READERS TALES
Something Kinda Scary
For as long as I can remember I've been interested in the
paranormal; ghosts, UFO's, lake monsters, etc. But I've always been terrified of
seeing them for myself. Even now when my friends go out "ghost hunting", which
basically consists of driving down deserted back roads in the middle of the
night, hoping to see something,
I'm usually the one
cowering in the backseat with my hands over my eyes.
Maybe it's because I thought I did see something once, and it scared me so
bad that I don't ever want to go through that again. Thinking back on it, it
wasn't nearly as scary as some of the things mentioned in other peoples tales,
especially
Jan's, but I was a kid at the time, and to me it seemed absolutely
horrible.
It happened around '95 or '96, I was about 14 or 15 years old and living with
my grandpa and step-grandma, in the small town of Fowler Illinois. My bed room
was right next to my grandparents' room, with a door
separating the two. I slept
with a nightlight on because I was afraid of the dark, or what may be in the
dark. Every night after I had fallen asleep, my step-grandma would come in and
turn the nightlight out. The light would shine under the door that
separated the
rooms, and keep her and my grandpa awake.
One night after she had come in and turned the light off, I woke up for some
reason, perhaps to go to the bathroom or something, and I happened to glance
down at the foot of my bed. There was a figure standing there, slightly off to
the left side of the bed. The only way I can describe it is Death. It looked
like how most people picture Death or the Grim Reaper. I didn't get a good look
at it, cause I immediately shut my eyes tight once I saw it, but it appeared to
be just standing there, staring at the wall next to my bed.
I was so scared I was literally paralyzed. I couldn't budge an inch, not
even to pull the covers over my head or lick my lips, which had instantly become
dry. All I could do was close my eyes and pray to God that whatever it was, it
would go away. When I finally worked up the courage to open my eyes again, it
was gone.
To this day I don't know if I was dreaming, or if I really did see something
there, I just know that I've never been that scared in my life, and I hope I
never will be again. If it was Death I saw, why was he in my room that night?
Perhaps he was lost and in the wrong house. When I told my grandpa about it, he
told me I was just dreaming, but it was so real.
My uncle, who's a couple years younger than me, told me that he had seen
something like that once before in that same room years before. Only he said it
had a flaming skull. I don't know if I believe him or not, maybe he was just saying
that so I wouldn't think I was crazy or something... or maybe he really did see
something too.
-Jade.
