day; but if you spend time up there, before long you will notice it. It's not an "evil place," but I think its past--good and bad--has opened a type of twilight-doorway.

Recently I began hiking in a somewhat more remote location. Three days ago, after walking along some foothills, I started to walk into the same area of heavy brush where I had spotted the "panther." I had seen him once more around here since I had written about him. It wasn't quite twilight, but the heavy fog had rolled in. This, along with the heavy brush, had made the environment dark and somewhat foreboding-looking. With the brush and dark mist, it created a somewhat eery visual along the trail. Coastal fog here can be really thick, and sometimes you can't see beyond about thirty yards in front of you. As I got close to where I had spotted the large black cat, and I mean the exact spot next to that distinct tree, I saw a black cloaked figure crouched down next to what I assumed to be the "panther."

It was surreal, and naturally I was trying to figure how I should react to it as I got closer. The dark misty atmosphere was darker underneath that tree, but I could still clearly make out the black figures. One strange feature that I noticed was that this cloaked figure was totally "black," even the face and hands. However, the hood probably covered the face and perhaps the cloak and wide sleeves covered the hands; or maybe I just didn't notice the hands, or gloves were being worn. As I got within thirty yards, the figure stood up and was now looking directly at me. It wasn't quite dark enough for a flashlight, but I turned my small flashlight on anyway and aimed it to the ground in front of me to signal to this person. I was wearing a matching light grey sweatsuit, so I don't think I would appear too intimidating. However, a person dressed all in black, with a cloak and hood, walking in a remote area in this dark mist, would probably concern me more than the other way around.

When the figure stood up and looked at me, I only saw a black shadow. The person was relatively small in stature, and suddenly it disappeared along a cross-trail. Subtly, I could see that it was a woman. I immediately felt bad that I had maybe startled her, and broke up her "communion" with the wild cat. While I did feel bad that she felt the need to get away from me, I did want to get a second look at his very mysterious woman. Oddly, as I reached that spot, the cat didn't move. It was a different cat, a large brownish tabby with black stripes, and he just sat there and looked at me. Actually I had seen this particular cat since he was almost a kitten several years ago in a different location, but I'm not positive of that. After a few more yards I looked down the cross-trail and saw her again.

She was moving fast, but not running. Although this main trail led downward into a wooded area, this other trail led immediately to a clearing. I could then see her fairly clearly despite the mist, appearing dark grey against the light grey background. It was surreal seeing her black cloak flow as she quickly walked away, as if she were floating. As I passed down into a wider wooded trail, I hoped that she could return to doing whatever she was doing. I admit, I did look back twice; as her appearance definitely got my attention. Who was she? Was she an older woman... younger? Was she a pagan? Did she live nearby? Mainly, I suppose, I would be curious if she was an adherent to a particular spiritual/earth tradition.

Wild cats aren't easy to approach. At best, I have gained their trust only enough to walk past them without them running away; and even then, that was after coming in contact with them many times prior. Somehow this woman had sufficiently gotten this wild cat's trust, enough to make physical contact it appeared. There seems to be a special connection between a woman and particularly a male cat. Perhaps that location, the unusual tree, was her "church," and the cat was a fellow member. Somehow.. I felt left out.

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