Game Room Shadow People

I was inspired to share this story after reading about several similar experiences on this site. This had happened to me about 12 years ago, and it wasn't until very recently (2009) I realized others had been through the same frightening and confusing experience. I have had other paranormal experiences in my past, but this was by far the most frightening. I hope my sharing can help comfort others as similar stories have comforted me.

My best friend Lauren had just moved from our hometown of North Royalton, OH to 20 minutes away in Brookpark, OH, so we tried to fit as much time together in on the weekends as we could. My mom had dropped me off at her house for a weekend sleepover, and all was typical. We listened to music, went for a walk around the neighbourhood, and then when it was dark we went downstairs to her finished basement/game room. After a few rounds of Crossfire, we switched off the lights and slipped into our sleeping bags. We lay on the floor for an hour or so, chatting about 10 year old girl things; boys we like, schoolyard dramas. Finally we say goodnight, and I remember turning onto my back and shutting my eyes. I suppose for some reason or another I was compelled suddenly to open my eyes, even though to this day I don't know why. The basement was black, what could I possibly expect to see?

Though the basement was unlit, I could see a shadowy black figure standing, straddled over me. Its "legs" were on either side of my hips, and it leaned over my body so its face was a little over a foot above my own. It had triangular glowing red eyes, even though I don't feel like light was coming off of them. The funny thing is, to this day I do not remember climbing out of my sleeping bag, or running out of the room and up the stairs for that matter. The next thing I can remember is being at the top of the stairs, clawing for the upstairs door. I remember pushing Lauren out of the way, practically back down the basement stairs to get through the door. For years we never spoke of it with each other, and as time went on it went to the back of my own memory.

About two years ago I was on the phone with Lauren and asked her if she remembered what happened. I had been experiencing strange things in my new home, and it reminded me of our sleepover experience. Take in mind I never told her what I saw, and yet she described the exact same thing, the shadow with red eyes leaning over her body. Then she told me a chilling detail I was unaware of until then; when she stood up she had looked to the back of the room, and there had been several more shadow people with red eyes climbing up the back wall.

I have never seen anything like that again, but to this day the memory brings goose bumps all over my body.