Alrighty! It looks like I can add some stories to revive this thread. xD I' a new PHer but I've been reading the HGS section for a few months and finally read everything! LOL... I really like Zaj stories so I'll share an experience of mine.
So back when I was around 5-ish (around 2003), my family and I would love to go to Phalen Lake because that is where many Hmong ogs come to play volleyball, and play cards. It was a popular park for Hmong if you live I Saint Paul. There is this area where there is a big depression of hill and down that hill, there was flat area of land and a man made canal that encircles that area of flat land. Me and my bros call it the "island." Technically it was right? The island is where all the Hmong people go play volleyball and whatnot. Lol Well the lake is known by the Hmong community to have a few Zajs (I think 3). There were many drowning incidents, some including Hmong people, and the whole park was known to be haunted.
It was a usual summer day at Lake Phalen, and me and the fam were hanging out at the island. Hmong mothers were all sitting around together talking and stuff, fathers were playing volleyball, pob tawb (takraw ball), or gambling with cards lol, and then us kids would like to hang out, play some tag or whatever we can find to amuse ourselves.
Around 5-7 or so, I was getting bored so I decided to go on my own adventure. The island was pretty big do I walked to the other end where there was a roof that housed several picnic tables. On this part of the island, there isn't a lot of people around so I thought being alone would be fun. I went to the edge of the island where there were tall grasses that grow from the shore. I would catch dragon flies and make them fight each other lol. Anyway, I stopped becuae I got bored and I wanted to do something else.
My boredom led me to start picking at the tall grasses for fun. I was peeping into the water here and there, hoping to find a turtle I could watch. Then I spotted something out of the ordinary... Right near the shore under the water, was a big, fat, scaley, green lizard leg with golden colored claws. It was connect to a large, but slender body that was covered by the massive algae growing over the surface of the water. I was shocked, scared, but intrigued! I had spotted a dragon, no bs. It was no turtle nor fish. For some reason I felt like it wanted me to jump into the water and catch it. I was feeling an really big urge to jump in for some reason. But I was smart and I backed away from the shore so that I wouldn't accidently slip in but i could still see it. I tried throwing something at it so I picked at the grass and threw it in the water. I was so curious that I went to go find a rock to throw in the water, but when I came back, it was gone. There were no people around so I couldn't show it to anyone. I tried getting my older brother to come look but he was too far away.
That was a one time experience that I never told my parents about. Even today, I still wonder what was it, what was it's purpose, as why I felt like jumping in to the water. I assumed it was trying to lure me in maybe? Well too bad I stuck to my instincts haha. I am curious about learning about Zaj, so if anyone has more Zaj stories, post em!
Anyway thanks for reading my story!
