I had just moved into in an old building with high ceilings, big sash windows and creaky floorboards. I was alone other than my baby son (who I couldn’t actually see). Once we were settled in, I sat on the single bed and heard a noise in the adjoining room that made me jump.
Mum and dad weren’t there, but there was an air of anger like we’d argued and they didn’t approve. Going about my daily business I was feeling generally ok except for a niggling sense of disquiet.
At nightfall, just before I climbed into bed, I heard a bang from the next room again. I tried to ignore it and pass it off as an old building noise knowing that there was no-one else in my apartment. I dozed off only to be woken shortly after to yet another bang from the same room as before. This time I knew something was wrong. I leapt from the bed and ran towards the door. As I grasped the door knob, I was overwhelmed by an awful feeling of foreboding. I was absolutely petrified, and knew at once there was a menacing entity beyond the door. For some obscure reason, I couldn’t just grab my son and leave.
Because of the layout of the apartment, I was able to look through a window on the landing and into the room from where the noise had come from. There was nothing much going on that I could see, so I walked back to the door, hand on the knob and forced myself to open it. My heart was pounding as I turned the knob. As quickly as I had opened the door, glimpsed inside and saw nothing unusual, the door slammed shut in my face and I was thrown backwards. As I sat on the floor, fear gripped me completely and I screamed.
I went back to the landing window to have another look into the room. I stood staring at something now leaning against the window. I had no idea what it was but it resembled a trampoline! Where at first it was static, it was now becoming increasingly animated. I felt pure unadulterated terror. I whimpered and fell to the floor, sensing impending doom.
Just then, my parents came crashing through the front door armed with prayers! I was so relieved. Whatever I’d been angry at them for was now forgiven in an instant.
[this left me feeling frightened and I kept thinking about it all day. I even drew the strange object at the window and a floor plan]