by Tracee Ford
After Robin and Matt explained all of the history and experiences in the house, Jennifer acknowledged having a clear picture and an understanding of things. Robin encouraged Matt to show Jennifer the photos of the cemetery in the woods, so he did. None of the team members seemed apprehensive or scared or even surprised when they studied them.
Olivia sat quietly on the floor by the coffee table working a crossword puzzle. Robin saw how drawn Gabbie was to her.
“Hi there,” Gabbie said politely.
“Hello,” Olivia answered sweetly as she looked up from her puzzle.
Gabbie turned to Matt.
“Your daughter has a gift Dr. Gregory. She can see and hear things that most people can’t. She has been through something very traumatic and because of that event, the spirit world opened right up to her. Your daughter is very special.”
Robin saw Matt’s unsure expression. She knew he didn’t expect to hear that about his daughter from a stranger.
Jennifer then turned her attention to Robin.
“From what you’ve told me, you had the house blessed, but things didn’t get better. In fact, they have gradually gotten worse. The three roaming spirits appear off and on, but the dark entity seems to be overpowering things right now. You’ve suffered a tragedy recently also which opens you up to even more torment. Any type of negativity is something dark forces of any kind feed off. The presence I feel here is dangerous. There have been times that you two have fought; completely out of character for either of you. The negative energy has been brought on by the forces in this house.”
“So what do we do?” Matt asked.
“We’re going to set up some equipment tomorrow night and we will need you to leave the house,” Jennifer answered. “At that time, we will take readings and conduct research. The goal is to determine what needs to be done so your family can find some peace. For now, we’re going to do a walk through while Rodney and Jacob stay here with you, Matt. I want Robin and Olivia to come with us. It seems that most of the anger has been directed toward Robin. Olivia’s developing abilities might be helpful,” she concluded.
Jennifer, Gabbie, Alice, Robin, and Olivia made their way to the parlor first, then the dining room, then the kitchen. No one felt anything unusual.
“We need to go to the basement,” Gabbie interjected.
“Right this way,” Robin said. She opened the door and led them down the stairs. Gabbie held a sketch pad and pencil in her hands. As they stood at the end of the stairs, Gabbie walked farther into the room. She drew as she walked around the room.
“What do you see?” Alice asked.
She handed the paper to her. Alice’s eyes were filled with sadness. She handed the pad of paper to Robin.
“Does this mean anything to you?”
The scene from Robin’s dream was sketched on the paper, but one thing was different; an element she had only read about. In the sketch a man hung from a beam in the basement.
Robin’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“I dreamt this. This is the butcher. At least that’s the name I’ve given him. His real name is…”
“Sims,” Gabbie interrupted.
“Yes. Michael Sims.”
They walked back up the stairs and then went to the second floor. Jennifer led the way. She stopped abruptly.
“Oh my God,” she said softly. “Can you smell that?”
Alice nodded. “Wow. It’s strong.”
Robin didn’t smell anything.
“Smells like decay,” Jennifer added.
“Robin and Olivia should stay downstairs,” Gabbie said.
Robin and Olivia left them. Twenty minutes passed when the group came back to the living room. Alice stood, Jennifer sat in a chair, and Gabbie sat on the floor.
“You definitely have a demon, which I’m sure you already knew,” Jennifer explained. “It has always been here. Mr. Sims dabbled in the black arts and opened the door for this demon to grow even stronger.” Her attention turned to Robin. “It pushed you down the stairs. It still wants to harm you. I sincerely fear for your safety.”
“You need to have the house cleansed,” Gabbie said.
“To get rid of the demon, you’ll need to cleanse the home and complete an exorcism,” Jennifer added.
“But we’re not Catholic,” Matt explained.
“You don’t have to be. I know some very spiritual men who may be able to help and I also know some tribal leaders who would be willing to help with this. It’s whatever you prefer,” Jennifer said.
“I have seen both rituals work,” Gabbie explained, “It’s entirely up to you and your beliefs. I sense that you were once religious, Robin, but now you are extremely spiritual.”
