The first time it happened I awoke thinking it was a nightmare, but I was wrong.
My BFF and I had rented an adobe house built in 1815 decorated in an easy southwest style for a trip in New Mexico. My BFF took the large main bedroom while I chose the smaller room, that clearly had started its life as a porch, with a cozy daybed.
After a long day of driving and shopping for the week we headed to bed excited for our morning hike. I easily settled into bed and feel asleep. But the night did not go as planned. At 4 am I felt my legs being held down by strong arms, as if someone was intent on keeping me from moving. I awoke suddenly, shook my legs free from the restraints, wondering if my legs had been caught up in the sheets. However, the bedding was not tangled. I assumed that this was a nightmare and went back to sleep until sunrise.
The next night I tried the pull-out couch in the main room to see if it would be more comfortable. Even though the floor in the main room sloped fairly steeply down and I had to prop up either my head or feet, I slept great. No dreams, no nightmares.
But the next night I was too tired to set up the couch, so I headed back to the cozy daybed, a decision that led to a terrifying night. This time it was not just my legs that were being held, my entire body was in a vice-grip. Arms and legs were wrapped around me holding me tight. I struggled against the vice-grip trying to move my legs and arms, but the shackles tightened around me. The fight with the invisible manacles continued. Finally, my mouth formed a rictus, and with a snarl I opened my mouth to bite the arms that restrained me.
Suddenly I was sitting up and free of the restraining manacles, looking at a daybed wondering what had happened. Once again, I was not tangled in the bedding, and it was 4 am, the same time I had awakened the last time I slept in this room, an activity I knew I would never repeat. My shoulder felt wrenched, my legs were bruised, my jaw was sore, and one of my ears was sore. I dragged the blanket into the main room, curled up on a soft small couch, and went back to sleep.
When I awoke, I looked toward the creepy bedroom and noticed for the first time the very out-of-place Bali Devil mask hanging over the door. For the rest of the trip I slept, nightmare free, on the couch with the door to the devil room, as we called it closed.
It could have been a nightmare, but my childhood bedroom was haunted, and I know that difference between vivid dreams and encounters with a spirit. There was no activity during the day or in any other part of the house, and we had a marvelous trip. But perhaps the devil mask is there to contain the spirit in that room.
The only question I have is what kind of review do I leave on the VRBO site?
You could say in your review that you had, “…hauntingly good stay and, truly experienced the spirit of the house.” Joking aside, upon my mother’s passing she haunted the house persistently for over a year. Even my dog would run out of her room, or other rooms and go outside. Many times I woke up with scratch marks on my legs and back. I would hear a voice during the day and at night. I was physically ill most of the time. As the years have passed the “occurrences” have happened less but they persist, and from time to time are very intense. You now have a good tale to tell and a lesson learned.
Bizarre! Well perhaps they could target the ghost hunters or extra terrestrial crowd! Glad you escaped. And I hope that demon learned a lesson!