Demons Among a Demon intro-chap.2 edit

Demons Among a Demon

by

Kevin L. Southard


Introduction

    A recent news poll states that fifty-two percent of all Americans believe in ghosts, while another sixty-eight percent believe in the Devil and other pop culture demons. Is this belief derived from the presence of so many pop-culture television shows, whether fictional or reality programming? Could it be that, they have seen a ghost or witnessed something that altered their views? The same poll also shows that twenty-four percent of all Americans have seen or felt the presence of a ghost sometime in their life. Which ever category that you subscribe to, it is my experience as a paranormal investigator that anything is possible whenever a ghost or “the supernatural” is involved.

    While writing this book, it is not my intention to persuade you into joining those sixty-eight percent of Americans that believe in the supernatural. But, I do intend to persuade you to have an open mind to the idea and not to jump to conclusions about someone’s state-of-mind when they tell you that they have seen a
ghost.

    The story you are about to read is based partly from actual events  as well as, victim interviews. The names and locations have been changed to protect the victims, the investigation team and its associates.

    My name is Alex Davis; as a pagan minister, I have always believed in ghosts, demons, and many different forms of the so-called "non-fleshies."  So, when after several months of research, my wife suggested that we organize a local paranormal research group, I jumped at the idea. We started networking with other "ghost hunters" in and around the area. In the weeks to follow, we attended paranormal conventions and participated in several investigations with other groups. After a few weeks we were hooked. We ordered our equipment, bought our web space and soon our group was born.
      It took us no time at all to get our group of members together: graphic artists, college students, and a photographer, to name a few. It took even less time for other groups to start sending evidence for us to analyze. I guess that my extensive background, such as theosophy, and paganism, which was listed on the web page, resulted in confidence of my abilities, and the hope that my name would lend merit to their own projects. Picture after picture was sent to us to analyze. Electronic Voice Phenomena recordings known as EVP's soon followed. As these bits and pieces of evidence were sent to me, I found some to be genuine phenomena, but there was also a lot of fabricated, man-made bunk. So I decided to take the position of debunker in the group. If it was man-made evidence or trickery, I would surely prove it.

    Over the next several months, we conducted small investigations of  haunted bridges, haunted roads and a few haunting’s in residential homes. While most of the residential investigations didn't pan out, for lack of evidence, there were a few unexplainable occurrences at one of the haunted bridges. Of course at the conclusion of our investigations and after our evaluation of evidence, we would post our findings and our conclusions on our web site. It didn't take long for our name to get around. Our organization was popping up on Internet sites from all around the country and on popular web search engines.  We even had paranormal Internet radio programs contacting us for interviews.

    But, no amount of training, be it religion, psychology, or some other scientific study, could prepare a person for the events that took place through out  those six traumatizing months. For us and the Spencer family it was pure hell.

    In the spring of 2007, Dr. Welch, a Parapsychology professor from a reputable north-eastern college, contacted us. He was involved with a group that conducted paranormal investigations in New York. He told us a family in Plattsburgh had filled out one of his online questionnaires and claimed to have a haunting, which seemed to be of a demonic nature. Dr. Welch conducted a telephone interview with the father and a colleague of his, who practiced remote-viewing conduct such a viewing of the house. Their group's preliminary findings suggested that there were possibly seven demonic entities haunting the family. Three of these entities were very strong and held sway over the other four, which were of lesser demonic hierarchy. Dr. Welch told us he would love to head the investigation, but it just wouldn't be possible because he and his group were six hours away from the residence.  So he asked us if we would accept the case, since we were only a two hour drive away. After consulting a well-known psychic friend of mine, who also agreed with their findings, we accepted.

    They say hind-sight is 20/20. If  I only knew then, what I know now, I would have told him to go to hell and hung up on him.  If there were things about the demonic world that I didn't believe in, after this investigation I believed and knew anything was possible.

