View of the author's childhood home, Elkridge, Maryland

When Michael was six years old, his family moved from the suburbs of Baltimore, to Elkridge, Maryland. Michael's grandfather had become a lieutenant in the Howard County Police Department, and relocated his family to an 18th century colonial home, located directly adjacent to the Patapsco State Park, on the banks of the Patapasco River. It was a logical move for Mr. Kradz, and the new house provided both security and room for his family. The house needed extensive repair work, allowing Michael's grandfather to purchase the property at a reasonable cost. The house appeared as if neglected for some time; it was filled with junk, and the task of clearing out the clutter and repairing the house was something of a challenge for Michael and his family.

Another view of the author's childhood home, Elkridge, Maryland

Sifting through the many objects in the house, they came across the several of the fully working shutters and other historical artifacts, and along the way, they decided to attempt to restore the building to its former glory. The shutters were repaired and placed back on their original anchors, and the original fenceline was restored. Mr. Kradz found that the several sections of the wrought iron fence that surrounded the property had been taken to a salvage yard in the early '30s, and discovered they had never been sold or melted down. He purchased and refinished them, and working from old photographs, painted the house white with bladk shutters to match the look of the house at the turn of the century. In doing research for the restoration, Mr. and Mrs. Kradz began to learn the history of the house, and of the Patapsco area.

View of the Thomas Viaduct, Elkridge, Maryland

Elkridge, originally named Elkridge Landing, was originally settled in 1690, and was a deep water port similar to Annapolis, and was the gateway port for shipping agricultural and manufactured goods to and from the fertile Patapsco region. The house was once part of a plantation, and the Thomas Viaduct, the oldest keystone bridge in the U.S., and the world's largest multiple arched stone railroad bridge built in an arc, was completed in 1835 immediately adjacent to the house. The original Tom Thumb took a trip across the Thomas Viaduct, and the bridge is still in use today.

Long view of the Thomas Viaduct, Elkridge, Maryland, as photographed by Michael Vain

Research into the house revealed that at one time, slaves were brought up the Patapsco and unloaded at a dock only a short distance from the house, where they were taken by means of a tunnel to an underground room located beneath the house, and then later through another tunnel to a spot near the stairs on the side of the viaduct, in order to be shipped to various locations. These same tunnels were later used as a stop in the Underground Railroad, providing escaping slaves a temporary refuge in their flight to the north. During this time, Michael was told by his grandfather that the street upon which he lived was named after the sea captain who was responsible for taking Napolean Bonaparte to Elba, and that during that trip, he brought back with him several seeds of an elm tree native to Elba, and planted one of them at the corner of the property. While in fifth grade, Michael was surprised to see a reproduction of an illustration depicting the Battle of Relay in his social studies text book in the chapters on the Civil War, that plainly showed his house in the background. He was informed the house was begun in 1723, with additions to the house occurring in various stages until 1763.

Illustration of the Thomas Viaduct at Washington Junction

Within a few months of moving into the house in Elkridge, members of the family began to experience events they could not explain. At first, these experiences were sporadic and easily dismissed: objects left in an empty room would vanish, only be found in other locations, strange noises, such as closing doors, or very low volume voices, were heard, and Michael and other members of the family would often experience sudden cold spots, along with the feeling of being watched. These experiences, while unusual, did not immediately cause concern, as they rationalized them to be the result of human error, or somr other natural cause. However, as the family restored the house, these experiences intensified. Here, Michael recalls the first time he encountered what could be described as apparitions: "I remember that, even as a child, I was often restless, and had difficulty going to sleep. One night, after I had said my nightly prayers, as children are wont to do, I was waiting for sleep to come, and was turning this way and that, trying to get comfortable. My brother and I slept in separate twin beds at the time, later to be replaced by bunk beds, and I remember turning over on my back, only to find what appeared to be an elderly woman standing at the foot of my bed, looking at me. I was startled, not only by her appearance, but also by the fact that she was translucent; I could see through her, to the open door behind her, and the room beyond. i turned my head to call out to my brother, and saw an elderly man standing at the foot of his bed, who was as translucent as the woman. I was scared for a moment, but the fear quickly dissapated. I felt no threat from these figures; both the woman and man were smiling, and appeared very content, if not happy, as if they were looking over us. I felt a genuince sense of warmth from them, and felt protected. I was then able to sleep, with the knowledge I was safe."

