1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: This episode is brought to you by my newest supporters, Ramona, Meredith, Gail, Tosh, 2 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,280 Jen and Missy. Thank you for making the show possible. 3 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,840 Welcome to Paranormal Mysteries, and thank you for joining me 4 00:00:35,079 --> 00:00:39,359 as we explore the unknown. I'm your host, Nick Ryan. 5 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,520 Let's begin tonight's journey with Almah, who calls their experience 6 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,200 sleep Demon. Hello. Nick, I have been listening to your 7 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,679 podcast for nearly five years, and I thought it was 8 00:00:51,719 --> 00:00:55,079 time I shared my stories. Before I was born, my 9 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,479 parents used to live in a three bedroom flat on 10 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,560 the fifth floor of an old building. My parents bought 11 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,439 this flat from my grandparents on my father's side, who 12 00:01:03,479 --> 00:01:07,359 inherited it from my great grandparents. Despite my best efforts, 13 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,439 I have not been able to find any history of 14 00:01:09,519 --> 00:01:12,239 huntings or deaths in this building, as most of the 15 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,920 records disappeared during the Spanish dictatorship and my father's family 16 00:01:17,079 --> 00:01:20,799 are not the type to speak of such things. After 17 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,239 I was born and was able to remember things from 18 00:01:23,239 --> 00:01:26,599 my childhood, I always had this unknown fear of not 19 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,719 wanting to be left alone at night in the corridor 20 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,760 that had the toilet, bathroom, my parents' bedroom, and my 21 00:01:33,799 --> 00:01:36,879 own bedroom. I refused to go to sleep in the dark, 22 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,519 so my parents left the corridor light on for me 23 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,799 to go to sleep. But as my parents recall, I 24 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,680 had trouble staying asleep and every night I would wake 25 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,000 up crying and screaming. They thought that I just had 26 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,359 nightmares or bad dreams every night until I was six 27 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,680 years old. When my brother was born and I was 28 00:01:55,719 --> 00:01:59,480 six years old, the nightmares suddenly stopped. The third bedroom 29 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:01,840 of the flat was next to the front door, so 30 00:02:01,959 --> 00:02:04,319 my parents, during the first one or two years after 31 00:02:04,359 --> 00:02:06,879 my brother was born, put his crib in their bedroom, 32 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,759 and every night he would wake up crying and screaming, 33 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,840 which my parents thought was just a baby thing. When 34 00:02:13,879 --> 00:02:16,280 he was two or three years old and still quite 35 00:02:16,319 --> 00:02:18,719 young and little to sleep in his own bed, my 36 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,080 parents moved his crib into my room, which was unfair, 37 00:02:22,159 --> 00:02:24,759 I know, but my bedroom was the closest to the 38 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,960 toilet and the bathroom. For the two years that we 39 00:02:28,039 --> 00:02:30,840 shared my room, he would continue to wake up every 40 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,400 night screaming and crying. My parents thought that I was 41 00:02:34,439 --> 00:02:38,159 doing something to him, like pinching, scratching, or even hitting him, 42 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,039 which I definitely was not, and of course he never 43 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,240 had a visible injury mark or even a scratch on him. 44 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,360 When they would ask him why he was crying and screaming, 45 00:02:47,719 --> 00:02:52,520 he could only say, it scares me. I, now in 46 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,360 my adult years, believed that he didn't understand what was 47 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,159 happening or what he was feeling that scared of, and 48 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,400 the fact that my parents were or art that open 49 00:03:01,479 --> 00:03:05,639 minded to the supernatural. My brother never managed to understand 50 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,520 what was happening to him, or ever explained what was 51 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:13,080 so scary or terrifying. I asked him, not many years ago, 52 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,280 if he remembers any of this. At first, he said 53 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,960 that he didn't, growing up in a family where our 54 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,879 feelings don't matter, and any attempt to open up end 55 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,800 up in arguments and victim blaming. I had to open 56 00:03:24,879 --> 00:03:27,159 up to him and talk about what I had experienced 57 00:03:27,199 --> 00:03:29,759 before he was born so that he would feel comfortable 58 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,879 enough to talk to me. He does not remember much, 59 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,879 only having that feeling that something or someone with bad 60 00:03:36,919 --> 00:03:39,840 intentions was with him every night, and that it would 61 00:03:39,879 --> 00:03:43,319 only go away when he would wake up and start screaming. 