"Nothin'...nothin's in it," he quickly replied. "There's just...just somethin' evil in there. That's why I always keep it locked."
"Yes, but that's why we're here, to try to alleviate that situation," I explained. "I'd really need access to that room as well, to complete the entire blessing of the house."
"Clifford," Lisa interjected, "these people are here to help. They know what they're doing. Then you wouldn't have to worry about that room no more."
"Trust me," said Brian, "you letting us into that room so Keith can bless it wouldn't do any harm. Just the opposite, in fact. It would expel whatever negativity is in there."
The more we attempted to persuade him, however, the more emotionally agitated Clifford became...until it became apparent that he had a deep, personal psychological issue concerning that locked bedroom upstairs. "No...no," he said, his voice beginning to tremble. "I-I can't...not now, not tonight. Maybe someday, but, I'm just not ready to take that chance yet."
Seeing that we were not about to make any further progress in persuading Clifford, we decided to continue with the blessing of the rest of the family's residence. Before we set about this task, both Lisa and Leo insisted that we take a breather, and partake of more refreshments. During this time, Sandra informed me: "You know, while I was doing the video of you and Nancy with Marguerite, I noticed that there were occasionally some orbs shooting by. I don't think it was dust, because it seemed to be happening especially whenever you mentioned the name of Jesus Christ."
"Really? That sounds as though it could be significant," I commented.
After we'd completed a thorough blessing of the kitchen and the rest of the rooms, doors and windows in the downstairs area, all that remained was the staircase and the upstairs rooms...with the exception of the one bedroom which Clifford kept securely padlocked, of course.
Lisa volunteered to lead us through the upstairs area. As Lisa, Sandra, Jill, Brian and I slowly ascended the stairs, I recited a prayer for protection, while Brian followed up by anointing the stairwell with blessed water. Then, in each of the open rooms in the upstairs area, I recited the Lord's Prayer, followed by a reading of Psalm 23, as well as various prayers and petitions for our protection, as well as for the family living there. Brian followed by spraying blessed water in each corner of the room, while I anointed the doors and windows with blessed oil.
We then came to the padlocked bedroom door. After briefly examining the lock, Brian commented, "Well, there's obviously no way we're getting in there tonight."
"You're right," I agreed with him. "I suppose the best we can do is anoint the door itself."
Leaning close and cautiously whispering to us, Lisa said, "Clifford doesn't want anyone even touching the door. But, if he doesn't know..."
"What he doesn't know, won't hurt him," I said.
Brian suggested, "Maybe we can spray some holy water underneath the crack at the bottom of the door. That will at least get some in there."
"This is true," I said. While Sandra videotaped, I again led everyone in the Lord's Prayer...then followed by anointing the padlocked door with blessed oil in the form of a cross.
"Holy cow!" said Sandra, as she continued to videotape. "When you just did that, I could see two large orbs shoot out from underneath the door."
Brian then proceeded to spray a generous amount of holy water underneath the padlocked door...the premise being that hopefully, enough of the positive vibrations would permeate into the room to counteract whatever negativity the room harbored. (Privately, I could not help but wonder what Clifford's reaction would be, when he noticed the cross-shaped smear from the anointing oil which I'd left on the locked bedroom door!)
When we returned back downstairs, I announced to the family that the blessing of their residence was now complete. "Thank you so much," said Maguerite. "Somehow, it does feel more peaceful in here."
"Yes, thank you," said Leo. "We appreciate everything you've done for us."
Clifford asked, "So, are the spirits gone now? I remember the psychic we had here said there are at least two other spirits here, besides the one named Edward."
"I wouldn't say they're completely gone, but that they've been rendered inactive for the time being," I explained. "But I've also attempted to introduce positive vibrations into the rooms of this house to counteract the negative, through prayer and by anointing the rooms with blessed water and blessed oil. I've also said special prayer outside of the locked bedroom, that the Holy Spirit will enter and keep everyone safe from harm."
Sandra added, "Through your faith and by maintaining a positive attitude, I believe you'll be able to keep whatever negative spirits that may be here at bay. We've also prayed for angelic protection over everyone who lives here."
"God bless you for that," said Marguerite. Clifford also appeared to be at least somewhat relieved.
As we were conferring with the members of Maine Paranormal over our findings and theirs, Bill told us, "I think there's something you may want to see. This digital snapshot was taken by me while you guys were in there blessing the kitchen area. Take a look at this large aquamarine colored orb which appeared on the back of Sandra's neck."
