You know that feeling you get when you’re being watched? You don’t see them, but for some reason your body just knows. It somehow senses it? For those who subscribe one hundred percent to common sense, it makes no sense. No sense at all. It’s an extra perception. It shouldn’t be possible. And yet millions experience it every day.
That early morning, before dawn, I felt it in my room as I pulled the covers up over my head and wished I could melt into the mattress. I hoped it would go away. I didn’t like the feeling of unease it created and wanted to run across the house to my parent’s room. But that would mean I’d have to go past whatever lurked nearby in the shadowy hallway and I wasn’t especially keen on that idea.
Maybe if I lay perfectly still long enough, whoever or whatever it was would think I was gone. That’s how silly my mind worked at the young and inexperienced age of seven. I hadn’t learned yet. I didn’t know – this was my first. But I was naive enough to think it might work and so I remained camouflaged beneath my covers ’till the color began to lighten through my sheets, a clear sign that the sun was shining through my window.
Sounds from the kitchen signaled that my mother was up and would soon be coming to rouse me for school. Surely it had to be all clear by now. I had waited out the uncomfortable trespasser and my domain was once again safe. Slowly pushing back the sheets, I raise my eyes to the doorway, suddenly transfixed by what I see. My breath catches and I am frozen, unable to move a muscle.
Standing there staring back at me is a man, but not a man. He wavers in col
or completely transparent. And yet these are not the oddest things about him. The thing that imprints the heaviest on my young mind is the fact that he is standing on the ceiling. He is completely upside down! As if gravity is completely reversed in his world.
Calls from my mother in the kitchen grab his attention and he looks down the hall in her direction. Slowly he turns giving me one last look before disappearing from my view. I remain frozen on my bed with fright until my mother appears in the doorway wondering why I don’t already have my gears in motion.
***
I never forgot that day. It is forever seared in my memory. Tell me, did this event truly take place or is it merely the work of a child’s overactive imagination?
Here are a few things to ponder when making your consideration: Next to my room was a room my father used as an office. It was always colder than the rest of the house. In this room my father had taken the closet doors off the track and left them propped against the wall. When I asked him why he had done so he said, “The doors kept opening and shutting all day and night.” Later I learned my mother had the house blessed to rid it of any unsettled spirits.
So I am left to wonder, was the man on the ceiling real? What do you think? Do you believe in ghosts? Do you have any ghost stories of your own you care to share? Any unexplained bumps in the night? Don’t be shy. We would love to hear it all! It’s Halloween after all, and it’s ghost story time around our internet campfire.
I believe in something. Don’t know what it is though. I have a few unexplained experiences myself.
Yes you have! That one you wrote about with your dad the other week was pretty extraordinary, although not a ghost story. What some see as ghosts could always be projections of the mind. Who can say? ;o)
Excellent post, Debra. Gave me a chill. And yes, I’ve experienced some unexplainable things before, mostly presences in the cave where I used to work as a tour guide and supposedly, several people had drowned in the 19th century (there was a so-called “bottomless lake”). Intercomes would beep us when there was no one there; we’d turn them on and hear footsteps. And for some reason, Sunday mornings I always experienced a “big chill” in a certain area of the cavern. But your story may cause me to sleep with the lights on tonight 😉
That cave you worked in sounds fascinating! I have a slight interest in caves as of recent. I best not go into it as I wouldn’t want to give anything away about my novel. *coughs*. I can see things like that being extra spooky in such a dark and cold area though. I had the opportunity to visit a cave this year so I can imagine what it would be like. The darkness can be suffocating is your flashlight burns out. Yikes! So glad my little story could chill you for a bit. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
What a creepy experience for a seven year old. I doubt the memory will ever go away. I can’t claim any “ghost-like” sightings, but I know if I awoke one morning to find a man on my ceiling, upside down, that I would quickly become a true believer! I have always been envious of those with great ghost stories. There’s nothing like the feeling of having the hair stand up on the back of your neck that sends a jolt of electricity through your body.
Thank you Tim. But you might change your mind if it actually happens to you some day. LOL I was scared to death. Of course it didn’t stop my friends and me from playing things like “Bloody Mary” and “Light as a Feather.” How dumb were we? So glad you could stop by!
I love how you explain “feel it in your body.” So true. My body tells me a spirit is near before my brain does. Great read! 🙂
Hi Serena! It’s a crazy feeling when you feel something’s not quite right, isn’t it? You have some pretty amazing stories on your blog! Mine can’t touch yours. I am glad you enjoyed the read and that you stopped by this morning. 🙂
I am going to say that I don’t believe in ghosts, because I want to sleep tonight. I do, however, totally believe in feelings that we get, like when you just know that something is not right. Or feeling old or negetive energy in a space. That is partly why I bought a brand-new place, so the only energy here is mine! But, I did do my own house blessing when I moved it. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Good call Emma. 🙂 I wouldn’t want you to lose sleep at night. But you can never go wrong with blessing a house. Bringing in some good mojo – may even help clear the airways for better writing!
