Several years ago, I had just graduated from college and began my career working full-time. I couldn't afford rent on my own yet, so some mutual friends suggested I share an apartment with a girl my same age. I agreed and it was arranged. I didn't meet her until the day we both moved in. I'll just call her "S". The best way to describe "S" is a tornado of drama, and the more people she could pull into her drama-filled life, the happier she seemed. I did my level best to stay out of her way.
Work and a boyfriend kept me busy for the first few weeks, but I started noticing a strange feeling when I was alone. It seemed like I was being watched. Not all the time... But I could definitely feel when "it" entered the room. One moment everything was perfectly normal, and without warning, the room would be charged by an unseen presence.
"It" was always silent. I never heard a noise, but when it entered the room I would immediately feel it's distinct presence. The feeling began like an invisible light tingling blanket slowly settling over my head, neck, shoulders and across my back, then ending with a prickly heaviness. It was consistent and unmistakable, always like a prickly wave.
One afternoon I was washing my face in the bathroom sink and I could feel "It" behind me, tingling and heavy across my shoulders... This time closer than ever, as if it were right on top of me. My face and eyes were full of soap, and the feeling grew stronger. I was sure that if I looked in the mirror I would finally see what it was. I quickly looked up through soapy eyes, and was actually shocked when I didn't see anything... The most disturbing part is that the feeling didn't move away, it intensified. It hovered inches away from my back, and was taunting me while my eyes searched the mirror. I saw nothing, but I KNEW It was still there, and it was laughing at me with no sound. After that, it started bothering me more often (3-4 times a day and during the night).
It seemed as if this thing either learned how to make me react, or I became a target. It began to wake me in the night. The familiar prickly feeling would wash over me and I would wake from a sound sleep. I could be watching TV or talking on the phone and suddenly there it was. I didn't mention it to anyone, especially "S", knowing the flurry of attention it would bring. I'm sure she would have called every priest or paranormal group she could find. I didn't want that, so I simply let it go.
One night, it was late and I was reading a book in bed. I was really caught up in the story, and suddenly there was that familiar feeling. I closed the book, put it down on my lap, and said out loud "OK, what?... What do you want?". Within seconds, the nightlight next to me shot out of the wall socket about 8 feet into the center of the room. You might think that would freak me out, but it didn't. I was mostly relieved to have something tangible happen.
I remember reading an article, I think it was by Stephen King where he says the monster in a story is most frightening when you don't see it. After you've seen it, it becomes real and you can find ways to deal with it... Anyway, I picked up the nightlight from the floor, shoved it back in the wall socket and went back to reading the book. I knew at that point it wasn't just a feeling, it was real.
A side note: The room I slept in was very small. I think whoever designed the apartments intended it to be a child's room or nursery. I couldn't afford furniture yet, and slept on a blow-up air mattress on the floor. The wall socket with the nightlight was just next to my head.
Because I never experienced anything like this before, I thought it could be a poltergeist brought on by "S", but it was totally silent... No banging or knocking noise of any kind, so it didn't seem like a classic poltergeist. A couple times "S" would find one of her favorite blue drinking glasses broken in the kitchen sink (some ex-boyfriend had given them to her). She blamed me, but I never touched them. Another possibility was a ghost attached to the apartment complex, or even to "S" herself. Thankfully, she seemed oblivious to anything paranormal.
I assumed the entity was attached to the apartment. However, after a few months, my boyfriend and I went on a 3 day trip to his family's cabin at Lake Tahoe, and to my horror, it followed me. I remember yelling at it several times when I was alone in the cabin... Again, I received silent mocking and laughter.
About four months later I moved away from the apartment. I was worried, because if it could follow me to Tahoe, it might follow me to my new home where I would be living alone. Several times in the new place I thought I could feel it starting to manifest, but I would quickly reject the possibility and force myself to think of something else. Eventually it stopped completely.
So here's a question... Is there such a thing as a quiet poltergeist? Can someone else's poltergeist follow you to a different location? In hindsight, it was probably just a bored spirit from the apartment. It didn't seem to have evil intentions, and it was my own fear that freaked me out. If it were to happen today, I like to think I would handle things differently. Maybe try to communicate or help it, but it seemed too creepy and I didn't want attachments.
Sorry this story isn't more exciting... "scary feelings" don't always come across well in a story, but thank you for reading.
Blue
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Just read your story. Your story hits home because I know the feeling all too well when you know "IT" is around. That prickly sensation along with the feeling of a soul piercing blanket of cold is definitely a sign of a presence. I used to experience this all the time growing up in my childhood home. Even though most of the times you don't hear or see nothing, the feeling from the presence just gives you insight about it, whether it's male or female, young or old, malevolent or benign, etc.
Like others have said, I am glad that it chose not to follow you to your new place. There is no telling what the motives behind it were. I don't like to jump to conclusions but I got a deep sense that had it continued long enough, it would've eventually gotten more brave to the point that it would've shown more physical activity, whether to be harmful or just for attention. That's just the feeling I got from reading the story anyway.
I know you may not be interested in reconnecting with her (and from the sound of it I couldn't blame you) but I am rather curious about whether or not your former roommate experienced anything after you moved out though. With hauntings like these the reasons "why" and the aftermath becomes more intriguing in hindsight.