Chapter One

May 18-19

    The day started like every other Friday. 5:45 a.m. and Kelsey as usual, reluctantly dragging herself out of bed. “Come on babe, time to get our son dressed and ready for school.”  The smell of my favorite gourmet coffee hits my nose as I exit the bedroom heading for the shower. I swallow up my coffee cake and finally, at 6:15, coffee in hand I walk out the door. Not noticing that it rained this morning, I slipped on the running board as I climb into the new Navigator we purchased this past weekend, spilling coffee down the front of my pants. “Damn it!” I laugh. Jamming to my favorite techno music playing on the satellite radio and sipping my coffee, I hit the interstate headed into the city for a long day of work.  Little did I know that this wouldn't be an ordinary Friday. It would be filled with confusion, fear, and at the same time, excitement, all because of one unexpected email.
    At 9:30 my cell phone rings and the nightmare begins. "Hello, this is Alex. Can I help you?"
    "Hey babe, its Kelsey."
    "I'm kind of busy.” I tell her. “What's up?"
    "I just wanted to find out if you were getting off on time tonight."
    "As far as I know.” I told her. “Why?  What’s up?"
  "We received an email about a new case a few minutes ago. It came from a parapsychology professor in New York City. It sounds kind of interesting." she told me, sounding excited.
    "That's cool. I will be home a little bit after four."
    "Okay babe. See ya then. Love ya."
    "Love you too Kelsey."

    The rest of the afternoon went by so slow. I was excited that we had a new case and that was all I could think about. I wished for something to keep my mind off her phone call. Any distraction to help the time go by. But, today had to be the day that my normally temperamental machine would run perfectly. Minutes drug on like hours.
    Finally it was three o'clock...time to go. I scanned my time card and changed clothes as quick as I could. I grabbed my coffee and headed out the door. I turned the Navigator out of the parking lot onto the highway noticing that a nasty thunderstorm was brewing. I turned on the radio to see if any storm warnings had been posted and began my hour drive home.  Kelsey, I hoped, would have most of the paperwork done and organized, the majority of our emails would be answered and she should have dinner about done. We can discuss the new case over our usual Friday spaghetti dinner. "Babe, I'm home. Damn, what smells so good? It doesn't smell like spaghetti."
    "Well, I figured that we would celebrate tonight. I fixed a couple of steaks and fries. Dakota got picked up at school so we can work all weekend. He won't be home until Sunday night."
    "Cool. We can get some work done this weekend." I said. "So, tell me about this email."
    "Go get a shower first...you stink." she laughed.
    "Yea, you stink too." I retorted.

    As  we ate dinner, we talked about some of the up-coming events that our group had, and about a few fund-raisers we were planning for the group. We didn't talk about the new case at all. "Hey Alex, while I clear the table would you start some coffee?" Kelsey got up and began collecting the dishes.
    "Sure babe. So, tell me about this email."
    "As soon as the coffee is done." She replied.

  Reading this first email about the Spencer family and the paranormal activity they claimed to be experiencing, sent chills up my spine. The questionnaire stated the activity started three years ago after an old friend of Clay's (the father) showed up at the house after twenty years. Clay said his friend stayed only one night, but during his visit, he was seen by his son performing some sort of ritual. This ritual was supposed to be a curse against his friend's parents. Clay believes his friend opened  a portal of sorts or conjured something that now, will not leave. Over the past two years, other family members and friends, on several occasions, have seen something walking through the creek. This “something”, was said to be glowing and was the size of a small pig. One of these occurrences caused Clay's brother great stress and has kept him away from the house for over a year. The report goes on to say the family was having a heated argument one evening over their sons behavior. During this argument Clay raised his hand to strike Justin, when all of a sudden, half of the lights in the house went out. The next day an electrician was called to the house to check for problems. The electrician received a severe shock during his inspection of the wiring, but neither he nor the next electrician found any problems.

    Clay's wife, Betsy has claimed to hear voices calling her name and something growling in her face while she lays in her bed at night. She also claims that some mornings she will lay out the clothes she intended on wearing. She would place  them on the bed, take her shower. When she returns to the bedroom, the clothes would mysteriously be returned to the closet and drawers. Justin, their son, claims to have seen two separate ghosts in his bedroom. At times, while trying to sleep, there’s been some sort of winged creature sitting on his bed. While Clay related all of these things to the professor, and admitted to hear voices, and see figures moving about on the property...he is not scared or excited.  Sometimes he thinks that if he ignores it,  it will go away.

    Dr. Welch and his associates feel that Justin has some untrained sensitivities. The clairvoyant in their group feels as though there are seven demonic entities present in the house. Three of which are very strong, and hold sway over the others, which are of a lessor demonic hierarchy.

      Dr. Welch went on to write, "with the typical list of paranormal activities and the families willingness to talk endlessly about their experiences, he can't help but think there is a lot of attention seeking going on and the family is somewhat dysfunctional."

