This is not scary. I am not totally creeped out. Ah, FUCK.

Months ago, I had this dream, which left me creeped out as hell at the time (as can be seen from my comments on it), and which seems to repeat if I try to go back to sleep after waking up early in the morning, while it's still dark outside. Since it happened, I've sort of chalked it up to my messed-up version of sleep paralysis. It's got the hallmarks - can't move, can't talk, can't escape, and something malevolent is there.

Except, I did move... but I usually try not to think about that. I also generally try to ignore the fact that I only have those dreams when my husband is not in the room.

I've been pretty well able to discount the experience until today. You know, stuff that happens in the wee hours, when it's still dark out... you can kind of dismiss it after the sun comes up. Ah, it wasn't that bad. Just a dream. or I must have imagined it. Stuff like that doesn't really happen, right?

So today, I'm working second shift. I go in to work in a couple of hours. In the meantime, my family was up late last night, and they were up early this morning. They're visiting the in-laws today. I was supposed to go, but can't due to work. They're gone, and I'm home alone.

I really didn't get enough sleep last night, so at about 9 A.M. I thought I'd go take a nap. I could sleep as late as noon, get up, get ready, and get in there on time & work my butt off.

Didn't work out that way.

Soon as I laid down, I felt restless. Not just thinking too much restless, either... I really couldn't keep still. Every time I started to relax, it felt like there was something I really should be doing right now, like when you suddenly realize you didn't put your work clothes in the dryer (which was running, with them in it) or you didn't study for final exams (been out of school for years).

I thought maybe it was too light, and I was just feeling wrong about sleeping during the day, so I turned away from the windows and covered my eyes with the blanket.

That worked. Soon, I began to doze. I was almost asleep when I felt like I wasn't alone. In my half-asleep state, I felt like it was my husband coming into the room. I felt the bed move as his weight pushed his side down. Felt his arms slide around me. Felt him snuggle up with a soft moan of satisfaction, gently kissing the top of my head, tickling the bottoms of my feet with his toes.

That's what woke me entirely.

My husband is not tall enough to do both of those things at once.

I remembered where my husband is today. I suddenly felt really, really cold. My eyes flew open. I could still feel something snuggled up to me, kissing my hair, running a chilly hand down my back.

I couldn't see anything at all. I couldn't see what was touching me.

I pushed away from the solidness around me, jumping in fear, shooting backward off of the bed, and landing on the floor next to it with a shocked yell.

Nothing seemed to be there. There wasn't any sign that there had been anyone on that bed but me. The covers looked exactly the same as when I laid down.

As I noticed that, a bunch of things happened at once. I noticed (out of the corner of my eye) a shadow moving rapidly away across the ceiling. The fan next to me toppled and almost fell. The hamper next to the closet did fall, like someone knocked it down on their way past it. Right after, a bunch of the clothes in the closet kind of parted and swished backward like something had brushed against them while moving toward the back wall. There was a very loud thunk against the wall at the same time. The neighbor's little chihuahua immediately started barking like a little maniac.

It's a 20 X 20 room. I didn't touch the floor, the bed, anything, between the far corner where I was, and the door at the opposite corner, which is now shut for the first time in months.

I tore around the corner and down the stairs. I don't think I touched a single step. At the bottom, I did what you're supposed to do to make ghosts leave - I shouted up at it, "Go away! I don't want you here! Get out of my home!"

Now, I'm questioning all of the thumps and bumps I usually attribute to mundane things - the wind, the neighbors... everyone's car is gone but mine, and it's pretty still outside. Why am I still hearing footsteps?

edit - update

I left the apartment for a bit - walked to the store, came back, and it was still noisy, but only for a few minutes. After that, my neighbors came home. My apartment went quiet immediately. There are no noises from upstairs at all.
Also, I'm tired. I feel like right after a really long, gut-wrenching crying jag, or like I haven't had anything to eat all day, even though I did.
I am getting ready to leave for work, and I'm really glad one of the things I sell there is coffee. I'm going to need some!
I am off to work - will update or write a new post if anything else happens.

edit 2, after work update
Two things happened at work.
First, my blood sugar bottomed out, like a hypoglycemic who hasn't been careful about meals. I ate right before leaving for work, so that shouldn't have happened. I handled it by getting some orange juice and a sandwich, but all I got down was the juice, after which I was really energetic for the rest of the shift.

Second, I received an unusual amount of unwanted personal attention from people today. A lot. People kept touching my hands, arms, and shoulders, even bumping into me when there was plenty of space. People went out of their way to make eye contact, and often held it longer than fit the interaction.

I actually volunteered to work in the pop cooler to get away from people for an hour, because I was beginning to feel like biting the next person who put his or her fingers on me. For the record, I'm not a hot chick. I'm almost 40, very nerdy, and kind of invisible to people most of the time. I am really, really not used to getting noticed that much. One or two people doing that would be flattering. I had a few hundred customers tonight. It went from flattering to creepy in no time.

Continued here