The Ghost Kept Me Awake

08 Mar 2011 3 Comments

by jilliansavage in Stories

Some children are afraid of what hides under their beds, in the shadows of their closets or creeping in the dark hall outside their doors. To this day I cannot sleep with my door opened and my apple nightlight must always be on. This is what happens when you live out your childhood with some unconventional roommates. I grew up being told that spirits are not naturally violent and most tend to be illusive, hiding themselves from human eyes. The ghosts that crept around after the lights went out in my home were actually very quiet.

It was when they played music at 4am in the morning that I had a problem with.

My home was located in the farm country of Northwestern Ohio. To give you an idea of how far into the boonies I lived: my neighbors consisted of corn and bean fields. We did have a cranky old couple who lived “next door” who basically ignored my families existence. When I say next door I do mean right next to us, not down the road like our other neighbors, but I figure they don’t really count as I only saw them once in a blue moon.  So when the soft music began to play at 3:30am I was very sure the couple was fast asleep next door.

 

It was not loud music, it bordered classical and at times hinted jazz. Usually it was a lone piano piece or a duet of two instruments. Which two instruments changed. Sometimes it was a piano and a type of xylophone, small bell type sounds mixing with a slow piano backdrop.  Others it sounded like a low brass horn and a drum beat.

In fact, it was very hard to hear. Each time it began to play the sound was just shy of being heard on a normal range. In truth I do think that was the real reason the noise woke me up each time. If I am trying to go to sleep and a mosquito keeps buzzing around it becomes annoying. If there is a song that keeps playing over and over again and I cannot properly hear it the tune it becomes annoying. Lucky for me, my Mother also heard our mysterious ghost. My father always sleeps so deeply he never heard the soft music. He is also has a hard time hearing on a low octave range so even if he was awake I don’t think he would have picked it up.

Sadly I have never been able to place the exact melody the Music Ghost(s) constantly played.  There are a few that my mother and I agree hit fairly close to the real thing.

Is it strange that I have never been afraid of my unseen house guests? He (or she) never physically manifested in front of me. There were no glowing balls of light or black shadows looming into sight. Only music being softly played and very light footsteps walking up and down the stairs. So why do I keep my door shut tight and a nightlight glowing even today? Simply put I am afraid of what may be lurking outside my door.I would rather be safe than sorry, so my door will remain closed.I realize it is only a silly attempt to keep myself apart from what I perceive as the spirits that live around me.

The Music Ghost(s) were left in Ohio when my family moved. He or she shares my childhood alongside my parents and I like to think whoever it was still plays music deep into the night.

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