62 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,879 The feeling that there was someone or something else in 63 00:03:46,919 --> 00:03:50,000 that flat never left me, and to be honest, I 64 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,120 was glad that I was not the one waking up 65 00:03:52,159 --> 00:03:55,840 in fear, crying and screaming. And if you're wondering, when 66 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,800 my brother eventually moved into his room, neither of us 67 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,919 woke up crying or scream But if I remember correctly, 68 00:04:02,159 --> 00:04:03,879 we did not like to go to the toilet at 69 00:04:04,039 --> 00:04:07,680 night or being alone in the corridor. We would still 70 00:04:07,759 --> 00:04:12,039 experience that something or someone was there with no good intentions. 71 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,560 And when the time came to move to another flat, 72 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,279 we were more than happy to leave that cursed flat behind. 73 00:04:18,879 --> 00:04:21,279 It would be the end of feeling scared and afraid 74 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,240 of being in our own home. We moved to another 75 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,720 three bedroom flat on a third floor when I was 76 00:04:26,759 --> 00:04:30,279 ten or eleven years old, and here is where physical 77 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,680 things started to happen. The flat, which my parents still 78 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,600 live at, has a U shaped layout. After you come 79 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,600 in through the door, you have a short corridor with 80 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,720 my brothers and parents' bedroom. Then you turn right into 81 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,360 another short corridor with the kitchen and the toilet are. 82 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:47,879 At the end of this corridor, you have the living 83 00:04:47,959 --> 00:04:50,519 room and on the left of it is my bedroom. 84 00:04:51,639 --> 00:04:54,160 One night, when I was a teenager, maybe twelve or 85 00:04:54,199 --> 00:04:56,720 thirteen years old, I woke up because I needed to 86 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,639 use the toilet. I turned my bedside lamp on and 87 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,240 walked through the living room to the toilet, using only 88 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,199 the light from the bedroom as illumination. As I obviously 89 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,759 knew the layout of the living room. Even with a 90 00:05:07,879 --> 00:05:10,480 very dimmed light, or even in the darkness, I could 91 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,759 see the dining room table, and I would use the 92 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,160 back of the three chairs closest to my bedroom door 93 00:05:15,199 --> 00:05:19,279 to guide myself when walking to the toilet. Well after 94 00:05:19,319 --> 00:05:21,639 I finished my business and walked back to my room, 95 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,839 I thought that something was wrong, but I wasn't sure what. 96 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,040 I couldn't properly see all the living room as the 97 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,040 light from my bedside lamp was dimmed, but I thought 98 00:05:31,079 --> 00:05:33,519 I saw that the six chairs that were usually placed 99 00:05:33,519 --> 00:05:37,399 around the dining room table weren't there. I then stopped 100 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,360 and looked more attentively into the living room. What I 101 00:05:40,399 --> 00:05:42,879 thought I was looking at was that the six chairs 102 00:05:42,959 --> 00:05:45,399 were now in the middle of the living room, not 103 00:05:45,519 --> 00:05:49,319 placed in a specific order, just out of their usual place. 104 00:05:50,199 --> 00:05:52,720 With my heart pounding, I turned the living room lights 105 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,759 on to see if my eyes deceived me. My mother, 106 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,439 who was a light sleeper, heard the lights being turned on, 107 00:05:59,079 --> 00:06:01,560 got up and to walk through the corridors to the 108 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,199 living room. She found me there, frozen, staring at the 109 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,959 chairs placed in the middle of the living room. She 110 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,879 looked at me, obviously angry, and asked me why I 111 00:06:10,959 --> 00:06:14,920 did that. After trying to explain unsuccessfully that I hadn't 112 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,079 and that I had just come back from the toilet, 113 00:06:17,439 --> 00:06:20,720 she did not believe me. Now. Mind you, the chairs 114 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,480 were carved oak, heavy chairs, and if you tried to 115 00:06:23,519 --> 00:06:26,079 move them, they would have made a terrible noise over 116 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,319 the linoleum floor. It goes without saying that neither her 117 00:06:30,439 --> 00:06:33,920 nor I heard the chairs being moved. We put the 118 00:06:33,959 --> 00:06:36,920 chairs back where they belonged, lifting them up rather than 119 00:06:36,959 --> 00:06:39,600 dragging them across the floor, and we then went back 120 00:06:39,639 --> 00:06:41,920 to sleep. But I could still feel that there was 121 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,439 something wrong, and it took me a few hours to 122 00:06:44,519 --> 00:06:47,560 fall asleep. From that night until I moved in with 123 00:06:47,639 --> 00:06:50,680 my partner several years later, I slept with my bedroom 124 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,160 door always closed, and I would make sure that I 125 00:06:53,199 --> 00:06:55,600 did my business in the toilet before going to sleep 126 00:06:55,879 --> 00:06:57,920 so that I would not wake up in the middle 127 00:06:57,959 --> 00:07:01,240 of the night. A few nights later, though, I woke 128 00:07:01,319 --> 00:07:02,959 up in the middle of the night with a strange 129 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,399 sensation that there was something wrong. I looked at the 130 00:07:06,399 --> 00:07:09,800 clock and it was three twenty nine a m. When 131 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,120 I turned around to try to fall asleep again, I 132 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,079 heard a very loud thump noise, followed straight away by 133 00:07:15,199 --> 00:07:18,879 glass shattering. My first thought was that someone threw something 134 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,439 against one of the windows and broke it, which would 135 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,360 have been quite a difficult achievement as the flat is 136 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,560 on the third floor. At this point, I turned on 137 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,399 my bedside lamp and I stayed still listening, thinking that 138 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,600 maybe it did not happen in the flat, and that 139 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:35,920 maybe it was one of the neighbors who dropped something. 