Craig
Jedi Master
Gather round, for I am about to tell you a tale that will literally blow your socks off; and maybe, if you ask nicely, Laura will let you use some of her many cans of spray, to tame those prickly hairs on the back of your neck. She sure knows by now to have plenty in reserve. Okay, so it wasn't a scene straight out of the Amityville Horror! But oddly enough, a "House with the Eyes" was certainly one of the first impressions I had as we pulled up outside our new home, back in 1994.
It was very intimidating, moving into such a large house after spending my first few years of life living in a small terraced; now my sister and I could have our own suitably sized bedroom, and even a large play room, although we soon developed an inexplicable hesitation to stay in there for very long.
Everything went according to plan on moving day. Us kids were off to our grandparent's house so we wouldn't be in the way of the commotion, and I can only speculate as to whether trapping my fingers in the car door (for the first time ever) that morning was some sort of "sign" of things to come. I didn't like the fact that it was twilight until we could be taken "home" after receiving a phone call confirming that the moving company had gone. I had barely even been in the place for long, and now they expected me to just walk in and go to sleep? It was a slight consolation to notice that my father had plugged in a night-light, and that we'd be sleeping in bunk-beds in one room for a few days. I'd always been extremely afraid of the dark; I can't remember a time when I didn't worry myself to death that some sort of "shadowy man" had broken into the house and was coming to get me. God forbid that I would awaken in the night and need to use the bathroom! I would scream and cry until my mother came to get me, there was absolutely no chance I would go all the way downstairs, through the dining room, into the kitchen and then in to the bathroom all alone.
It was even worse now, the bathroom was even further away and I couldn't shed the feeling of constantly being watched. The very first night, I lay in bed (always the top bunk where I was somewhat safer) - the orange glow from the night-light giving the room an eerie atmosphere - peeking over from the duvet into the dark abyss of the upstairs hallway. The old doors had been taken off, so it was absolute hell to have such a gaping "hole" in my illusion of security - the four walls of the bedroom.
I didn't want to close my eyes, yet when I did, I was scared to open them. I had the feeling that if I did, there would be a face about an inch from mine with massive glaring eyes. Eventually though, I drifted off.
The nights continued like this for about a week; intensified even further when my sister had to move into her own bedroom across the landing. I came up with a sleeping position that wouldn't require my face to be exposed, yet allowing me to breath. Firstly, the bed always had to be against a wall. I wouldn't have it any other way. I would lie down, facing the wall with a huge amount of duvet wrapped up and around the side of my head. It was creating a sort of "partition" between the open space and scary atmosphere and me. I slept like this for about ten years afterwards - every single night, and have done up until recently. It lessened the chance of waking up face-to-face with "something" staring at me.
I was the first to see this something. I awoke one night, opened my eyes realising that my face was exposed. Because the new doors still weren't attached, I had a wide view of the landing, including my sister's doorway. I was stunned to see a small boy stood in it. It actually looked like he was holding a brown teddy-bear in his right hand, and a gold lantern (!) in the other. The memory is hazy, but it seems he was just stood watching me. I must have gone back to sleep, god only knows how, and didn't even mention it until a few years later!
Nothing much happened, it seems for a while afterwards, only this intense feeling of being watched. Funnily enough, the "source" seemed to be exactly the area outside of my sister's doorway. My habitual behaviour only became clear, again a few years later, when we realised that the house was actual haunted. As you walked down the main stairs, this "source" area was right in front and above you as you descended. I recall clearly always rushing - even running on occasions - down and glancing a few times as if aware that something would chase me if I didn't hurry. There was always a sense of relief when I got to the bottom. Even then, if you looked up it was as if something was sticking its head over the banister and glaring angrily at you. It was definitely a malevolent presence.
The next story was even more creepy. It involved my sister. One night, she'd been planning to attend a sleepover at one of her friend's houses in the next block. But being teenagers at the time, said friend had far too much to drink and so it was cancelled. This was around 2am, but the walk wasn't far. She said goodbye, and of course, it wasn't her fault that she had to knock on the door at such an hour to be let in. Apparently, she was really banging on it because nobody came to answer. So, she thought maybe if she went back and used said friend's phone to ring home; there was one in my parent's bedroom so it would definitely wake them up.