Illustration depicting a Civil War Artillery Battery overlooking the Patapsco River

Michael related his experience to his grandmother, but his report was dismissed as a dream. It wasn't until the events began to escalate in frequency and intensity that his story was taken seriously. Michael, as well as his grandparents, began to experience a range of phenomena; they would often see doors and windows where there were none currently, only to have these visions vanish moments later. Taken alone, these experiences were again easy to dismiss, but as time went on, the family began to experience these phenomena together. On one such occurance, Michael and his grandmother were talking in an upstairs room, when they heard the front door to the house open and close, followed by footsteps. These did not concern either of them at the time, as they were expecting the return of Mr. Kradz, who had left for an errand earlier. Thinking Mr. Kradz had returned, they continued their conversation, standing near the top of the staircase leading to the second floor, as the footsteps proceed across the kitchen, and up the stairs. Michael and Mrs. Kradz expected to see Mr. Kradz appear on the steps, but this did not happen; the sound of the footsteps continued to the top of the staircase, and simply stopped, with no one in sight to have caused them. Similar events happened to Mr. Kradz and his wife on many occasions.

Aerial view of Michael's home and the Thomas Viaduct. The original shoreline of the Patapsco River is visible.

Those asked about their experiences in the house almost invariably begin their recollections in the same manner: "I never believed those stories about the house being haunted . . . until . . .". Michael has lost count of the number of times he has heard them begin with that sentence. "There is always an 'until' at the end," he says. On one occasion, while Michael was in elementary school, his mother was at the house late one night, helping her son with a school-related contest. Sitting in the kitchen, with her back to the main window, she became aware of a bright glow that lit the room, and felt a warmth on her back. She began to turn around, thinking that somehow she had lost track of time, and it was dawn, when the glow faded, and she discovered it was still night. She has no explanation on what could have caused the room to light up in such a fashion. Not even the animals in the house were immune; one night, while his grandparents went to visit his brother in the hospital, Michael and the family dog experienced a strange and frightening encounter. "I was sitting at my desk, working on my homework," he recalls, "when the air in the room suddenly became very cold. I then felt a presence enter the room, moving through the doorway to a corner in my room. I don't know how else to describe it. I could feel it there, but at first, I didn't really see anything. Then, our little Silky Terrier, Toh-Toh, who was asleep on the lower bunk bed, suddenly woke up and began looking in that direction, his head moving to follow it as it moved across the room. This dog was fearless, and had no concept of its own size. It then shot off the bed, growling and running in the direction of this presence, until it got with a few feet of it. Then, he scrambled to stop, and ran back across the room to jump on the bed, hiding under the covers. I could feel a palpable menace in the room, and as I stared at the spot, a figure began to form there, as if watching one of the old 'invisible man' movies. It was like I was watching something become visible from the inside out, starting with the skeleton, and working its way outward, only the skeletal form I saw wasn't human. Even though I had seen many strange things in that house, it was the first time I was actually afraid. Not knowing what to do, I began speaking aloud as I moved very slowly over to my bed. 'I'm going to just sit here and watch t.v.' I said. 'I'm moving very slowly, and am not a threat to you', I remember saying. I stared at the television for what seemed like a long time, although it was likely only a few minutes, before the image, still visible from the corner of my eye, faded away, along with the feeling of menace it projected. I considered myself very lucky, and found it hard to sleep for many nights afterward."

Michael's grandmother and the family dog, Toh-Toh

Although the family regularly experienced such events, discussion of these phenomena outside family circles was discouraged. In his profession as a Criminilistics and Forensics Investigator, Michael's grandfather often called upon to provide expert testimony in court, and it was his grandparent's view that knowledge of such events would damage his grandfather's reputation, and reliability as an expert witness. As a result, Michael was forced to keep such matters confidential, which he often found difficult, considering his age. He and his brother were encouraged to play at the houses of friends, rather than have visitors at the house. The occurances continued to escalate, and on several occasions in 1972, Michael witnessed the presence of a large, humanoid entity that was solid black in appearance, usually seen standing at the end of a hallway on the second floor. A few weeks later, the house was struck by a ten foot wall of water during Hurricane Agnes, trapping the family inside. Michael, his brother, and his grandfather had to make several trips downstairs to the study to retrieve important legal documents, while his grandmother gathered the two elderly women she cared for at the house, and took them upstairs. As Michael made his last trip up the stairs, he watched as all the windows in the living room collapsed at once, and large jets of water began pouring through them. They were forced to watch tanker trucks bounce off the house's thick brick walls, which Michael had once been told were built from the ballast of slave ships. His grandparents took turns signalling Morse Code from Michael's bedroom window with a flashlight, as Michael watched the water slowly rise up the staircase. After several hours, the family was discovered by a rescue team, who used a boat to ferry the family to shore. The boat would only hold a few people, and Michael and his brother were among the first group to be taken from the house. The current was nearly enough to capsize the small craft, and it took four attempts to reach safety.

