After my mother had passed, my father experienced so much grief and dispair, he turned to the bottle and drugs. He knew we weren't in the best of hands in his new found condition. We were sent on, what we thought was a summer vacation from Florida back home to Arkansas with our Grandparents. Summer turned to fall and we knew it was something more than just a vacation. I being 7 and my brother aged 6 we made the best of all the acreage and streams.

Soon the nights became anything but normal for us. JonJon, my little brother had always walked in his sleep. But these nights he was running through the old farmhouse screaming for his little life, he'd run into the living room, in through the stove and pantry room then into the kitchen and back. There was a small step in the kitchen. He never fell running in but did every single time he came back. He would land, scramble and get away from whatever it was and the pursuit would end shortly after. On one particular night when he fell my grandparents seemed to grab him from each side and look at him and at the direction from which he had fallen. Fighting and struggling his body soon became limp. There were no more middle of the night outbursts after that. It was quiet but far from peaceful as an energy still lingered.

As I lay in bed trying to get back to sleep, hours passing by, I noticed light on my wall, bouncing around what appeared to be the bare branches of a lilac bush. The shapes making shadow through the light became more irregular and unrecognizable. I slowly crawled down to peek out the window before the right side foot of my bed. I slowly peeked out as not to be seen, one eye upon what I could only describe as gremlin looking, blue-grey shiny scaley slick skin, large pointy pronounced ears, small mouths with sharp teeth . They were bouncing, dancing around the fire dancing, some banging on drums. The drum stopped and chattering ensued, I scrambled back up to my pillow and assumed position under blanket,still as can be, eyes diverted from the window and at the wall. I could see them peering in the window by the defined shape of their shadows upon the wall. Then, the light flickers out to dark and not another sound besides the occasional scratch noise or creek here and there. Sleep was mine as the sunlight pierced the sky.

Next morning Jon-Jon seemed fine, as if nothing had happened. Our day went on as usual, skipping rocks on the pond, mud wars, swimming and coming home as the fireflies began to light up the fields. I told him on our way home for supper what I had seen the night before. His eyes grew wide, his lip trembled as he turned his head away. "They got me...." he mumbled. He did not utter another word. We quietly ate, Jon-Jons' eyes never looking up from his plate. I figured then that I best leave him alone about it and keep my questions to myself.

That night I lay in bed, again, as usual having a hard time quieting my mind. Finally, I drift away. But I'm still in my bed. I begin to smell smoke and light starts to glow and flicker at the end of my bed. My bed begins to tilt! I and my blankets bunching around my hands and knees begin to slide. This is hopeless! I stick my thumbs behind the foot board and flatten out to lesson the chances of me falling off into the sulfur smelling fire. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on when I am jolted awake. I find myself at the end of my bed, I turn and look, the floor is back! Oh my gosh,I collapse on the bed, what kind of messed up dream was that. Breathing deep breaths, gathering my thoughts. I realize I still smell smoke. Its not the Velvet tobacco my grandparents smoked. It was cigar smoke. What the... I slowly turn my head to the doorway, and see the figure of a man in my doorway. He lifts his cigar to his mouth and takes a drag. The cherry of the cigar lit up his face and chest area. He was wearing a tux and he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I looked in his dark eyes and knew instantly who he was. He was the Devil himself, Lucifer.

Growing up, as I had stated in previous stories, I have always had trouble getting to sleep and had a terrible time with night terrors. My dad taught me that the way to make my bad dreams and the bad feelings associated with them go away is to say "God stands before me, Satan fall behind!" Well boys and girls I didn't even say it out loud, I said it in my head and the instant that those words were released from my mind, my eyes slammed closed and I was fast asleep.

Come to find out, years later, after being reunited with my dad that my mother had the very same experience in the very room I was staying in at my grandparents. When she had her encounter he was right next to her bed, they had a lengthy conversation about God, the Devil and my mom knows what, many dark encounters followed. I find peace in the thought that he is getting further and further away and my children are educated on the matter. I know they will be okay.

As far as those little gremlin critters, talking to a coworker 17 yrs ago. She informed me that her cousin, sweet as could be with a heart of gold just couldn't stay out of trouble. She said that the Cobalts got her... When she gave me their description I knew these were the same things. They got my brother, sweet as can be, with a heart of gold. He just can't stay outta trouble.

Experienced and told By: Tessa N Thomas-Peterson F.C.P.I. Founder and Director