Inception Of The Paranormal

I'm fairly new here. I've always been on the lookout for somebody to talk to, about some of the weird things that has happened to me. I'm Indian and born to a Christian father and a Hindu mother. My religious views changed gradually as I grew up. So I can confidently say that my paranormal experiences were not a result of a shift in my religious beliefs (just so you know, I'm atheist). I've had weird things happen to me mostly through the ages of 5-20; I've always believed that there are entities beyond our realm due to the odd, unexplainable feelings I've had since childhood.

People from my country are mostly religious fanatics; the idea of God is drilled and anything remotely close to the paranormal is completely dismissed. Most of the people I've tried to talk to are either too scared or found it too funny or too stupid. There are no psychics, clubs or societies or anything of that sort that offers answers or help for people who have experienced the paranormal.

I must say that I've always been a person who was thrust into the paranormal realm without even having an inkling about it. I have always 'felt' things as opposed to seeing, so sometimes when I read or listen to stuff online of people who claim to have seen things I've always been skeptical. Years later I found a way to block "them" consciously, after watching the documentary, 'the secret'. I simply stopped paying attention. I must also say that I've had sleep paralysis since my late teens which I mistook for the paranormal. So, guys I'm here for answers and I'm requesting you to be helpful and UNrude (no, it's not a real word and yes, I'm using it anyway). So let's start from the beginning...

I was a child of divorce. Since the age 4 I've been exposed to a lot of violence at home. The house I used to live in was, a very "active" one. A lot of things made sense once I got to know it's history. It was a medium-sized apartment with 2 bedrooms, 4 baths, a kitchen and a living room with a nice backyard. I lived with my folks and my 2 older half-brothers. My best friend lived in the apartment above mine with his folks and 2 older brothers (16 and 17 years old). This building had 2 floors and my best friend and I played on the rooftop a lot. I was 7 and he was 8 years old and during summer holidays, we would run upstairs and played for hours on end. Please bear with me as this is important.

(For my best friend's privacy I'm going to call him Nick). One day, during our holidays, he had gone out with his family and visiting relatives, but promised me that he would be back by our usual playtime (which was between 13:30-14:00pm). It was 2pm and I had gone up top with some cards and legos and waited for Nick. I kept myself busy and had lost track of time throwing stones at the surrounding buildings and talking to trees (don't judge me I was bored) and enjoying the freedom. I was a very disciplined child so, I stayed at least 1-2 ft away from the ledge and only broke the rule when my big bros were around. It was past 4 and Nick had not come back (the car park was visible from the roof). I called time of death and started for the door...

A little info on my roof door is necessary. It was a solid, rusty metal door that was hard to close all the way without the help of an adult or at least my older bros. It opened inward and not outward onto the roof. The door was behind me about 13-14 ft away. I got up and tied my shoe laces tight (something my grammy taught me to do before taking the stairs) and started for the door. It slammed shut right in front of me, 2 ft short of me and I jumped at the thud, heartbeat increasing and bladder control decreasing (I was 7, cut me some slack). It was not a windy day and the door was pretty sturdy. Now the problem was: I thought, I was being pranked. Being out in the sun for hours did not help me see clearly and all I could see were black spots. After continuous attempts of knocking gently at first then loudly a small part of me realized that it could not be anybody that I knew. I was adored by everybody in the building since everybody had sons. So, I started panicking.

Twilight was fast approaching and I was stuck upstairs. I kept calling out for my mum but I knew that it was futile because she was doing laundry and wouldn't be able to hear me. Everybody in the building were on vacation so I couldn't call for my other friends. This is when I realized that it wasn't somebody but something. I slowly pressed my ears against the door and heard a shuffling sound. I knocked on the door saying that I was stuck, asking to be left out. Then I heard whispers but could not decipher what was being said. I hauled for the small store room that was adjacent to the roof door and locked myself in there. Thirty minutes later I heard a faint voice calling out for me and balled my eyes out more than I already was. I closed my face with my hands and sat in the corner of the room, waiting for whatever it was, calling out for me. Within seconds there was knocking on the store room door and I could hear my mum calling for me, worriedly. I'm sure the rest is self-explanatory...

Since then I was afraid of the dark and always felt something behind me. My room that I shared with my older brothers, took on an eerie, ominous vibe much like the trees outside. Years later when I was a freshman in college I asked my mum about that apartment and was shocked at the events that took place there. There were two suicides, one murder and one death caused by a car crash (this was my half-brothers' mum) right in the apartment we were living in. Fortunately, I moved out of that house (at the age of 9) with mum after her divorce. The paranormal occurrences stopped for a while, until I turned 15. But, there were a few more incidents that took place before my folks separated. I'm going to save those for my upcoming posts (I promise they'll be shorter).

What were those sounds I heard? What's the difference between a ghost/ spirit/ entity/ demon? Can they come in my dreams? Of late I've been dreaming of an old man whose house I'm moving into. Nothing makes sense to me. Answers would be great.

P.s- that house we stayed at is still eerie, the landlady told my mom that she is unable to rent it since people move out within a couple of months of living there. It is close to the heart of the city and a semi commercial area.