Haunted House: A Spooky Experience in My Living Room
It was 1980 in Richland, Washington, and I found myself in an alarming situation. My husband, a frequent alcoholic and drug user, had not returned from work, and the clock read late. Very late. The dread of confrontation weighed heavily on my mind, knowing that his return home in such a state might lead to conflict.
The Evening Unfolds
As the clock struck around 10 PM, I made a strategic decision. Due to my husband's erratic behavior, I chose to sleep on the sofa in the living room, ensuring the coffee table in front of me and the open doorway to the hallway behind me would provide a buffer. The hallway was a minuscule space, about 4 to 5.5 feet long and the typical width of a hallway.
The back door, which led into the kitchen, was now serving as a makeshift front door from the entrance to our parking space. The design of the house allowed the front door to lead directly to the backyard, increasing the uncertainty of his arrival route.
The Awakening
After a couple of hours of sleep, I was awoken by the creaking of the kitchen door and the sound of footsteps across the carpet. Despite my initial shock, I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to alert him. The odor of stale beer permeated the air, and the sound of cigarettes being prepared was unmistakable. A flick of the zippo lighter and the subsequent smell of butane light fluid and cigarette smoke foretold his intentions.
As he approached the sofa where I was sleeping, the intensity of the situation heightened. His words and actions were almost a ritualistic performance, undoing his jeans and defying any chance of me hearing his snoring if he had continued on to the bedroom.
The Encounter
I hesitated, sensing his movements from the living room doorway. Opening the door to the hallway, the darkness seemed to consume the bedroom. A solid black mass, as if a black velvet curtain were hanging inside the doorway, blocked any form of visibility. My mind was tempted to turn on the light, but the urge to act was thwarted by the darkness.
The absence of any light or movement in the bedroom was unnerving. I decided to check on my daughter, a brand new baby born in October of that year. Even in the dark, my eyes adjusted, allowing me to navigate through the hallway. The high window in the master bedroom, which typically let in moonlight, was now completely dark. No light, no shapes - everything was obscured.
The Resolution
My husband's journey to the bathroom and the subsequent silence only added to the eerie atmosphere. There was no sound of him settling into bed or turning on the bedroom light. The stillness in the house became palpable, a stark contrast to the chaotic evening that had just transpired.
The experience, though unpredictable and unsettling, was a critical lesson in resilience and an encounter with the darker side of human behavior. It remains a truly spooky episode, encapsulated by the enigma of the pitch-black bedroom and the unsettling silence that followed.
For those who find themselves in similar situations, understanding the importance of staying calm and making strategic decisions can often be the key to navigating challenging encounters. This haunting experience serves as a vivid reminder of that.