Dennis

We had had Dennis since I was born. He was a Siamese cat, who seemed to have a personality of his own. Growing up in a house full of females, he developed a strong disliking for males. He was about fifteen when he was finally put down. I was on holiday at the time, and when I returned, I was told of his death. I cried for a long time - all I could think of was that I didn't get to say goodbye to him. We buried him on our estate, along with another deceased loved pet. When things got ugly at our house, I would go and sit by his grave and cry. Looking back, it seems silly to do so, but at the time it eased my grief, as I had no one else to tell my problems to. After a particularly bad fight between my mother and my stepfather, I went down to the lake and sat by his grave in the pouring rain just to get away from it all. I cried myself to sleep that night. Now, I never wake up in the middle of the night, not even to use the bathroom, and haven't since, but on this night I did. I remember getting up, opening my bedroom door and walking out onto the landing. Our dog, who would bark the entire neighbourhood down at the slightest squeak, began to bark at me. I distinctly remeber yelling at him to shut up, and going to the bathroom. When I returned, I crossed the room to my bed. It was 3.14am, and my covers were completely flat, and turned back like I had just gotten in. I remember thinking to myself, "I wonder why they're so neat - I usually kick them all off." And then, like I had simply overlooked him, I saw Dennis. He slept in his usual place - just below the pillow and next to the wall. Whenever he slept like this I didn't disturb the blankets as much. I got into bed without a second thought, and put him under the blankets with me. He was warm, and I went to sleep with the sound of his purring in my ear once again. When I awoke in the morning, my very first thought was "Dennis is dead - what is going on?" I lay in bed and thought about it, and came to the conclusion that he had come to comfort me and to say the goodbyes we never had. When I told my mum about the experience, she smiled and said that she wasn't in the least bit surprised. I never felt the need to go down to the grave after that. I was convinced that he was watching over me all the time.

This all may sound a bit strange to you, but Dennis was a loved and cherished member of our family. I have always believed in the paranormal, but this confirmed it for me.