“I am. I lost faith in the fundamentalist church and put my faith in a much broader understanding,” Robin answered.
“You don’t have to understand the ritual of exorcism for it to work,” Alice added.
“So are you saying you would recommend an exorcism over the, what was it you said, ‘tribal’ stuff?” Matt asked curiously.
“Given the strength of this presence, I would suggest it highly.”
Robin and Matt looked at one another. “Can we have a moment,” Robin asked.
“Sure, we’ll just do a really quick assessment of the grounds while you talk,” Jennifer concluded.
When the house cleared out, Matt looked at Robin blankly. He couldn’t hide his confusion.
“Again, I don’t understand any of this,” he said sadly. “I feel completely clueless when this stuff goes on.”
“I understand it. I don’t particularly like it. I really don’t know which ritual would be better. I just feel that the religious rituals box the Creator in and don’t give credit where it’s deserved.”
“Let me ask you this,” he continued, “didn’t you tell me that there’s a little truth in all religious faiths?”
“Yes.”
“Then what if all it takes is you believing in the little bits of truth for this thing to work?”
“I suppose that makes sense.”
“I just want this to end, Robin, especially knowing that this thing wants to hurt you. We can’t stay here knowing that. If that means that a priest or a preacher or some religious leader needs to be involved, I’m okay with that.”
When the team came back in from outside, they had nothing new to report. Everyone stood quietly in the kitchen. Robin walked toward Jennifer. “I think an exorcism is what is best for our situation,” she said.
“I will discuss this with the gentleman I know, but you must understand that you all have to be directly involved,” she said as her eyes met Matt and Olivia’s. “Before we do anything, though, we need to collect data. We will measure EVP’s and take photographs and video of the property. We’ll set cameras up in the rooms where there seem to be the most activity.”
Matt walked to the sink and looked out the window into the blackened woods. “Please understand,” he began, “I’m a man of science. What I can touch and feel is what I believe in. That’s why this has been so difficult for me to accept. I have watched my wife and my daughter suffer. I just buried a son. This entire thing has just about broken every ounce of me. I have reasoned and rationalized everything, but still, nothing makes sense.”
Jennifer walked to him. “Dr. Gregory, this is very real. I know it is very difficult for a man like you to accept the paranormal, but it does exist, trust me. You can go to my website and look at some of the research. What we do has its roots in the scientific method. I’ve documented shadow people, I’ve witnessed exorcisms, I’ve watched shamans contact the dead, and I’ve been directly involved with this type of phenomenon for years. The demon that occupies your home is one of the strongest I’ve ever seen. It has a murderous spirit and it simply wants your wife dead. Do you understand me? If you stay in this house your wife will eventually die. It’ll seem like a simple accident, but it won’t be.”
Gabbie spoke up, “Either the house will catch fire w
hile she’s in it or her next fall down the stairs may not end up so well. This entity hates her.”
His face turned to Gabbie’s. “But, why Robin?”
“Her faith and her beliefs are very powerful,” Gabbie answered. “She was raised in church; she comes from a strong Pentecostal upbringing. She has been touched by the Creator to help people. She has gifts. I think the most profound thing is that she has researched her own beliefs, which has made her even stronger spiritually. She is trying to do what’s right and walk in the light and the demonic force knows this. To be clear, Matt, you’re not much of a threat because you don’t believe. Your daughter is often protected from the demon’s rage by the other entities in the house and the ones that come to her for help crossing over. On the other hand, however, Robin confronted the demon and that angered it even more. When she showed she wasn’t afraid and she stood her ground, the outrage became intense, which is why you lost your son.
“Please, just let us gather data. If when you review the tapes you don’t feel there’s anything to be worried about, we’ll reconsider everything.”
“That sounds reasonable,” Matt agreed.
