DARREN J. POWELL reveals the night he was chased by strange forces near the Chislehurst Caves in South-East London
This goes back a while now and I’ve not had cause or reason to record my experience before so I’ll just write it down as I remember it.
This would have been sometime mid-1990s with me being aged around 25. It was a warm summer Saturday night and I was out with friends in Bromley but we decided that instead of hanging out at pubs we would instead go and camp out in the grounds surrounding Chislehurst Caves, build a little fire and take a few drinks. Yes, I had been drinking, but not to any great excess, and I do not believe that a few drinks would entirely explain away my experience.
It was late (or early depending on how you look at it) and I had gone off alone to answer a call of nature. I became aware of footsteps that I would swear were following me, I could hear the rustling in the foliage, but I could see no-one. I stopped in case these sounds were an echo, or to see if my friends were nearby. Those sounds continued and they were getting closer to me. I then became aware, and don’t ask me how, I just knew but there was a presence and I sensed there was some malice towards me. Whatever this was it didn’t like me being there. I will confess to panicking and breaking into a mad run to escape this presence. I vaulted a fence, near enough, as I almost impaled myself through my armpit and took a little injury that night and not just to my pride. Once in the clearing past this fence this presence saw fit to leave me be.
When I had recovered sufficiently I returned to my friends, they were sprawled by our little fire pretty much as I had left them. They all swore they had not left this area and I believed them. Even if they had there was no way this could have been a prank.
I am, of course, aware that Chislehurst Caves has a rich history and some connections with spooky encounters.
However, for me, it was never a place that held any fear up until this stage. Being in the area I had been on the cave tour many times and spent many hours in the cave complex while LARP’ing (Live Action Role Playing). I used to be quite happy in those caves alone and could navigate much of it by memory, my friends and I used to try to freak people out who were on the tours by hiding in the Dr. Who and other exhibits. So I also have many fond memories of those caves and just one not so fond memory.
DARREN J. POWELL is a London-based male model and self-stylist, DJ and promoter. He is the founder of Vampyre Villians vs Steampunk Slayers Clu. You can follow him on Facebook here and on Twitter @Demondazz