I’m glad you stopped by. 🙂
Debra, First of all, the way you wrote this tale held me, kept me fascinated and absorbed from beginning to end. Not once did I stop to wonder, “How did she do that to me?” (which is a writer’s habit I own and oftentimes wish I could kick). You convinced me that I would enjoy reading a book written by you.
To your point about ghosts: Yes, I believe. I won’t give more than a hint of my story here — because then I’ll never write it full — but it has to do with a room, a locked room in my grandmother’s house. One day when Mama Mae was out, I made my way in. All of my dead Papa Antonio’s belongings were stored inside that brown-lit room. And he was there with them.
I got a chill Anthony! Now I can’t wait for your book to be written. 😀
Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment. I am deeply touched. I can’t even tell you how much that means to me. I am thrilled you enjoyed my little ghostly tale. It was fun putting it to words after all these years.
Über creepy. My sister and I have a few creepy stories from the old farm house we lived in as kids…I haven’t dredged those memories up for many years, but all these ghost stories has me thinking about it…
Great post!
Glad you liked it Myndi. I thought Halloween was a fun time for such a post. I enjoy reading stories so I thought others might too. I would love reading some of yours if they didn’t creep you out too much writing them. 😀
Absolutely, he was there! You really DID see him. It’s funny – my parents were the first owners of our house, so I never had the opportunity to be haunted. Until my brother passed away, that is…but that’s a tale for another day!
Cheers dear – glad to have found you!
I am glad you found me too! You are absolutely right to save that story. Definitely not for a blog comment. Its a story worthy of it’s own platform.
I am sorry about your brother Christine. I can relate.
So where do I hit the buy now button??
Hey! Look who’s here! You want to buy a ghost for a dollar? lol Thanks for the “Like” on FB. Glad you popped in Darin. 😀
Ghosts – definitely. I’ve had my share of experiences. I believe that you saw something. Children, as well, are more sensitive to paranormal occurrences. I’d really like to sleep in a “haunted” house – just because.
Are you in or around California? There is a well-known haunted hotel in San Diego that people wait a year for, just to say in the most active room. That sounds like something right up your alley. Then you can check-out anytime you’ve had enough. LOL
I have a friend who if extremely sensitive. She has helped me through a lot. It is an amazing gift.
Whoooo, spooky! I totally believe you saw something. I love watching shows like Ghost Hunters because of the ‘what if’. I’ve never had anything like what you witnessed happen to me, but there are times when I see something just beyond my sight and when I turn it’s gone. So far, nothing creepy, but I always wonder.
Your title is first sighting ~ am I to assume you saw him again?
I’ve heard those things “just out of your line-of-sight” could be something. Maybe Tameri, maybe. 🙂 But that is probably better than a full on encounter. That’s my guess anyway.
That was my only sighting of him. I think the experience closed me off for a while.
Debra, it might have been a ghost. There are things in this world that can’t be easily explained, regardless of what “a logic” tell us. Great post — I was spooked reading it! 🙂
Thank you Angela! Glad I could “spook” you. 🙂 I agree. Logic can’t explain everything. There is definitely more to this world than we understand. Thanks for dropping by!
I’ve heard a lot of ghost stories but I’ve never heard one like this. How strange to have it standing on your ceiling! Very creepy. I felt things in my haunted old house and had things move around but I never saw anything. I think if I actually saw something … well, I’m not sure how I’d respond but as a 7 year old, I would not have responded well. Thanks for sharing your story.
Hi Deborah! I don’t think I responded well! I hid under the covers most of the night and then froze when confronted. Guess I’m not one much for action. LOL I don’t know why he chose the ceiling. Maybe he was very theatrical. Maybe he really wanted to make a clear impression on a young mind. He succeeded. Thanks for stopping by! 😀
Loved reading this story! When I was a little girl I was terrified of ghosts. I had such an active imagination I would stay up at night worrying about whether they were in my house or not. I don’t remember ever seeing any. Except one night I felt the end of my bed lower, like someone was sitting on it. I was too terrified to look and after a while the bed retruned to normal, who knows?
Wow Kara! That’s fairly freaky! Since you didn’t look you are left to always wonder. My sister experienced something like that the night after my uncle died. We figured he was stopping in to say goodbye. Maybe someone was just popping in to check in on you. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing and stopping by!
I love this story. I had a ghost in the kitchen of my Manhattan apartment many years back. Very old building. It liked to toss things on to the floor. Then I’d put it back in the drawer and hear a bang. Only to find it on the floor again. This game went on.
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
That sounds like a rather troublesome ghost you had there Roy! Might drive a neat freak crazy. LOL What an extraordinary experience that must have been. I am so glad you liked my story. Thank you for stopping by! I hope you come by again.