Sure enough, there in the digital snapshot of Sandra and myself, with Sandra's back inclined toward the camera, was a large bluish-green cylindrical shape on the nape of her neck.
Sandra gasped, "I don't like the look of that."
"Did you feel anything at the time, like maybe a tingling sensation on the back of your neck?" I asked.
"No, not at all," she replied.
Bill added, "It looks as though it's riding piggy-back on her!"
"It sure does," I agreed. I then explained the possible significance, "The nape of the neck is sometimes considered to be an entry point for demonic spirits. But there is no cause for alarm; since Sandra didn't feel anything at the time, it obviously didn't enter. It seems more to have been probing her for weakness it didn't find. Wasn't this soon after Marguerite had come out of her state of possession?"
"You're right, it was right afterwards!" Sandra recollected.
"I've been in situations where the demonic was involved, where a demonic possession was involved, where the spirit was systematically probing other individuals in the room at this exact spot...including Carl. They actually felt a tingling sensation but it wasn't able enter. To be on the safe side, I thing I'd better anoint you with some oil."
"Yes, I'd very much appreciate that," said Sandra.
I anointed the back of Sandra's neck with oil and recited a brief prayer of protection for her.
She met my gaze and smiled, "Thank you, I do feel safer now."
Once again, the family expressed their heartfelt gratitude to us. Bill and Nancy of Maine Paranormal also thanked us for driving the distance to Lewiston on this icy, early January night to confer with them on their investigation.
"If there are any updates in the situation," Bill told us, "we'll be sure to get in touch with you and let you know. Thanks again for everything, guys!"
Before leaving, I took the precaution of performing a general blessing upon everyone involved.
During the return trip to Rhode Island, Sandra offered to take the first shift driving Brian's car (also affectionately dubbed the "Bro'-mobile"), while Brian himself passed out in the back seat next to Jill.
"Thank you again for anointing the back of my neck with the blessed oil," Sandra told me. "it's somewhat disturbing to think something may have been searching for weakness in one of the two known points of entry for the demonic. Glad it didn't find any."
She turned around to look at Brian and smiled, "So, what's our next case, Bro'?"
In the back seat Brian grunted and shifted position so that his head was in Jill's lap but didn't answer.
Jill looked at him and rolled her eyes, "So what will happen to the family, now?"
Knowing this was all somewhat new territory for her, I tried to explain, "What I attempted to do, in this case, was to move the existing negativity into a dormant state. In other words, I put it down- I did not drive it out. It's the best we could do with the limited time we had. I have a feeling we will be returning to Lewiston."
PART 2
It was on a seasonably hot and humid August afternoon in 2004, as Case Manager Brian Harnois welcomed my brother Carl and I into TAPS Headquarters. Present also was Grant Wilson, Co-Founder of Taps. "Heeeey, guys!" Brian greeted us with a hearty handshake. "Right on time!"
Grant also enthusiastically welcomed our arrival. "Carl! Keith! Great to see you again, guys!" he said, warmly shaking our hands.
Brian then informed us, "Jason should be joining us in just a few minutes; he had to spend some time with his family. I know Grant's already seen the footage from the Lewiston case. Now all that remains is to pitch it to Jason himself. Hopefully, he'll be responsive to the idea of us making a return visit there to tie up 'loose ends'."
Within the next fifteen minutes Jason did arrive, and greeted us all with his accustomed easy-going familiarity, as if we were family members rather than merely close friends and associates. After the initial pleasantries, it was time to get down to the business at hand. "So, what's the scoop here, guys?" asked Jason.
Enthusiastically, Brian H. began the "pitch". "As you and Grant know, Jason, the Roy family up in Lewiston, Maine, have recently been in touch with me, asking that we make a return visit to their home. So, just a few days ago, both Carl and I took a drive up there, and spoke with Marguerite in person. All things considered she seemed to be doing well, and she was really glad to see us."
"What specifically do you mean by 'all things considered'?" Jason wanted to know.
"Well, since Keith and Sandra and Jill and I were up there back in January, she says she hasn't been experiencing any outright spates of 'possession'…meaning that her personality hasn't been taken over. However, she feels that some negative spirit is still inside of her, like she's not entirely alone, so to speak. Plus, the family is still experiencing some activity in their apartment."
