The Static Man

Living in Vernon was very hard on my family. My dad decided he was tired of being a parent, and gave my mom two years to get a job and get out of the house (unbeknownst to me and my youngest sister, of course). My brother left the house as soon as he turned eighteen, and he was always getting drunk or high, or having relations with certain seedy women. My older sister was caught up in her own drama, and had no kind words to offer her younger siblings. So I suppose it's no surprise that my little sister and I had paranormal experiences there.

First, allow me to explain the layout of the Vernon house. The front door opened into a small foyer, then the dining room and kitchen, which are connected. The hallway to our bedrooms was to the left, while the kitchen was to the right. Standing in the foyer, you could see almost the entire house, including the huge family room down a couple of stairs connected to the dining room.

Now, before I begin, I'd like to explain that I had a problem with sleepwalking as a child. I would go to sleep in my bedroom, then wake up in the living room, kitchen, etc. Sometimes I even interacted with everyone who was still awake while I was in these states.

My first encounter with the entity seemed like just another horrible nightmare. In the dream, I walked down the hallway from my bedroom into the living room; I was wearing the exact pajamas I had gone to sleep in, and the house was exactly the same as we'd left it at bedtime. For one reason or another, I felt the urge to look into the kitchen.

There he was.

The Static Man appeared in the doorway between the dining room and kitchen. He was tall, barely touching the ceiling, and he appeared robed in black. Instead of a head upon his shoulders, there was this great ball of static. The sound buzzed constantly.

I stood there, frozen with fear, staring up at the Static Man. After perhaps a couple seconds he reached out his long, dark arm towards me. Then he seemed to kind of 'float' closer and closer. The buzzing got so loud that it hurt my ears. I remember closing my eyes, scream stuck in my throat... And then I woke up on the couch in the dining room, facing the kitchen.

I told my parents about the dream, but they weren't overly concerned about it. So for a while I just brushed the dream off.

But I wasn't the only one affected by the Static Man. Apparently, my little sister, Catherine, was woken up one night. When she opened her eyes, the Static Man was standing between our beds; 'he' seemed to be looking at her. Catherine, despite her fear, got angry with the Man. "Get out of here! God will be angry if you don't leave us alone!" Then, in a flash of bright light, the Static Man was gone. Catherine settled herself back into bed, and slept peacefully the rest of the night.

It should be mentioned that Cat would hear and see things in the Vernon house. Shadows would play in her peripheral vision, and voices would call our names. One time, when we were playing in the backyard, she looked into the alley behind our gate and saw these kids standing a way's away. They called to her, promising her a good time. She ran into the house, and didn't tell me why until years later.

For many years after Cat's bravery, I didn't have any encounters with the Static Man. My mom moved us to Wichita Falls, where she finished her degree in nursing. Dad moved to Abilene. We started going to a Catholic School. My sleepwalking stopped completely, and for the first time in years I was able to sleep peacefully. Everything, for a while, seemed great.

A couple years later, we moved in with my dad; my mom was trying to save their marriage. A few months after settling into the house, the Static Man appeared again.

I woke up in a cold sweat. The Man was standing beside my bed, leaning over me. All the sudden I was tossed a few inches straight up from the surface of my bed. (I would later try to recreate this movement on my own; I couldn't get off the surface of the bed from my position) Then something pinned me down by my arms and legs. I felt hands wrap around my neck and start choking me. Trying to fight off this attack, I desperately look around, hoping Cat had been awoken. She hadn't, of course. But I did notice that where I felt 'fingers' grabbing my limbs there were deep depressions in my flesh.

After perhaps a minute or so, I was released, and the Static Man disappeared as quickly as he'd come. For the rest of the night, I lay there wide awake, shaking and gasping.

From then on, every night for about a year I was disturbed in the same way. I was completely drained of energy, my grades fell abruptly, and I violently lashed out at my family (for instance, I actually tried to suffocate my little sister with a pillow). Then I started biting, hitting, and cutting myself just to feel something. I'd even tried to kill myself.

My mom, sister, and I moved into our current apartment after two years of darkness in my dad's 'home'. The Static Man continued to torment me. I tried to talk to my mom about it, but she kept telling me that it was just a dream and that it was a side effect of my new anti-depressant. "If there was something wrong in this house, I'd know about it. I have experience with these things, remember?" She said things like this even when I slept with her and the entire bed shook as the Man attacked. "Caroline, if you keep shaking the bed, I'm kicking you back to your room!"

One night, I just lay in my bed crying, waiting for the Static Man to appear. I pleaded to God for just one night of peace. "Please God, please God, PLEASE God!" I was shaking from fear and exhaustion.

I suddenly felt a wave of peace wash over me. I stopped crying, and closed my eyes. When the Static Man jolted me out of bed, I wasn't afraid. It didn't touch me, didn't buzz... It was the first night in a long time I was able to get a good sleep. "Thank you Jesus!" I remember thinking before I drifted off to sleep.

Ever since then, the Static Man has only visited me once every few weeks. I'm not afraid of going to bed anymore. And 'he' hasn't been able to touch me lately. I believe either his power is weakening, or I'm getting stronger somehow. Although I know I'll probably never be rid of this entity, I know he won't be able to hurt me like he was able to.

As to what exactly the Static Man is... I have no idea. I don't believe he's a human spirit, and he most certainly doesn't resemble any of the 'Nature Spirits' I've encountered. I don't believe he's a manifestation caused by my medication, or even stress, as he appears despite what's going on in my life, and despite whether or not I take my meds. I've tried-- and continue to try-- to research our old house in Quanah, but all attempts have proved fruitless. I DO know that two boys, one of whom lived in the house after we moved, committed suicide for mysterious reasons. Perhaps they're connected, perhaps not. I don't think I'll ever know.

Whatever the Static Man is, I'll continue to fight him, be it through meditation and prayer, or other means if things escalate again. Thank you for reading my incredibly long story! Comments, suggestions, etc., are all welcome, as usual.