The Dark Place

When I was very young, my grandmother told me a story of when she was young. She said that she had played with a ouija board and that strange things began to happen to her. I have often wondered if in some manner she had submitted me to a lifetime worth of encounters. This is the time that I had been subject to something otherworldy.

I was 11, living in the suburbs of small town Osceola- a trailer park. My mother was a housewife, my father a truck driver. More often than not I would spend the majority of my day with my grandmother, she was sixty-two at the time and did not exactly get along with the rest of the family. She sometimes acted odd, doing things that did not make sense. However, I had become accustomed to these weird things she did and didn't think anything of it until this particular time I am about to tell you.

One day returning from school, I keep feeling a strange sensation-- almost like an electrical buzzing around my body. And I hadn't even gotten into my home yet, but when I did my grandmother was sitting at our kitchen counter. She was smoking a cigarette, drinking a Pepsi. Only something seemed different. I couldn't put my finger on it but something wasn't right. Having come home, I sat down my backpack and began watching television in my favorite chair. I Love Lucy was on, a show loved throughout the house. As I was watching I seen a black smear in the corner of my eye, drawing my attention towards the kitchen. Of course I looked; my grandmother was still sitting in the kitchen smoking. Didn't think anything of it. I felt thirsty and began to get up to get something to drink. Out of no where my grandmother got angry, she had a look to her face that I hadn't seen before. She told me I was in trouble for something I did not do, then pushed me into my bedroom. It was colder than the rest of the house, which wasn't surprising because I was never in my room and kept the light off as a result.

I tried to argue with my grandmother that I did nothing and did not deserve the punishment, however she did not care and rushed me into my room anyways. I thought it was some sort of prank or a surprise of some sort. It was not. I sat in my room for about an hour, seeing the sun set outside my window. Being a child, I was afraid to leave the room for any repercussions that may be waiting, also avoiding telling my parents because I had tried that path before as well. Anyways, it was getting late; was very boring. Decided I would take a nap to let the time pass so I could get the day over with. I turned off the lights, then things changed for the worse.

Not long after there was the strange buzzing sensation again. I was asleep but awoke having felt it. Upon opening my eyes it was apparently night. I got up, reached for my window shades only they weren't there; reached to turn on the lights, the switch was gone. This had to be some prank I thought. Ran around my bedroom only to notice there was a strange block that I didn't remember being there beforehand. Frightened at was was occurring I began to yell, hoping for some response outside the room. Nothing.

Like any child, I jumped into my bed and covered my head with my bedsheets. I felt a long cold breath behind me; scared I turned to see a shadow, only it was darker than the room itself-- I have no clue as to how that works. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I felt whatever reach out towards me. I could hear it making some very light whisper-hiss, like air rushing through a small crack. I freaked out, began running around my room trying to find a way out. It said my name, I heard it clearly; a gargled voice beneath the air itself. Whilst running, I fell over and hit something-- it was whatever was in the floor, the block. When I opened my eyes from the midfall. Everything was okay. It was as if it never happened. Stormed out of my room, screaming and crying. Told my parent what happened immediately, they did not believe me. My grandmother swore she didn't push me into the bedroom or blame me for doing anything. My dad looked at me strangely, a bit angry.

Till this day, I still have no answers; only more questions.