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The Summer I Didn't Sleep

 

I can't recall how old I was when these events took place, but judging by what bedroom of our house I was sleeping in at that point, I must have been somewhere between 9 and 12. I have wanted to share this story for quite some time but the truth is that I haven't been able to build up the courage to really recall the memories. It still petrifies me to this day.

It all started on a summer night when I was laying in my bed reading, just like any other night. I was somewhere in the middle of one of the Sweet Valley High novels when I suddenly felt my bed start shaking. A deep feeling of dread came over me and I was more scared than I had ever been before (just thinking back at this gives me goosebumps). It didn't feel like someone was tugging the end or the side of the bed or anything like that, it was the full mattress that started shaking. I was terrified to the point where a shiver went down my spine and I started cold sweating, in that moment I remember how I realized that these was not just things you say as a generic expression to describe fear, but that it was actually possible to feel those sensations. After a while of being frozen in fear and contemplating what to do I eventually jumped out of the bed and tried to think of what to do next. I turned on all lamps (even though it was summer and not even very dark outside) and just stared at the bed for a while, it didn't move anymore and I couldn't think of any reason of why it would move in the first place. Trying to master my fear I laid back down again but the shaking started up again after just a few seconds. This had me quietly sneaking in to one of my sisters' room and spending the night with her.

I'm not sure for how long this went on, I just remember being constantly sleepy and lacking energy. I did everything and anything to delay the moment that I had to go to bed. One time I convinced my stepfather to stay out on the lake with me, fishing until around 2am. He thought I just loved fishing so much, I do, but I mostly dreaded the moment I would have to set foot in my bedroom again. Some nights I managed to sneak in to my sisters' room but doing so I always risked a beating from being up and making noise at night, so it wasn't always an option. Other nights I spent in a tent or in one of our many cabins as it was summer, and nothing would bother me except when I slept alone in my room. No one in my family believed me and they made fun of me for it each time I tried to bring it up. My oldest sister would laugh and scream "the exorcist" as soon as I mentioned anything about it (referring to the scene in the Exorcist movie where the bed is shaking).

Luckily my cousin came to visit and spent more than a week on a mattress on the floor of my bedroom and after she left I didn't removed it but used it for me to sleep on instead. This was a huge relief as even though I always felt a presence and like something was watching me, nothing was bothering me physically during this time. Eventually my mother got mad at me for keeping the mattress in my room for so long and made me put it away. At this point it was already autumn and I could no longer stay anywhere other than my room. So, my nightmare continued.

One night I sneaked over to my sisters' room again, (not the same sister that used to laugh at me) and crawled into her bed, even though she had gotten very tired of me coming over there at this point (especially as she also risked a beating from me coming there) when her bed started shaking too! Shocked and scared she told me that she had felt it, instead of being scared this time, I was so glad that someone finally believed me after going through this alone all summer.

A couple of weeks later I visited my grandmother and I told her everything that had happened, knowing that she was no stranger to the paranormal and would believe me. She advised me to put a Bible under my pillow before going to bed. No one on my mother's side of the family is religious so I couldn't find a Bible at home, but managed to find a small book with some psalms that I put under my pillow that night. I was so scared that it would only anger whatever was haunting me, but from that moment I was never bothered by this thing again. I am not sure why it started or why it stopped, I was just glad it was over. Did I just will it away with the book? What could it have been?

Just writing this made me see shadows and get all jumpy so it might not be the best story I've written, if anything is unclear then please feel free to ask questions.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, cloudy, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Jubeele (25 stories) (882 posts)
+1
6 years ago (2017-09-28)
Cloudy,

It is all about the power of belief. I wonder if it will be more effective for you to use a method more relevant to your Buddhist faith?

I used to go to the temple with Mum to pay respects to my grandmothers (the ancestral plaques were there). I'm not a practicing Buddhist, but I always found those visits really calming. Is there a temple readily accessible for you? If so, can someone there advise you or help with a purification ritual? Prayer and meditation can help clear our thoughts, provide mental discipline and help keep away "unclean" influences. You can check out this link (not sure if the sutras are accurate as I'm no expert):
Http://www.buddhasutra.com/index.html

About going off-topic. It can be distracting, but it's also really entertaining. I find the YGS community like a family. Like all families, we share ideas, experiences and help each other. Then there's the occasional smack-down for the ones who have crossed the line, little spats, clash of personalities and apologies too. I can't begin to say how great a comfort everyone has been to me especially during this period (not going into detail for now).

Cloudy, it may also be that the Bible worked (no disrespect intended to Christians) because it was when YOU decided to take action. You in effect took back your own power. We all have the Buddha within. I wish you well and go in peace.
cloudy (7 stories) (39 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-09-05)
Me and my husband practice Buddhism so I still don't have a bibel, but amulets and prayers etc for the same reason. I'm just curious of why it would stop the same day I decided to try to do something about it, it was just gone after that
cloudy (7 stories) (39 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-09-05)
Hi, I'm not sure what it was but I'm sure it wasn't an earthquake it was happening every night for about 3 or 4 months, It also happened in Sweden were earthquakes isn't very common (I've experienced only 1).It never happened again since so I'm not sure what it was, but it still makes me scared to think about it. 😨
shelbyloree (5 stories) (285 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-09-05)
Aren't the moderators supposed to keep posts on topic rather than derail them? Just curious, since I'd assume a message to the individual would be more effective than asking about something so trivial as language on someone else's story.