Back she went, up the road, and at some point, felt "compelled" to look back. She noticed that the lamp in my parent's bedroom was now switched on; so she turned around and began walking back to the house. As she got closer, she noticed a woman in the window, waving to her. Well, she is short sighted so she presumed it was our mother, what else would she think? Through the gate, down the driveway and up to the front door, which was now slightly ajar. It was obvious that Mum had opened it and gone back to bed. Well I can see now, that this was slightly strange in itself, any mother would wait up until her child was safely in the house! And that is exactly what she would've done... if she had opened the door that is...
My sister walked in, locked the door with the spare keys on the hook and went to the bathroom. On her way there, she thought she glimpsed the face and upper body of a small boy behind the television cabinet. A few minutes later she then went upstairs. The bedroom lamp was now switched off, parents seemingly asleep so she went to bed. It was only the morning after that things started to seem very strange. Firstly, my mother denied ever getting up, standing in the window waving and opening the door for her. My father never awoke either, and he is a light sleeper. Nor did I. The whole house was made from concrete/marble, so it was a pretty echoey place. No floorboards, anything.
So obviously, it was around this time that things started to make sense. Only, I think we were all too scared on some level to really think and say what it actually suggested.
It was the next incident, that actually shocked us all. The previous thing could have been attributed to sleep-walking, but this had no "rational" explanation. Oddly enough, it again involved my sister.
She awoke one night, facing the door and she instantly became aware of a presence. Apparently, as her eyes adjusted, she saw a very tall black shadowy figure stood on the other side of the room. Instantly, she reached out for the lamp switch, and as soon as the room was illuminated it disappeared. All she was left with, was the sound of the loose clothes hangers in her wardrobe swinging violently and clinking together. That only happened when somebody really slammed the door that was on the same wall, sending vibrations into the wardrobe.
Full of adrenaline, and fear of being alone, the only thing she could do was run out of the room, across the hallway and into my parent's bedroom. She eventually mustered the courage to do so, and grabbed the door handle, only to find that the door was jammed! It didn't have a lock on it, yet it wouldn't open! She was pulling with all of her strength, yet it didn't budge. Finally, it was as if somebody released it and it swung open. This wasn't the only time she had a "problem" with this door.
I think it may have been a few weeks later, she again woke up as if she had heard a loud bang. It was only the next morning we realised that the actual handle mechanism - the latch in other words - was completely gone!! And we never found it! Now that is a pretty difficult job for somebody to do in their sleep! I'm not familiar with the internal parts of it, but one would at least require a screwdriver.
There were a few other strange occurrences that she said happened: on a couple of nights, she could hear somebody whispering and then shuffling noises as though somebody was walking along the carpet.
The next few events involved my mother: one time, she was walking down the first few steps onto the second landing upstairs, and a large decorative picture on the wall in front of her physically lifted itself off its nail/hook and smashed in front of her. She looked at it and there was no way it could merely have fell; at least, then it would have slid down the wall first. It seems we all (although funnily enough, never my father) had strange things happen upstairs. Two other things happened with her while she was on the landing: the light bulbs on one occasion seemed to flicker and turn red and also, she felt a strong impression of being watched. Often, it was like ascending into a thick atmosphere that weighed a huge pressure on the top of her head and shoulders, which disappeared as soon as she went downstairs.
Once again, the upstairs hallway was the focal point of much activity. When my father used to come home from the pub on Friday night, he would have to walk down the street (which took about three minutes, always with our house in view), and on a couple of occasions, he'd see the hallway light switch on, and sometimes off. He'd come in, ask my mother about it, and she'd say she was sat in the living room the whole time. Us kids didn't turn it on, and certainly did not turn it off! We were fast asleep.
I think the most scary episode happened about a year before we moved out in 1999. Well, thank goodness my mother isn't reading this, because she'd be embarrassed, but it's what happened. The toilet and bathroom were separate in this house, and both on opposite ends of the kitchen which was extremely inconvienient, might I add. So because we both were in bed, my father was out, she was sat on the toilet with the door open. It was just easier that way. Apparently, she looked up and saw a strange glistening "blob" in the middle of the kitchen, which looked like plastic wrap but blurry at the edges; kind of swirly, grey and blurry. She said it was like it was trying to communicate with her telepathically, and in "response" she commanded for it to go away because in actuality, "it" was between her and her children - sleeping upstairs. It then, just faded away. I keep asking her to tell me about it, but I simply cannot get a mental picture - and no amount of adjectives, she says, would give an accurate enough description.
