Haunted Childhood Memory

I live in a rather small community in northern Kentucky. Born and raised on a farm. I have been interested in ghosts, and the like for as long as I can remember. I am twenty years old and the story I am about tell happened over a period of two years (1986-1988) when I was two and three years old.

At the time this story begins my family lived in a small house on a street named milton lane. When you came in the front door you were in our living room, off the living room was our kitchen and then a hallway off that with two bedrooms and a full bath. Off the kitchen there were steps into the open basement, which was fixed up as second family room, one bedroom and 1/2 a bath. My parents had bought this house when they found out they were pregnant with me.

At first I had the bedroom upstairs next to their room. But in 1986 my dear little brother was born and I got moved to the room in the basement. All I can remember is that I hated that room especially at night. My parents told me recently that I would always hate going to bed in that room which was hard for them to understand, I was pretty calm easygoing child. Once my parents would get me calmed down and asleep they would go upstairs. Dad told me almost every night I would wake up screaming. I am 20 and remembered only that I didn't like that room.

But as a side note, ever since sleeping in that room I have always slept with a light on, door closed and blinds shut. Also I have had a fear of large black dogs for as long as I can remember, but never understood why, because I love animals. We moved from that house when I was four to live with my grandparents on their farm. Just a couple of months ago my parents and I happened to be going past our old house. I commented as we drove by that I hated that room in the basement. Mom and Dad were shocked I even remembered that room. Mom then proceeded to tell me that her and dad never believed what I saw in that room was real but if it wasn't why would I remember it 18 years later. I asked them what it was that I saw as a child b/c I couldn't remember details just knew I hate it.

Mom then said,"...you would scream and cry and tell us there was a large black dog at the end of your bed!" Dad then told me that I had no problem being in their during the day, only at night. They wrote it off as child's way of getting out of going to bed or overactive imagination.

My parents have now changed their attitude and believe maybe there was a dog in that room, why else would I have been afraid to sleep in complete darkness to this day and also fear black dogs.