It's kind of obvious the guy typing in Latin just wants to be 'fancy,' or 'unique,' or 'smarter' than everyone else. Honestly, who cares?!

It's more concerning to me that a moderator continuously uses the comments section to talk about personal things, 'inside' jokes, etc. I've seen this particular moderator hijack stories with toothbrush jokes, how badly the car is running, what language someone's page is in, and now about language translation. I'm sure there's more I've missed, but those are the ones I've noticed.

Sure I'll get thumbs down for this post, but geez, YGS, I think you can do better.
Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-09-03)
RANDYM - Thanks for your help.

I hope google translate has improved because a few years back my husband decided to use google to translate part of an English document into Afrikaans. He speaks Afrikaans but doesn't write it very well.

I can tell you, we were in hysterics when we read this translation. Although all the correct words were there, the grammatical set-up left much to be desired, not in the way you would speak the language at all. It was really funny 😆

A French acquaintance of mine also received something which had been translated by google from English to French. Same thing. It seems that although google gives you all the correct words and so on, it doesn't know how to "speak" the language.

As I say, perhaps it's improved now 😊

Regards, Melda
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
+1
7 years ago (2017-09-03)
*Smacks herself in the forehead* Randy, I should have thought of that! As long as it's close to being correctly written, that should work.
RANDYM (2 stories) (266 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2017-09-02)
If I may add something

Google has a translate page. It is really great. You don't even have to know the language. You simply copy and paste your selection and it will be able to recognize the text and translate to another window into any one of about 20 languages you can chose from

https://translate.google.com/

Thanks
Randy
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
 
7 years ago (2017-09-02)
Cloudy,
I agree with Integrist in this instance. Perhaps you could ask your Grandma for one, if you can't afford one.
Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-09-02)
Val - Yes I am fluent in two languages, one of them not being Latin if that is what crossed your mind! My spoken languages are English and Afrikaans. Heaven forbid that I would have attempted to "enthrall" all the members here with my virtually non-existent Latin replies - Afrikaans would have been hard enough for you to cope with 😆

South Africa has 11 official languages, being the diverse society that it is. Most people in this country are bilingual (to varying degrees) and some of them also multilingual, more specifically our indigenous African counterparts

I sometimes try to chat with my domestic worker in Zulu, much to her amusement, but she always corrects me without making me feel too stupid! She in fact speaks four languages.

Interesting world we live in. I would love to speak Zulu fluently. Latin? No, too outdated to hold my interest.

Regards, Melda
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
 
7 years ago (2017-09-02)
Melda...Girl, I need coffee! Lol I read your comment three times before I actually got it - and it's written in English! 🤔😆
You're fluent in two languages? That impresses me. Seriously, folks who are, that can transition between them with seemingly no effort amaze me. I'm all 'ummm...er...ummm' when I talk anything but American. And if someone talks fast? 😨 I'm pretty sure, they feel the need to 'dumb down' their vocab for me like for a child.
Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-09-01)
Val - Thanks for the offer but don't bother. By the way, is there no end to your talents? You even translate Latin 😲 Integrist needn't go to the trouble either, I was simply a bit curious.

There are 11 official languages in South Africa and I only speak two of them, so I reckon if I can't speak Latin it's no big deal 😊

Regards, Melda
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
 
7 years ago (2017-09-01)
Melda,
Integrist chose to write his profile in Latin. If your really curious, I can translate it for you, or Integrist might speak up and do so. *Shrug* beats me why he did that though.
Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
+4
7 years ago (2017-09-01)
Integrist - I have once again had a look at your profile page. This is something I tend to do.

Have you ever considered putting something out there that the majority of us can understand?

Regards, Melda
VeronicaMarie (5 stories) (106 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-09-01)
Cloudy, my older sister has mentioned her bed shaking too. Not often, but a few times. She would immediately turn on the radio, assuming it was a mild earthquake, and would even check the geological website online, only to find nothing at all, not even a tiny tremor. She doesn't have any pets and lives alone.
After she first told me about it, I went online and googled 'bed shaking for no reason' and was surprised at how many questions about it came up. Possible answers ranged from sleeping disorders, restless leg syndrome, paranormal, etc. I don't have any answers, but it seems you're not alone in this strange experience. I have to say that what concerns me the most is that you'd get a beating for going into your sister's room when you were scared and needing company. Breaks my heart.
shelbyloree (5 stories) (285 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-08-30)
Do you suppose it was a poltergeist? A possessed blanket? An unsteady bedframe? You would think if it was earthquake tremors something else in the room would have moved around too.
Anno_Domini (3 stories) (167 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-08-28)
cloudy... I couldn't agree more with cloudy Integrist. Not only is it good to use as a "pillow support", you'll find enlightenment in its contents too 😜
Integrist (83 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-08-25)
I'd say, get yourself a Bible. The advice from your grandmother is a good one, and it will help. There's no point in being fearful all the time.:)
groundzero7 (1 stories) (4 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-08-24)
I hope you're doing much better now. Do you ever read a good book in bed before you go to sleep? That might help.

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