Ghost

            What I tell you here is the truth.  I don’t know if what I felt was real or my imagination, but it sure felt real to me.

            A couple nights ago I was talking to my friends online.  My parents, who usually stay up with me, decided to go to bed early, around 9:30.  I stayed up much later to talk some more.  When I went to bed at 11:30, I turned off the computer and all the lights, as usual.  Sleepily, I trudged down the hall and towards the stairs.  When you turn to go up the stairs, your back is to my living room.  It could have been a childish feeling, but I thought something was watching me.  No, I was just scared of the dark, I assured myself.  Yet, I hadn’t been scared of the dark since I was little.  Feeling myself foolish, I rushed up the stairs and into the bathroom and quickly turned on a light.  The feeling of being watched disappeared with the light. I brushed my teeth and went to bed.

            The next night, feeling myself quite silly, I took a flashlight downstairs with me before getting online.  I discussed some story ideas with a friend and it was soon 10.  Again, my parents went to bed early with a warning that I had better be in bed by 11:30, I had work the next day.  Ok, not a problem.  I talked for another hour and a half before shutting down the computer.  I turned on my flashlight and then turned off all the lights.  When I walked past the living room, I again felt that I was being watched and that this time, whatever it was, was slightly miffed about the flashlight.  Again, I ran up the stairs and into the bathroom.  Again, the watched feeling disappeared with the light.  By now, I had convinced myself that I was somehow feeling the childish fear of the dark and was being silly.  Shaking my head as I crawled into bed, I tried to forget it and get to sleep.

            And the next day, I had a CD and flashlight with me by the computer.  Again, I met my friends for our nightly chat and, again, my parents went to bed early telling me to go to bed at 11:30.  I nodded and asked them to leave on a light upstairs for me.  They agreed and went upstairs.  When they left, I felt too alone, even talking to three people.  But, I guess, talking to someone online is not the same as having someone in the same room as you.  And if you told them what was happening, they’d just laugh it off and change the subject.  I turned on the CD and felt a little better.  11:30 came and I had to go to bed.  I turned off the CD, turned on my flashlight, and turned off the lights.  As I walked past the living room, I could still feel the watched feeling.  Oh come on, get a grip, I told myself.  There’s nothing in there! So, as if to prove something to myself, I shone my light in there.  I had only just illuminated the big red wing-chair when the hair on the back of my neck started prickling and I felt that something was very miffed.  Running upstairs, I didn’t even go to the bathroom but straight to my bedroom.  I slammed the door and ran over to my art desk to turn on the light there.  I then jumped onto my bed and started clearing off things from the day, throwing them onto the floor.  Still, I felt the presence.  It had never followed me upstairs before…    I snuggled down into my covers and tried to sleep, with the light still on. 

            A fly buzzing around the room became just too annoying.  Stupid thing kept landing on my face!  Slightly afraid to leave the comfort of my bed, I got up and opened my door to shoo the fly out.  I noticed that the lights in the hall were still on.  When I turned off the light at my desk, the fly went straight for the lights in the hall.  I ran out the door, turned off the hall light and beat the fly back into my room and again slammed the door.  Now, I was standing in my room in the dark.  I made my way back to the desk and again turned on the light.  Then I turned on my bed lamp and turned off the desk light.  Still, I felt watched and that whatever was watching me was angry.  I snuggled down into my covers and reached for Baby Bear, my favorite toy from when I was little.  Hugging her close, the feeling still persisted.  In fact, it seemed worse.  I looked down at my childhood friend and her tattered smile seemed more sinister than welcoming, her love scratched eyes watched me with something close to malice.  Scared, I threw her to the floor.  Everything in my room felt evil, as if some evil spirit was seriously ticked with me.  All I had done was shine a light into his realm… Yes, it was a guy.  Don’t ask me how, but I somehow knew the spirit was male.  I turned on the lamp next to my bed and started reading my Bible and praying.  Only after several hours did the feeling leave.

            When I woke up in the morning, still half praying in the back of my mind, I could still semi-feel that evil gaze. I still felt silly, but I ran past the living room on my way to breakfast.  It took me half the day before I gathered up the courage to walk past the living room again.  But I did.  After walking past a few times, I began to feel a little more courage.  Around 1, I forced myself to go in there.  When I walked in, I saw the mini, wood, rocking chair that sits by the front door in there.  In it were Smoky and Billy, two teddy bears.  Shaking my head, I moved the chair back to where it belonged.  Immediately, I felt that some pressure had been lifted from and that, maybe, the spirit was trying to decide if it was pleased or indifferent.  In the place where the chair and bears belonged was an extra fireplace tool set that AmVets wouldn’t take.  I moved that into the garage to set out at a garage sale. 

            That was this afternoon.  Since then, I have gone past the living room several times and haven’t felt anything.  Who knows what the night will bring?  I have no flashlight and my parents are still up, but, perhaps, tonight the spirit may leave me alone…

We shall see.

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