Is there a Ghost in my House

Hello! I have been enjoying your site for about 3 months now. I have great interest in the paranormal, but from a distance. . . I'm not sure I want to have an actual experience, if you know what I mean. Supposedly, my grandmother who I never met was clairvoyant and could contact spirits. This gift was not passed on to me - I have never had an encounter. But some one in my family did - in my home!!
About 4 years ago we went on vacation to Florida for a glorious 2 weeks (my husband, son, and myself). We had been in our home about a year. We asked my brother in law, whom I will call "Jake", his wife "Susan" and their daughter "Emily" if they would spend the weekends in the house and cut the grass for us while we were gone and they said yes. That Friday night when they came over, Jake was asleep in our bedroom on the first floor (cape cod) along with Emily and Susan was watching TV in our family room. Susan sees her daughter Emily come out of the bedroom, cross the living room towards the stairway heading upstairs (there are 3 bdrms and a full bath upstairs). She called out to her and Emily did not answer, so Susan got up to follow her. Mind you, Emily did not want to sleep upstairs in our sons' room because she was scared, the here she is late at night heading up there! So Susan is wondering, Where is she going?
When Susan reached the living and looked at her daughter, at the bottom of the stairs, she realized it was not her daughter at all, but a blond woman of about 25. My niece is 11 at time, long black hair! My sister-in-law ran to my room where both her husband and daughter were sound asleep. Susan was convinced that someone "alive" had broken into the house because the woman she saw was no apparition - she looked like flesh and blood. She made Jake check every room, closet and all through the basement, to make sure they were in fact alone. They checked to make sure all doors/windows were locked and they were.
Well, they went through the whole house and found nothing. My sister in law was starting to believe (at her husband's suggestion) that she had started dosing and dreamed this, so she went back to her movie in the family room and Jake went back to bed. She again saw the exact same thing! The woman coming out of my bedroom and heading to the stairs. While I am fairly certain I have never had a paranormal encounter, I have experienced something I have in common with many of the stories I have read in your site. I have had dreams where I just know there is something not right at all, or there is a presence, and I try like crazy to wake up and cannot, and when I finally do, I look around as if expecting to see someone. Once as I was desperately trying to wake up from one of these dreams, precisely in that moment of being awake, I swore there was someone standing in my door way - didn't see it, but sensed it and heard like when someone stands for a while and shuffles their feet. It was so weird and when I woke, my heart was pounding so hard and fast!!. Other times, I cannot sleep in my own bedroom and have gone to sleep in my son's room, where I always sleep soundly. During these times, I wake up scared out of my mind, not wanting to move, or even breath and trust me, I don't! Often, I pray and while praying, I fall asleep again.
So, you tell me what you think, I would really like to hear! I also would love to know if there is a way I can contact this spirit in a "safe" manner - I don't want to make contact with anything malevolent. I am terrified to use a Ouija board because of the many experiences I read about in your site. I am truly a "chicken * * * *!" Besides, for my son's sake too, I want hime to feel safe and secure.
Our home is a beautifully restored little cape cod, it's 70 years old. We feel so at peace in the house and once home rarely want to leave! Many people are amazed with how beautiful the little house is and the lot it sits on is very pretty too! I can't imagine that we've been living a house that has a spirit and have not sensed it.
I would truly appreciate your comments and if you post this story, anyone else's.

By: arleneodiaz@earthlink.net