"Such as?" asked Grant.
"Such as disembodied footsteps in the upstairs area and on the staircase now and then, the uncomfortable feeling of being watched, especially in the basement, along with personal items disappearing," Brian explained.
"There's also something else," Carl added. "A couple of months ago, one of Marguerite's two sons unfortunately was fatally shot. He was only in his late twenties."
"Geeze…I'm sorry to hear that," said Jason.
"There's more, " said Carl. "Just a little over week ago, Marguerite claims to have seen the apparition of her recently deceased son standing on the staircase. She told us he didn't say anything…but simply stared at her for a moment, and then vanished."
"Really?" asked Jason, cocking an eyebrow.
Grant then said, "Wait a minute…this isn't the son which you guys met when you were up there, is it? The one who kept the bedroom padlocked upstairs?"
"No, not Clifford," Carl replied. "This was his younger brother. Clifford wasn't there when we visited Marguerite earlier this week."
"But does he still keep that bedroom padlocked upstairs?" asked Grant.
"Oh, yeah," said Brian. "And he's still just as paranoid about it. According to Marguerite, Clifford won't let anyone in the house even go near that bedroom door!"
"I see," Grant acknowledged. He then suggested, "Well maybe now would be a good time to view the video of Marguerite. I've already seen it once, but I guess Jason's the only one here who hasn't."
"You got it," said Brian, popping the videotape of the footage, which Sandra had taken back in January, into the VCR. "Now, I'm afraid we'll have to temporarily shut off the AC, so we can hear the sound properly."
"Oh, brother," Jason commented. "You know how quickly this enclosure heats up without the AC, especially on a day like this."
"It'll only be for just a few minutes, trust me," Brian assured him. He then quickly reached over and switched off the AC, thereby eliminating the background hum.
"Alright," said Jason, with a shrug of resignation. "It's just hard for me to put up with this humidity which we've been experiencing lately. It just won't seem to let up."
Teasingly, I told Jason, "It's your fault, for having that Germanic blood."
"Tell me about it," Jason agreed, already wiping a hand across his brow.
As the tape began to play, Jason patiently folded his hands together and leaned his forearms on the table while viewing the TV screen. "Check this out, Dude!" said Brian, as the image of Marguerite seated in her large easy chair came on. "I know it's hard to see it on the small screen here…but this woman's eye's just blacked out completely! Not only that, but she was salivating down over her chin the whole time."
On the screen, as Marguerite's head swiveled back and forth in a serpentine manner, she began to cough and sputter. Nancy Washell of Maine Paranormal, who knelt beside her, said, "Edward, you don't have this affliction any longer; you don't need to cough."
Marguerite (speaking in the guise of Canadian Frenchman while her husband Leo translated for her) became increasingly defensive and perturbed, as I deliberately steered the conversation in a religious vein. Eventually I asked outright: "In the name of Jesus, are you a human spirit?"
"No," she quietly replied. "No."
"In the name of Jesus, what kind of spirit are you?" I asked. "Tell us."
"The DEVIL!!" she suddenly shrieked defiantly. "Deeevil!"
As Marguerite's manner became increasingly hostile and aggressive, I took the precaution of quoting Scripture. "The word of God according to the Psalmist: 'Touch not my prophets, nor do my anointed ones harm.'"
Marguerite began to thrash about violently in her chair, growling, sobbing, and cursing in French, then shouted in English, "Leave me alone!!"
"So you are not 'Edward'. You are a spirit of Perdition," I said. "Release this child of God from pain!"
Marguerite then became still and took on a more deliberate tone of speech, spouting ominous-sounding epitaphs in French with a low, husky voice. (At no point during the entire ordeal, however, did she make eye contact with me.)
Finally, Leo glanced up at me with an imploring expression in his eyes, and quietly told me, "She's been through enough."
After nodding in agreement, I gently placed a hand on Marguerite's left shoulder, and said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, you may go down now. Marguerite, be at peace."
It took three times of my repeating this before Marguerite's eyes closed, her head slumped down, and her normal personality began to reemerge. When she did come to, Marguerite broke down and wept, praying to the Blessed Mother through her tears to take "this devil" from inside of her…as Leo and Nancy and I gathered around her, attempting to offer comfort to the older woman.
