With Halloween coming up at the end of the month, I think it’s appropriate to share my most recent “home alone and freaked out” story. This one involves weird noises, me, and my mom.
First and foremost, I’m a huge scaredy cat. And not only do I get freaked out easily, but I also freak myself out just as easily. Strange noises, weird looks from strangers, horror movies, etc. – ALL of these things cause my imagination to go crazy. I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve convinced myself that there was a serial killer/ghost in my apartment ready to get me.
You would think that a woman who’s travelled on her own and lived by herself for two years would be the farthest thing from a scaredy cat. Not this woman. All I can say is that I’m working on it in my own way.
And these insane thoughts never run through my mind when I’m around other people. In fact, if I’m with someone who is scared, I become a calm force. But all bets are off when I’m alone. Weird, I know.
Anyway, I freaked out in broad daylight late last week and called my mom thinking she would talk some sense into me…not so much!
It all started around 7:45 am. I was sitting at my desk checking my work emails when I heard a strange noise coming from the living room. At first, I thought I was hearing things. Then I heard it again. It sounded like an older man breathing in and out very deeply. I tip toed to my bedroom door and peeked outside. No one was there (obviously) but I heard the noise again. I jumped and ran into my room thinking, “What the hell do I do? Should I call Vishnu? No, he won’t pick up.” So I called my mom instead because she would know exactly what to say to make me feel better. Or so I thought.
My mom picked up almost instantly and started chatting. I interrupted her and told her I was hearing weird noises in my apartment (I did my best to mimic what I heard). This is when I thought she was going to tell me that I was being silly. But no. Instead, she asked if I looked under my bed. Umm…what?! I told her there was no way someone could fit under our bed, to which she replied, “What about lying down?” I told her it was impossible so she dropped the bed idea…thankfully.
Then she told me to go into the living room and unplug our TV and other major appliances. I unplugged a few things and turned off Vishnu’s TV computer unit thing. I remembered him mentioning that it makes a lot of noise.
My mom had to go but told me to text her if I needed anything. I felt a little better because obviously it was one of our appliances…not a ghost!
A few minutes later, my mom texted and told me to work from a coffee shop because she didn’t want me to be home alone. Again, not what I expected her to say! I spent the next 30 minutes or so listening for more noises. Since I didn’t hear anything, I decided to stay home.
Later that night when Vishnu got home, I filled him in on what happened. We laughed at my mom’s suggestion about checking under the bed. And then I told him about turning off his computer unit. He asked me why I did that so I told him. He said it wasn’t the computer because he fixed the noise issue a long time ago. Umm…WHAT?
To this day I have no idea what was causing the deep breathing noises I heard. Maybe it was my imagination going into overdrive, maybe it was one of the other appliances…but then again, maybe it wasn’t…
Are you a scaredy cat? Do you enjoy being spooked?
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something similar happened to me when i was in Nashville. its been a while since i travelled alone and stayed at a hotel..so this hotel i stayed was bit older Shertao with a ton of history..however, i was so scared thinking about horror movies esp in the bathroom. I quickly jumped in and out of shower and left the hotel for as long as i could..my boyfriend thought i was freaking myself out for no reason but honestly, it was pretty weird feeling and my crazy imagination. i could see how this could happen to you. these people have no idea.
dixya @ food, pleasure, and health recently posted…Nepali-Style Goat Pakku
Hotels are creepy no matter what! I don’t blame you!
I often get spooked when I travel alone for work. It may be just a placebo effect that helps me psychologically, but I always do a quick prayer before entering the room and ask that the room be cleansed of any spirits, especially evil ones.
Being a superstitious and Chinese, I was brought up believing in ghosts and the afterlife, and people who don’t pass away peacefully can linger around. Those people may not neccessarily have bad intentions but can seek attention for whatever reason and that scares me.
When my uncle passed away due to cancer, my aunt kept “losing” things around the house. Eventually she went to see the nun at the pagoda where she did the burial rites for him and asked the nun whether she could find out what was going on. As part of our rites, we burn 3D paper items that represent what the deceased may need in the afterlife like shoes, clothes, money, appliances…there are even ipads and mobile phones now! The nun did her rites with the incense sticks and told my aunt that she forgot to ‘send’ my uncle his razor and shaving cream. They burned the stuff he needed and sure enough, my aunt stopped losing stuff.
My cousin is a flight attendant and she once heard heavy breathing in the room she was staying at. Again, she prayed really hard for the breathing to stop…and it did.
So placebo effect or not, from what I’ve heard and experienced, it can’t hurt to send a quick prayer to your deity when weird stuff like that happens.
Thanks for sharing that, Kit. I can definitely see how praying can help.
That totally would have freaked me out too! I wouldn’t say I’m a scaredy cat, but I definitely get creeped out about intruders from time to time. And ghosts, I won’t lie!
Kacy recently posted…Five Fun Things to do in Urbanna, VA
OMG don’t even get me started on intruders. I’ve freaked myself out so bad one time that I couldn’t get out of bed!
Ohhhh, very creepy! That would have spooked me big time. I’m a true scaredy cat, but I love horror movies. I watch a scary movie then I can’t sleep for days.
I used to watch ALL the horror movies. It’s actually one of the things Vishnu and I bonded over. But now? Count me OUT!
I admit it. I am the biggest chicken and would have acted in an unmanly AND unlady like manner.
You should see Niki though. That girl and horror movies = insane.
Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…Healthy Flourless Sticky Cinnamon Bun Muffins
Well, the fact that you admitted to that makes you a little less unmanly 🙂
Oh I love being spooked. I’m that horrible friend who laughs when my friends are scared. I laugh during scary movies too and not because I’m nervous but because I really find it funny. I’m kinda weird like that.
That’s funny. I’ve never met anyone who laughs during scary movies (unless they’re cheesy funny)!
Or rather cheesy scary*
Oh my gosh, I freak myself out really easily too and have definitely convinced myself someone was in my house when I’ve been home alone. Looking back on it, I was just being silly but in the moment, ya know?! Also, a loud thud woke both Joey and I up at 1 AM last night and we searched the house top to bottom when I finally thought to check the shower and found my bottle of conditioner had fallen off the shelf. Ay yi yi.
Lauren recently posted…Weekend Things: Fall!
That would have freaked me out too! We had a similar thing happen a few weeks ago. We were dead asleep when we heard a buzzing noise in our apartment. Too bad we just went back to sleep! Haha. Turns out it was Vishnu’s stupid toothbrush!