140 00:07:36,399 --> 00:07:39,079 I then heard my parents talking loudly in the corridor, 141 00:07:39,279 --> 00:07:41,519 so I got up and walked across the living room. 142 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,279 They were standing in front of a painting that had 143 00:07:44,319 --> 00:07:47,319 fallen to the floor. This painting, which was not a 144 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,160 regular oil or water color painting, was sort of a 145 00:07:50,199 --> 00:07:53,720 heavy tempered glass painting. It had different layers of colored 146 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,399 glass that was positioned in front of each of the layers. 147 00:07:56,879 --> 00:08:00,439 It showed a vibrant and colorful fruit bowl, which, according 148 00:08:00,439 --> 00:08:03,199 to my father, my great grandmother had bought before the 149 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,879 Spanish Civil war, and it was a family heirloom, And 150 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,519 yes it was in the first flat that I talked 151 00:08:09,519 --> 00:08:12,720 about earlier. It was so heavy that when my father 152 00:08:12,839 --> 00:08:14,959 first hung it up after moving in two or three 153 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,800 years ago, he had to use heavy duty steel plates 154 00:08:17,839 --> 00:08:21,199 with curved bends. These bends were screwed into the wall 155 00:08:21,319 --> 00:08:24,759 with several big loophole screws which were in the back frame. 156 00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:28,800 Now all the colored glass layers were completely shattered and 157 00:08:28,879 --> 00:08:31,560 the floor was covered in glass. But what really struck 158 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,200 me was that the steel plates were still screwed onto 159 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,320 the wall and on the back of the frame. The 160 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,720 big loophole screws were still in place. There were no 161 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,480 tears or drag marks on it, nor on the wall. 162 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,000 Whatever or whomever broke the painting had to lift it 163 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,159 up to get the loophole screws out of the bend 164 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:51,039 of the steel plates and then smashed it on the floor, 165 00:08:51,399 --> 00:08:54,639 leaving the back frame intact. The painting had a very 166 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,639 thick front frame with deep thin lines carved into it 167 00:08:57,759 --> 00:09:00,000 where the different layers of the colored temper glass were 168 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,720 were inserted. There were six different colored glass panels, one 169 00:09:03,759 --> 00:09:06,240 after another to create the image of the fruit bowl. 170 00:09:06,879 --> 00:09:08,600 I wished that I had a picture of it, but 171 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,720 unfortunately that family heirloom was not photograph worthy in all 172 00:09:12,759 --> 00:09:16,000 its years. My parents obviously didn't think that there was 173 00:09:16,039 --> 00:09:18,679 anything strange about this, as my mother blamed it on 174 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,919 my father for not securing the picture properly, even though 175 00:09:21,919 --> 00:09:24,440 it was hung up for two or three years without 176 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:28,240 any issues. A few nights later, I woke up again 177 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,240 in the middle of the night, feeling that there was 178 00:09:30,279 --> 00:09:33,519 something wrong, and again I checked the clock to see 179 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,320 that it was three twenty nine a m. I once 180 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,720 again turned around to go back to sleep, and this 181 00:09:38,919 --> 00:09:41,840 time I heard a thumping noise followed straight away by 182 00:09:41,879 --> 00:09:45,960 glass shattering, then two or three seconds later another one, 183 00:09:46,399 --> 00:09:50,279 and two or three seconds later another one. Again scared 184 00:09:50,279 --> 00:09:52,679 out of my mind, and with my heart pounding loudly, 185 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:54,879 I turned the light on and I walked to the 186 00:09:54,879 --> 00:09:57,080 corridor to meet my parents, who were standing in the 187 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,360 corridor where there were three small framed photographs that were 188 00:10:00,399 --> 00:10:03,039 hanging on the opposite wall of where the tempered glass 189 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:07,279 painting used to be. They showed my mother's grandfather's corner shop, 190 00:10:07,519 --> 00:10:09,919 and they were shattered on the floor except for the 191 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,519 back frames. Again, the hooks were still on the wall, 192 00:10:13,919 --> 00:10:16,519 and on the back of the frames the loophole screws 193 00:10:16,759 --> 00:10:20,440 were still in place. Again, my parents didn't believe that 194 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,039 there was something strange about all of this. They kept 195 00:10:23,039 --> 00:10:26,399 saying that the photographs weren't properly hung up, and apparently 196 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,919 the fact that those photos and the big tempered glass 197 