Gravity Hill

America is filled with strange phenomenon and freaky creatures. Too often, I've spent the majority of my time focusing on these abnormal entities that lie unexplained out of the corners of the eyes. What one frequently over-glosses is the fact that some places carry just as much mystery as creatures.

When I was a rug-rat, my father conveyed to me a story of murder and the preternatural. It began with a jealous boyfriend. He murdered his girlfriend in cold blood and proceeded to flee from the scene in his vehicle. That was until the apparition of his girlfriend decided to make a sudden appearance and nefariously pulled the car back up to the top of the hill.

Local urban legend has it that the spirit of the woman still haunts that secluded hill to this day, pulling other vehicles up as she relives her last few moments over and over.

My father took me to this very place, and I witnessed, first hand, the astounding events of this so-called Gravity Hill. I was greatly intrigued, and made a silent vow - as children often do - to return to that place one day and uncover the mystery.

Many years had passed and I almost forgot the amazing events of that day, until my studies of religion persuaded me to take up some active positions in the investigative field. After several forays into the uncovering of many paranormal events, it dawned on me that I should return to this Gravity Hill and search for the truth behind the apparent weird occurrences.

I jumped in the car and decided upon a road trip, four wheels spinning on semi-mountainous roads, a welcomed distraction from the normal urban setting of my life. It wasn't long before I was silently cursing myself for not paying attention to the directions the first time I was up there. Miraculously though, I was able to find my way (after several failed attempts at other spots on the road).

The sun was setting behind the trees of this mountainous region. I got out of my car and soaked up the scenery, a place out of time easily visible from centuries past. I stood in a timeless place.

I replayed the legend in my mind trying to alter the mood. The cooling chill of a nighttime wind in the summer passing calmly through the very souls of two ill-fated lovers. I could almost feel it all: the anger of a jealous man; the fear of an innocent girl.

I returned to my car and descended down the hill slowly, anticipating the moment. Everything happened as expected. I stopped at the bottom of the hill, a large incline lay behind me, too much to expect to return to, but the car immediately began to drive backwards, up the hill. It worked just like in my youth. Nothing had changed, not even the mystery.

I opened my car door and took a few steps to the side of the road, one last glance at a miniature Disney ride. I smiled, childhood memories reminding me of who I once was. I touched the ground where I stood, satisfied with my inquiry even if all it did was flood me with impressions from my past... and then I left.

There are actually many "Gravity Hills" across the United States as well as the rest of the world. It is not a unique phenomenon. Many people believe that this is some optical illusion, and that you aren't really moving. But if you experience it first hand, you know that this is a redundant statement by some fool attempting to hold strong to his sanity.

But what is it then? The only scientific explanation that holds water is the theory that it's illusory that you're going back up the hill, when in reality you're going down the hill. The shape of the terrain produces this optical effect, and is most often found to be the case since these "Gravity Hills" are themselves found on large mountainous terrain.

However, I did find it rather strange that this occurrence was only present on one hill and not those hills preceding it or following it. (You didn't thing I wasn't going to check, did you?) In addition, the most plausible test for such an event is to take a string level and hold it against a tree parallel to the road. If the optical illusion mentioned above was actually the case, the string level would slightly swing back away from the tree thus proving the hypothesis. This would not work either.

What was it then? A ghost? Local newspaper archives would not show instances of a young girl being murdered around that area. There is no evidence that such a heinous crime was ever committed. Essentially, the story might be no more than an urban legend.

So what's the truth behind this mysterious place then? I'm often left wondering this myself on nights when I revisit old memories and childish ways.