The Nightmare
Siobhan Clements, Texas, USA
February 2000
My dad told me this story and swears it really happened to him. He still gets agitated telling it so I believe him.
My dad was staying in a motel a long time ago in the small town where he lived. He was there with his now ex-wife. He said they had checked in kind of late and were both pretty tired. The room was a typical motel room. There was a bed, bathroom, 2 bedside tables and 2 chairs and about a 3 1/2 ft. bannister to the left of the door as you walk in. Dad said everything looked perfectly normal and he felt nothing unusual. Just tired. He said his spouse turned in right away after they talked for a short time, but that he stayed up a little while longer, watching TV until he finally got sleepy enough to go to bed.
After he was in bed, he lay in the darkened room winding down, but not yet asleep. There was light filtering in from the street lights of the motel but, otherwise the room was completely dark. Something made him open his eyes and scan the room. He says he has no idea why he did this but was glad he did. As he scanned the room, his vision was focused on the door. To his complete and utter surprise, there was a figure standing in front of it. It was more like a silhouette but so black and unusual that you could see it even in the dark. Adrenaline rushed through his body and he quickly thought, An intruder! But how? My hearing is excellent and I did NOT hear or see the door open! As these panicked thoughts rushed through his mind, he fought to throw the covers off and get to his feet. But, it was too late! The shadowman attacked at full force, knocking my dad back down and locking both inky hands around his throat. There was no sound of movement, no whoosh of air, no nothing. DEAD silence. Dad said he was gasping for air and struggling with all his might to dislodge his attacker. He tried to scream to wake his wife for help but she was sleeping soundly beside him, in spite of the death fight going on right next to her.
Dad said that he fought this shadow for what seemed like forever, when he was finally able to throw his weight to one side and free himself. He doesn't remember kicking the blankets off, just remembers being on his feet, still choking. The thing attacked Dad again, with more power this time, and they wrestled around the room, knocking over furniture, crashing against the wall and breaking the chairs and the bannister. Dad said he saw all the broken furniture and could feel each blow, but there was no sound and no blood. Shadowman beat and choked and scratched and bit my dad, who said he couldn't breathe or scream. The fight lasted for hours, he thought. And he fought until he hit the floor...hard. Blacking out for a moment, he awoke to find himself back in bed and sweating profusely, shaking like a leaf. The room was intact. Nothing disturbed.
Dad said he felt relief that it had only been a nightmare but had to calm himself down before attempting to go back to sleep. He said he closed his eyes once more to find himself in the same horrific dream. But this time, he was certain that he was going to die. Again, the inky creature was attacking with renewed force. Again they fought and destroyed the room. Dad said he doesn't know how, but, he woke up sometime later, drenched in sweat, exhausted and shaking and breathing heavily. And the room was INTACT!
Well, that did it. Fear kept him awake the rest of the night. He turned on the lights and kept watch until morning. He never mentioned his bad night or the nightmare to his spouse the next day, but, as they were leaving, she said she had had the strangest dream. She said she saw a horrible, ink like shadow come into their room and stand right next to their bed. She said she would never forget the awful thing because she had to look right into its face. And she had never been so scared because the face was that of my dad, in his most evil form.....
Dad said he did not make this up and it still bothers him today. He gave me permission to submit this story but he doesn't expect anyone to believe it. Thank you for reading it.