"Well, that's it," said Brian, nimbly shutting off the VCR and switching the AC back on, almost in a single move. "We concluded that night with Keith doing a thorough blessing of the entire apartment…except for the locked bedroom upstairs, of course. All he could do there was anoint the outside of the door."
In the short time we'd been viewing the video footage, the inner section of our enclosure had already become rather stifling. "Awww, man, that AC sure feels good!" said Grant, stretching.
Glancing over at Jason, I observed that his entire face was now beaded with perspiration. "Well," he announced, "let's break out some refreshment, before going over the rest of our findings."
After bottles of water and fruit juice had been passed around, the five of us reviewed the EVP I'd captured on audio tape while in the basement. Basically it was undecipherable, although it definitely sounded like a male voice briefly whispering some sort of chant. There was also the photo taken by Bill Washell of my wife Sandra, with the aquamarine colored orb seemingly "riding piggy back," as he'd put it, on the nape of her neck. After each of us had closely examined the enlarged print of the photo, we still had to admit that it was inconclusive.
Adopting a matter-of-fact attitude, Jason then addressed Brian: "Well, now that we've reviewed the particulars of the case, I understand that the Roy family has requested that we conduct a follow-up investigation at their home, at our earliest convenience. Is this correct?"
"That is correct," Brian confirmed. "What they're asking is that we not only document the activity, but that if at all possible, we rid them and their apartment of the activity they've been experiencing altogether. Also, I explained to them what our upcoming TV show is all about, gave them the possible option of having this investigation filmed, and they're very open to the idea of this being included as an episode of 'Ghost Hunters'."
"Well, " said Jason, "this being a very sensitive subject, I'd certainly have to present this to Production, and discuss it with them. Naturally, the family involved would have to understand that we'd be going into this situation with the mindset of attempting to disprove the activity they claim to have been experiencing. You think they'd be okay with that?"
"Oh yeah, they seemed very receptive to us conducting the investigation in whatever way we want to handle it," said Brian. He then added, "Oh…and there's one more thing. Marguerite would like Keith to do another session with her, and if at all possible, to hopefully rid her of this entity once and for all."
"Yes," Carl also confirmed, "while we were there the other day, Marguerite specifically asked if Keith could conduct a deliverance session for her, when we come for our follow-up investigation.
Grant asked, "What, you mean she's requesting that Keith perform an exorcism for her?"
"You got it," said Brian.
Turning to me, Jason asked, "What's your opinion of this, Keith? Based on your experience there, and having spent some time personally dealing with Marguerite's situation first hand, do you feel this warrants a deliverance session?"
"Well…let's put it this way," I said. "At this point, I feel it would help Marguerite more than cause her harm…even if I were to just do a prayer session with her. It might help put the rest of her family more at ease as well."
Now fixing me with his gaze, Jason said markedly, "Next question: Do you personally feel that you're up to this?"
"Yes…God willing," I replied.
With just the trace of a smile, Jason reached over and firmly squeezed my wrist reassuringly.
Grant then said, "There's just one other thing we have to discuss, before we decide exactly how we're going to handle this. What about the bedroom door which Marguerite's son Clifford keeps locked? Because if we're going to conduct a proper investigation, as well as have Keith do a complete blessing before we leave, we simple HAVE to gain access to that room."
"Agreed," said Jason. Glancing over to Brian and Carl, he asked, "What do you guys think? Is there any possibility of convincing her son Clifford that we definitely must be allowed entrance into this room, if we're going to effectively deal with this situation? Based upon what you've told me, this guy's probably convinced himself that he's keeping Satan himself locked away up in that bedroom."
(Briefly, I was reminded of the plot of an old "Twilight Zone" episode.)
It was Carl who spoke up: "Obviously, Clifford has some deep psychological issues, and his mother is reluctant-perhaps even scared-to go against his wishes about not opening the door. As it is, Clifford doesn't want anyone even so much as touching it. But, I also think that there's a good possibility of getting through to him, especially if we can convince Clifford that it will put an end to the evil lurking in that house once and for all. We might even enlist his girlfriend Lisa to try and coerce him, since it's ultimately for his own good."
"Alright, then," said Jason. "If everyone's agreed, and if there are no further questions…let's get things started."
That weekend, Jason and Grant, Carl and myself, Brian Harnois, Steve Gonsalves and Andy Andrews, along with several production members of Pilgrim Films, set out for the vicinity of Lewiston, Maine. There were actually two "possible possession" cases to be documented and filmed as segments that weekend, the first being on the way to Lewiston…and both cases required the participation of my brother Carl and myself.