    My wife and I pondered the information for a couple of hours and then decided to consult one of our psychic colleagues to get her take on the situation. "Hello, is Tanya there?" I asked.
    "This is Tanya." the voice on the other end replied.    "Hey this is Alex."
    "Hi Alex, I had a feeling that you were going to call. What can I do for ya?"
    I thought for a moment, choosing my word carefully. I didn’t want to sound as if I didn’t believe anything that I had read in the email. "Well...Kelsey and I got this case handed over to us from a doctor in up-state New York today. The case intrigues us but, at the same time, its making us a bit nervous." I rambled on for an hour and a half. When I finally finished.

    "I can understand your reluctance in taking the case.  I feel like  something very dark is surrounding you.” she paused for a second.      “The number seven comes to my mind. It seems that there are at least seven demons involved and” she stopped talking. There was dead silence. “Legion!”
      "Tanya!" no answer. "Tanya!" silence.
  "Alex, please be careful. There is something about this case doesn't seem right. I feel there is danger involved. I keep hearing a young boy, he is repeating the name Legion." she sounded nervous.
    "Hmm. No one mentioned Legion before."
    "Do you know who Legion is?" she asked.
    "Yea. Unfortunately I do."
    "So what are you going to do?"
    "Well, I think we are definitely going to take the case. Would you be interested in consulting.?"
    "Sure. As long as it doesn't start troubling my son." she replied.
    "I understand. Okay, well I need to get going. I need to call Dr. Welch and let him know that we will take the case. I'll call you tomorrow."
    "Alex, tell Kelsey that Dakota is fine. It's only a cold."
    "Okay, sure will. Talk to ya later."
    "Bye Alex."
    "Bye."

    We hung up.  I poured myself a cup of coffee, sat down in my easy chair and started reading the email again.  This time highlighting, underlining, and jotting down notes all over the pages.  Could this family be suffering from schizophrenia or mass delusions?  What kind of relationship does the father have with the kids, his wife? Is anyone involved using drugs? I wrote note after note for hours while Kelsey napped on the couch.
   
    The night passed by quickly.  The next thing I knew it was Saturday morning.  I had spent the night drinking cup after cup of coffee and leafing through every demonology and paranormal book I own.  The excitement growing inside me almost radiated from my pores.  “5:30 a.m. Oh shit! Oh shit! I forgot to call Dr. Welch!”  I woke Kelsey. “Kelsey, I need you to call that professor and tell him that we are going to take the case.”
    “Ok. Damn! Give me a few minutes to wake up.  What time is it?”
    “5:31" I told her.
    “Have you slept at all?”
    “No.” I said.  “I have been up reading all night.  We have to take this case.  I feel like there is more to this than this family is admitting to.”  I stopped and thought for a minute.
    “I can’t call him yet it’s only 5:30 in the morning. I’ll call him around noon.” Kelsey told me.
      I didn’t answer.
    “Alex are you ok?” she asked. “Alex, talk to me.”
    “Yea, I’m ok.  Get yourself a cup of coffee and I will explain.”
   
    We took our coffee and headed out the back door onto our deck. Looking out across the lake, I took Kelsey’s hand in mind and together we  watched in awe as the sun ascended from what always looks like, a watery lair. We stood there watching until the sun had fully risen out of the lake. As we began walking to the wooded trail behind the house, I just couldn’t put my finger on what was troubling me so much. The morning dew was still fresh on the grass,  and a light mist still clung to the lake.  It was going to be a beautiful day. “I have been thinking about this whole Legion business Tanya was talking about last night.” I told her. “She just  kept seeing a young boy, sitting on the edge of a bed, repeating the name Legion almost like he was in a trance.  She also felt darkness surrounding us.  Then there’s what Dr. Welch was telling us in the email about the presence of seven demons.”
    “Ok...what’s the problem?” she asked.
    “The problem is...” I mumbled and thought for a moment. “The problem is, there are a few different translations from the Bible about Legion.  One, translates, that he was made of many and the other translates he was a singular demon.  Now, here is what’s troubling me.  Do you realize how many  movies, video games, and comic books that are available to kids which mention Legion?”
    “No, but, I can name a few.”
    “Me too.  That’s the point. This kid could be making a lot of this stuff up.  You know, looking for attention.  The winged figure sitting on his bed, its like stuff from cartoons.”
    “Now Alex, you need keep an open mind.”  Kelsey responded.
    “I know. But,  I am the skeptic of the group and they’ve already given me enough evidence to form an educated opinion.”
    “I will agree, but what do you think about the things Tanya told you?”  She asked.
    “I’m not saying there isn’t anything going on.  I’m just saying we need to look at everything carefully, as sceptics.  Pay close attention to the movies and books they might have.  The kinds of posters on the walls?  What kinds of prescription drugs are in the house?  I want pictures of everything and anything that might give us a better insight to what is going on.”
    She agreed.  “We’ll have to make sure everyone going in, is aware of all this Legion business. We should only take a few other guys in with us.”
    “Right.” I agreed.  “I already know who I want to take with us.  First things first, call and schedule a time with the Spencer’s.  We go out, do our initial interview. When we get home, call the Spencer’s and I’ll get a hold of the team.”
      “Ok, Lets head back to the house.  I need some more coffee.”

