I was staying at my parent's house in Augusta for Christmas in '05. It was a grand old house that I had grown up in, built around the turn of the 20th century.
My parents are old fashioned and insisted my fiancé and I sleep separately, even though we lived together in Atlanta. Since he is very tall and I am not, I gave him my old room and I slept downstairs on the couch. Even though there were many bedrooms, they had already been occupied by my siblings visiting for the holidays as well.
One of my brothers had his chocolate lab there as well, named Lizard (yes, Lizard), and she was sleeping on another couch facing me. I found it hard to sleep through the night and tossed and turned for most of it. While awake I heard our other family dog, a yellow lab named Hoke, coming down the hallway towards me. I could hear his nails clicking on the wooden floors and his snuffling breathing as he progressed. Then I remembered that Hoke had died months ago. The hairs on the back of my neck raised and I sat up. I looked at the other couch to make sure it wasn't Lizard, but she was sleeping soundly and hadn't moved. I couldn't see around the corner into the hallway from where I was, so I don't know if he was visible or just sounds. After a few seconds the sound of Hoke had dissipated and all was quiet again. I was positive it was him, though: I was familiar with all the noises he made and it was him, and no other dog, ghostly or otherwise.
Maybe he was home for Christmas one last time or maybe a residual memory of him.
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