A Child's Scare

For our own reasons we are not disclosing any names. My husband and I have looked after our granddaughter since she was 3 months old. When she was just 2 years old we lived in a two bed ground floor house.

Just to give people the shape of the house, our living room and our granddaughter's room faced onto the street. And to reach our front door there was 5 steps, so as in all possibility our house was higher than the ones facing us.

After my husband decorated our granddaughter's bedroom, we also moved her furniture so that her bed faced the door to make her feel more at ease knowing her room was bright and colorful for her in the new house. By the time we had moved house and settled in, our granddaughter was about two and a half.

I was sitting watching television one night when I had a need to check on my granddaughter. I walked from the living room to the hallway, which was a short distance and noticed that my granddaughter was sitting up wide awake and looking terrified... Wondering what is troubling her without showing my own fear, I approached the bed and asked, "What's wrong sweetheart?"

Her reply was "I have just seen a lady, Gran, and she came out of the fireplace" and my granddaughter described what she wearing. Considering her age at the time and not knowing any period costumes, I was a bit taken aback. I was always brought up to believe in what children tell you, but that night it just sent a chill down my spine.

To reassure my granddaughter I said, "You probably saw a shadow from the street someone walking past."

I tucked her in put the hall light on just to reassure her, then I went back to the living room to gather my thoughts. I could not dismiss what she said and described, then it dawned on me... Even if it was a shadow from the street it would have to have been a big one as our house was so that it was higher than most.

Since my granddaughter was able to talk, she described most vividly what she had seen, and later on when she was about six years old she started to sleep walk.

My granddaughter is now 19 years old and without being prompted by conversation she can still remember what she saw.

There will be more to follow...