Several days before, I had spoken at length over the telephone with our first client, who'd contacted us complaining of spiritual problems which were seriously affecting her ability to function normally in everyday life. The very next day both Carl and Brian had arrived at her house during their day trip to Maine (prior to their visit with Marguerite), and had conducted a lengthy preliminary interview with her. She was a slim, attractive woman in her early forties who'd been divorced a number of years. Although she lived alone, she kept in touch regularly with her teenage and young adult children, who often came there for extended visits. For the past five or so years this woman had been troubled by predominately male voices in her head. Recently, these male voices had assumed a harsh quality and increased the frequency of communication with her, to the point where it was now almost constant. As a result, this woman had become convinced that she was now under "possession' by these intrusive entities. She'd also willingly agreed to the idea of having a film crew present during our upcoming investigation.
When we arrived that weekend she cordially welcomed us into her home. After the film crew had set up their equipment in her parlor, Carl an Grant conducted an official interview…after which I joined them, and asked the woman a series of questions related to the supposition that her psyche was being invaded and partially manipulated by spirits. At the conclusion of my own interview with her, I recited certain select Scripture passages, and then asked her to please join with me in prayer, which she did.
Suffice it to say, we found no overt or convincing evidence to indicate she was experiencing actual episodes of possession, demonic or otherwise. She seemed painfully sincere, and I believe she may have truly been experiencing these intrusive male voices, which lately had been practically denying her a moment of peace. However, she reported having experienced no loss of self, or episodes of time unaccounted for. There was no reaction at all to religious inference. She may indeed have been undergoing some level of spiritual oppression, for which I did pray with her. Then again, she may also have been suffering from some sort of mental illness. We explored a number of possibilities with her, off camera and confidentially, which of course I cannot divulge. At any rate, our function as paranormal investigators in any given situation is to look for possible evidence of paranormal activity, and to honestly and objectively evaluate our findings, or lack thereof. After subsequently evaluating our data, in this case we came up negative.
However, this of course does not mean we simply abandoned our client. Rather, both Grant and Carl spent a good amount of time personally reassuring her that no matter what she may be experiencing, we were still only a phone call away, day or night. Grant also offered that if she wished, he could personally put her in touch with a support group through which she could communicate with individuals who had, and in some instances were still experiencing, similar phenomena to that which she was experiencing. As Grant explained, these would be individuals who, along with offering compassion and understanding, could also point her in the right direction, for a possible solution to her problem.
It was then time for us to set out for our next destination.
Arriving at Pine Hills in Lewiston, we were greeted by Marguerite's son Clifford, who was attired casually in a checkered shirt, hunting cap and faded jeans, and his girlfriend Lisa. "Hi, guys" he said, shaking hands with Carl and myself. "Thanks for coming all this way."
"Yes, it's really nice to see you again!" added Lisa, who was also attired casually, yet neatly.
Leo, dressed in his customary rumpled white shirt, suspenders and black trousers, was also delighted to see us. As I made introductions, Leo, Clifford and Lisa explained to us that although Marguerite had not been feeling well earlier that day, she said that she was feeling much better now, and was certainly anticipating our visit. When Marguerite did slowly enter the parlor to greet and welcome us, she was wearing a violet colored housecoat over a nightgown, and slippers. "Thank you so much for coming," she told me. "Now…you're not the one who was here several days ago?"
"No, that was my brother Carl over here," I said. "He was here with Brian."
"My goodness, you and your brother do look alike," she said with a chuckle. "So you're the one who was here back in January."
"Yes, that's right," I said.
"Now that I see you both together, I can see the difference. Your hair's a shade lighter than Carl's," said Marguerite.
Lisa then asked me, "But where's your wife, Sondra?"
"Sandra? I'm afraid she was unable to make it this time," I explained, feeling a pang of separation. "Anyway, Marguerite, I'd like to introduce Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, the Founder and Co-founder of TAPS, respectively."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marguerite," said Jason.
"Yes, it's indeed a pleasure, Marguerite", said Grant, adding, "Keith has certainly told us a lot about you, and we've been looking forward to finally meeting you in person."
"Ah, you'll have to excuse the housecoat," she apologized. "I'm afraid I'm not properly dressed to be meeting you people, but I'm sure my family's told you, I wasn't feeling well earlier."