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,159 painting were hung up for two or three years before 198 00:10:31,399 --> 00:10:35,639 and never fell off didn't matter. Nevertheless, my mother, as 199 00:10:35,639 --> 00:10:39,080 she always does, told my grandmother about these occurrences and 200 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,000 the odd chair arrangement as an anecdote or a joke. 201 00:10:42,639 --> 00:10:44,879 My grandmother, who is quite sensitive and a bit of 202 00:10:44,919 --> 00:10:49,080 a witch, became suspicious and started to literally interrogate my mother, 203 00:10:49,399 --> 00:10:51,720 and she didn't think that it was a joke. My 204 00:10:51,799 --> 00:10:55,320 amazing grandmother is a Christian believer that praised daily and 205 00:10:55,399 --> 00:10:58,879 she can sense things as she calls it in Spain, 206 00:10:59,159 --> 00:11:01,480 and I don't mean this in a disrespectful way. We 207 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:05,679 have Spanish Gypsy communities who are Christian believers and practitioners 208 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,600 with their own superstitions and beliefs about the supernatural or 209 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,039 from beyond the veil. My grandma, who used to be 210 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,399 a very popular hairdresser and owned a salon was and 211 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,679 still is a very well known woman in my town. 212 00:11:19,159 --> 00:11:21,720 Everyone knows who she is and who we all are, 213 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,039 meaning that it sucked being a teenager and having little 214 00:11:25,039 --> 00:11:27,600 birds telling my grandma what I was up to and 215 00:11:27,639 --> 00:11:30,279 who I was with. She had a lot of friends 216 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:34,200 in the Gypsy community. After my mother mentioned the strange 217 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,360 happenings in the flat, my grandma contacted her friends in 218 00:11:37,399 --> 00:11:40,279 the Gypsy community, who advised that the flat needed to 219 00:11:40,279 --> 00:11:43,519 be blessed and cleansed. I'm not going to lie, but 220 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,759 it took my grandmother a week or two to convince 221 00:11:45,799 --> 00:11:48,240 my mother to let the Gypsy women into the flat 222 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,840 to do this. After my mother agreed, the next day, 223 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,600 three women came to the flat and they asked us 224 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,080 to leave for a few hours to bless and cleanse 225 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,639 the flat, which my mother did not like at all. 226 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,360 They placed several crucifixes around in the flat and they 227 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,879 told us to never move them. If any of them 228 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,360 were moved, it had to be returned to its place 229 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:14,360 straight away whilst praying the Lord's prayer. My dad, though baptized, 230 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,919 is not a believer regarding anything supernatural or religious, and 231 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,919 never bought the idea of the flat being possessed, but 232 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,080 after hearing my mother complain several times and then shout 233 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,080 every time the crucifixes were moved, he left them alone 234 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,000 and never touched them. Even when they got the living 235 00:12:30,039 --> 00:12:33,159 room remodeled three or four years ago and bought new furniture, 236 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,960 they kept the crucifixes in the same places, although they 237 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,720 won't tell me even if I ask. I don't believe 238 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,240 there has been any strange occurrences in the flat ever since. 239 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,360 Before I continue, please consider showing your support by subscribing, sharing, 240 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,720 and given the podcast a positive review. You can also 241 00:12:55,799 --> 00:12:59,120 visit me on Patreon, buy me a coffee or PayPal 242 00:12:59,159 --> 00:13:02,120 and make a donation, or become a member starting at 243 00:13:02,159 --> 00:13:04,279 just a dollar a month. You can even join my 244 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,399 Patreon membership for free and get access to all of 245 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,600 my future updates. And of course, just listening to the 246 00:13:10,639 --> 00:13:13,320 show is the best support of all, and I'm grateful 247 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,399 to have you here. Now, please stay tuned and I'll 248 00:13:17,399 --> 00:13:25,039 be right back after these brief messages. Now fast forward 249 00:13:25,039 --> 00:13:27,000 ten or twelve years later to when I was living 250 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,600 on my own in a two bedroom flat which was 251 00:13:29,639 --> 00:13:33,120 situated on the first floor in England. The building was 252 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,519 old and definitely needed more repairs than anything else. The 253 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,960 flat had the structure of a chimney in the living room, 254 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,000 as I believe the building used to be a couple 255 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,919 of semi detached houses that got converted into flats. The 256 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,960 chimney structure was filled with concrete and cement so you 257 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,000 could not use it, and it had a gas heater 258 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,080 in front of it, which was not working when I 259 00:13:52,159 --> 00:13:54,879 moved in, and the landlord never bothered to fix it. 260 00:13:54,919 --> 00:13:57,399 While I was living there, I used to have several 261 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,919 candles on the structure of the chimney mantle because it 262 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,159 it didn't matter how many times you'd cleaned the flat 263 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,039 or hired a professional to do it, it always smelled 264 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:10,240 like ashes, old curry and dampness. One morning, I woke 265 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:12,200 up at six to go to work and sat in 266 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,120 the living room drinking my coffee as usual, and I 267 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,639 did not notice anything strange, just the small, messy nest 268 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,279 in the sofa where I was watching TV the night before. 