As a self-proclaimed skeptic, I never put stock in ghost stories or paranormal experiences. That was until I began experiencing inexplicable events in my rural New York home, which I suspect was built on a Native American burial ground. 

While minor incidents occurred early on, the truly chilling events began in the later years of my residence, from 2016 to early 2022.

One of the first notable incidents happened while playing hide-and-seek with friends. Hiding in the basement, my brother's friend claimed to have seen someone and gave chase. When he realized it was only us, he was shaken. 

We were all spooked and immediately went upstairs. Another basement incident involved ghost hunting with friends. When the lights flickered out after an unexplained brush past my friend, we didn't hesitate to leave.

A series of events in my bedroom further pushed me out of my skepticism. For a month, I would wake at exactly 3:03 AM, feeling an intense sense of being watched. 

This started after a sleepless night when I heard three taps on my second-story window, despite no trees or wind. Another night, I woke to heavy breathing sounds from my closet. When I investigated with my brother's help, the breathing ceased, and we found nothing.

The most concrete proof of the paranormal came when my sister and I saw a dark figure, the size of our youngest sister, enter the bathroom as we reached the top of the stairs. 

When we investigated, the bathroom was empty. Days later, our youngest sister described a 6-foot-tall shadow figure watching her sleep. When we shared our story, fear gripped our entire family.

Further incidents involved strange noises in the woods, which had an ominous feeling and were much colder than the rest of the property. On 9/11/2021, while playing in the woods, we heard a faint thudding, like a drumbeat, growing louder. 

Despite initial fear, we returned with binoculars but saw nothing. The drums ceased, replaced by an eerie silence, and then the sound of thousands of crows. The experience was baffling and terrifying.

As a logical person, I always seek explanations before attributing events to the paranormal. But these experiences, particularly those in the woods, have left me with a certainty that there's more to this world than what we can see and touch.

 While I remain skeptical of many paranormal claims, my own experiences have undeniably shifted my perspective.