Another haunted house

When I was growing up, I was terrified of the attic and the basement. When going into either, I made a lot of noise to scare away the ghosts or murderers that may linger there.

My bedroom was on the second floor, off the attic. So, when I went to bed at night, I'd run past the attic and then when I got to my room I would turn the light off and jump from the light switch to my bed. That prevented anyone lurking under the bed from catching my foot as I crawled into bed. I guess I never thought about why that person would just sleep under my bed and wait for only a foot.

I was convined there were vampires, so I slept every night with the sheet up around my neck. You may laugh, but that sheet kept my neck pristine. Not one bite mark.

I was also afraid that Sampson, the gorilla from the Milwaukee Zoo, would escape and come to my house. I imagined he'd swing from the cherry tree into my bedroom window. So, in the summer, I would only raise the window a few inches to keep him out.

Last night, I was alone in the old mansion I now live in. It was a stormy night and I had the windows open only a few inches. The wind howled through the windows and the doors kept slamming and rattling. I even heard footsteps. I just hoped there would not be a tornado because I was too frightened to go into the basement. At one point, the room turned really hot, I think that was a spirit crossing over me. Or maybe a hot flash.

Thank God I learned a lot of coping techniques when I was a child. First, I kept my eyes tightly closed so I wouldn't see the horrors that awaited me. Next, I was able to gain courage and turn the TV on really loud (funny shows only) and finally, I was brave enough to get out of bed to close the windows.

Somewhere, late into the morning, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I felt like a fool. Or maybe a child.