269 00:14:21,799 --> 00:14:24,360 The nest was three big pillows to support my head 270 00:14:24,399 --> 00:14:27,919 and neck, as well as a big thick blanket. I 271 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,399 went to work as usual and came back home around 272 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,720 four p m. I took off my uniform, had a shower, 273 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,279 and got dressed, and I then walked into the living 274 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,080 room to find all the candles scattered and broken all 275 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,960 over the living room floor. In the kitchen floor, which 276 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,519 was next to the living room through a small archway, 277 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,200 the pillows and blanket that were on the sofa when 278 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:51,240 I left were now scattered all over the floor. My 279 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:53,879 first thought was that someone was in the flat. I 280 00:14:53,919 --> 00:14:56,320 remember grabbing a knife from the kitchen and walking to 281 00:14:56,399 --> 00:14:59,080 my bedroom and looking under the bed and in the closet. 282 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:01,919 I then walke to the other small bedroom that only 283 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,000 had a clothes dryer in it. I checked behind the door, 284 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,440 and I made sure that the windows were closed. Nobody 285 00:15:08,799 --> 00:15:13,519 or nothing was there. My TV consoles and laptop were 286 00:15:13,559 --> 00:15:16,240 still in the living room, so if someone broke into 287 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,399 the flat and they didn't take the important stuff, why bother. 288 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,440 I then called my landlord to check if maybe he 289 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,840 had let some handyman in, or if he came around 290 00:15:24,879 --> 00:15:28,039 to do some checks or fix something. When he answered, 291 00:15:28,159 --> 00:15:30,919 he noted my trembling voice and he asked me what 292 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,360 was wrong. I told him everything. I was so shaken 293 00:15:34,399 --> 00:15:36,559 by the situation that I didn't care if he thought 294 00:15:36,559 --> 00:15:39,559 that I was crazy. He calmly listened to me and 295 00:15:39,679 --> 00:15:42,000 came around ten minutes later to check on me and 296 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,320 see what had happened in the flat. He saw the mass, 297 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:47,120 and he told me that no one was scheduled to 298 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:50,000 come to fix anything in the flat that day. However, 299 00:15:50,159 --> 00:15:52,639 whilst helping me to clean the mass, he arranged for 300 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:54,840 a locksmith to come in the next day to change 301 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,840 all the locks in the door as well as the windows. 302 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,720 As I mentioned, the flat was on the first floor, 303 00:16:00,879 --> 00:16:03,240 and in England the first floor refers to the floor 304 00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:06,240 above the street level. However, I think in America the 305 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,720 first floor is the floor at the street level and 306 00:16:08,799 --> 00:16:11,799 the second floor is the one above. Now I'm not 307 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,000 saying that it's impossible for someone to break into the 308 00:16:14,039 --> 00:16:16,879 flat one floor above street level. I'm just saying that 309 00:16:16,919 --> 00:16:20,360 it would be quite difficult and honestly pretty stupid, especially 310 00:16:20,399 --> 00:16:23,360 in broad daylight in the middle of a busy street. 311 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:26,879 After my landlord left and I was alone in the flat, 312 00:16:27,039 --> 00:16:29,720 I still felt uneasy, and I kept telling myself that 313 00:16:29,799 --> 00:16:32,159 maybe a strong gust of wind came down the chimney 314 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,600 structure and then pushed all the candles away. What else 315 00:16:35,639 --> 00:16:38,159 could it have been. My brain did not want to 316 00:16:38,159 --> 00:16:40,639 think about the pillows and the blankets, because there was 317 00:16:40,639 --> 00:16:43,240 no gust of wind strong enough that could have done that, 318 00:16:43,759 --> 00:16:46,360 and thinking that the only option left was that there 319 00:16:46,399 --> 00:16:49,200 was something or someone else left in the flat didn't 320 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:53,159 make me feel any safer. That same night is when 321 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,240 the sleep demon started to show up. I went to 322 00:16:57,279 --> 00:16:59,879 sleep that night and I had the most terrifying nightmare 323 00:17:00,039 --> 00:17:03,200 I ever remembered having. In the nightmare, I was walking 324 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,079 up the stairs of my parents old flat, yes, the 325 00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:08,319 one that was on the fifth floor, And when I 326 