   

Chapter 2

Saturday May 26th

    I still didn’t know what to expect  when we arrive at the Spencer residence.  We spent most of the week researching the area.  The area where the live was the setting  for some of the most horrific battles of The War of 1812 but, nothing unusual in the history books. No hidden cemeteries buried underneath the neighborhoods, let alone under the three acres that their house stands. This picturesque community, with its little, one room, churches, seems to offer no clues as to what might be going on.  Usually, you can find something during your research that will give you an idea if what is causing paranormal activity. A suicide or murder would explain a lot.  The pictures we found on the Internet made the town look like something from an old television show, with the rows of shops, B & B’s, and pubs lining Main Street.  Just one more reason for me to question the validity of demonic activity, if anything, maybe ghosts from the war era. “Kelsey, do we have enough batteries for the equipment?”
    “No, we need to stop somewhere on the way and pick some up.” she answered.
    “Ok.  I am going to get everything loaded up.  Are you about done with the paperwork?” I asked.
    “Of course. Don’t I always take care of you?”
    “Right.”
    I took our equipment out to the Navigator. Two briefcases, laptop, and three silver cases filled with temperature gauges, recording devices, and other assorted pieces of equipment that an investigator would  put to use on an investigation.  Our first meeting with the family would just basically be an interview.  Ask questions about the activity they’ve been experiencing, get some pictures inside the house, and get some base line readings. I am, however, planning on satisfying my own curiosity as much as I could.  Something in the back of my mind is telling me to dig deeper.  So, Kelsey and I are going to do a short, two hour investigation on our own.  We should be able to decide whether or not it’s worth bringing a team all the way out here.
    “Kelsey, you about ready?”  It’ll be dark when we get there.”  She was way ahead of me.  By the time I got the words out of my mouth, she was on the porch and locking the door.  “Did you get everything you needed from the house?” she asked.
    “No, I forgot my smokes.”
    “You can get a pack when we stop for coffee and batteries.”
    “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”  I joked. “Are you getting a bit anxious?”
    “Not at all.  Get in the truck.” she laughed.
    I started the truck, put it in gear, and drove down the driveway  onto the mile long private drive we share with five other families. Rows of ranch style fencing surrounded each property.  Pastures already covered in a kaleidoscope of colored blossoms and large, two and three story houses nestled behind each one.  Up ahead in the distance, storm clouds brewed, promising to drop a deluge of rain down on us as we head north towards the tourist community of Plattsburgh, New York.  The National Weather Service has issued several storm warnings for every county north of Schenectady for the next eight hours.  This will make the whole night a bit more interesting.  I can’t wait.
    We got through Schenectady rather quickly and onto I-87 for our two and a half hour trek north to Plattsburgh. Just as promised the skies opened  with brute force.  The lightening show was a perfect beginning for what the night had in store.
    Kelsey decided to take the opportunity to dissect the information that we gathered about Plattsburgh and the information sent to us from the doctor.  “Do you really think that Legion is involved here?” she asked.
  “You wanted me to go into this investigation without any premeditated opinions. Right?”
    “Yea., I was just hoping to get your thoughts.”
    “Well...I’m having a hard time believing this  involves seven demons.  I do have a couple of theories but, I would rather wait until we gather evidence before I say anything.” I told her.
    We drove for an hour without a word.  Both of us were deep in thought about the up coming night.  I kept going over what Tanya told me about the little boy and Legion.  To me it just seemed to far fetched to think this boy was conjuring, or even being tormented by Legion.  It has to be a ploy for him to get attention.  There I went again, jumping to conclusions before I meet them.  But, from the research I’ve done and what I already know, Legion doesn’t seem to fit into all of this.  Legion is drawn to extreme violence and evil. He or they just don’t appear and start tormenting little kids.  Like I told Kelsey before, this doesn’t seem right.  There is something more to it and by God, I am going to find out what it is!  “It looks as though  the weather isn’t going to cooperate tonight. We’ll have to investigate the woods and surrounding property during our next visit.” I said.
    “Yea. When we bring the rest of the group up, you and Keith can check out the woods while Samantha and I work on the inside the house.” she replied.
    “What should we do with Scott?  Wait, he can run the video camera and be the runner for the night.” I answered my own question.  “So, when we get there tonight, you start doing the interview. I’m going to set up the equipment and let it run while I’m taking pics and getting temperature readings.”
    “What equipment are you setting up?” she asked.
    “Tonight, the voice recorders go in the rooms that they claim to have activity and some video recorders.”
      “Sounds like a plan. Here’s our exit.”
   
