I`ve just been reading through the spooky stories on the internet and thought I`d post my own true encounter.

It happened when I was about 11 (by the way, I`m now 21 so it`s all a little bit hazy)

We were all round my friends house (all, meaning me and five others so I`m not the only insane one!!) and admittedly we were all spooking each other out by telling ghost stories, not that they were that scary being told by 11 year olds but you get my drift.

Now, my friend lived in a rather small house with the upstairs consisting of just two rooms, both linking off from a box landing, so standing from one doorway you could see right into the other room (providing of course the door was open!)

My friend's mum was already out for the day and I remember her dad calling up the stairs that he was going out for the afternoon hence leaving us all alone. We heard the door close and as far as we know he left. (we heard his car start anyway) We then stopped telling stories, we were scaring ourselves silly anyway and I'd like to say what followed must have been an end result of our minds playing tricks with us because of the stories but I can't.

Just a little note before I begin, her dad was really security obsessed and used to lock downstairs while he was out, leaving my friend (let's call her Nicola) with a spare key so we could get out but no strange people could get in.

Nicola's door was closed and from behind that door we first heard strange noises, like someone was scraping a pencil or a nail down the door, when Nicola opened the door there was nothing there, within 30 seconds of closing the door it started up, again Nicola opened the door and again there was nothing there. Then, we heard a banging noise and Nicola being completely stupid decided yet again to open the door and she then saw her parent's wardrobe doors opening and shutting like they only had a day to do it, but saw nothing moving them. By this time I'd leapt under the bed covers (along with four others) in the hope that if I could'nt see it, it would go away. Wrong!! Nicola slammed the door and just stood froze to the spot, then I remember seeing the door slowly opening and heard myself screaming at Nicola to keep the door shut, with this she bolted towards the door and tried to hold it there but whatever was pushing the door was stonger than she was and the door was still opening, her younger sister (8) then rushed towards than door (I would have helped, really!!) and tried her best to keep the door from moving but the door still kept opening.

Then, amidst the screams I heard the door downstairs slam and her dad's voice yell up the stairs, when he yelled the two sisters fell against the door they were pushing (probably hurting their faces in the process), it seems whatever was pushing stopped when her dad called out, causing the sisters weight to fall against the door.(He had come home for a moment as he had forgotten something, very convenient!!)

With this we all ran out like we'd heard there was a free-for-all at an ice cream factory and bundled into the street behind her house much to the bewilderment of her dad and just stared up at the window for what seemed like ages and to this day no-one said a thing and no-one thought to ask Nicola exactly what went on up there.

One thing that does stick in my mind is that at the bottom of the stairs we bolted down , on the wall there hung a crying boy picture (which is meant to have a curse placed upon it since the early ages.) Never did like those pictures, I made my grandmother take one down when I was small as it gave me nightmares, the picture came down, the nightmares stopped.

So, you tell me what happened as I don't have a clue. I would appreciate any possible answers.

You know the weird thing, I haven't seen those girls for over 10 years, strange!!!!!

Tara