A Haunting Memoir: Part Two

EDINBURGH

I moved to Edinburgh when I left home age 19. I wanted to get out of my home as soon as possible. I loved the city so much. I spent time at The Fringe Festival and would go out with friends enjoying the sounds of bands while enjoying drinks in various venues that had an outdoor garden with fairy lights lit up in the courtyard. It was wonderful to enjoy life and learn about it from amazing people from various backgrounds who were visiting Edinburgh from other countries. It had such a buzz in the atmosphere and I loved the fact I was away from my haunted house. One flatmate used to work on a Yacht and I shared a flat with her and her fiancé. Corstorphine was a lovely area, My bedroom overlooked the tennis courts. My room was a perfect size for me. It wasn't until I unpacked that I realised the spell book was with my belongings. I showed it to my flatmate who wanted to read it. I told her about the odd things that happened and how I was glad to be out of the house. A year had passed without anything strange happening. It was wonderful. I remembered unpacking my suitcase and thinking how lovely the apartment was.

One night I woke up as something was on my forehead. I tried to brush  it away. It didn't stop. I opened my eyes and a man in a pinstripe suit marking something in the middle of my forehead. I was confused and the lights from the tennis courts dimly lit my room.

He wasn’t saying anything to me.

“What are you doing? “ I put my fingers to my forehead. Thinking it was a friend of my flatmates, I asked  "Who are you?" The slim man got up and walked towards the bay window where the curtains were drawn, not saying a word. I walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. Nobody was there. The tennis court was lit up with the Edwardian style buildings behind it. I was so confused. I walked toward the light switch and flicked it on. I saw the hook lock was in place. Nobody had entered.

Nothing else strange happened in the flat. Sleep paralysis, I thought? I responded and moved fine when I wanted to. 

I stayed in the flat for over five months with nothing further happening. My flatmate decided she and her fiancé wanted to sell the flat so I had to move out. It wasn’t until I moved that I remembered I left the witchcraft book at hers. I wasn’t sad I didn’t have it. I thought good riddance. I never had any notion to participate in the spells.

Through my work at a large established store, I met a man, we eventually got engaged. Life was good, and peaceful. We moved into a beautiful flat in Murrayfield. The flat had a beautiful garden on two levels and a wooden hut with a bench to sit in. It was a special place to live.

One night when I was dropping off to sleep, I looked at the ceiling and closed my eyes. I was peaceful.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

Something screamed in front of my face that gave me such a fright my heart pounded and I shot under the duvet in a foetal position which in turn, woke up my partner. I have never heard of anything like that scream since. It was shrill and piercing. I told him what happened and I wanted to sleep on the opposite side of the bed. He agreed. A month passed without anything happening.

My partner continued to sleep next to the mirror wardrobes and  I woke up one night to see him coming in holding a baseball bat.

“What are you doing? "I said sleepily.

“I woke up to see you standing in front of me looking into the wardrobe. I asked what you were doing and you never said anything. You were wearing your nightdress and walked out, -I turned to get up when I saw you were asleep in the bed! I thought someone had broken in so I grabbed the baseball bat to take into the living room to see who was there. The cushions were piled up on the floor!”

This can’t be happening. Now he was seeing things. Also he had to pick the cushions up from the floor. Everything went quiet soon after which I was thankful for. I wanted peace. Things didn't follow a particular pattern. They just happened. 

I fell pregnant after a year, and at my daughters birth I had the epidural in wrong place of my spine. 

My partner worked nights leaving me by myself. I heard Julia crying for a feed, but as I turned over, I got the most excruciating pain like I’d never felt before. in my lower spine and pelvis. I cried out. I grabbed my large mobile and tried to get to the door whilst holding onto the wall. I had to get to the lounge and get the out of hours doctors number that was in my phonebook. I put my hand on the bedroom door handle when I heard a voice.

“Hello? Hello? Can I help you?”

It was the out-of-hours doctor. I was stunned. I didn’t dial and yet it called them.

“I need a doctor urgently. I have to feed my baby but my back is in a lot of pain. I’m struggling to walk and stand.” I said as I leaned against the door. tears falling from my face.

A doctor arrived forty minutes later. She told me I had nerve damage and my back had spasmed. The Dr gave me pain medication. Whatever had managed to phone the out of hours doctor, I was thankful. The phone was large and basic. Only a small screen with a little window to see the number you dialled.

Once, I was in the kitchen facing the lounge when a figure of a man reflected in the kitchen window as I stood by the sink. I turned around thinking my fiancé came home early. There was nobody there. I turned back to face the window and the figure of the man was there. This annoyed me greatly.

One night when I was in the home with Julia I fed her and she fell asleep in my arms in the thought about who the person was. The next day I was in my living room about lunchtime. I was drinking my cup of tea, and I felt annoyed at the occurrences.

