I awoke some time later, standing in the dark at the top of the stairs. I was looking downstairs at a soft light which illuminated the darkness when I realized I was thinking to myself, What is that light? The question repeated itself while I became aware I was thinking it, then became aware I was awakening, and then aware that I must have been sleepwalking. And there was a light; it wasn't just a dream. And now I consciously asked the same question, "What is that light?"
I followed the light, and now standing at the top of the basement stairs I could see that the light was coming from my son David's bedroom. He wasn't in bed. I wondered what day it was, what time it was, and whether my kids were here or at their dad's house. I had no memory of any of it.
I walked down the stairs and saw that the bathroom door was shut. David must be using the toilet, I thought. By now my full memory had returned. It was Monday night, my kids were at my house, I wasn't sure what time it was, but the massive headache had returned and felt ten times worse. Without saying a word to my son, I went back up the stairs. The headache was too painful to engage in any conversation. I used the toilet and quickly went back to bed. It was midnight.
I wanted sleep to come as quickly as possible, but just as I felt I could drift off again I felt a feeling of a presence in my room, as if someone were trying to get my attention. I opened my eyes. There wasn't anything there. I closed my eyes again and suddenly, nonphysically, could see my room in full clarity. A black mass was hovering in the far corner of the room. It swooped down toward me and swept over the bed and out the door. I quickly opened my eyes in shock. There wasn't anything there. I must have dreamed that, I thought.
The moment my eyes closed again, the presence was there, as if shaking me awake. I quickly opened my eyes, as if to catch a glimpse of whatever it was, but there was nothing there. I closed my eyes again and instantly was able to see my bedroom as clearly as if my eyes were open. I know my eyes are closed, and I'm awake, I thought. The black shadow thing was in the corner of the room again, high at the ceiling as if waiting for me to give it my attention. I watched it swoop down over my bed and out the door. I had the distinct feeling that whatever this thing was, it wanted me to go back down into David's room. I was just down there, I thought. David's fine. I need to get back to sleep. This headache is so bad. If David needed me, he'd come get me.
Some time later I felt the awakening nudge of the shadow presence again. I also felt my pounding headache, now worse than before. I opened my eyes but there was nothing there. I closed my eyes and just like before, I instantly had full vision of my bedroom as if my eyes were still open, and the black shadow once again hovered in the corner of my room. I watched it swoop down toward me, over the bed, and out the door. And just like before, I quickly opened my eyes, in disbelief that what I was seeing with my eyes closed while wide awake could possibly be real. I didn't see anything.
This continued for what seemed like a long time. I suppose I drifted off to sleep in between, but the feeling of the presence awakening me returned again and again, along with the shadow's strange behavior as if to get me out of my room and back downstairs. This must be a weird dream. Maybe I'm in a weird light sleep state and don't even know it. I know my eyes are closed, but I'm awake. Every time I open my eyes, I don't see anything there. I don't see the shadow until my eyes are closed. Ow my head is killing me. My headache was now, remarkably, even much worse than before. I finally couldn't take it anymore; the repetitive feeling of a presence awakening me, the repetitive shadow movements, the repetitive impression that it wanted me to get out of bed and go downstairs. Each time I was awakened it made my headache that much worse, so I got out of bed. It was 2:30 a.m.
I went downstairs. David's light was off. He must be in bed sleeping. I got something to drink, and then I took a Vicodin. I went back to bed and slept deeply the rest of the night. By morning the headache was gone.
I couldn't wait to tell David about my weird experience from the night before, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him until after work. David and I were on our way to pick up some Little Caesar's pizza when I remembered to tell him what happened. We had just pulled into a parking space when David turned to me and said, "Well, now I have something to tell you about last night. We had nearly the same experience." I had just turned off the engine, stopping the air conditioner, and we were sitting there in that hot car in the middle of July with the windows up, goosebumps chilling my skin as I listened to David tell me what had happened to him that night as well.
He'd had trouble falling asleep and for a while lied there with his eyes open looking around his room. He saw something move past the spray of light of his night light, a black shadow. He wasn't scared; David's used to paranormal activity--aware that there are things we don't understand--and he just tells himself if he doesn't give it his attention it will go away. But after the shadow crossed through the light a few times David got out of bed. That's when he went into the bathroom and shut the door. He said he eventually heard me walking around upstairs and then use the toilet. After that he was able to fall asleep but later awoke to the sound of someone coming down into his room. He felt a presence standing next to his bed as if watching him, but he remained still, eyes closed, giving it no attention. When the feeling passed he opened his eyes. It was 5:00 a.m.
To my own satisfaction--that what I experienced was real and not just a dream--David's experience had verified mine. We don't know what the black shadow was or what it wanted, but we both saw it on the same night. How strange, that neither of us was scared of it. And what a strange night for me--the sudden massive headache and the sleepwalking. I wonder what caused me to sleepwalk in the first place.
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