Wendy and Terri agreed to let Matt and Robin to stay with them overnight with Cookie on Sunday. Olivia would be staying all night with a friend from school. Sunday morning, Robin got up and spent extra time meditating as Matt slept. She felt she needed spiritual preparation. She sat quietly on the parlor floor, her legs crossed and her arms outstretched. Through deep, cleansing breaths, Robin thought about everything that had happened and everything to come. She felt herself calming with each inhale and exhale. Her inner voice offered peace and reassurance. Her spirit guides felt so close she could practically touch them.
When Robin returned to the upstairs, she heard Matt’s fingers hitting the computer keys. She walked into the study and wrapped her arms around his neck, dangling her hands to his chest. “Do you feel more centered now?” he asked sweetly.
“Yes. I feel more prepared.”
She stood up and then walked toward the hall.
Matt looked up as Robin left the room, but he saw something dart out of the bathroom. He walked to the doorway of the study and saw a dark mist following Robin down the hallway. “Robin!” he screamed.
She turned to see a wall of black in front of her. Unable to catch her breath, she gasped as she felt the chokehold around her neck. Her hands clasped her throat as her face turned multiple shades. Cookie stood in Olivia’s doorway barking loudly, but he wouldn’t attempt to come to Robin’s aide. Matt rushed to her and tried to pull her away from the force that had her in its grips. She still gasped frantically. Burn imprints started to form on her neck. Matt’s anger fueled the dark entity and the grip strengthened around Robin. Through tears, she saw her husband helplessly watching as she choked to death. The dark mist still stood firmly in front of them.
“Let go of her!” he shouted. He grabbed her shoulders and began pulling her, trying desperately to break the grasp it had on her.
Olivia stood in the doorway of her room watching in complete disbelief.
“I can see you,” she whispered.
The growl coming from the darkness startled everyone. Robin knew her time grew short.
“Oh my God, what do I do?” Matt shouted.
Immediately the entity disappeared loosening the stronghold. She fell to the floor still coughing, her husband kneeling beside her. She felt his hand on her back as he gently rubbed her.
“Are you okay?”
Still unable to talk, she nodded as she continued coughing.
“Olly, go downstairs and get a glass of water,” he bit out.
Olivia flew down the stairs without hesitation. Robin sat on the floor still calming herself with Matt beside her.
“I don’t understand any of this,” he said with tears filling his eyes.
“They’re right. It’s going to kill me,” she whispered.
“We’ve got to do something,” he said helping Robin to her feet.
“It’s getting more powerful.”
“I don’t have any answers, Robin. If I did, we wouldn’t be dealing with this anymore.”
Wendy, Terri, Robin, and Matt went out for a late Sunday night dinner. Robin could tell Wendy and Terri weren’t sure what subjects were proper to bring up, so most of the time they talked about Matt’s job and the things Robin missed at work.
Robin had always been a very direct, assertive person. So, instead of dealing with awkwardness the entire night, she decided to put everything out on the table. She trusted Wendy and Terri unconditionally.
“I know you two are concerned about us,” she started, “and I just want to tell you how grateful we are that you have opened your home to us.”
“You know you’re always welcome,” Terri replied.
“The truth is that there are things happening that we just can’t seem to explain. There’s something wrong with the house.”
“We know,” Wendy replied.
“It’s gotten much worse and honestly, if whatever these investigators want to do doesn’t work, I’m putting the house up for sale and we’re going to leave it. We don’t need this,” Matt interrupted.
“Don’t blame you one bit,” Wendy agreed. “I knew there was something wrong when we were measuring the windows. Then that day on your porch; I’ll never forget that. There is no way I’d have been able to stay as long as you guys have.”
“It’s sad,” Robin said softly.
Everyone quieted.
“That house was part of our dream. It’s where he asked me to marry him,” she continued as she looked over at Matt. “We worked on it together and finished it together. I never thought we’d even have to consider moving out. I always thought we would raise our children there and grow old there.”
Robin felt Matt’s hand on her leg. “Nothing is worth your life, Robin. We can always find another house.”
“I know it hurts you, but Robin, maybe what you two need is a fresh start,” Wendy suggested.
