A Little Light Chamber Music?

Well, October has returned...and so have the hauntings. I never intended to return to this blog. I never thought I'd actually have more events to write about. I thought wrong.

The event was a happy one. It was a birthday party.

My parents had left town for their cabin in the mountains. A friend of mine wanted to throw a birthday party for her little girl and needed a nice yard to throw it in. I knew just the yard - my parents'. It's absolutely gorgeous with its lush green grass, a secret garden pathway running along one side of the yard leading to a fish pond with a waterfall and little wooden bridge, vines of grapes running along the back wall, hidden by mature fruit trees, and a ramada complete with plenty of seating.

My friend had an errand to run - some more party items to pick up, so I agreed to go on ahead and meet her there. I took my two daughters with me to help set up for the party since they were also guests. Upon arriving at my parents' home, I unlocked the front door and my girls ran toward the kitchen fussing at me that they were hungry and thirsty. I sighed and rolled my eyes. They're always hungry and thirsty.

"Girls, I'll get you a drink of water and a little snack, but we have to set up for the party, okay?" I said in a stern voice.

"But mommy", Sylvie whined. "I'm really, really hungry."

As I grabbed two glasses from the cupboard I reminded her that we had just eaten lunch and that there would be food at the party. I quickly filled their cups with a bit of cold water and set them on the table before them.

"Here you go. Now let me see what grandma has in her fridge here." I opened the fridge and looked around for a little something to keep my girls happy.

Just then I heard a few musical notes ring through the quiet. My mother has a grand piano in her front room and I very clearly heard notes being played. No real music, just about 4 or 5 notes played quickly in succession and then it stopped. I jerked back from the fridge, calling in the direction of the front room, "Girls! Get away from the piano and get back to the kitchen. I'm getting you a snack. We're not playing grandma's piano right now."

"We're right here, mom", Sylvie responded. My head jerked toward the sound of her voice. There they were sitting at the table, quietly awaiting their snack.

I froze. My skin covered in goose bumps. My breathing became shallow. My heart racing.

"You didn't play grandma's piano, did you?" I asked, a quiver in my voice.

"No mommy." Sylvie responded. "We were sitting right here."

And it was then I realized - there was no way they could have played those notes and run all the way back around into the kitchen in that few seconds. I would have heard them. I would have seen them running back. We were alone in that house, my two girls and I. Those notes were played by someone else. Something else.

Just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, I asked, "Did you hear somebody play the piano, girls?"

They both nodded and said yes. Then Sylvie continued, "I heard a man playing grandma's piano, but it wasn't me, mom."

I shivered and swallowed hard. "What do you mean you heard a MAN?" I emphasized the word man. My racing pulse picked up even more speed.

Sylvie shrugged nonchalantly, "Well, I just heard a man, mom. Now he's walking on the stairs"

Gritting my teeth, I mustered up my courage and apprehensively walked toward the front room. My head remained rigid while my eyes darted about, scanning the room.

"Who's doing that?" I asked out loud.

"The MAN!" Sylvie shouted from the kitchen.

"SHHHH" I loudly whispered back.

"Who's there?" I repeated. "Come on. Who are you?"

I suddenly felt a cold chill. I swallowed hard, but stood my ground, hoping it would show itself to me or say something. Who was this spirit and what did it want? Did it have something to say to me? Was it simply trying to scare me? It definitely succeeded in that. I suddenly felt a chill and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. But that was it.

"Fine!" I stated aloud and began to walk back toward the kitchen.

Just then my friend called me from her cell phone and said she was just pulling up in front of the house. RELIEF! I walked quickly toward the front door, threw it open and ran out to help her unload her minivan.

And the party proceeded without further disturbance.