Halloween Stories

Since we've been on the topic of nightmares, and today at lunch we were talking about ghosts, I decided to share this story with you. I give it to you not as any proof of anything, I'm just sharing my perceptions and the effects they have had on me. Cue spooky music...

As I've mentioned, I've had terrible nightmares my whole life. When I was little, they were especially terrifying. My parents firmly believed that these, along with my many assorted fears, indicated that I was weak, and refused to coddle me. Finally, when I was 4 or 5, they told me not to come to their room in the night or they'd spank me. So, here I was, awake sometime in the depths of night, too frightened to go back to sleep, but afraid of the spanking if I woke up my parents. I stood in the dining room, silently crying and wondering what to do, when I noticed a light begin to shine (I was also terrified of the dark- still am). At first, it was about the brightness of a nightlight, but within seconds, it was like a 40 watt bulb. I stared at the old rocking chair where it was coming from, and a shape began to form. It was a young woman, in a long dress or robe. She had long dark hair, and she appeared to be rocking a baby. The only thing I can compare her to is Lily Munster- she was extremely pale, but not translucent. I was mesmerized, and stood staring for what seemed like forever. Rather than being afraid, I felt very safe and warm as I stood in her glow. I wanted to hug her and hold on for dear life. Finally, she looked up at me and smiled sadly. I heard her voice, but honestly, I didn't hear it with my ears. She looked toward my parents' door and said, "They can't help you. You have to learn to trust yourself now. I'll help as much as I can, but you've got to do it; it's important that you are ok". With that, she faded out, and was gone. I stood there, afraid and confused. Finally, I went back to bed, piling my stuffed animals on top of me to protect me through the night.

The next day, I tried to tell my parents, and they said it was just a dream. In fact, they never listened to any of the strange events that happened to my sister and I in that house. Only recently has my mom admitted that she heard the footsteps and had doors slam when she was alone, too. Dad says we're all full of shit.