My grandmother's house is delciously haunted.

I arrived yesterday at my grandmother's house in South Carolina. This state is so friggin' haunted. It's fun except when I'm trying to go to bed and it's dark and creepy and I feel a million curious spirits looking at me. Part of this may be childhood psychology (or psychosis...). My cousin used to terrify me with true ghost stories when we'd come to visit our grandmother, and therefore, all scary stories I've ever read or heard I've unintentionally set in this old house.

However, the house really is haunted. But most of them are friendly.

Last night, I came into the kitchen and the side door flew open. Gran keeps it latched tight, and the garage door was closed, so no wind could have opened it. Sure, there could be explanations, but out of politeness I said, "Thank you! I'm glad to be back!" choosing to believe that the door opening was a way of my grandmother's house spirits saying, "Welcome back!"

The most haunted room is the one my grandmother always sticks me in. My cousin, unprompted, reported the same experiences in that room that I've had. You wake in that room between 2 and 4, no sounds or discrenable reason, completely paralyzed in the bed, fully aware of several beings standing around and calling your name in these terrible voices. You try to sleep and they'll just start again, laughing at you when you try to "pray them away." Back when I was Catholic, I used to chant the rosary over and over to no avail. Once, I swear even the Holy Virgin Herself appeared, frustrated that a nearly grown woman would summon Her to deal with a case of what are called down here, the heebie-jeebies. "They're not going to hurt you," said the apparition. "Get over it." And She left.

This room is one of the reasons I started practicing Witchcraft--to figure out how to deal with these kind of issues. A few years ago, when I was a young witch, I came to my grandmother's house and insisted on sleeping in that room, even though my grandmother offered me a different room.

Sure enough, between 2 and 4, I awoke to my name being called in horrible voices.

"I will open my eyes and you will not be there," I said aloud. "I am of the physical world and you are not. I am of blood kin to the woman of this house. You will leave me the fuck alone."

I opened my eyes and nothing was there. Of course, I could feel it, and even hear gasps around the room, shocked that the usual tricks had no effect on me.

"Told you so, motherfuckers," I said. "Now, I'm going to sleep."

Last year, there were no awakenings, but I had nightmares every night I slept in that room.

Last night, when my cousin helped me get my things into the room, she was nervous. "I just can't sleep in this room and I don't know how you can." I said to her, "They're not going to bother me. They know better." Yet, I was nervous that by saying such things would invite the heebies to return.

I went to sleep, saying a prayer to Brid and Pan to keep me protected and safe through the night. But as usual, I woke for no discernable reason around 3 in the morning. However, instead of hearing creepy voices calling at me, I heard one voice, clear as a bell, giving me a beautiful prayer.

" When they tell you your soul will burn for what you do, tell them 'Then may it burn in the fire in the core of humanity's soul so that it creates and destoys, heal and loves through the actions of my fellow man'."

Wow. I think I love that haunted room.