A few weeks ago, I was with my Mom looking at an old house that had been abandoned for probably twenty years. The owners had given us permission to go in and have a look around, and we did. The first strange thing was that there were mud daubber nestss hanging off the walls EVERYWHERE. It looked kinda like the house had some type of internal lesions or something. Then we went upstairs, very carfully and I had a flashlight. We were shining the light around as the windows had been covered with tin and aside from the mummified squirrel there, it all seemed normal. Then I noticed this luminescence on the old bed in the corner. I asked Mom if she had seen it and she said "Oh, it's just the light coming through a whole in the tin." Fair enough. Only there was no spot of light on the bedd now....so I shined the light directly on the mattress again and saw nothing. Moved the light away and there was a definitee glowing spot about 1/2 an inch in diameter. So I pointed this out to Mom and we played flashlight tag with thee spot. The longer I held the light on it the larger it became! It was like a circle cut in half and it pulsed.....Mom wanted to leave...and so did I as I used to watch my fair share of the X-Files! So we left and everyone says they would have gone and poked it and ripped the mattress open, but I had no such inclination! Neither did my Mom.

The question is, what in the heck would do that?!? All ideas are appreciated...I just didn't like it and no one seems to have any idea what it could be. We think some type of larvae just from the shape, but it was creepy. I mean really creepy.

-- Doreen (aniamlwaitress@yahoo.com), October 22, 2000

Answers

Some insects and some fungus are phospholuminescent (spelling!!). That is, they will glow, like some of those weird critters that live way down deep in the ocean. I don't know what yours was -- I think I would have investigated a little more closely! (My mother used to tell me that I was like Rudyard Kiplings little elephant -- insatiable curiosity!)

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 22, 2000.

I was deer hunting in east TX a couple of years ago and was walking to my blind one morning before sunrise and I saw all these blue glowing roughly circular spots on the ground. I put my finger on one or two but didn't feel anything under my finger, just the short, scrubby grass (It was about 27 degrees and very frosty). I tried to feel a few more, but couldn't feel anything. It was extremely dark (no moon) and I barely made it to the blind because I had no flashlight--I just knew where the blind was. I looked for something that might be what I saw later in the morning on my way back to the camp, but I was never able to determine what it was. I assume some sort of phosphorescent fungus or something. Sure was a pretty blue. That's probably what you saw, or maybe someone left a glow in the dark toy or watch face or something in the corner. I have a small plastic glow in the dark ghost that I've had since I was a child, and it sits on my bedside talbe. Might explain how it got brighter every time you shined your light on it.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), October 22, 2000.

I don't know what would do that, but I'm just wondering why you were in the house to begin with? Are you looking to buy it? Why is a bed still in the house? I love old houses and when driving along alot of times I think to myself, it would certainly be neat to go in there and have a look around. I never have, but when I do get a chance to look in a house (being at an auction) I like to see how the rooms are arranged, how big the house really is, etc. I hate to see an old house falling down when if someone would do something with it, instead of letting things go, that house could still be in use, instead of letting the weather slowly tear it apart!

-- Michael W. Smith (kirklbb@penn.com), October 22, 2000.

The thing that is oddest is that it was just in one area of the mattress. It's largest size was about 3" in diameter. And the pulsing.

To answer your question, my parents want me closer to them so I was MAYBE thinking about buying it. It's a neat old house with the well on the back "porch" and no proper bathroom to speak of, although there is plumbing to the kitchen sink. It would be workable, but I guess the elderly couple can't quite decide if they really want to sell or not. Also, I have no idea how much they would want and neither did they so it ws a field trip really!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), October 22, 2000.

doreen this is probably not what you saw but a couple of years ago my son was driving around out in the woods after dark and saw an old decaying log that was glowing he showed it to some of his friends and one of their grand fathers said it was fox fire, he had only seem it a couple of times in his life it apparently happens when a log decays to a particular point and causes this glow. I think it has to do with the tree species, weather conditions, location, and stage of decay. He brought some home and many people went to see it after dark it stopped glowing after a couple of weeks but was interesting while it happened.

-- ronda (thejohnsons_doty@hotmail.com), October 23, 2000.

Doreen! I know, I know! It was a alien cacoon on that thar matress. If'n you'd openen hit up a lil wormy alien wud've fell out on tha floor. Don't thank theys' dangerus atoll lest youse air a twig or leef. They ets leeves n twigs ya no. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), October 23, 2000.

Doreen: If you really are interested in the house, maybe showing the glowing spots to the owners would get you a good deal, quick! Or, maybe they know what they are. Maybe someone versed in forensics could give you an idea. I've read where old crime scenes are checked with a black light, and the blood spots, whether washed or not, show up as glowing spots. Of course, your flashlight would be different. Sure would be interesting to know what they were. Hoot, you really are funny! Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), October 23, 2000.

Warning: religious post coming up (read at your own peril!). When my husband's mom died, we slept up in the old attic of her house. My husband, who is usually characteristically undemonstrative of such things, was weeping quite a bit over his loss. I was holding him and trying to comfort him. It was PITCH BLACK in there, folks. Anyway, his wedding ring started to glow! Too true! I took it to have a lot to do with our wedding vows (personal stuff) and you might think it's nuts (as do I on occasion) but I don't see any reason why weird glowing things don't still happen (remind me of this, when I start pooh-poohing somebody else's post about miracles or Supernatural stuff, will ya?)

Who knows, Doreen? Who knows......

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), October 23, 2000.

I think it's haunted.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), October 24, 2000.

I know this can freeak you out, but I agree with the glowing toy idea. One night I walked into my bathroom after everyone else was asleep. I saw this green glowing lump on the floor. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but then as I got closer it wouldn't go away. It turned out to be a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur. I could have shot the toy manufacturer right then. I think they make some of these toys to make parents nuts. I mean whats with that thing kids push with the marbles that pop like popcorn. The parent never gives their child one of those awful things. It's always grandma and I think she does it to inflict it on the next generation. I know it's the first gift I'll give to my grandchildren. LOL!

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), October 24, 2000.

Fox fire seems to fit the spot .Old house damp and open enough to let critters in . Fox fires a fungus. if nothing else yo have found a little star dust. : )

-- Becky (Becktora@webtv.net), October 24, 2000.

old glowing pee?

-- STAN (sopal@net-port.com), October 24, 2000.

Okay, since it was definitely under the mattress's covering, near the center I am going to preclude the toy. Although I can imagine the glee LilBit is going to have when she gets to do that to her own children!

I'll wager it's the decomposing remnant of a ghostly alien's pee ring....My brother suggested that I go back at night, and I suggested that I knew of a place he could go, were he inclined.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), October 25, 2000.

The kids & I like glow in the dark stuff - stickers, stars, shoelaces, toys...but it really un-nerves my husband when he comes across 'em at night. He's usually the one doing a late-night barn check. hee-hee!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), October 25, 2000.