Who Or What Was She?

I would like to submit a story about an odd occurance that happened to me about 15 years ago.

I was attending a local college at the time, living with my parents to save money. We lived in a 1940's-'50s "cracker box" style house, 1 1/2 story with attic dormer and finished basement. I slept in the dormer, a window at either end and my bed beside one of them.

I had a small air-conditioner running as it was a hot and sticky night. I had been sleeping soundly, when something woke me in the dead of night (sorry, bad pun:)). I saw a woman standing right beside my bed, backlit by the light of the street lamps. She was as real as you or I, definitely 3-dimensional; short, with curly hair and wearing a housecoat. She swayed ever so slightly from side to side, just as a person does when standing. In fact, she resembled my mom to such a degree that I thought it was she standing there watching me sleep. I couldn't think of why she would do that, so I sleepily called out "Mom?"

I can accurately pinpoint the first moment that I realized what I was looking at was NOT my mother.

My heart gave a single great THUMP that I could feel throughout my entire body, then came the adrenaline rush. I stared at the thing for what seemed like an eternity before gaining the courage to tear my eyes away and turn on my bedside lamp.

Nothing.

There was not enough time for anyone to walk around my bed, to the stairs and down without my seeing them. When I turned off my light, many agonizing moments later, the figure did not return--ever. What was it I saw? My cousin laughingly suggested it was my maternal grandmother (who passed away when I was about 2, and whom my mom resembles to a great degree)come to see how I was. I don't know of any deaths in or around the property, and my parents still own the house.

Thanks!