    As we pulled off the interstate and onto the lane, that, according to their directions, would lead us to their house, my imagination was running fierce.  While I will admit that my sometimes, overzealous imagination seems childlike, it has saved me from some very unsavory situations in the past.  The way this road was twisting this way and that way, sometimes seeming to double back on itself, it felt like something from a classic, slasher flick.  I kept envisioning some gruesome figure jumping out of the woods, wielding a machete.
    As we pulled into the driveway I turned on our GPS locator that I specifically had installed for situations such as this.  Before we left the house I called my research assistant Sam and Tanya and told them both, if they didn’t hear from us by three in the morning, notify the local authorities and report us missing. 
Clay and Betsy met us at the door.  “Can I help you with your equipment?” Clay asked as he took the case I had under my arm.
    “Sure.  That would be great.  Just put it somewhere out of the way.”
    We sat all of the cases down in a corner of the kitchen and then gathered at the table so I could introduce ourselves and explain what would happen tonight.  “You must be Clay.” I shook his hand.
    “This is my wife Betsy.”
    “Hi Betsy, this is my wife and director of A.P.R.I.S.E, Kelsey Davis.”
  “If you don’t mind me asking,” Betsy said, “what does A.P.R.I.S.E stand for? Mr. Welch never told us.”
      “No problem. It stands for Adirondack Paranormal Research and Investigation of Supernatural Events.” Kelsey answered.
    “This is my son Justin, and over there sittin’ in the other room playing video games is Hope.  She won’t talk to about anything that is goin’ on.” Clay told us.
    “That’s ok” Kelsey replied, “I’m not going to force her to talk but, I will be here if she decides to.”  Kelsey gave me a suspicious glance.
    I began telling the Spencer’s what we were going to do.        “While Kelsey interviews you so we can get a more in depth picture of what is going on I am going to place camera’s through out the house along with digital voice recorders.  That way, we can see if any activity occurs while the room is empty.  After I get the cameras set up, I am going to check the temperatures in various spots of the rooms to see if I can find the presence of any supernatural entity.  Do you have any questions before we begin?”
  Clay spoke. “What is the temperature going to tell you?” he asked.
    “Any entity or presence, uses energy that is in the area.  So as it manifests itself, it will soak up the energy in that particular spot, making it cooler than the air around it.”
    “Oh.”
    “If there are no more questions we will go ahead and begin.  Kelsey is going to start with a group interview and I am going to begin setting up.”
      The house, considering it’s location and the property values in the area was, badly in need of a good cleaning and remodeling.  No curtains or blinds hung above the kitchen windows and the broken kitchen tile was desperately in need of attention.  I walked from one room to the next  becoming more disturbed as I proceeded.  I expected to find a room for each of the children upon my inspection.  What I found instead, was a room with bunk beds cluttered with dolls, army men, and books.  As I walked into the room, the air was thick.  I felt as though there was a heavy weight pressing on my chest.  The windows, just like the kitchen, were empty of curtains.  Yet, these were blacked out with spray paint.  The floor was bare of any coverings. The carpet had been torn out, tack strips still lining the walls.  The walls were covered with posters of 80's rock bands and wrestlers wearing leather overcoats and masks. Justin was apparently the dominant presence in the room.  After receiving no odd temperature readings,  I placed my video camera on the dresser, which was overflowing with clothes and put the DVR on the night stand then proceeded to the next room.  Opening the door and quietly releasing the doorknob of the master bedroom, I stood in awe of what I was seeing.  You would have thought, with people coming in and doing a relatively close inspection of your home, you would have gone through and hid such items. But, here they were as if displayed proudly for all to see.  On one of the posts of their four poster bed, hung several long, blond and brunette wigs.  On the others posts, hung different items used to bind the participants hands and feet.  Each piece of furniture in the room was covered with different articles from costumes.  Scarves, boas, and stiletto heeled shoes lay all over the floor and elaborate curtains hung over the windows like tapestries. I found places for my equipment in the room without disturbing or even touching the articles around the room.  I exited the master bedroom trying to hide my obvious embarrassment. Entering the family room, I noticed it was cluttered but seemingly organized.  