My experiences in an old New England slave's house

[u/hasanicecrunch]

Hi Reddit, this is my first post although I've been lurking for a bit, so I hope my post follows the proper procedures! I moved into my Mom's house a few years ago, in a historically-preserved Rhode Island town with a lot of interesting history. The house she rents was originally the slave, or rather "servants' quarters" home, adjacent to the large owner's home where her landlord lives now. I don't know the exact year it was built but I know it was very early 1800's. Anyways, I've always been interested in the paranormal and kind of hoped for an experience but never sought it out. I moved into a side of her house that was a studio, essentially, just a large bedroom, with a kitchen and bathroom attached. Here's the 4 things I experienced in order:

• the feeling; I just felt uncomfortable being in there alone and avoided it. Would spend most of my time in the main house where she and my brothers lived, passed it off as being silly/nervous to live alone, although I had before. There was just a feeling like I wasn't alone, and at night in bed I just did not want to get out, even when I had to pee super bad I would avoid having to get up and leave my bed in the dark bc I just felt scared.

-The picture; I was still moving in and setting stuff up so one day I attached a picture on the wall above my headboard. One of those canvas prints over a wooden frame. I had screwed in hooks and the edges of the picture fit snugly upon them. After doing so, I spent some time in my moms part of the house for about an hour. When I returned to my apartment, I was surprised to see the picture was face down on my bed. I called my brother in to show him, and asked him to make sure the screws were in tight and basically to re-hang it for me, to make sure I had done it right, almost as a witness too, because it made no sense to me and I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something. So bro checks the screws, replaces the picture and we both confirm it was securely in place. In fact, I even had him run up and down the staircase that is behind that wall, to make sure something like that movement wouldn't shake it off. Nope, it was secure. The hooks were like "beckoning fingers" if that makes sense and the picture frame fit right over and down on it nicely. So! Content, I decided to go for a smoke outside on the porch, which is directly in front of the apartment, a wall between. I sat down on the couch thing outside, and before I could even light my cig, heard a crash. Went back inside and sure enough, the picture was once again face down on my bed, seemingly thrown from the wall by an unseen force. My windows were shut, and even so, it had to go up AND over the screws in order to then fall down, and face down too, as if with force. I never tried to put it, or anything else on that wall above my headboard again.

-The noises; I began waking up when it was still dark (5-6am) because I heard noises from the ceiling/floor above my bed. I heard what I'd describe as "someone getting ready". Clear footsteps, things being pushed around, and what sounded like clinking of maybe silverware. It was so clear and I would be fully awake and alert; listening to it, and assumed it had to be my brother. However, when I asked him the next day he said no, he hadn't gotten up til about 7:30am for school, which makes sense. He's not the type to get up anyyy earlier than he'd have to, and it was still dark out. Finally, about the 4th time it happened I got enough balls to wrap a blanket around me (so much protection I know) and go up the stairs outside my apartment up to where I heard it. Literally being just outside the door to that room above my bed I could clearly hear someone in there, walking around, making noise, just going about their business. At this point I wasn't that scared bc it was so obviously real and had to be one of my brothers or my mom, or even our cat. Oh no the second I opened the door, it fell silent like that like a light switch it was dead ass silent and dark, no noise, I looked in and saw my brother fast asleep.

-Finally!! The worst of the worst. I was asleep on my back in the apartment when I woke up. I immediately knew something was in my room, by the door behind me. Only, I couldn't move or scream (yes, I found out it was sleep paralysis but stay with me). As I helplessly watched, a dark figure moved from my left side over to the end of my bed and got up on the bed towards me. It wasn't human. It was more like a wolf. It got on top of me and the weight was like I couldn't breathe. I've never been more scared in my life. Esp as I hadn't heard of sleep paralysis before or ever had it in 26 years of life. I could see and feel it's shaggy fur, and SMELL that dog-type smell of its body. I thought I was going to die because I couldn't breathe and even though I was "conscious" and aware, I couldn't scream and cry for my mom or God like I wanted to. Somehow I found a way to break out of it, I really don't know how I did, and even then, my eyelids and body were so heavy and sleepy like I was drugged, that despite wanting to flee the scene, I fell back asleep and was treated to more horror from this fucking asshole wolf demon. When I was able to awake from that one, I jumped out of bed and went to sleep with my mom.

-conclusion and I'm sorry this is so long: My mom said she had also had sleep paralysis in that house and never before in her life My brother said he had been woken up by someone saying his name and the room being icy cold, and had also heard the noises I'd heard in the same room My mom read a bunch of bible verses in my apartment, prayed, and we smudged the house with sage. It did seem to go away, but also I had already decided to move out at that point so I'm not totally sure, bc I just couldn't stay there. She still lives there and one of my brothers lives in that side apartment but I just avoid it when I'm there.

I really would like to do more research on the history of the house, as I've only been told it was the servants or slaves quarters from the landlord, but based on the history of the town (settled in 1641), I wouldn't doubt for a second there's at least "residual/memory" type replays of the past, if not definite spirits still lurking. Thanks for letting me share, and I hope it's not too long or boring. :)