This is a chapter from my book “American Medium” “Like Rushing Water” which describes a profound paranormal occurrence that took place in the village of Giverny, in the North of France. This became the beginning of the end of my long marriage and the understanding that when it comes to the supernatural it can manifest at any time and there would be no way for me to know when that would happen. I have always felt very much at home in France and this would be the first time I would have an intrusive paranormal experience in a place that has brought me so much comfort. Please read with caution as this story details the experience of levitation.
Summer 2006
We had decided to spend two months in Europe visiting relatives in Holland and Norway with the final leg spent in Northern France where I had spent most of my time when traveling through Europe. I loved the area of Normandy and Deauville. Caspar did not really like this area and wanted to stay in Paris. We unfortunately got caught up in the extreme heat wave that was taking place and it was early summer. A lot of the hotels did not have air conditioning or it was very miniscule. We were roasting in the city so we packed up the car and decided to drive towards the forest which was a lot cooler. There was never really any plan with the two of us which was something I loved about our marriage. We were kids at heart when traveling. Driving from city to city and somehow just finding a special place to stay and making friends along the way.
After driving for over two hours we happened upon a small farm with apple orchards. We saw someone standing in the drive and we decided to pull over and ask if they knew of any lodging. He pointed down the road and said there were cottages for let nightly which sounded perfect. We drove down to the next property and saw a few small cottages and a larger main house. An older man emerged from the barn and greeted us. We were all very tired and just wanted to shower, nap and have a meal. He said he had two cottages available and they both had air conditioning and a refrigerator. Sold! He gave us the keys and said we could pay in the morning. We walked over to the cottage which was painted white. It was very cozy and charming and when we walked in through the door the air was already on and it was a cool 69 degrees. Fresh sheets and a small basket of water and fruit was on the table. Aubrey found her room and was soon fast asleep. I began to unpack and took a long shower. Caspar went for a swim in the pond in back of the cottage. It was such a relief to be out of the heat. Aubrey had woken up and she had her bath and we decided to go into town for dinner. We found a cute café with a beautiful French menu. We had a lovely evening. One of the nicest times we had had in very long time. We talked about possibly moving back to Europe and living in France. That maybe living in Europe where I felt safe would be the best thing for our family. We laughed and I even drove back to the cottage in a manual shift which made us laugh even harder because it took forever to get back because the car would die out and I was clueless when shifting. But the happiness of the evening was not to last.
It was dark and cooler outside when we arrived back to the cottage. The owner had put the lights on for us and left more fruit and some cheese and bread. I remember having a big smile on my face that had been there for hours. I was just so happy to be in Normandy a place where my blood felt was home. Just then a bird flew in an open window and slammed itself against a wall. It had died instantly. Aubrey began to cry. I held her in my arms while Caspar picked up the bird with a towel and buried it out by the pond. We sat down at the table and tried to calm Aubrey down as she was such an animal lover. I started to smell something in the kitchen and walked over to the corner area. At first it smelled like something burning. Then it started to waft and become very pungent. Now it smelled like sulfur. This was a smell I knew and was very familiar with. Rotten eggs. Something dead or decomposing. I backed out of the kitchen. Caspar said “What’s wrong honey?”. Suddenly the cabinets in the kitchen began to open and close. Aubrey screamed “Mommy no!!”. Caspar said “It smells like sulfur in here. It smells like our haunted house”. I could see the look in his eyes of just sheer disappointment and exhaustion. I felt something there but I didn’t feel anything threatening. I screamed “Stop now-now!!!!!!!!!!!!”. I screamed so loud I felt my vocal cords stretch. The activity suddenly stopped. Like a light switch. Now I don’t think I had any authority over what was there but I do feel that the protection that I have on earth does. The cottage was still. I went to hug my husband but he waived his arms in the air and so I went to get Aubrey ready for bed. She wanted to sleep with me. I did not want to sleep in the cottage but we had nowhere else to go and it was late and we were all tired. Caspar started drinking wine. I don’t drink but that night I wish I did. I am allergic to alcohol-thank God- because I know that with all that I have dealt with in my life it would be a temptation to use it to block it all out. We turned out the lights and moved into the sleeping quarters.
