I'm 19 years of age as of writing this, and I've been an atheist and skeptic since grade 7. I've never believed in ghosts, and have always considered the stories of such to be embellished fabrications (which grew even more embellished over time) or just hallucinations brought on by alcohol, medication, or carbon monoxide leaks or something of the sort. But, as of three weeks ago, I'm convinced I've been wrong about the afterlife all along.
I've always had this weird fear of the dark. When I steal away to the downstairs kitchen for a snack in the middle of the night (I usually stay up until around 5 am), I either leave the kitchen light on as I head back upstairs or I turn it off and book it up the steps and rush into my room and close the door behind me. I don't know why I do this, I never really believed in the super natural. I'm just a pansy I guess. But occasionally I'll challenge myself and turn the light off and then walk up the steps at a normal, more civilized pace. The few times I had done this, until a few weeks ago, had been successful but never reassured my awkward tendencies.
Three weeks ago I was watching movies on my laptop in my bedroom and need a refill on pretzels, so I went to the kitchen and filled up a bowl and grabbed a cup of crystal light as well. I then turned off the kitchen light and started walking up the stairs. My stairs make a T shape, whereas the top of the T lead to either the kitchen or the front hallway, depending on which way you take, and the bottom leads up stairs to an intersection of rooms and a bathroom. Right as I left the top part of the T and had made it up two steps of the straight-away, I felt my ankle being forcefully grabbed. I looked back and saw nothing, but could not jerk my ankle forward for a few seconds.
I finally broke free and booked it up into my room and shut the door. I was freaking out and it took me a moment to reach for my light switch to flip it on. Upon moving it I realized that I had turned the light out by pulling the string hanging from the ceiling fan. When I turned on the light I saw a black, smoky substance flutter around for nearly a second and then disappear from my vision.
I don't know what brought this on, and I'm not entirely convinced that it was anything supernatural; I could've just been hallucinating for some reason. But now I never even get midnight snacks; I guess I'm practically dieting now. I'd like to hear your opinions on this. Thanks for reading.