 "If anybody is here, let me know!" 

BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP BEEP

Just then an alarm went off in the kitchen. It was coming from the cooker. I'd never used the alarm on it before as it came with the apartment. I pressed some buttons on the cooker hoping it would stop the beeping. After a couple of minutes, it did.

 One night a week later, I fed Julia who fell asleep in my arms. I got up to walk to the cot when something white appeared in front of me. I froze. It took a couple of seconds to realise it was my breath.

The room was warm so it made no sense why my breath was showing in front of me!

My heart pounded. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Something blew on my cheek. It was icy. I quickly yet calmly, put Julia back to bed. I looked around the lounge. Nothing. I went to bed listening to what sounded like little footsteps. Was this the small child I had in the home I grew up in? If it was a haunted house why is it with me now? I wish this weird stuff would stop. 

  Another night, I was in the flat with my fiancé in the lounge. I went to walk outside for some air when Julia was asleep. My partner didn't want me to leave the flat, however, and he punched me so hard across my face that I fell backwards on to the sofa. I looked up at him towering over me smiling. I was scared. Just then a book from the built-in bookshelves flew across the room at high speed hitting him on his head making him stagger, He looked down at what hit him and ran out the apartment  He didn't return until very early the next day. I slept on the sofa for a year after that. I wanted to feel safe. I remember lying on the sofa and thinking one day I would buy the biggest bed that a shop would sell. I would be comfortable and safe. I didn't have anywhere to go or to help me. 

   It was getting close to Christmas and I wrapped up a toy phone for Julia. it had large buttons on it and lit up. It was very brightly coloured and would give her a lot of fun. I placed it under the Christmas tree with some other items. I kept the lights on overnight sometimes. It reminded me of when I was a child and I was allowed to sleep under the Christmas tree. The coloured lights would be on and I'd gaze up the tree looking at the sparkle of the tinsel. The shine of the baubles. It was magical. So as an adult, to sleep by the Christmas tree again made me feel safe and loved. 

   One night as I lay on the sofa, I didn't bother turning the lights on. I sent a text to my friend and she replied. I was about to send a reply when my phone cut out. It needed charged. Everything went dark. The lights from the carpark lit up some of my shelves in the lounge. 

 "Damnit." I'd left my charger on the other side of the room. I was so cosy I didn't want to get up from under my blanket. 

Ring Ring! Ring Ring! Ring Ring! Ring Ring!

The toy phone from under the Christmas tree started ringing.

I got such a fright I pulled the blanket up over my head. I eventually fell asleep like that. I know it sounds silly but the timing was alarming. 

I broke up with my partner and I moved out and started life as a single parent. Some of the funds I got from the sale I used on a Superking size bed. He wanted more than half and I agreed. I just wanted to get away from him. It made up for many uncomfortable nights on the sofa.

The large Children's Encyclopaedia that flew off the shelf and flew across the room at high speed and hit my fiancé. Pictured is the book I came across a few months ago from storage. I've pictured it with the remote control to show the size. Also my husband is holding the book in the photo.

I rented a flat and it had a nursery nearby for when Julia got older. It was perfect. Julia's room was lovely and had a play tent that was like a mini circus one.

My bedroom was incredibly large and it was quite a walk from my bed to the bedroom door. I fell asleep, then I heard Julia screaming in her bedroom.

“Mum! Mum!”

“ It’s okay honey, what’s wrong?” I switched her light on as I sat next to her on the bed.

“ There’s a boy and girl at the end of my bed and they need to hide from the bad man.”

“It’s okay, it’s just a bad dream.” I caressed her hair away from her cheek.

“They are still standing there!” Julia pointed.

My heart skipped a beat and I turned to see only the circus tent.

“There’s nobody there honey. You just had a bad dream.”

“They are there mum, why can’t you see them?”

I would like to tell her I wouldn’t want to see them at all, and I'd rather be sleeping still in my comfortable Superking size bed.

I pulled her duvet up and tucked her in giving her a teddy. I switched a lamp on next to her bed and read her a story from Bear In The Big Blue House from her bookshelf.

I returned to my bed turning the light off. 

A few nights passed when the same thing a happened. Julia was crying this time.

“Mum the boy and girl want to hide from the man. He hurts them!” I soothed her.

“Let’s sleep in my bed tonight. Wipe away your tears.” I said taking a tissue to wipe her tears. I carried her through to my room.

She lay next to me on the far side of the bed. I lay next to the window and she was safe. I told her a bedtime story and when she fell asleep, I turned the lamp off.

The next morning I woke up to see her sleeping still. The sunlight shone between the little gap in the curtain. I got up and slipped my feet into my slippers next to the bed. I turned to kiss Julia on her cheek and as I turned to stand up I was startled.

“MUM!” Julia called

I turned my head to the bed but she was gone.

“Mum!” Julia said again.

