One thing I love about Halloween is the tradition of horror marathon in televisions. I love watching horror movies as we celebrate this season but only during daytime. It gets in my head if I watch at night unless I'm watching with someone. I like horror and creepy stuff but only in movies, not in real life. Never in my wildest imagination did I ask for a real life horror but it seems there are times that it's inevitable. I may not be sensitive to ghosts and paranormal events but little did I know that I'll get my share of horror stories. I experienced them in the three stages of my life.

My Childhood Encounter

This photo is the screen door of the apartment where I currently stay. A 5pm look at a screen door reminds me of my first ever horror story in my childhood. Way back in the 90's, I enjoyed my childhood with my friends at the neighbor. We play everyday especially during vacation. One time, we played indoor games in our friend's house, which is Dothy's house. At around 5pm, our friend, Rox was called and fetched by their maid at the gate.

A few minutes later, we heard Rox calling while we continue playing. We were thinking she might have left her belongings and went back to check on them so we went at the screen door to see her. To our surprise, no one is there. We went outside to check the neighbors but no one is outside since it's time for people to prepare for dinner. Dothy used their telephone to give Rox a call. She told Rox what happened and asked if she was the one calling at the gate. Rox said she never went out when she returned home. We got scared upon hearing that. We all stopped playing and returned home.

My Teenage Horror

3rd Year College at Computer Lab D

Way back 2007, my friends and I experienced something scary at the computer lab. We have five computer labs (Labs A-E) in our university and they are famous for having rumors about the creepy things that some students had experienced there so we avoid staying alone there for a long time.

One morning, we decided to have a hands on review for the quiz we'll have in our programming subject. We asked permission from the professor currently having her class at Computer Lab D so we can sit at the back and use the computers there for us to practice. That professor knows us so she allowed us to stay at the back. We were so productive that time.

An hour later, the class ended and everyone left except for one student who is transferring the copy of the Powerpoint lecture at the teacher's terminal. We ignored her as we continue practicing. A few minutes later, we heard of a sound of the spacebar key coming from the computer at the teacher's terminal. It gets louder and disturbing, as if the one pressing it is angry. We were not looking so we thought it's still the student who was left alone there. My friend, Mhel can't stand it so she stood so she can have a look the teacher's terminal and she told us that no one is there and the sound gets louder. We hurriedly shut down the computers we're using but we left the one at the teacher's terminal open. We ran out of panic. It's a good thing that the door is just behind us. We were able to go out immediately. We just kept the experience to ourselves.

4th Year College at the 4th Flr. Classroom

One afternoon, we had our class for last subject for the day. We had a group report and the class ended with my group presentation with my friends. As the class ends, only me and my friends were left packing up our things at the classroom. My USB drive is inserted at the CPU. My friend, Mhel is the one wrapping things up at the computer while me and my other friend, Joyce are packing up our things while we're quite far from her. While I was fixing my bag, I said "Kindly hand over my USB drive, Mhel" and she replied "Alright, here it is".

Mhel approached us after shutting down the computer and takes her bag. I asked her about my USB drive. Mhel was so surprised. She asked "Huh? Didn't you get your USB drive from me while my hand was extended behind me a while ago?" she continued, "I wasn't looking behind me since I was busy but I felt your hand grabbing it so I thought you got it so I put my hand down". We were shocked to hear it. They helped me search the entire room but my USB drive is nowhere to be found. We had goosebumps. We got scared so we went out of the room. We transferred to the corridor near the faculty since we feel at ease in that area. We searched each other's bags and didn't find my USB drive. The only thing left in my hands up to this day is the cover I am holding in my photo. It's the most mysterious thing that happened to me and it remained unresolved up to this day. I'm just keeping a souvenir of this memory and I show it as I tell people the story behind it.

When we graduated, Mhel met someone with the gift of third eye at work and she became friends with that colleague. She saw a child's soul following Mhel and she sensed that it's been with her for quite a long time. Mhel opened up about this to us when we had a reunion back then. She told us that she's feeling it for a long time but she can't see anything. She said it might be the one involved with the USB drive I've lost. Thank goodness it's just playful and harmless. Later on, her friend confirmed that it stopped following her. This is the most mysterious and the creepiest experience for me. It gave me and my friends the most goosebumps and it's very memorable.

Goosebumps in Adult Years

Who put the coffee in mom's mug?

I thought that college experience would be the last of the fair share of horror experience I will ever have. I never thought something will happen again a decade later. One night while we were having a dinner, mom asked me what I ate for a midnight snack last night. I told her I ate the last piece of turon (a local snack made of banana wrapped in shanghai wrapper). I asked her why and she answered, "You didn't drink coffee that time? Because there was a coffee in my mug when I woke up and I thought you're the one who drank from it". I was shocked to hear it and I answered, "How did that happen? I saw your mug placed there and it was empty until I finished my snack and leave". Everyone is asleep when I ate my midnight snack and I left that mug untouched. Upon hearing my answer, mom decided to contact our parish priest to have our house blessed.

A Crazy Bonus

Here goes the unexpected bonus that happened to me and this is the most recent one. Last month, I went home to pay a visit for mom's birthday. Dad was staying at his brother's house as he pays his visit there so they let me sleep in his room alone. I was so busy grinding until 1am that time. While I was wrapping things up to prepare for bedtime, dad's television suddenly turned on out of the blue. Seriously, turning on by itself at 1am? It only creates sounds, no pictures. Everyone is asleep and I have no one to call so I tried to find its remote. I was silently freaking out and I don't know what to do. I found its remote and I tried to press the power button but it won't turn off so I tried to directly press the power button of its box several times and it finally turned off.

The following day, dad returned home and I told him what happened. He told me that it's normal. It happens sometimes when you don't unplug it. Must be a feature of the tv box. I laughed at my paranoia as I felt so relieved that it was just technical. I always unplug the television from now on before it drives me crazy. It's one hell of a crazy experience I don't ever want to encounter again.

These experiences may not be as worse as the ones we see in horror movies but it's really different when you're the one experiencing it. I figured that I can hear but can't see yet it still scared the hell out of me at some point that it freaked me out. I don't ever want to have a share of horror experience again. I hope this is the last. I only want them in movies. Do you have your share of real life horror story too? Do you also watch horror films? Feel free to share them. Let's all have a cheerful Halloween and enjoy this season with our loved ones.

I do believe that it's never too late to join the fun so this is my entry for the Halloween contest as well, held by @Theblackdoll 🎃