From: Skeptic
To: shadowpeopleorg@comcast.net
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2016 8:01:54 PM
Subject: My Own Story
I don't like talking about this. In fact, I feel myself crawling in fear. I am skeptic and even though I find the paranormal fascinating, I think the fear part of us can make us see things we can't explain or makes logically explained things, irrational or illogical in the moment. And I'll admit I am easily frightened and a jumpy person. And when it comes to fight or flight you will see me running down the street instead of ready to bare knuckle. I like getting scared and enjoy horror stuff and tales of "true encounters." I am debunker however rather than believer. However, this telling this story will make me sleep with the lights on and watch silly YouTube videos for probably the next few months.
It was my 2nd year of college and my roommate for my dorm became an RA so I had a Double single it was pretty fucking sweet. I played video games and knocked back energy drinks. Staying late into the night then what went from just being a stupid fun 19-year-old, became suddenly laced with insomnia and uncomfortable sleep paralysis, always feeling like something was standing right next to my bed.
One night I was able to sleep; the nice heavy sleep where you just collapse. Suddenly in the middle of the night, my eyes snapped open I was laying on my back and something was hovering over me, faceless and it was a tall looming shadow, masculine in appearance. I couldn't move and I couldn't scream; I was paralyzed.
I shut my eyes and felt tears escape. Before this, I had the feeling vibrating through me that something was standing there and just sucking something away from me. I felt my muscles contracting as if my own body was fighting it, and my mind tried to shut it out. Finally, for what felt like an entirety, I jolted out of my bed, ran across the room and flung the lights on. No one was there.
I tried to run it through my brain, but suddenly I just collapsed on the floor shaking and crying. I was so scared, so empty and just felt trapped and surprisingly somehow I managed to go back to sleep and ended up sleeping through the day and missing all my classes. When I woke up the sun was setting and I almost missed dinner. My friends concerned asked if I was alright as I sat down. I, however, just said, "I stayed up late playing video games again." They gave me that "oh of course" look and numbly I tried to eat my pasta but couldn't stomach many bites.
I stayed up all night with the light on just staring at the center of the room. As if I peeled my eyes away for a second that "being" would return. I was rung up and decided to go home that weekend and sleep in my room. I felt like I needed to be around my parents and not alone.
From then on for the rest of the semester, I left the lights and TV on while I slept and constantly invited friends to stay or went somewhere else for the weekend. The following semester, I had some loud neighbors who threw insane parties so I never really had to deal with it. I was also working and doing softball and dealing with my mom being sick. I started flirting with a girl and staying at her dorm. It just never really crossed my mind.
Fast forward to my 3rd year…for a Halloween month thing some paranormal investigators came to the school and did a power point presentation. Same bull about hot and cold and flashes of lights. However, the presenter’s demeanor suddenly changed. He warned, "If anyone doesn't want the chance of seeing these things, please leave now. Because if I tell you, you will meet them." I wanted to leave, but my curiosity got the best of me.
After some people left (the few smart ones) he began discussing shadow people. At first I kind of chuckled, seeing it as some badly Photoshop slender man stuff. He shifted to a drawing of one, this one was a sketch of shadow with red eyes sitting in a room looming over the person paralyzed in fear. I said, "Fuck no!" And jumped out of my chair and quickly ran out, followed by some laughter but I was spooked out of my mind. When I came back to listen, my friend walked over and rubbed my back. I said nothing. The presenter continued to say shadow people seem to leech off energy from us and our bodies freeze up in fear.
Ever since then I have always left the TV on in my room or my lights dimmed. Never able to sleep comfortably in the dark again.
-Sketched out Skeptic