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,599 got to the landing in front of the flat's door, 327 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,240 I suddenly had a cold, strong and heavy fear and 328 00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:18,440 dread feeling wash over me. I could not move. The 329 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:20,440 door of the flat slowly opened in front of me, 330 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,519 and the interior was pitch black, so dark that I 331 00:17:23,519 --> 00:17:26,240 could not see anything through it, and something from that 332 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,759 darkness started to crawl towards me. It was a figure 333 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,480 made of complete darkness, but it had two very long arms, 334 00:17:33,799 --> 00:17:35,680 and when I tried to turn around to run down 335 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,759 the stairs, I couldn't move, and it grabbed me by 336 00:17:38,759 --> 00:17:41,680 my ankles and it dragged me into the darkness, and 337 00:17:41,759 --> 00:17:44,759 it closed the door. I woke up instantly with my 338 00:17:44,839 --> 00:17:49,119 heart pounding and covered in cold sweat. Now this is 339 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,519 why I can still remember the nightmare as if it 340 00:17:51,599 --> 00:17:54,599 happened last night. My ankles hurt a lot. When I 341 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,200 woke up, I threw off the duvet to check my 342 00:17:57,279 --> 00:18:00,440 feet and my ankles. My socks were still in place, 343 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:02,799 and when I took them off, there was nothing out 344 00:18:02,799 --> 00:18:05,559 of the ordinary. All toes, the ten of them, were 345 00:18:05,599 --> 00:18:09,720 accounted for. No scratches, bruises, or marks on either of 346 00:18:09,759 --> 00:18:12,839 my feet, but they hurt a lot. They hurt as 347 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,240 if I had been sitting cross legged for hours with 348 00:18:15,319 --> 00:18:18,160 my whole weight sat on just my ankles. I could 349 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,039 not fall asleep again. The pain passed after a few minutes, 350 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,680 but the sense of fear and terror did not disappear 351 00:18:24,759 --> 00:18:27,119 until I went back to work and I got my 352 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,960 mind busy with other things. The next night, I woke 353 00:18:32,039 --> 00:18:34,200 up in the middle of the night, unable to move. 354 00:18:34,759 --> 00:18:37,240 With the dim street light shining through the curtains, I 355 00:18:37,279 --> 00:18:40,799 saw a tall, dark figure with no facial features, opening 356 00:18:40,839 --> 00:18:43,960 the bedroom door. I want to say that it was walking, 357 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,839 but it was more like sliding towards my side of 358 00:18:46,839 --> 00:18:49,720 the bed. It was very tall, to the point where 359 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,319 its head nearly touched the ceiling. It bent forward and 360 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:55,799 put its hands with more fingers than I could count, 361 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,920 around my neck and started to squeeze. I couldn't scream, 362 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,599 I couldn't move, and I was feeling like I was 363 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,400 going to die. I think that I fought so hard 364 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:07,799 to try to breathe and fight back that I moved 365 00:19:07,799 --> 00:19:10,640 my arm slightly toward it. And I woke up alone 366 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:14,000 in my bed, covered again in cold sweat and the 367 00:19:14,039 --> 00:19:16,400 feeling of having been holding my breath for so long. 368 00:19:16,599 --> 00:19:19,440 I needed to take several deep breaths to catch some air. 369 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:22,400 I turned the light on to check and see if 370 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,759 that thing had left a mark, but there was nothing 371 00:19:24,799 --> 00:19:27,440 on my neck, only a tiny scratch on the arm 372 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,680 that I managed to move. Now, this could be reasonably 373 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,000 explained as me scratching my arm against the bedside table, 374 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,599 or even getting that scratch at work. But when I 375 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,079 think about this, my brain does not want to believe 376 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:41,400 that it was something so trivial, and that the sleep 377 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,400 demon hurt me like the night before, and I still 378 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,519 believe this. This kept occurring for at least a week 379 00:19:47,599 --> 00:19:49,880 or two, when every night the sleep demon would try 380 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,960 to choke me. Every night I would fight and manage 381 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,079 to move my arm toward it, and I would wake 382 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,599 up struggling to catch my breath, drenched in cold sweat, 383 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,440 and having a constant fe feeling of dread and fear. 384 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,359 I was so exhausted mentally and physically that my colleagues 385 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:07,960 noticed it, and they were concerned about me. But I 386 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,079 never told anyone what was really going on. I didn't 387 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,799 want anyone to think that I was crazy or imagining things. 