I was babysitting at a house in rural Massachusetts. I was 15. The family I was babysitting for went to my church, and since they lived pretty far from my house, I stayed the night. At about 8 pm the little girl Faith, who was barely two, asked to go to bed. I was thinking,"what kid WANTS to go to bed???" But she was a sweet kid, and who was I to argue? LOL The tv reception was horrible, so I found some magazines and a book and settled down to read, on the couch.

Before I go on, I would like to explain about the house. The family bought it as a run down farm house dating back to the 1700's. They renovated it to be a really modern and beautiful home, with a farmhouse feel. So, the first night I babysat, at nine, there was nothing to watch on tv. I settled on the sofa and began reading in silence. The baby had been in her room for an hour. Their dog, a wire haired mutt lay at my feet. The clock on the mantle ticked by. At 10:30, there was a noise on the stairs. I turned to check if it was Faith. I was afraid she could fall. Nothing was there. The stairs were carpeted. Why did I hear footsteps?

A few minutes passed. The noise on the staircase, like bootheels quietly coming down. I turned. Nothing. I figured it was the dog. Then I realized the dog was still on my feet, asleep.

I got up and went to see the baby. She was asleep in her bed. On the way down the stairs, my hair went up on my neck and the dog, who'd followed me, whined. I got down to the couch and sat, watching the stairs. Finally, the parents came home. I went to bed, on the couch. I didn't sleep much, due to the noises from the stairs.

In the morning, I asked the mom about the noises. She very calmly said "oh! You heard our ghost! I often have tea with her in the morning. She's a sweet old lady. You should feel honored she made herself known to you."

I babysat a few times after that and never experienced a thing.