View of the flood waters along Main Street in Ellicott City, Maryland, during Hurricane Agnes, 1972

Michael and his family spent the night in a National Guard Armory, which served as a rescue shelter. Within ten days, the water had receeded far enough for the family to begin repairs, a process which took several years. During this time, they were subject to more strange noises and the occasional apparition. Again, these encounters seemed to escalate, until Michael had another frightening encounter. Going to bed one night after getting a glass of water, Michael climbed onto his place on the top bunk, when he was pressed down violently by what felt to him like an invisible hand. Though not paralyzed, he found it very difficult to move. Suddenly alamred, he began calling out as loudly as he could manage for help. Neither his brother, sleeping in the bunk below, nor his grandparents down the hall, gave any indication that they heard him. With great effort, he was able to turn his head, and watched as a black sphere rose from below his line of vision to a point about a foot below the ceiling, which then began to expand. Helpless, Michael watched as the sphere began to undulate, and what appeared to be a hand began to emerge from its interior. Michael, who attended a Methodist church at the time, did the only thing he knew to do; he prayed, hoping with all his willpower that it would have some effect. After an unknown amount of time, the sphere vanished, and Michael found he could then move normally once more. Such events subsided for a time, and then, in 1976, Michael began once more to see the dark figure he had encountered earlier. Within a short time, the house was struck by Hurricane Eloise, which again flooded the area, this time with deeper waters, and the house was filled with water for a second time in four years. This time, however, Michael's family had sufficient time to leave the house beforehand, and was not trapped inside. Michael would relate these stories after moving from the house, often making sketches of the entities he had seen, but it would not be for another thirty years, while surfing the internet with his daughter, that he would learn that others had encountered them also, and that they had a name: Shadowpeople. During his research, he learned they were normally encountered during times of natural disaster, and had been linked to the Mothman appearances in West Virginia, and other locations throughout history.

View of Michael's Home during the flood of '72

Very few photographs of the family's time in Elkridge remain. When Michael was fourteen, Mr. Kradz purchased a home in Nanjemoy, Maryland, with the plans of moving the family, but Freddie Pagliara, a small time criminal from Baltimore, hired a pair of thugs to burn the house, and they succeeded a mere twelve days before the family was scheduled to move. Almost all the family's remaining possessions were destroyed in the flames. Mr. Kradz worked with the arson investigators in Charles County, Maryland, to ensure those responsible were brought to justice, and Pagliara was sentenced for conspiracy to commit arson. The following year, Michael and his family moved to Millersville, Maryland, where Mr. Kradz continued his forensics work, and formed his own private detective agency, Adept Investigations.

The house in Elkridge as it appeared in 2004

Michael's involvement with the paranormal did not end with the family leaving the house in Elkridge, however. Since that time, Michael has continued to have strange experiences, both as a teenager and as an adult. He has come to believe that exposure to such events, over time, not only changed his perceptions of reality, but his sensitivity to such phenomena. On several occasions, these phenomena have been witnessed by others, and have resulted in varying reactions, but to Michael, it has become a way of life. Since living in Elkridge, he has also experienced a number of precognitive events, in both waking and dream states. In August of 2002, for example, he dreamed he would be involved in an automobile accident in which he would be ejected from a rolling vehicle, one he had never seen or ridden in previously. He had an appointment to drive to Virginia with his ex-wife to attend to a family emergency, and when she arrived in the vehicle from his dream, Michael was given cause for great concern, but chose to make the trip, despite the clarity of the dream, and its uncanny similarities to his present. While driving through Denby, Virginia, her Ford Escape was sideswiped by an eighteen wheeler, and then struck in the rear by a speeding van. The Escape flipped end over end twice, and rolled four times before Michael was ejected through the sunroof in front of the vehicle. Although severely injured, Michael credits his survival to the dream. According to the insurance investigator, Michael "stood a better chance of winning Lotto twice" than surviving that particular type of accident. "I think I would have preferred the Lotto," Michael says, looking back. "One thing is for sure, and that is if I ever have a similar dream again, I won't make the trip."

The author and his grandfather, 2005

"I don't expect everyone to believe these things have happened," Michael admits, "because until they happen to you, it is a very difficult thing to believe, and once it does, it changes you forever." Only a portion of the events he and his family have experienced have been detailed here. Michael plans on writing a fuller account of his experiences in the form of an autobiography, at some point in the future. For now, he uses the insights gained by these events not only to broaden his view of the world, but as inspiration in his writing.