388 00:20:15,319 --> 00:20:17,680 After another week of not sleeping more than three or 389 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,240 four hours, I decided to skype with my grandmother. I 390 00:20:21,319 --> 00:20:23,799 told her everything that happened to me, because I knew 391 00:20:23,799 --> 00:20:26,160 she would believe me, as she has always done with 392 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,559 these types of strange things. She listened to me carefully, 393 00:20:29,759 --> 00:20:31,960 asking questions here and there to make sure she was 394 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,960 getting all the details right, and she then very seriously 395 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,400 told me to buy a pure white candle. She specified 396 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,400 that it had to be a church white candle, one 397 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,200 that has been blessed upon. She also told me to 398 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,039 get a stick of sage and fresh rosemary, not the 399 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:51,200 dried one for cooking, but a fresh branch of rosemary. Now, 400 00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:54,240 if anyone is interested in why my witchy grandmother sent 401 00:20:54,319 --> 00:20:58,039 me grocery and church shopping for these specific things, this 402 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,200 is why. The candle needs to be blessed to have 403 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,200 the power to expel and cleanse bad omens, and the 404 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,359 color white signifies the light of the Holy Spirit to 405 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,599 burn the evil. First, you close all the windows to 406 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,039 make sure there are no air currents, and you light 407 00:21:13,079 --> 00:21:15,720 the white candle. If the flame is blown out before 408 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,200 reaching the end of the candle, this means there is 409 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,039 something there that you need to get rid of. Open 410 00:21:21,079 --> 00:21:24,079 the windows while reciting the Lord's prayer and a hail Mary. 411 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,720 Light the sage and the fresh rosemary branch, and slowly 412 00:21:27,759 --> 00:21:31,319 cleanse every room while praying. Do this over and over 413 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,680 until the sage and rosemary are all but ashes. Keep 414 00:21:34,759 --> 00:21:38,079 praying while slowly closing all the windows, Light the white 415 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:42,599 candle again, and wait. According to my grandma, the waiting 416 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,440 depends on how fast the first candle light was blown, 417 00:21:45,759 --> 00:21:47,680 but to be safe, she told me to keep the 418 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,359 candlelight until it was consumed. I bought the biggest white 419 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,039 candle the church had, so let's just say that it 420 00:21:54,079 --> 00:21:57,720 was burning for at least six hours it worked. No 421 00:21:57,799 --> 00:22:01,079 more sleep Demon encounters or odds things being out of 422 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:05,920 place for now. Fast forward four years later to when 423 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,359 my partner and I bought our own house and moved in. 424 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:10,960 I have not been able to find much history of 425 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,319 this house, only that it was built in the eighties 426 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,079 and only two families lived here until they moved out. 427 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,519 There were no deaths or anything like that. Six months 428 00:22:20,519 --> 00:22:24,000 after moving in, one night, I woke up unable to 429 00:22:24,079 --> 00:22:26,960 move or scream, and in the corner of my eye 430 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,200 I could see that the sleep Demon was in the bedroom. 431 00:22:30,839 --> 00:22:34,079 It was tall, nearly touching the ceiling, and it was 432 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:37,519 slowly sliding toward me. He bent forward and put his 433 00:22:37,559 --> 00:22:40,319 hands over my mouth and my nose and pressed down. 434 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,480 I could not scream, and I could not breathe. I 435 00:22:43,519 --> 00:22:46,680 could not move, and this time I could not fight it. 436 00:22:46,799 --> 00:22:49,240 Deeply inside, I was afraid this was going to be 437 00:22:49,319 --> 00:22:53,200 the time where he would finally kill me. What happens next, though, 438 00:22:53,519 --> 00:22:58,480 still baffles me and my partner. My then and only cat, Billy, 439 00:22:58,799 --> 00:23:01,839 came to my rescue. Now, mind you, Billy did not 440 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,839 give a damn about being around us. After we adopted him, 441 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,039 a couple of months earlier, as he was still getting 442 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:09,240 used to us, nor was he sleeping in the same 443 00:23:09,319 --> 00:23:12,000 room as us. He jumped on to the bed and 444 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,240 walked all over me and stopped on my chest, ears 445 00:23:15,279 --> 00:23:18,839 back and flat on his head, his back arched, all 446 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,960 his furs standing, and he started to growl. I suddenly 447 00:23:23,079 --> 00:23:25,839 was free, able to move and breathe, and I let 448 00:23:25,839 --> 00:23:29,400 out a small scream. My partner, woken up, confused by 449 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,000 my scream, turned the light on to find me drenched 450 00:23:32,039 --> 00:23:36,000 in sweat, shaking and pale, and Billy still standing guard 451 00:23:36,039 --> 00:23:39,200 on my chest. His ears were still back and flat 452 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,880 on his head, back arched first, standing on end, and 453 00:23:43,079 --> 00:23:45,160 he was looking a couple of inches to my right 454 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,839 side without moving. My partner knows that I have had 455 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,720 issues with this sleep demon in the past, but never 456 00:23:51,759 --> 00:23:54,920 gave