Around three years ago, during the onset of January, an unusual event transpired in my room. At the age of 16, I found myself wide awake at 11:30 pm after a phone call. Fearing my parents’ admonition for staying up late, I opted to avoid the light and instead lit a small candle to engage in some doodling. After a mere quarter-hour, I extinguished the candle, reclining on my back and gazing at the ceiling.
In a matter of seconds, an unfamiliar ticking sound filled my room—resembling the rhythmic cadence of a clock. A perplexing detail emerged: no clock existed within my room, and none in the house produced such a sound. Speculating it might be my dog, I realized she couldn’t be in my room due to the closed door. Attempting to dismiss the noise, I encountered a sequence of two ticks punctuated by a brief pause, followed by two more ticks and another pause. The intervals shifted; instead of pauses, creaks emanated from the floor. Startled, I considered my dog once more, but her absence was confirmed by the closed door. The noise now mirrored footsteps at the foot of my bed: two ticks, two creaks, two steps, two creaks. Anxiety surged.
I sat up, scanning the dark room for any signs of movement. My vision struggled in the dimness. Lying down again, I covered my face and called out for my mother. Simultaneously, the noises accelerated in tempo and intensity. Without warning, an invisible weight pressed down on me, pinning me to the bed. Panic set in, my screams reverberating through the room. Frenzied punches and kicks aimed at the intangible assailant proved fruitless; its grip held firm. Louder cries elicited quicker and more intense sounds, as if in response. The torment seemed unending until the sound of footsteps signaled my parents’ arrival. As the room flooded with light, the phenomena ceased abruptly. The ticking, creaking, and the oppressive weight vanished.
Left trembling and in tears, I grappled with the bewildering encounter. To this day, its nature remains a mystery. Curiously, in the week leading up to the incident, I had forsaken my faith and ceased believing in God. I had been raised Catholic and instilled with religious values. Could this abandonment of faith be linked to the unnerving event? The question lingers, unanswered.