Emily’s Fascination

by Lisa Lauderdale ~ November 4th, 2011

I was that kid, you know the one, I checked out every book on UFO’s and Bigfoot in the school library. I begged my mother to let me watch creepy movies (swearing they would not give me nightmares). And I was invited to every slumber party just because I knew the best scary stories. I was intrigued by the possibility that just maybe adults did not have all the answers. Also, I loved the adrenaline rush of being scared. But, I did not have my first “experience” until I was 19.

Having just moved to Wyoming I knew no one (that I was not related to) and was living in the basement of my grandmother’s ancient home. Only a few days after my arrival my grandmother (and her 6 daughters) flew to Arizona for a family function, leaving me in charge of the home and two very spoiled cats. On the second night, sometime after midnight, I was struggling to fill in a crossword puzzle in bed. The cats were curled into tight balls at my feet and a light snow was falling outside. Just as I was about to give up on the impossible puzzle and turn off the light a large thud resonated through the house. It sounded as if someone (very large) had fallen to the kitchen floor, just above my head. I was paralyzed with fear, unlike the cats that quickly shot out of their slumber and up the stairs. By that time the thump had become a dragging noise. All I could think was someone was dragging a dead body across the floor. The sounds lasted nearly a full minute (which in petrified minutes is at least an hour) before stopping completely.

Ten minutes later I mustered the courage to get off the bed. I could hear no commotion but realized that the cats were growling and hissing. I needed to see what they were seeing. So, I grabbed what was convenient (two glass candles emblazoned with Catholic symbols) that could be used as weapons and slowly made my way up the stairs. On the stoop stood both cats still on guard with all the hairs standing straight up on their backs. I poked my head around the corner but saw absolutely nothing. Not a thing was out of place and nothing could explain what I had heard or what the cats were so upset about.

After realizing that the cats were validating that something was actually there, and could potentially cause me harm, I returned to the basement. I had no idea what to do, so I called my mommy. After her brief freak out she decided to call one of her friends in Oregon, a woman that had more knowledge about such things. Five minutes later I was on the phone with this woman and honestly I could not help thinking that this lady was completely loopy. She told me she had sent 10,000 angels to surround the house, gave me a scripture verse to read aloud and told me I would be fine. I did as she said because I was not aware of any other option (aside from curl into the fetal position in the back of a closet and wait three days for the family to come back). After the cats finally settled down and the cops (which my mother had called) checked under all beds and told me I needed to lay off the scary movies the night calmed down.

My mother spoke nothing of the experience to my grandmother, so not to worry her, but when she arrived home she found out on her own. Upon her return, exhausted from the trip, she scooted directly into her bedroom. After only a few minutes she came back out to state “It’s the weirdest thing, there are all these angels flying around my room”. At that point the crazy lady from Oregon didn’t seem so odd. Come to find out my grandmother had had religious articles moved and Catholic literature strewn about her house for months, without explanation.

My grandmother has passed on but her house remains in the family, I purchased it just over two years ago. I have yet to have another experience in the home but am convinced that grandma does drop in on occasion to see if the dishes are done.

-Emily

1 Response to Emily’s Fascination

  1. Lisa

    Em, I am SO surprised we didn’t know of each other sooner! Too much in common, I think.