Sometime afterwards, I was lying in bed, it was about 9-10pm and I was reading a school library book I'd picked up. I suddenly became aware of a presence and the most intense feeling of being watched I'd ever experienced! It was like it had come from "out there" in the hallway, and concentrated itself right into my bedroom. I had the impression it was moving from the door, over to my stereo. And at that moment, the plastic started to click and creek as if this "thing" was leaning on it with its weight. I was more excited than frightened and actual sat up and started to wave my arm where I thought it was. It may have been colder, but I'm not sure. I began to talk with it mentally, but no "response" came. Then it was as if it had gone, and I lay back in bed, and noticed that my door (which was ajar about an inch, as it always was) was opening slightly. I again had the impression of being watched, but as if this "things" eye was peaking through the crack. I jumped up out of bed, and ran into my parent's room where my mother was also reading and I told her. She said I could leave the hallway light on. But as I said, I was actually quite excited by it all.
The next day, feeling rather aloof, I went around every room in the house with a bible in one hand and a cup of water (which I'd "blessed" with a prayer :)) sprinkling crosses on every wall. Obviously, I was mimicking The Exorcist or some other movie. But you know, nothing else happened after that! We still felt like we were being watched, but the little things (like objects disappearing and reappearing in strange places) seemed to stop completely. But saying that, perhaps it listened into our plans - we had decided to move.
The last day, when everything had been cleared, the rooms bare of all belongings, my mother went upstairs and stood there, hands on hips, demanding that it show itself to her. Calling it cowardly, she walked out, because nothing appeared.
It was only after we'd made the move that we found out some interesting details: the previous residents had reported babies crying in the house at night, the same feeling of being watched upstairs, and a few other incidents which I cannot recall. It just confirmed that it was there before we came, and the current residents have confirmed that it is still there. Only now, they have also moved out.
My mother, at one point had a nursing job which required her to go visit the elderley at home and help them with their day-to-day business. She got called to go to a house in the same street, a couple of houses away. They too had experienced quite similar phenomena in their home and the old lady even said that this whole area was once a graveyard! Well, I'm not too sure of that. We checked maps at the library, which went back to the 1800's but it was just an open field.
But it was odd that other's had similar tales to tell, in the same proximity.
So there you go - did you need any hairspray? I gather that the experience affected me quite deeply; I have (or at least up until a few months ago) a recurring dream that we choose to move back there and I'm crying and screaming with my whole being that I don't want to live in such fear again. Also odd, was that this "shadow being" experience seems to be quite common in our close family - everybody has a tale to tell. That is for a future post.
I'm very interested to read other's tales of spookiness - so please, do tell!
It was very intimidating, moving into such a large house after spending my first few years of life living in a small terraced; now my sister and I could have our own suitably sized bedroom, and even a large play room, although we soon developed an inexplicable hesitation to stay in there for very long.
Everything went according to plan on moving day. Us kids were off to our grandparent's house so we wouldn't be in the way of the commotion, and I can only speculate as to whether trapping my fingers in the car door (for the first time ever) that morning was some sort of "sign" of things to come. I didn't like the fact that it was twilight until we could be taken "home" after receiving a phone call confirming that the moving company had gone. I had barely even been in the place for long, and now they expected me to just walk in and go to sleep? It was a slight consolation to notice that my father had plugged in a night-light, and that we'd be sleeping in bunk-beds in one room for a few days. I'd always been extremely afraid of the dark; I can't remember a time when I didn't worry myself to death that some sort of "shadowy man" had broken into the house and was coming to get me. God forbid that I would awaken in the night and need to use the bathroom! I would scream and cry until my mother came to get me, there was absolutely no chance I would go all the way downstairs, through the dining room, into the kitchen and then in to the bathroom all alone.
It was even worse now, the bathroom was even further away and I couldn't shed the feeling of constantly being watched. The very first night, I lay in bed (always the top bunk where I was somewhat safer) - the orange glow from the night-light giving the room an eerie atmosphere - peeking over from the duvet into the dark abyss of the upstairs hallway. The old doors had been taken off, so it was absolute hell to have such a gaping "hole" in my illusion of security - the four walls of the bedroom.
I didn't want to close my eyes, yet when I did, I was scared to open them. I had the feeling that if I did, there would be a face about an inch from mine with massive glaring eyes. Eventually though, I drifted off.
The nights continued like this for about a week; intensified even further when my sister had to move into her own bedroom across the landing. I came up with a sleeping position that wouldn't require my face to be exposed, yet allowing me to breath. Firstly, the bed always had to be against a wall. I wouldn't have it any other way. I would lie down, facing the wall with a huge amount of duvet wrapped up and around the side of my head. It was creating a sort of "partition" between the open space and scary atmosphere and me. I slept like this for about ten years afterwards - every single night, and have done up until recently. It lessened the chance of waking up face-to-face with "something" staring at me.
