The Paranormal

This is a big part of my life. Many of my family members have had experiences. During a test drive, my aunt threatened to jump out of the car if my uncle didn't let her out immediately -someone was telling her to get out. The salesperson later revealed that someone had died in that car. There is also a picture of my uncle when he was a child hanging in my grandparents' basement. The trees behind him form the shape of a gruff-looking man seemingly standing behind him. I love that picture.

I've experienced quite a bit, myself. I have seen a few shadow people (none with fedoras, unfortunately -that would be awesome). The first time I saw one I was hanging out with a friend at a nearby school during the summer. Through a set of doors which led up some stairs, I saw the form of a person, completely black, no features -not even eyes, at the top of the landing. It was only there for a second before turning and going out of sight up the next flight of stairs. I had never seen anything like it; it was somewhat frightening, but mostly just intriguing. A couple years ago on a trip up north with my great uncle, I thought I saw some shadow people in the trees as we were driving down a back road. I'm not certain if I was these were just an illusion caused by the actual shadows of the trees. Earlier this summer, though, on the way home from another trip with my great uncle, I saw some sort of shadow creature appear from the trees and drop down into the ditch. It was the size of a child, but with longer, gangly arms. There are reports about shadow children, but I don't know of human/monkey hybrids...

There have been other minor things, like hearing my name whispered (something for which my sister was recently hospitalized), but I'm never sure if it's just my mind forming words from background noise, such as the tap running.

The biggest part of my experience has to do with ghosts. As a child, I had company after going to bed. A number of people, all in older style dress (like Mennonite) would be by my bedside. Every night. There was the group of women and children kneeling by my bed, and the old man wearing a flat cap, arms crossed, standing by the window. There was no colour; they were just transparent contours. They never moved, just stared at me, their faces gaunt. This went on for years, and as you can imagine, I was terrified. I slept with the covers over my head. At one point, I managed to work up enough courage to peek out and see if they were still there: they were, and they had a new member, a man with spiky hair, mouth wide open as if he were screaming, directly in front of my face. That was a fun night. Eventually they went away. I think maybe it was because I started to tell people what I had been seeing for years.

Now that I'm older, I wish that I had tried to communicate with them. When I still lived in the old place I tried talking to them, but I never saw or heard anything again. I had a friend once who did a card reading for me. She said that the ghosts left because of me, that I had convinced myself it was safer not to believe perhaps (my mother tells me she was less than supportive when I first told her). She said that in order to open up again I would have to do a lot of work. Along the way, I'm supposed to meet three people who can help me: someone who is not what he or she seems, someone who will try to bargain with me for their help, and another whom I will fall in love with before realizing that she can help. Time will tell...

Of course, all of this may just be me being stark-raving-mad-as-a-hatter.

Side note: I seem to be drawn to people with paranormal experience; many of my friends have had dealings with the supernatural.