We all cuddled in the big king size bed with the fresh sheets and the comfy blankets. Caspar and Aubrey drifted off to sleep and I was on alert-staying awake to listen for any sounds or voices that may harm my family. I finally gave in and drifted softly into the arms of Morpheus. It felt like had just fallen asleep when I awoke to a very brightly lit room. I thought I was dreaming but I could feel the small table fan on my leg. I couldn’t move. My body felt like it was paralyzed. My hands and feet seemed locked in a frozen position. I could see though. And I could hear. I felt like rushing water was going over my body. It felt cold and it felt very strong. I heard Caspar scream “God dammit no!!!!”. He seemed to be reaching out to me. I could feel Aubrey grabbing my arm. This was no sleep paralysis episode. Sheets and sheets of water seem to be running over my body. I couldn’t move. Then I felt my body moving upward. I was still in a frozen position. I could see the floor and I looked up and saw the ceiling. I felt the sensation of water flowing over my body. I tried to scream out for help but the words were not coming. I felt my voice become hoarse. I saw out of the corner of my peripheral vision something that looked like a large black mass that hovered in the hallway that led to the bathroom. It looked like it had eyes. It looked right at me. I felt Caspar pulling on my leg and I saw him fall back onto the floor. He tried again. Aubrey was screaming. I felt her little hand grab my ankle and put all of her weight on top of it. Suddenly the paralysis was broken and I fell back onto the bed. The rushing water stopped. I lay there stunned and shaking. Caspar said “You were in the fucking air”. You were being levitated”. Aubrey jumped on top of me holding me and crying. I panicked and ran into the kitchen and said “You assholes leave me and my family alone”. But I knew it was just me they were attacking. We all got dressed, packed everything up, left cash on the table and threw everything in the car and just drove. We drove for over an hour. It must have been two or three in the morning. No one spoke. I fought the tears and was holding onto my daughter so tight she winced. We drove to Le Havre, a city I knew well and parked by the water. Caspar was furious. He was very agitated. I tried to comfort Aubrey. Caspar would not look at me. He would not talk to me. We all slept in the car until dawn.
Come morning we found a small hotel room by the water that had a pool. Aubrey was swimming all afternoon and seemed to have forgotten about the previous night’s events. She liked the hotel because she could order pool and room service which made her feel like a grown up. Caspar had taken off to one of the many bars in the area and resurfaced around 9 pm. He walked into the hotel room pretty drunk I thought. He said only these words to me when he arrived back to the hotel “I don’t think I love you anymore, I think I might want a divorce”. A lump formed in my throat and stayed there forever.
We would stay together for three more years mainly due to our daughter’s illness. During this time I finished my doctorate and began to prepare for him to leave at any time. I am never the person that leaves, I stay until the last ember goes out. He eventually did. I couldn’t leave. I wanted to try and keep my family together. But I always knew that because of my sensitivities to the other side things would eventually become too much for him. I have never begged for anything in my life so I let him go. I will always love Caspar. He made me feel, at least in the beginning, accepted and allowed me into a world of family and friends and warmth that had nothing to do with the supernatural. But it was all too much for him and he does not like things to be complicated or strange, and I am both. Where you might ask were my guides and angelic protection during this incident? I have no idea. This was the only levitation experience I would ever have. I do not know the reason for my experience. I don’t understand why I felt the sensation of water rushing over me. I felt myself lift off the bed and my limbs were locked in place. Whatever did this wasn’t a kindred spirit. It wanted to show dominance and it did. I have never spoken about this experience until this writing. I tried to dismiss it and pretend that it never happened. But it did. It tainted a region in the world that made me feel cocooned and nourished. The area of Giverny has seen a lot of battles and was heavily involved in World War 2 so it might not have been a good place to stay the night in retrospect due to the imprints that remain there and what it can attract. But my time as Mrs. Katharina Theodora Settles was coming to an end and the journey into single motherhood and working within the supernatural realms would once again emerge.