I was the first to see this something. I awoke one night, opened my eyes realising that my face was exposed. Because the new doors still weren't attached, I had a wide view of the landing, including my sister's doorway. I was stunned to see a small boy stood in it. It actually looked like he was holding a brown teddy-bear in his right hand, and a gold lantern (!) in the other. The memory is hazy, but it seems he was just stood watching me. I must have gone back to sleep, god only knows how, and didn't even mention it until a few years later!
Nothing much happened, it seems for a while afterwards, only this intense feeling of being watched. Funnily enough, the "source" seemed to be exactly the area outside of my sister's doorway. My habitual behaviour only became clear, again a few years later, when we realised that the house was actual haunted. As you walked down the main stairs, this "source" area was right in front and above you as you descended. I recall clearly always rushing - even running on occasions - down and glancing a few times as if aware that something would chase me if I didn't hurry. There was always a sense of relief when I got to the bottom. Even then, if you looked up it was as if something was sticking its head over the banister and glaring angrily at you. It was definitely a malevolent presence.
The next story was even more creepy. It involved my sister. One night, she'd been planning to attend a sleepover at one of her friend's houses in the next block. But being teenagers at the time, said friend had far too much to drink and so it was cancelled. This was around 2am, but the walk wasn't far. She said goodbye, and of course, it wasn't her fault that she had to knock on the door at such an hour to be let in. Apparently, she was really banging on it because nobody came to answer. So, she thought maybe if she went back and used said friend's phone to ring home; there was one in my parent's bedroom so it would definitely wake them up.
Back she went, up the road, and at some point, felt "compelled" to look back. She noticed that the lamp in my parent's bedroom was now switched on; so she turned around and began walking back to the house. As she got closer, she noticed a woman in the window, waving to her. Well, she is short sighted so she presumed it was our mother, what else would she think? Through the gate, down the driveway and up to the front door, which was now slightly ajar. It was obvious that Mum had opened it and gone back to bed. Well I can see now, that this was slightly strange in itself, any mother would wait up until her child was safely in the house! And that is exactly what she would've done... if she had opened the door that is...
My sister walked in, locked the door with the spare keys on the hook and went to the bathroom. On her way there, she thought she glimpsed the face and upper body of a small boy behind the television cabinet. A few minutes later she then went upstairs. The bedroom lamp was now switched off, parents seemingly asleep so she went to bed. It was only the morning after that things started to seem very strange. Firstly, my mother denied ever getting up, standing in the window waving and opening the door for her. My father never awoke either, and he is a light sleeper. Nor did I. The whole house was made from concrete/marble, so it was a pretty echoey place. No floorboards, anything.
So obviously, it was around this time that things started to make sense. Only, I think we were all too scared on some level to really think and say what it actually suggested.
It was the next incident, that actually shocked us all. The previous thing could have been attributed to sleep-walking, but this had no "rational" explanation. Oddly enough, it again involved my sister.
She awoke one night, facing the door and she instantly became aware of a presence. Apparently, as her eyes adjusted, she saw a very tall black shadowy figure stood on the other side of the room. Instantly, she reached out for the lamp switch, and as soon as the room was illuminated it disappeared. All she was left with, was the sound of the loose clothes hangers in her wardrobe swinging violently and clinking together. That only happened when somebody really slammed the door that was on the same wall, sending vibrations into the wardrobe.
Full of adrenaline, and fear of being alone, the only thing she could do was run out of the room, across the hallway and into my parent's bedroom. She eventually mustered the courage to do so, and grabbed the door handle, only to find that the door was jammed! It didn't have a lock on it, yet it wouldn't open! She was pulling with all of her strength, yet it didn't budge. Finally, it was as if somebody released it and it swung open. This wasn't the only time she had a "problem" with this door.
I think it may have been a few weeks later, she again woke up as if she had heard a loud bang. It was only the next morning we realised that the actual handle mechanism - the latch in other words - was completely gone!! And we never found it! Now that is a pretty difficult job for somebody to do in their sleep! I'm not familiar with the internal parts of it, but one would at least require a screwdriver.
There were a few other strange occurrences that she said happened: on a couple of nights, she could hear somebody whispering and then shuffling noises as though somebody was walking along the carpet.
