Is it a True Gift?

by Alyssa
(North Carolina)

I am a normal person...

Me, my mother, three brothers and stepfather lived in a seemingly old log cabin near my grandparents a few years ago. The door to my small room on the top floor had a word or phrase in a different language, seemingly spanish, faded into the door. My mother and stepfather did not think anything of it, and my mother held a secret that I did not know until I told her what I had seen later on in this memory.

My stepfather was as hypocritical as they come, because he claimed to be christian, but he did very unchristian deeds. I wonder even now what he was so afraid of. Anyway, I was called a demon, and I was told I was going to hell countless times. Anger overcame me and I became unaware of my true self at times. It makes me wonder if something there influenced me to be that way.

There were two instances when, what my mother would call a "gift" revealed itself. The instance when my mother suspected I had this so called "gift" was the most harmless instance. It was one night when we were going out to do something, I can't recall. But, before I left, I saw what looked like a shadow of a child come out the corner of my eyes. It ran from the living room to the kitchen. I looked around the corner into the kitchen right as I was about to leave. My mother asked me what I was looking at, and I said "I thought I saw a little kid run into the kitchen." Mother told me to be quiet, and we left to do whatever we were setting out to do. That was the first instance when I noticed something. There were many like this, but it would take me forever to explain them.

The only two characters I would see were the small child and grown man. I do not know if someone had died in that house, but it was an old house, so it's a possibility. I do know it used to be a business. But, the most harmful instance was one that made me fear for my life.

My stepfather and mother were "partiers". They would go to parties and leave me to tend to my three brothers. Most nights I would not have a problem, but this night made me lose my sanity. Even now I cannot sleep with the lights completely off, watch a scary movie, look at a knife, take care of myself, and think the same way again.

I was home alone with my three brothers while my mom and stepdad went to a party, or maybe they went clubbing. Well, it really is irrelevant. At first, my brothers were in bed, and I stayed up in case they needed something. At around three in the morning, and I was watching television. I felt a presence in the room with me. I didn't think much of it until I saw a large black shadow like man in the corner of my eye. I looked in that direction. And, do you know when you do something like this the thing you thought you saw disappears? When I looked, it took it about five seconds to disappear. I was kind of rattled by this, and I was struck with an overwhelming fear. It scared the hell out of me.

I went into the kitchen, because I can see more of the house from there, excluding my mother and stepfather's room and the small hallway near the front door. I saw it again though, and I called my friend. He said I was crazy, and being not believed, hurt my feelings. So I was scared and hurt. I grabbed a large knife from the cabinet. Now when I look back on it, I question how a knife would have helped if this thing had an intention on hurting me. It might have had that intention, but I have no way of knowing.

My brother, Tyler, came into the living room and said he saw something in his room, but I told him to sit on the couch and sleep. He went into my other brother, Blake's, room instead. I started talking like it was "really there". The reason I said this is because I am having trouble even now believing it. I said a variety of things like: "Leave me alone!", "Get out of here!", "I'm not scared!". But ironically enough, I was shaking in the middle of the living room with a knife in my hand and tears running down my cheeks.

Every time I saw it, I screamed. I don't know why none of my brothers came to see what was wrong, maybe they were unable to hear me over their dreams? Finally, I went outside on the front porch and called my other friend (who is now my boyfriend, and has been for over a year now), and told him. He offered to let me talk to his grandmother about it, but I just wanted to talk to him. He helped, but when I saw that man outside, I nearly fainted. I ran back into the house, and stayed there. He eventually went to bed after I had calmed down and was too tired to cry and scream anymore.

My mother came back at about five in the morning with her pants off, her hair a mess, and a long shirt on. She was drunk of course. My stepfather smiled and acted like an idiot. I told them to never leave me home like that again and they laughed. My mom told me to be quiet and to go to bed. I just did what I was told and I went to bed. I slept like a baby, but I was terrified.

About a week after that, my mother woke me up to take me to driver's education. She told me that she had seen all I have seen and then some more. I was confused at this. And, she told me that it was a gift. I still have weird intuitions and odd voices in my head, but I have not seen - wait... I have. I think they are hallucinations, but I have seen a hand come from the wall and try to grab me, and I have heard screams in my ear. I still feel presences around me and I feel like something is out to get me sometimes. But, ever since I put a christian necklace on my neck, I have not had a problem.

My mother had a secretive history with witchcraft, along with my great uncle. She wanted to teach me some, but I am afraid to venture into such things. But, that is my story, and it is 100% true. It is, I still have weird feelings of fear about it. Just, make sure you are safe, and put a cross, or anything of the sort on you to at least give you some protection, pray, and ask for protection from God so that maybe you won't have to go through an experience like this.