After leaving the restaurant and returning to Terri and Wendy’s, the four of them played cards for a few hours, laughing and talking. Normalcy; what a strange concept, Robin realized.
When everyone retired for the night, Matt and Robin sat in bed reading, as they usually did most nights. Matt put his book down on his lap. He sighed heavily and turned his body toward Robin.
“Robin,” he began. She looked at him waiting for him to speak. “If this situation doesn’t get resolved, we’re going to have to move out fairly quickly. I’ve been looking at other places. It seems like it would just be easier to build a house, you know? I just can’t shake feeling like everything we’ve done with the house has been a total waste.”
“Nothing that we have done together has been a waste. We took a chance, it didn’t work. So, we have to figure out something else,” she suggested.
“I bought that house because it was something that you and I could say that we worked at together, you know?”
“I won’t lie. I am very disappointed that we even have to consider moving. But, I also realize that this is something that is not in our control. I love the house, but I love you more,” she persisted. “Wherever you go, I’ll go. Whatever you think is best I’ll go along with it. If I have any issues with your decisions, I will tell you. That’s what we agreed to and that’s how it’s always been.”
“I don’t want this to be the end,” he said unhappily.
“It’s not. It’s just a really sharp turn in the road.”
The next day Matt and Robin met Jennifer at the house. She waited in the driveway as they pulled the truck into the garage. She followed them in with her laptop case on her shoulder.
They sat at the dining room table. Robin’s hand rested in Matt’s. Jennifer sat across from them. “What I’m going to show you are images we captured from our night investigation. What I’m about to show you may disturb you. So, if at any point, you need me to stop the footage, I can. We can take a break
and then start again.”
The tension swelled in Robin’s chest as she squeezed Matt’s hand.
“Ready?” Jennifer asked.
With a hard swallow, Robin looked at Matt. They nodded.
The first video showed the upstairs hallway. The camera sat at the far end so each doorway could be observed. Suddenly the study light flashed on and off. Footsteps were heard in the hallway as if someone were running toward the camera. Then there was banging coming from the study. The hall light began going on and off uncontrollably.
“So, what’s going on in the study?” Matt asked.
“Patience Dr. Gregory,” Jennifer replied.
In the doorway of the study hovered the black mist. It never ventured into the hallway, but made its presence known with deep growls and other audible noises.
Jennifer clicked a button on the computer and the footage from inside the study came up on the screen. The lights flickered, as seen in the previous footage. Robin’s desk chair literally lifted from the ground and slammed onto the hardwood floor. The pictures shook on the wall as the banging continued. Then it was silent with only footsteps heard in the hall way. Then the dark figure hovered in the doorway. As it neared the camera in the study, it consumed the lens in blackness.
Jennifer clicked another button and the basement came up on the screen. A tall, transparent man paced back and forth. He disappeared and then reappeared several times. He didn’t try to present himself or to do anything vile.
Jennifer clicked another button and footage of the field between the house and the O’Bryan’s popped up. Several orbs began flying through the air. Jennifer looked at Matt and Robin.
“This is what will disturb you. Seeing this figure isn’t something you’re not used to, but when you hear the EVP’s, you will see why I’m concerned. Let me explain how we do EVP’s. We go through each room and monitor temperature change and we ask questions to see if the spirits will answer us. They usually speak on a frequency that cannot be heard by the human ear and then sometimes entities communicate as plainly as you or me. Tape recordings help document the audible and inaudible activity.”
She clicked another button on the computer and video footage came up of Gabbie and Alice standing in the basement. Gabbie held something in her hand. It lit up as they neared the far corner. “What is your name?” Gabbie asked. The voice replied “Sims.” She waited a few moments. “Why are you here?” A few moments lapsed. “My house.” Gabbie spoke up again, “Do you want to leave?” The voice replied, “No.” She then asked, “Can we help you in anyway?” There was no reply. Gabbie turned to Alice. “He’s right there,” she said quietly, but nothing could be seen on the film.