The next few events involved my mother: one time, she was walking down the first few steps onto the second landing upstairs, and a large decorative picture on the wall in front of her physically lifted itself off its nail/hook and smashed in front of her. She looked at it and there was no way it could merely have fell; at least, then it would have slid down the wall first. It seems we all (although funnily enough, never my father) had strange things happen upstairs. Two other things happened with her while she was on the landing: the light bulbs on one occasion seemed to flicker and turn red and also, she felt a strong impression of being watched. Often, it was like ascending into a thick atmosphere that weighed a huge pressure on the top of her head and shoulders, which disappeared as soon as she went downstairs.
Once again, the upstairs hallway was the focal point of much activity. When my father used to come home from the pub on Friday night, he would have to walk down the street (which took about three minutes, always with our house in view), and on a couple of occasions, he'd see the hallway light switch on, and sometimes off. He'd come in, ask my mother about it, and she'd say she was sat in the living room the whole time. Us kids didn't turn it on, and certainly did not turn it off! We were fast asleep.
I think the most scary episode happened about a year before we moved out in 1999. Well, thank goodness my mother isn't reading this, because she'd be embarrassed, but it's what happened. The toilet and bathroom were separate in this house, and both on opposite ends of the kitchen which was extremely inconvienient, might I add. So because we both were in bed, my father was out, she was sat on the toilet with the door open. It was just easier that way. Apparently, she looked up and saw a strange glistening "blob" in the middle of the kitchen, which looked like plastic wrap but blurry at the edges; kind of swirly, grey and blurry. She said it was like it was trying to communicate with her telepathically, and in "response" she commanded for it to go away because in actuality, "it" was between her and her children - sleeping upstairs. It then, just faded away. I keep asking her to tell me about it, but I simply cannot get a mental picture - and no amount of adjectives, she says, would give an accurate enough description.
Sometime afterwards, I was lying in bed, it was about 9-10pm and I was reading a school library book I'd picked up. I suddenly became aware of a presence and the most intense feeling of being watched I'd ever experienced! It was like it had come from "out there" in the hallway, and concentrated itself right into my bedroom. I had the impression it was moving from the door, over to my stereo. And at that moment, the plastic started to click and creek as if this "thing" was leaning on it with its weight. I was more excited than frightened and actual sat up and started to wave my arm where I thought it was. It may have been colder, but I'm not sure. I began to talk with it mentally, but no "response" came. Then it was as if it had gone, and I lay back in bed, and noticed that my door (which was ajar about an inch, as it always was) was opening slightly. I again had the impression of being watched, but as if this "things" eye was peaking through the crack. I jumped up out of bed, and ran into my parent's room where my mother was also reading and I told her. She said I could leave the hallway light on. But as I said, I was actually quite excited by it all.
The next day, feeling rather aloof, I went around every room in the house with a bible in one hand and a cup of water (which I'd "blessed" with a prayer :)) sprinkling crosses on every wall. Obviously, I was mimicking The Exorcist or some other movie. But you know, nothing else happened after that! We still felt like we were being watched, but the little things (like objects disappearing and reappearing in strange places) seemed to stop completely. But saying that, perhaps it listened into our plans - we had decided to move.
The last day, when everything had been cleared, the rooms bare of all belongings, my mother went upstairs and stood there, hands on hips, demanding that it show itself to her. Calling it cowardly, she walked out, because nothing appeared.
It was only after we'd made the move that we found out some interesting details: the previous residents had reported babies crying in the house at night, the same feeling of being watched upstairs, and a few other incidents which I cannot recall. It just confirmed that it was there before we came, and the current residents have confirmed that it is still there. Only now, they have also moved out.
My mother, at one point had a nursing job which required her to go visit the elderley at home and help them with their day-to-day business. She got called to go to a house in the same street, a couple of houses away. They too had experienced quite similar phenomena in their home and the old lady even said that this whole area was once a graveyard! Well, I'm not too sure of that. We checked maps at the library, which went back to the 1800's but it was just an open field.
But it was odd that other's had similar tales to tell, in the same proximity.
So there you go - did you need any hairspray? I gather that the experience affected me quite deeply; I have (or at least up until a few months ago) a recurring dream that we choose to move back there and I'm crying and screaming with my whole being that I don't want to live in such fear again. Also odd, was that this "shadow being" experience seems to be quite common in our close family - everybody has a tale to tell. That is for a future post.
I'm very interested to read other's tales of spookiness - so please, do tell!