too much thought or consideration to it. He stared 457 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,400 at Billy for a good couple of minutes until Billy 458 00:23:57,519 --> 00:24:01,079 suddenly relaxed and went back to normal, jumped to the floor, 459 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,039 and then left the bedroom. I sat up in bed, 460 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,680 still shaking, and then my partner passed me a glass 461 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,920 of water and asked me what had happened. After I 462 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,319 told him, including how Billy saved me. He was puzzled, 463 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:15,759 not wanting to really believe that there was something in 464 00:24:15,799 --> 00:24:18,640 the house that now my cat could see or sense 465 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,799 as well, and I didn't blame him. It was a 466 00:24:21,799 --> 00:24:25,640 one time only situation, right well, it would turn out 467 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,039 to be a constant from that night on. For the 468 00:24:29,079 --> 00:24:31,839 next two months to nearly a year, the sleep Demon 469 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,640 visited me two or three times per week, and for 470 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:36,680 the first two or three months, it would be the 471 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:40,000 same thing over and over again, having my mouth and 472 00:24:40,079 --> 00:24:44,680 nose covered, being unable to move, scream, breathe, or even 473 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,920 fight back, until Billy would jump on the bed, stand 474 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:50,720 on my chest on guard, and growl at the sleep 475 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:54,440 Demon until I was able to move and breathe. After 476 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,759 three months of this happening every week, Billy started sleeping 477 00:24:57,799 --> 00:24:59,960 in the bed between me and my partner to protect 478 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,000 me from the sleep Demon getting close and hurting me. 479 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:04,799 But I would still wake up in the middle of 480 00:25:04,839 --> 00:25:07,799 the night being unable to move or scream, but I 481 00:25:07,799 --> 00:25:10,039 would be able to see the sleep Demon watching me 482 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,440 from the bedroom door. It did not slide or approach 483 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,599 the bed. It would just stare at me for what 484 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,200 felt like hours. This would stop when Billy would wake 485 00:25:19,319 --> 00:25:22,799 up and walk toward the door growling. At this point, 486 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,200 suddenly I would be free, able to move and breathe 487 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,720 once again. My partner and I were so exhausted and 488 00:25:29,799 --> 00:25:32,359 tired of this happening that I decided to speak with 489 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,000 my grandma once again and ask her what to do. 490 00:25:35,599 --> 00:25:38,519 Her recommendation was the same one as before, but the 491 00:25:38,519 --> 00:25:40,559 only difference is that I needed to do a full 492 00:25:40,599 --> 00:25:42,720 cleanse of the house when the three of us were in, 493 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,279 and then do another one when it was only me. 494 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,079 This was to make sure that the sleep demon didn't 495 00:25:48,079 --> 00:25:52,640 attach itself to anyone or anything. I believe this sleep 496 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,720 demon was the thing that was in the flats I 497 00:25:54,759 --> 00:25:57,480 lived in, but what I haven't been able to understand 498 00:25:57,759 --> 00:25:59,640 is how it went from just making me and my 499 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,880 brother wake up screaming and crying in fear, to moving 500 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,559 chairs and breaking pictures, and years later, trying to choke 501 00:26:06,759 --> 00:26:10,000 and smother me. If anyone has any idea of what 502 00:26:10,079 --> 00:26:13,920 this thing is, I would greatly appreciate the insight. As 503 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,720 of now, touch would. I have not had a visit 504 00:26:16,759 --> 00:26:19,400 from it for two years, and I keep praying that 505 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:24,240 it stays away for a very long time. Thank you 506 00:26:24,279 --> 00:26:26,440 for letting me share my stories, and I hope they 507 00:26:26,519 --> 00:26:29,799 make it to your amazing podcast. Keep up the good work, 508 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,359 and I cannot wait to listen to the next episode. 509 00:26:34,559 --> 00:26:39,720 With love Almah, Almah, I'll be keeping you in my 510 00:26:39,799 --> 00:26:42,400 thoughts and prayers, and if anyone listening has advice that 511 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,039 they'd like to share, please don't hesitate to get in 512 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:50,640 touch with me. Before I bring tonight's episode to an end, 513 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,839 I'd like to thank Almah for coming forward with their experience, 514 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,839 and of course I truly appreciate each and every one 515 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,079 of you for listening and showing your support. With a 516 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,359 being said, I hope you all have a wonderful rest 517 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:04,400 of your evening and I'll be back in just a 518 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:09,000 few short days with more tales of the unexplained. Until then, 519 00:27:09,559 --> 00:27:14,079 stay open minded and stay safe, because, after all, the 520 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,720 next person that comes face to face with a paranormal 521 00:27:16,759 --> 00:28:24,640 mystery might be you. S