Alternate Reality: 'Stormtrooper' on the Hill

A weird encounter in the woods. This happened a little over 10 years ago, but I’ve been thinking about it recently. I went into the woods and walked farther than should have been able to, saw a white silhouette person, got scared and ran away. Returned a couple years ago (6 years after incident) and was unable to find area encounter occurred at. I was spending the summer at my grandpa’s house in rural north Georgia in the mountains.

It was the summer between 9th and 10th grade so I was 13/14 at the time. There are woods behind his house and it’s a fair distance between grandpa’s house and any neighbors. You can see one neighbor's house in the winter when the trees are barren and the other is only obscured by a hill. Grandpa had told me not to go wandering far into the woods though, on account of there being snakes and such during the summer.

Well, one day I decided to go into the woods anyway. I start walking and after 10-15 minutes of walking I realize that I’ve walked farther than I should have been able to. As said, the woods weren’t that big. But I couldn’t see any of the neighbors' houses, or any landmarks/features I recognized. I went down the hill in front of me thinking I’d see the neighbor’s house down there, but instead found myself standing between two hills. There was another hill in front of me, some rocks to my left, and some fallen trees to the right. I walk toward the fallen trees, because to the right should be the edge of the forest. But I couldn’t see the end of the forest. When I turned around to go toward the rocks I saw this light grayish thing. I think I thought it was an animal but when I try to remember, it just looks like a fuzzy gray blur. But I remember that I felt calm, like for a second time stopped and I wanted to go toward it. Then I noticed a person behind it but on the hill. The “person”, however, was like a white featureless silhouette. Not wispy like a ghost, but solid and white. Then I saw another white silhouette but closer and I could make out features. It kinda looked like a stormtrooper from 'Star Wars.' Had two black eyes and a gray circular mouth. And when I saw it I felt an overwhelming sense of fear and dread. Like having a panic attack. And I ran as fast as I could up the other hill back the way I had came. What’s weird is that I remember walking for 10-15 minutes but it seemed like as soon as I turned and ran back up the hill I was back at my grandpa’s house.

A couple years ago I was visiting again with family, this time during the fall for Thanksgiving. I decided to go out one day and try to find that spot. I set out the same way I had 6 years prior toward that hill. But only a few minutes in I walked over the hill and then I came up to the old fence that separates my grandpa’s land from the neighbors. That second hill simply wasn’t there, neither were the rocks or fallen trees. That whole part of the woods just wasn’t there. And it didn’t take nearly as long as I remembered. Any thoughts or similar experiences?” HI