I looked up shocked- as Julia was sitting upright on the floor by the bedroom door on the other side of the room. It was completely impossible for her to have got up that fast and ran over to the door without me seeing her do it.

“How did you get there?” I quickly went over to her.

“I was sleeping and then I woke up here.”

It’s one thing messing with me but not my child! I felt angry. I picked her up from the floor and carried her through to the lounge. Thankfully she was so light to lift and I was grateful it didn't hurt my spine. 

I got her breakfast. Julia was unconcerned about it and sat playing with toys on the floor.

I had a dinner party for friends of mine one night. I placed the silver charger plates on the table and napkins. I lit a candle and we had a lovely night. The next morning I cleared the table of the charger plates and there was a nut and screw on the table.

“Weird.” I said picking it up. I examined the table but there were no missing bolts from the table legs. I walked into the kitchen and placed the bolt in the drawer.

I returned to the table with a cloth and cleaning spray. There were other bolts and screws now on the table. I froze. I knew they weren’t there before. I gathered them up to put with the other one in the kitchen drawer. I opened it and it was empty! The nuts and bolts I put in there were gone. I put the rest in and shut it. I felt angry now. Enough. I walked back over to the table and the bolts I put in the drawer were there on the table again.

“Stop it!” I said sternly and went back to the drawer. The bolts stayed there this time.

I carried on the rest of my day without incident. My friends knew I was having issues I couldn’t explain. Julia continued to feel scared for the little girl and boy as she wanted to play with them.

One night I had the weirdest dream. I was looking through a child’s eyes and it was hazy image, The child was in a chair in the front room and was scared. I was seeing it through her eyes. The old man walked in and took his belt off. He stood in front of her and little boy. His face wrinkled and stank of alcohol and cigarettes he was saying horrid things threatening the children. I woke up.

I looked at the wall and pulled the dark red duvet down. I felt hot. The dream was horrid but it was like I was awake and there. I wished Julia could have dreamt of unicorns or something. Something nice that wouldn’t give me nightmares. I got up and went for a walk with Julia. When we returned, Julia played in her room. I heard her talking, and when I asked who she was talking to, she replied it was to the boy and girl. 

I went to make lunch and there was a smell of smoke. It was strong and covering the hallway. I quickly called on Julia to get her shoes back on. I went to get my handbag that had my purse in, from my bedroom. The stench of smoke was bad the thick cloud of smoke was bad. I coughed and as I walked out holding Julia’s hand I was about to close the door when the thick smoke disappeared. Strange.

I told Julia to stand on the doorstep. I walked back in. No smoke. No fire.

I couldn’t explain this at all. I told Julia to come back inside and I went to make myself a cup of tea. I ran out of teabags and walked across the road to Tesco. At the checkout, the woman recognised me as one of the regulars. She told me the school was set on fire a couple of streets away. It was a peculiar coincidence. 

   I walked to the nearest library and booked a computer.  I typed in ghost hunters, and hauntings. The same name kept coming up. Lorraine Warren. I had never heard of her before but I had heard of The Amityville Horror. I clicked on the link to contact her. I wasn't sure what to expect or if she would reply. I browsed the library before I left, and took out a book on exorcisms in the UK. It had a story of a vampire attack in the U.K. and how it entered a room of a person and the priest took the ring that was left behind. It is hard to ignore such things when the footsteps used to land on the roof of my bedroom every night,  dragging something across. And that knock at the window. 

I checked my emails every week at the library to see if Lorraine replied. I got a reply after three weeks. Lorraine has been poorly, and had issues with her chest and needed to rest. She asked me if I had faith. I didn't understand what that had to do with anything. I prayed sometimes but I explained wasn't of a certain religion, and I never went to church. Lorraine told me it was the only thing that stops demonic activity, which she believed my story sounded like. It was so nice to have someone take it seriously. She didn't ignore it or mock me. We exchanged another couple of emails. 

I knew I had to move and find a job to support Julia, and after a visit to the job centre, they said it wouldn't pay for me to work. The outgoings of bills in Edinburgh were so high I'd be better moving away. I needed to improve my living situation. Lorraine had a sense of calm when she wrote. 

Very sadly, after this I never spoke to Lorraine again. I never forgot her words about how faith could protect my daughter and I.

I moved soon after, back to my hometown in Fife. Edinburgh was beautiful and I miss it to this day. I had to support us better though and get a job while Julia started school.

My friend Lana was moving out of her house that she rented and wondered if I wanted to take over the tenancy. It was perfect. I never forgot Lorraine's advice. It gave me hope that this would be a way to make the activity stop. Little did I know her advice would help not just me, but  the family I was going to create in the future. I got a job in SKY technical team. My life was changing rapidly. 

Next post: The weird affect I have on computers that baffled SKY staff. How the activity got so constant and disruptive, I ended up needing to get a priest involved.