by Adam Wilkins, Brighton, UK
I thought I would describe what happened to me when I was six years old in 1986.
I lived at home with my Mum and my older sister, being brought up by a single parent. My mum went out to work often, and I used to be baby-sat by my older sister. I had to be in bed by 7pm, and had to always sleep with the light on, with the door open. I always sensed something in my bedroom, and hated the door being closed and the light off. I always insisted it stay on. I used to have a story read to me by either my sister or mum, get tucked in and left to sleep with the hall light on and the door wide-open. The door had a lock on it from the inside, high up, which I could not reach. The same with the light switch.
I went to sleep and suddenly woke up sweating. My door was firmly shut and I was in the pitch black. I was obviously very scared, and even more so, as I felt my way in the dark to my door and realised it was locked from the inside. No one was in my room (living, anyway). I started to cry and felt very, very uncomfortable, and scared. I was crying and hyper-ventilating, while I banged on the door and screamed for help.
I felt another presence in my room and it was not a good presence. I don't know why I thought that, but i just knew. I heard my sister running upstairs, then trying to open my door. Her boyfriend also came up and tried. I had to resort to turning my toy basket upside down, climbing on top of it, and turning on the light, to which I was relieved. I could see and then was just able to reach the door latch and unlock the door.
I lived in a three bed terraced, council house in Lingfield, Surrey - not an old property, but never the less still scary for me as a child. My mum still lives at the same house and when I sometimes visit or stay during holiday season, the house has a peaceful atmosphere. I honestly think it's my level of senses as a child, that made me connect more easily to a spirit. I have sensed some things before, but not to that extent.
This may sound odd (and be good to have feedback on this theory), but in my room was a picture of a red Indian, owned by my father. I hated the picture, sensing a presence within it. When I complained of it at a young age saying, "I think it's haunted," it was moved to another room. I still felt a presence in the house, until eventually my dad visited and took it away for storage. Since that moment, the house was back to normal.
I also witnessed light movement on the walls of my mum's bedroom wall, when I had to share her room for month, due to being so scared after my lock-in incident. The light was small, and took shape of what appeared to be angels in gowns - one walking over to the other and kneeling in front of one of them.
I always have believed in science and am not easily mislead or gullible, but I have never been able to satisfactorily explain the experiences I had as a child on several occasions. It would be interesting to have feedback or views on this.