What Goes Bump In The Mind

     When it comes to literature, of any form, I really enjoy a good horror story; ghost, werewolf, apocalypse,  mutation, or demon stories are my favorites. From those I would have to say Ghost stories play a huge role as to who I am as a writer, and storyteller.
     I grew up in the east end of Los Angeles, California, with my grandparents and twin-brother. Our parents always worked, so we didn't have any support at home, which is why we lived so far from them. Our grandparents raised us for fourteen years, and that came with everything from schoolwork and sickness, to punishments and summer vacations. Of course we saw Mom and Dad occasionally but it wasn't enough for us. Not only weren't we able to see them, but it felt as though our grandparent's home was a much creeper place than it was.
     We would hear the floorboards creaking, footsteps down the hall, and other strange, unexplainable noises (the creaking could have been the house shifting, but it moved across the hallway and living room when heard). Late at night, during the summer, me and my brother would be forced to bed when the sensation of being watched from behind grew too much. It was eerie enough to make us stay up late at night to see what would happen, ultimately running to our room.
     Asides from our childhood, which seems to be a story of its own, I've had several encounters with the paranormal throughout my life: visiting San Francisco, one of the cities I've grown attached to, a trip to the Queen Anne Hotel has given me physical proof that spirits are seen as living energy; walking through the labyrinth of the Winchester Mystery House's upper floors, as well as basement, revealed that people do linger behind after death, and can cause odd things to occur many years later. Even in our own home, we've had things moved on their own, bed sheets tugged away, and an ominous sensation of being followed.
     As a writer I'm drawn to the paranormal because I think it amplifies a fear that we all can agree we have: fear of the unknown. Will it harm us? Do spirits talk? How can I feel comfortable in my own home if a stranger is always watching me? The unknown forces the reader, or person it's interacting with, to understand that there are some things out there that we might not have control over, and having no understanding of it just makes it a bit more startling. How can you stop a murderer if you have no understanding as to how or why he does what he does? How can you escape a paranormal entity if it follows you on end without reason?
     With that in mind, explore what makes you startled, or something that's out of your control and completely a mystery to you. Halloween is the perfect time to understand your fears, weaknesses, and even your strengths. Just know that whatever is watching you from outside the window is there to help you in your creative pursuits--or to watch as you sleep.

        Below are two photos of spirit-orbs from the Queen Anne Hotel in San Francisco, California.