Compliments from a Ghost (Stand Alone)

  Compliments From A Ghost

I have been told by many people that I have not portrayed my parents in the best light while I am writing. What people do not realize id my parents acted one way in public but were quite different in private and they were not very nice about their opinions of people they had day to day contact with it. To be blunt, I am being honest about how they have treated me. What many people did not realize was the amount of favoritism that was in their house and when it came to my parents I was the off girl out. From an early age my mother called me her mistake and curse. Since I was a child I would mention spirits and paranormal to my family. They would act as if I was crazy and would send me to my room or outside. I believe this treatment was one of the early reasons I was so open to the paranormal world.

My parents behavior towards me was what led to this story. Before you judge me read the story and understand that my parents were the perfect actors. When they were in public they would act like strangers and some family members thought they should. But behind closed doors, they were spiteful and talked trash about anyone and everyone they knew or used. No one was safe from their scrutiny. In their mind everyone was wrong and they knew everything about anyone and anything. I was made a babysitter at an early age because my parents would go out and do whatever they wanted, it was left up to us kids, or more so it was left to me to clean and do the weekend chores. My brother and sister had free reign to do anything they wanted and to go where ever they wanted leaving me to pick up the mess when we were younger. The only time my parents would include me would be when they knew it would make them look bad if I was not included at a party or family event they were invited to and even then I could not go unless I finished the chore list they gave me.

One such time is when this story takes place. One of our long-time family friends and neighbors decided to host a summer pool party. I was excited to hang out with my friends and thought I would be attending the party with them. I was wrong because that morning my parents told me I would not be attending unless I could finish the chores they gave me. The list of chores included doing all the laundry, cleaning out the fridge, doing all the dishes which included the mess from breakfast and the food they made for the party, cleaning the house and mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming. 

Of course, I argued and questioned why my siblings could go have fun with their friends, but I had to stay home and do all the chores. When I asked why couldn't they help? I started crying and my Dad told me if I wanted to argue, he would give me something to cry about. So after breakfast that morning, my parents and siblings went to help set up for the party, planning on spending the day over at the party with a bunch of potluck items they made. I was so mad as they made and left a huge mess from all the cooking they did. As they were leaving, I was almost thankful they were gone as I had a migraine start to set in from being upset.

I started to feel uneasy being in the house alone, and my head was starting to pound.

 I put the TV on in the living room for some background noise and started washing the dishes, as we had no dishwasher. After I had cleaned the first batch of pots and pans, I directed a fan to dry them faster and cleaned my parents' room. While I was cleaning, it felt like someone was following right behind me. I snuck some soda out of their secret stash and continued cleaning the house. By lunchtime, I had almost finished all the dishes, and the laundry was drying or put away. Even though I was starting to feel a bit better, I felt like I wasn't alone. I made myself a quick lunch and sat on the porch to eat it.

While sitting outside, I thought Cinderella had nothing on me. Even though I was mad that my parents left me with this chore list, I would rather stay home than go to the party. That was because my parents were actors of top caliber, my Mom would pretend to care, and my Dad lied about everything. Their behavior would make me sick. I never existed unless they wanted to brag about something I did to make someone else feel bad. I was not shocked that after lunch, my Grandma showed up at my house to see how I was feeling since she had gone to the party and saw I was not there. My Mom told my Grandma that once I had finished my chores, and if I was feeling better, I could come to the party. 

She came in and asked, "So did the headache start before or after they told you that you had to do everything?"

Smiling, I said, "It started when the storm started coming in. But you know how I feel about the house. It's been a day."

My Mom and Dad thought they had my Grandma and Grandpa fooled. But the truth was my grandparents did not believe them and would do everything they could to protect me, take care of me, and try to keep the peace. My Grandmother was angry that my Mom left me with a list of chores for me, but when she saw my soda and candy bars, she laughed. Then Grandma handed me a plate of food and a plate of dessert.

Looking around the living room, she asked, "Why is it so cold in here?"

"Honestly, Grams," I said. "My head started hurting so much that I really did not notice."

Grandma looked around the room and said, "Be careful."

Looking at her, I said, "I will. It's okay, Grams, I am still standing."

She said, "Grandpa and I will get you later, and you can stay at our house for the night."

Smiling, I said, "Until you get here I will relax in the quiet. Besides, if I do not finish my list Mom and Dad will be awful. I do not mind that I missed the party.

She understood. I walked her out to her car, and when I went inside the house, I went to put the remaining dishes away. But as I went into the kitchen, I found the plates and cups stacked on the kitchen table. Looking around, I said, "What in the world..."

As I put the plates and cups away, I heard a noise behind me, and it sounded like someone shuffling around. I stepped outside and sat on the porch for a moment to snack on the desserts Grandma gave me.

As I snacked on the dessert, I looked up at the sky and noticed a storm forming. I heard the first rumble of thunder and headed inside to finish my cleaning. The remaining time I was cleaning, I kept feeling like someone was with me in the room, and it was watching me. When the first rain broke, I started to see shadows along the walls and heard knocking in the rooms I had cleaned. You would think ghosts and the paranormal would scare me, but it doesn't. 

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I had folded three loads of laundry and put my parent's clothes in their room, and when I went to get more laundry, everything left was off the couch to the floor unfolded. As I refolded what was left, I felt like someone was standing beside me and watching me. I went to walk into the hallway and went through this cold patch that reminded me of winter. I let it go and finished my cleaning, and went back to read a book and eat the food Grams had bought for dinner when I heard a male voice call out to me saying, "You clean and do laundry wonderfully."

 

I ran outside and looked around as it sounded like a voice had called through the window. The storm had slowed down, and there was no one around. I went back in and decided to watch TV and reasoned with myself that I knew that I lived in a haunted house. But the ghost talked to me, and it freaked me out, and there had never been any communication. I decided to call my Grandma and spend the night at her house. When she came and got me, she asked me if I was okay. I told her what happened. She asked me if my parents and siblings had anything paranormal happen to them. When I told her no, she said, "We will figure it out."

 

My parents and siblings never had paranormal experiences, but I knew people who stayed in our home, including my Grandparents, had experiences. A few years later, I visited my old neighbor, and the couple who lived in my old house asked to speak with me. The woman asked if I ever had anything weird happen to me while I lived there. I admitted to the couple that I had, and many people who stayed with us also had paranormal experiences. I explained a few things that happened, and the woman said she had similar experiences. To this day, I still have weird dreams about that house and the land that it sits on.