The Real Thing That Goes Bump In The Night

Perhaps you recall that some weird, wacky stuff goes on here at the Mansion. Unexplainable stuff. Eerie, almost. We never know what's going to happen, but sometimes we have an inkling that events are ramping up.

Friday night, The Pony and I watched a DVD of the 2004 movie Saved! Just because I think it's hilarious, and we have been having movie nights with young-people movies, enjoying the ever-dwindling nights we have left before The Pony goes off to college. We've been through Revenge of the Nerds, Empire Records, and Dazed and Confused, to name a few.

So Friday, we were watching Saved! when up in the bedrooms there arose such a clatter, I looked up at the floor to see what was the matter. Okay. Not so much a clatter as thumping footsteps. We haven't heard any for a while. But on Friday night, they were in the #1 son's room, and The Pony's room, and in between. I'd look at him, and he'd look at me, and then we'd go back to watching the movie. Finally, after a particularly lengthy parade, I said, "Don't you hear that?"

And The Pony said, "YEEEESSSS! And I'm trying not to think about it, because I have to sleep up there. That's why I keep my door closed."

It went on even after the movie, after The Pony showered and went to bed. I would have sworn it was The Pony up and walking, so realistic were the footsteps. When I went upstairs after 2:00 a.m., I heard it again. As I was nearing the top step. Over behind my shoulder, around the corner, in the area of The Pony's room. It was a bit disconcerting, but nothing that hasn't happened before.

Saturday night, we were busy with other stuff. I stayed in my office, and The Pony took a bath in the big tub upstairs on the other end of the house. So if there were imaginary feet running around, I don't know. I was only out by the TV for a few minutes.

Sunday night, we were in the middle of a DVR of that night's Big Brother. It was around 9:30. We'd been talking back and forth, making fun of certain houseguests, me in the blue recliner, The Pony laying on the couch with his laptop open. There's a gal on that show that The Pony likes, but I don't. She's not much to look at, but The Pony says she is an Elven Princess. She had a closeup, and I said, "There's your girl!" He was looking down at his laptop. He glanced up. "You didn't even see her! Want me to rewind?"

"I saw her."

"No you didn't. I was looking right at you. I wish you'd just watch with me, not be on that computer. Here. Let me rewind. You like her."

"You don't have to."

"I will. You missed her." I was looking at him peering at the TV over the top of his flipped-open laptop.

A COKE CAN JUMPED OFF THE COFFEE TABLE AND ONTO THE RUG!

I swear. The Pony's hand was nowhere near that can. NOTHING was near it. It had been sitting there, partially obscured by his green metal water cup. I only knew it was there because I've been harping at him about throwing away his collection of Coke cans on that table. Most of them are down on the lower tier of the table, but these two beverage containers were on the upper ledge, where all The Pony has to do is lean over a bit and stretch out his arm to grasp one. Both of his hands were at the laptop keyboard.

"WHAT WAS THAT? Did something just land over by the couch? Down by your knees? What in the--"

"YES!" The Pony sat up and and leaned over. He picked it up. "A Coke can!"

"Did it spill? Check the rug."

"No. It's dry. That can was just sitting there! HOW did it jump off like that?"

"I don't know. But it didn't even just fall straight down. It came sideways by the couch. At least a foot! More like two!"

"I KNOW! That isn't creepy at all..."

Let the record show that about a half hour before that happened, The Pony was sitting up on the couch, in the middle, and rubbed his forearm.

"I swear, it felt like you spit on me. Like you were talking and some spit flew over here. I felt my arm, but it was dry. It's like you thought the shower was dripping the other night."

"I know! I would have SWORN it was dripping. I felt something on my head. At first I thought it might be a fly, so I waved my hand around and then touched it. My hair was wet! I just knew there was a leak. It was right after you started your shower. I even got up and waited, then felt the back of the chair. It was dry. But SOMETHING was on my head, because it was wet. I felt it two or three times, that drip. But not since that night."

"I don't know what's going on, but there was no way that Coke can should have jumped like that. NOTHING TOUCHED IT!"

"I know! I was looking right at you when it happened."

"That's just impossible."

"PONY! When you go off to college, I'm going to be down here BY MYSELF AT NIGHT!"

"You can have Dad come down and watch TV with you."

"No. I think I'll be all right."

Seriously. How could he think that would cheer me up?

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Let the record show that I had a tremendous amount of trouble finishing this post. I had it half done this afternoon, then logged off and shut down my browser, and went back to it around 10:30 p.m. after working for a while in my other account. It immediately gave me the pink bar at the top. "An error occurred while trying to save or publish your post. Please try again."

Yeah. The pink bar of despair. If I didn't know better, I'd say that SOMEBODY doesn't want this story to get out on Thursday when I have it scheduled!