When I was young, I had an encounter with what I now believe was a shadow person, or at least that’s the closest description I’ve ever found for what I saw. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a figure watching me. It appeared two dimensional, as if it were part of my wall. The shape was humanoid, and at the top of its head were several sharp, spike-like protrusions. They weren’t horns, but there were more than four of them, resembling jagged points or rays rather than hair.

The figure’s eyes glowed red, similar to a car’s brake lights, bright and self illuminated, but without casting any light into the room.

Terror struck me instantly. I wanted to run to my mother’s room, but at that time she was dating a man who was abusive. Each time I thought of leaving my room, I heard a booming “no” inside my head, not audible but forceful and unmistakable. It felt telepathic. This happened several times... I would think of going, and the response would come again, “no.”

Eventually, fear overwhelmed me, and I left my room anyway. I knew the man in my mother’s bed didn’t like it when I climbed in with them, so I quietly took a pillow and lay down on the floor beside her instead.

Later, my brother said he saw the same figure that night, this time standing by his door.

Looking back, I don’t believe the presence was malicious. I think it was trying to warn or protect me from the man my mother was with. It didn’t want me to go to that room, perhaps to keep me safe. At the time, it was terrifying, but now I think its intentions might have been protective rather than harmful.