Hundreds of action and horror movies lined several bookshelves and dvd racks.  Incense burners and candles cluttered the mantle above the fireplace.  The couch was covered with blankets and pillows, obviously made up as a bed.  Hope was sitting cross-legged in the recliner not even noticing my presence as she played her video games.  I began taking pictures of the room.  Close-up shots of the video shelves so I can examine the titles more closely once I get home.  When I returned to the kitchen Kelsey was administering the Zener card test on Justin to see if he had any recordable, extra sensory perception.  As I waited, I noticed a basket on the counter full of prescription bottles.  I pulled out my note pad, and sat it down on the counter and began writing.  I jotted down the names of each prescription and to whom it was prescribed.  Diazepam; Betsy Spencer,  Ambien; Hope Spencer, Sonata-Betsy Spencer, Ambien; Justin, Rivotril; Justin, and finally Klonopin for Betsy. This family was on a plethora of drugs but I found none prescribed to the father.  I excused myself and headed to the bathroom to search the medicine cabinet.  Once again, I was startled as I opened the bathroom door and walked in.  The sink had been taken off the wall and the pipes capped off. “What the fuck is going on with this family?”  I asked under my breath. After finding no prescriptions in the medicine cabinet, I looked at my watch. We’ve been here three hours.  Plenty of time. It’s time to go. I went from room to room, collecting my equipment.  When I returned, Kelsey could tell by the manner of which I was putting the equipment away, that something was bothering me. She wrapped the interviews up.  “Ok. I think we have everything we need.  We will start going over everything in the morning.”  She closed her notebook and slid it back into her briefcase. “Clay, you said that you have a cd that you want us to listen to.”
    “Yea. Let me get it.”
    Upon his return, we took the cd, said our goodbyes, and told them we would contact them early in the week to schedule our next meeting. “We will be bringing three other investigators with us next time, if that is okay with you.”
    “That shouldn’t be a problem.” Clay told us. “Hey, we could fix dinner for you next time, if you want to come out early.”
    “That won’t be necessary.” I told him. “We always stop and eat on the way to an investigation, so we can go over last minute details about the case.  But we appreciate the offer. We’ll be here about same time.”
    “Goodnight Mr. And Mrs. Spencer.  Goodnight Justin.  See you next time. And Justin, you be good this week. No tormenting your sister.” Kelsey said as we walked down the steps.
    “What did you mean about him tormenting his sister?”
    “I’ll tell you all about it on the way home.”
    By the time we had everything packed into the truck, it was a little after midnight. I was ready to get home.  We climbed in and headed for the highway. “Be careful, it looks like the roads are all muddy now.” Kelsey told me.
    “No doubt. These roads are treacherous enough without the mud. So what was the deal with Justin tormenting his sister?”
    “Betsy told me that Justin has an issue with scaring Hope and he locks her in closets because she is afraid of the dark.  She said Hope is so scared sometimes that she will sleep between her and Clay in their room.”
    “She’s thirteen years old!  There’s no reason that child should be sleeping in the same bed as her parents.  That is wrong in so many ways!” I shouted.
    “Ok.  So why were you in such a rush to get out of there?” she asked me.
    “Just paranoid I guess. But, I had some freakish feelings in there.”
    “Like what?” she asked.
    “I felt like I was being watched and was having trouble breathing at times. Then, the condition of the house didn’t help things.  Did you know that the sink in the bathroom was missing?”
    “No.”
    “Yea...and both the kids sleep in the same room.  Well, when there not in bed with mommy and daddy.”

      All of a sudden, something came out of nowhere and hit the side of the truck.  I fought to keep it under control.  I slowed and pulled to the side of the road and turned on my flashers.
    “What the fuck was that?”  Clearly shaken, Kelsey opened the door and got out. “Did you see anything?”
    “No.” I told her.
    We both examined every inch of our Navigator and found no dents or damage. “That did happen.  Didn’t it?”
    “Alex, I don’t know what happened.  Here’s a flashlight go back and see if you can find anything.”
    I took the flashlight and slowly walked down the side of the road.  I was shining the flashlight from left to right, onto the road, into the woods, and then back to the road.  I found nothing.  No animals, no blood, and no rocks or limbs lying in the road.  I walked back to the truck. “I didn’t see anything.  Come on lets go.”  I demanded.