A Real Leprechaun Lives with us

This doll is a reminder that Skykes the leprechaun is with us.

Yes, you read that right. Here's a true story about a leprechaun that followed our family to America in the 1700's and remains with us today:

In the spring of 2003, I was investigating my brother's very haunted house in Independence, Missouri, and had gone into a light trance state in order to find out why items such as jewelry, pens, and scissors kept disappearing in their house, and only sometimes returned. The items were usually found in extremely odd locations such as under mattresses or in the back of kitchen drawers. We knew the house was haunted since multiple apparitions and ghostly things occurred on a regular basis, but this felt different, and my brother wanted to know what was going on.

Now, I consider myself to be very open-minded. After all, I've seen and spoken to spirits, extraterrestrials, inter-dimensionals, and Sasquatch. Nearly everything paranormal has been a part of my life. But until that day in 2006, I thought that Leprechauns were a part of some very active Irish imaginations. I would find out that I was wrong.

As I sat at the kitchen table, I saw movement to my right and turned to see what it was. I thought it was the cat. It wasn't. Yes, it was a real, bonafide little man about 20 inches tall and dressed all in green in curled up shoes. I had to stare at this creature to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks on me. He walked behind my brother and into the living room, then stopped and turned to look straight into my eyes. He said Telepathically, "You can see me?"

I replied, "Yes I can." He then said "My name is "Skykes." I asked where he came from and why he was here, and he said he had been with our family line on my father's side for centuries in Ireland. Around 300 years ago the family quit being able to see him and forgot about him. He came across the sea by ship when my ancestor, John Cathcart, and his family moved to America in 1760.

At that point, I asked my brother if he knew there was a leprechaun in his house, and he said no. He looked in the direction I pointed but he could not see the little man in his living room. Skykes said that he had been hoping that a member of the family would be able to communicate with him and that is why he took items and moved them around, so my brother would know that something unusual was happening. He also said that he liked shiny things and gemstones, so he kept some things for himself, but they were still inside the house and in some cases, inside the walls. The leprechaun said that if my brother would leave some sweet treats out for him every night, he would stop taking things. My brother has done so ever since, and not only have things stop disappearing but some of his wife's jewelry has mysteriously reappeared in her jewelry boxes. Skykes walked away, and I could no longer see him. I thought that was the end of it, but it wasn't.

The next day, I was sitting in my office when movement caught my eye. It was Skykes! He followed me since I was the one who could see and hear him. He decided to stay and ever since he has played tricks on me and my staff, taking office supplies and moving them around, and hiding objects. No one else can see Skykes, but they know who plays tricks on them.

In 2005 my husband and I visited England, Scotland, and Ireland. I went to County Antrim, Ireland to do some genealogy research, for which I had to make an appointment for in advance. I asked Skykes if he wanted to go back home and tag along with us and he said yes. On the flight to Ireland, I saw Skykes in the plane so I knew he was still with us. At the end of the trip, I said goodbye to Skykes as we boarded the plane to Heathrow Airport, and I thought that would be the last I would see of him. But it wasn't.

Months after the trip, Skykes appeared in my office and stood there staring at me. I said, "I thought you stayed in Ireland." He replied that he did stay there for a while but that everything was so different he didn't recognize the place any longer, and that no one could see him. So, he came back and has been here ever since. I said, "I thought you needed to travel on a plane to do that." His reply was "I can be anywhere at any time I wish." When I asked his age, he said that he has been around forever and was immortal.

I've never asked Skykes to bring me anything, because as most people know, to do so might result in mischief, which is something I don't need. I'm busy enough.

And that is why I keep the leprechaun doll in my office, as a reminder that he might be here anytime and to be nice to him.