The Late Mrs. Stone

I always knew that funny feeling I would get at night meant something. That feeling of something or someone looming over me as I waded through the disturbing nightmares of sleep. Bottles of shampoo would fall from their solid perches, the television would seemingly control itself, and random bangs and thumps on the walls would keep me up for hours. My brother even had to move out of his room because of the occurrences--and, of course, the feeling.

The feeling was so strong and the nightmares were frightening, but I still thought it was simply my overactive mind. After seeing an old woman standing in my doorway during the dark morning hours, I could no longer fool myself. I was a believer. I became obsessed--who was this woman, and why has she been watching me for all these years?

I visited numerous websites and found many dead ends, but I eventually found the previous owners of my 1997 home. I spent hours entertaining my theories about the spirit world and the possible spirits in my house. I researched every person who ever lived in my home, and that’s when I found the obituary.

Josephine Stone has passed away at her residence in 2003. She was 69 years old. She is survived by her husband and children.

The family moved out of the house the same year, unable to live in the home where they lost a loved one. Little did they know, she stayed. Why? I can only assume to watch over her family, but they left her, and my family had become another family to watch over. Since I began opening my mind to the possibility of the spirit realm, I have been more sensitive to spirits and feelings of evil. I have noticed that when I feel these evil entities, I also feel Josephine, and I feel safer. Perhaps she is protecting me.

The moment I truly knew Josephine is still the sweet woman she once had been was when I smelled a perfume that reminded me of my grandmother in my living room. I was filled with a sense of dread which was followed by the comfort of the smell, which made me uneasy. I asked my mom to check on my grandmother to make sure she was alright and not coming to visit after passing from the mortal realm. She was fine, which made me confused.

Two days later my grandfather died from complications after a routine surgery.