While growing up I remember when my uncle Mike used to give all of us kids dimes so we could go to the store (back then a dime could get you a chocolate bar, a cola, or a bunch of candy). He died about 25 years or so ago and as time went on whenever someone in the family found a single dime in their pocket or on the floor or anywhere a dime turned up it was attributed to uncle Mike's spirit watching over us. A few months ago, while on a camping trip with my grandson, we were cruising the prairies with no particular idea of where we would end up, the only rule was to avoid pavement as much as possible and follow back trails and gravel roads. We ended up in the small town my uncle Mike was buried in so I visited his grave and told the grandson stories about my uncle, neglecting to tell him anything about the dimes as it was far from my mind. That night we decided to spend a night in a motel as we would be roughing it for several days therefter. During the evening he tapped on the centre bedside table and said "Papa, why don't you read me a story?" with a smirk on his face. "So you know about the Gideon bibles." I said while opening the drawer to grab the book. When I took it out a dime fell out of the book. That's about as close to a ghost story as I have experienced.
On a related note, when I was about 15 years old my mother and I had a practical joke worked out. It was a Sunday and my friend Tim came over to pick me up so we could go out for coffee. I proceeded to tell him a very strange story about walking home from the party the night before and passing the old house on the coner of 4th Avenue and Scotia Street. As I as walking by I heard my name being called and I turned towards the house and there was a little old lady standing in the streetlight shadow of some trees. "Did you call me?" I asked. She said she had been watching me for quite some time and the prophecy that spoke to her in her visions was of me standing at the top of a mountin with everything buring as far as the eye could see. "You will survive, and you have a chance to save three friends. You will know of the forecoming doom when you see a black rabbit being chased by an albino fox. When this happens you must take your three friends and proceed west. The rest will be revealed through your own visions". My buddy Tim was listening to this story with a bemused look on his face and I told him I thought that's what would happen if I told anyone. I told him I asked the old lady, who I thought was a witch, how could I convince my friends, otherwise they would not believe me and come with me when I saw the sign. She said to ask them to pick a card out of a deck of cards. She gave me her phone number and I could call her at any time and she would reveal to them the card they picked. He was still skeptical so I said "Pick a card then." I cannot remeber the card he picked but let's say it was a seven of clubs. I knew my mother was at my grandmothers place and she always answered the phone when there, so I called up my grandmother and my mother answered the phone. I said, in front of Tim, "Is this the lady I spoke to last night regarding the prophecy?" That was her cue to slowly, but not too slowly say "Hearts...diamonds...clubs". When she got to clubs I cut her off by saying "Yes, I have a friend here who is a non-believer and I did as you asked and he has picked a card." So she now knew that it was clubs and she started saying, slowly but not too slowly "one...two...three...four..." etc. When she got to seven I cut her off and said "Yes, he's with me right now. I'll put him on." and handed the phone to Tim. He took the phone and I was watching him closely. I saw the smile leave his face and a look of awe and wonder took over. He was scared and white as a ghost. I then told him that I'd meet him downtown in about an hour as I had some things to do. He left and I called my mother to let her know it worked like a charm. When I got down town later and met up with him he was holding court at a table telling everyone the story and insisting "No..It's true!". I didn't have the heart to spill the beans then and there but a few weeks later when I let the cat out of the bag he was mighty pissed off. I learned that practical jokes could have their downside but he eventually got over it and we were still buds. I did not make this prank up, I had read it somewhere and copied it.
Something inside your pretty pretty brain is probably saying no. Speaking of pretty, damn I hate your avatar! I could barely choke my way thru this post! Now yer gonna say, "That Nixon mask on your avatar makes me a little edgy", and I'll say, "That ain't Nixon! That's me!" Feelings will be hurt ... but yeah, interesting story! Ugly avatar.
just teasing, but you sound a lot like me, I have been around much of the same and share your view there. I also share not nadines view in not 'speaking something up' or aggravating any unseen forces that might see me do it. and Scratch do you know the origin of your name? Lol! Its hard to go into the demonic spirit aspect without getting 'religious' but I have recently a story unfolding at hand, that is mindblowing, to me, I wish I could share it, maybe I can in parts, but still again, I don't want to speak anything up. 
