The Unseen

Hello and welcome....I never thought I would be the kind of gal to share my life with anyone -especially my beliefs in the unknown. A long time ago I learned that many people aren't open minded enough to consider the possibilities of what ifs. Their usual response is laughter and ridicule. Some even go as far as calling me crazy. But I never asked for the life I have lived. I didn't choose to experience frightening encounters or find myself tangled up in nightmares I couldn't explain. I wasn't given the option to walk away or pretend it wasn't happening. All I could do was face the truth and deal with it the best way I knew how. So why share these stories now? Because these experiences shaped me into who I am today -moments of fear wonder and mystery woven into the fabric of my life. So whether you're a believer skeptic or just curious, I invite you to step with me into the unknown. My first story is a short one due to being very young at the time so the details are few. But the fear has never left me. All my life my grandparents lived in a tiny four room house along a country road that led deeper into the countryside. It was barely more than a shack with a small kitchen living room and two even smaller bedrooms. Outside my grandfather had built a out house beyond the back yard perched on top of a little hill. Growing up poor was normal to me and I have never been embarrassed with being that way. The only thing that mattered was that my parents always made sure us five kids had a roof over our head and food to eat.Even in hard times they somehow made it work. Visiting my grandparents was a constant outing where the entire family would gather over the weekend. We kids watched Saturday morning cartoons while the men tinkered around in the garage doing whatever they do. My momma and Aunt Kathy usually retreated to the kitchen where my grandmother spent most of her time cooking on the wood burning stove that was lit year round.In their house we were allowed to be kids. We weren't expected to sit silent in the other room. One Saturday morning while I was watching TV with my cousin Melissa we had discovered there was a small attic hidden in one of the bedrooms.Our curiosity instantly sparked. What was even more exciting was the fact that in all those years we had no idea it existed.When we asked about it, my grandmothers answer surprised us."No." Being told no wasn't something we were use to hearing from either of them -and that only made us more determined. So naturally we asked Why not? My grandmother took a deep breath and wiped her hands on the ever present dish towel slung over her shoulder and took a small sip of her hot tea. Then she began to explain.... When they had first moved in they had found a wooden cane up in the attic. Still in decent shape only covered in cobwebs,it was a rare find.My grandfather had asked if she could get it cleaned up so he can use it if needed. Thinking nothing of it she brought it back down with her and started getting to work. Finished she stepped back to see the results and knew grandfather would be delighted with the cane. Retiring to bed that night he had propped the cane by his side of the bed and fell into a deep sleep. Morning came and the bright sunlight filling the room glared in his eyes causing him to wake up. Immediately he noticed a sharp pain in the back of his head and was surprised to feel a bump there.Confused as to what happened he started to stand up only to be overcome with a dizzy feeling. Reaching out to get the cane he was even more surprised when his hand came up empty.Where is it? Looking everywhere in the room didn't bring answers to either questions.Maybe Rose had moved it in the other room, although it didn't make sense. Entering the kitchen where she was starting his breakfast he asked her about the cane and the bump on his head. Not having a idea on both, she replied that it had been by the bed when she laid down last night. A moment later one of my uncles called out to them and they noticed the difference in his voice as they walked in the room where he was standing."Did you say you brought a old cane from the attic down here yesterday?" My grandmother nodded Yes,why? Without answering he climbed the ladder into the attic and they noticed how the color was gone from his face. "I heard something moving around up there during the night but I didn't think much of it until I heard Dad asking about the cane." He held something out for them to see, but they could only stare frozen in place.It was the cane!! But now it was filthy again -dirty, smeared with cobwebs as if she had never touched it at all. My grandmothers hands trembled as she finished the story. She had been told that the cane belonged to the previous tenant -a cruel and grumpy old man who had passed away. When he was angered he would lift that cane up and thump people on the back of their head.The moment she said those words it all made sense to me.Taking the cane had upset him so he had came back to get what was his. After that incident the attic was nailed shut.No one dared to go up there again.. Maybe some would call it a made up story meant to scare children.But I didn't believe that.My grandmother wasn't a woman who lied -especially not about things she didn't understand herself.And as a kid, sitting at that kitchen table I knew one thing for certain... Some doors stay closed for a reason... That was only the beginning... The unseen didn't stop with the Attic