The Terror That Lingers: The Mysterious Harlequin

The Terror That Lingers: The Mysterious Harlequin

The Harlequin

The Harlequin: Image Courtesy of Ezaf8 | Deviantart

Strange things happen all the time. Some just fade into oblivion with the ticking of the clock, while others, they chose to linger, and haunt, and cling to you for the rest of your life. This is the story of Dan Mitchell, and the mysterious creature that haunted him is entire childhood- The Harlequin.

The Mysterious Universe once posted a three-part series about a mysterious creature that has haunted Dan Mitchell of southern Wisconsin, ever since he was a child. Mitchell remembered, it was a thin, androgynous creature with wide-open eyes. The creature would visit him in his room when his parents weren’t nearby. Whenever it appeared, a rejuvenating aroma of summer rain followed. Through dance and theatrics, it would tell him stories,  entertain him. Mitchell remembered telling his mother about it a couple of times. Of course, she never believed him.

As a child, Mitchell’s life was full of happening. And by happening, I mean otherworldly experiences. Take for instance a particular spring night in 1981, as the Mitchell family sat for dinner:

 “I remember that my dad was very agitated. He kept saying that he was hearing somebody walking around upstairs. I was terrified by this because my Dad was so agitated and I had never seen him scared like that. He was a very tough guy.

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But that wasn’t the end of it. Mitchell’s father rose up from the table, his face petrified with terror:

“Immediately there was a voice that he heard coming from upstairs. While I want to say that it sounded like a sinister and terrifying laugh, I believe it was just a howl of some sort that caused a tingling feeling up my spine. He [my father] was frozen with this awful look on his face. Everybody at the table was just frozen. The next thing I remember is waking up at the dinner table with milk spilled all over myself and the table.”

It is not unusual for children to blank out things they don’t wish to remember, given the horror of the incident, this is exactly what happened.

Turns out, Mitchell wasn’t the only one. His mother:  “has all these incredibly bizarre memories about people being in the house, either upstairs or in the basement, or strange looking people walking around in the garage at night. It’s very strange to hear her talk about it because she is quick to equate these memories to burglars trying to steal things from our house even though our house was never broken into.”

As Mitchell grew up, the harlequin’s visits ceased, however, it continued to leave some obscure signs to show him he was still around. 

In 1991, Mitchell’s father was driving 15-year-old Mitchell from the family’s cabin in the north woods of Wisconsin into the nearby town of Eagle River: “There (was) this steep hill we would drive down on our way into town. When we got to the top of the hill in the truck, this guy was walking on the gravel road pushing a stroller. Now, it was probably 9:30 at night, pitch black, and who would push a stroller in the pitch black? I could tell this guy was hiding his face,. There was just something not right about it.” As the figure disappeared in the distance, “My Dad looked a little bothered by it as well. But he didn’t say anything probably to keep me calm. I was really not wanting to go back to the cottage because it was headed that way.”

While Dan Mitchell’s encounters go on, he wasn’t the only one in the world. Karen Davis, who was informed of Mitchell’s experiences via a friend’s husband who listened to a paranormal radio show, said:

“I was probably about five or six the first time I remember him. I woke up to someone bouncing on the foot of my bed. It was all white, no color, abnormally long limbs, empty eyes, but not exactly expressionless. I don’t remember being scared, I remember thinking ‘not again,’ and ‘it’s back.’ I know he told me stories, or shared information with me somehow, but I don’t remember him actually talking.”

What is this creature that haunts little children in their bedrooms? A supernatural abductor, or an elder god? Or is it a gray alien just trying to communicate? Or perhaps a demonic spirit with roots in shamanism and Wicca? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or in the comments below.


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