"That's quite alright," Jason assured her. "I just hope you're feeling up to our visit today."
"Oh, I'll be okay," Marguerite said with a slight wave of dismissal. "Besides, I've been looking forward to your visit. I guess now I'd better go upstairs and make myself look presentable."
"Marguerite, are you sure you're feeling up to this today?" I asked her.
"Oh, yes…just give me a few minutes, and I'll be back down stairs," she replied. Marguerite then shuffled over to the staircase, and began slowly ascending the stairs while holding onto the railing for support. Lisa rushed over and asked Marguerite is she needed assistance, but she assured Lisa she'd be fine.
By the time the production crew had set up most of their equipment, Marguerite came back downstairs, now looking freshened with her hair done nicely, and wearing an attractive flowered dress. "You look very nice, Marguerite," I complimented her.
"Yes, you do," Brian agreed.
"Oh, thank you," she told us. "I wanted to look at least halfway presentable. Sorry I wasn't fixed up when you first arrived."
"Oh, by the way, Marguerite, this is Andy Andrews," I said, introducing him.
"Hi, Andy," she said, shaking his hand. "Welcome to my humble abode."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marguerite; I've heard so much about you," said Andy.
After we'd introduced the members of the production crew to Marguerite, we of course expressed our sincere sympathies to both her and Leo, on the loss of youngest son. They both thanked us very much for our concern, explaining that an unknown assailant was responsible, although the local police might have some leads. Marguerite added, "I suppose you've been told, that the appeared to me recently, standing there on the stairs."
"Yes, Carl and Brian informed us," I said gently. "Exactly how long ago was this?"
"I'd say about two weeks ago now," she replied.
"Perhaps this was what's sometimes what's referred to as a 'crises apparition'," I suggested.
"Now, when you saw him, Marguerite, did he say anything to you, or attempt to communicate in anyway?" Andy wanted to know.
"No…no, he didn't say anything at all," said Marguerite. "He just stood there looking at me for a moment, and then he was gone."
"Residual, maybe?" asked Brian.
"Maybe not…especially if he was intentionally making eye contact with her," I said. "This suggests that he was probably aware of her presence."
"Good point," Brian agreed.
Meanwhile, somehow, neighbors from an apartment across the parking lot had received word that the "Ghost Busters" had arrived…and they themselves were also desperately in need of some assistance. Having managed to momentarily catch Steve Gonsalves' attention while he was outside in the rain unloading equipment, a young woman had waved him over, calling out, "Hey! We need help over here!"
After quickly alerting Jason and Grant to the situation, Steve, along with Brian, responded to the cry for assistance. Upon returning several minutes later, Steve informed us that it had turned out to be nothing more than a ruse apparently intended to lure him into the apartment. "There was a woman sprawled on the sofa, obviously completely stoned out of her mind", Steve explained. "She could hardly even hold her head up, let alone talk straight. And she and some girl, who I assume was her teenage daughter, were telling me to come inside and help them out, because they had ghosts. They said their neighbor from the next apartment over had told them that a group of 'ghost busters' were here!"
With the cameras, sound and lighting equipment now in place, we were ready to commence the initial interview with Marguerite. Jason and Grant proved very adept at putting the older woman at ease, as she sat comfortable in her favorite chair and related the chain of bizarre events, which she and her family had experienced since moving into their present location. "I know that the rest of my family has still been experiencing things in this apartment," Marguerite told them. "We always get an uncomfortable feeling down in the cellar. Of course, Leo and I don't go down there much anymore, especially since it's so difficult for us to make it up and down those cellar stairs. But one time we had a psychic over here, whose name was Vickie, to see if she could pick up on anything…and this psychic told my son Clifford that there's a man whose body is buried down in the cellar. And I suppose if it's true, that could be one of the spirits here"
When it came to the rather sensitive subject of Marguerite's episodes of suspected demonic possession, both Jason and Grant approached this topic with tact and courtesy. After she'd related the basic details to them, Grant asked, "And when this happens to you, how much of it do you actually recall, once you've come out of it?"
"Well, not much of it. Most of it's hazy, and some of it I don't really remember at all. I have to rely on other people to tell me afterwards everything I said and did. I've been told that my eyes become real dark, and mean looking," she explained.
"When was the last time you experienced one of these episodes, Marguerite?" asked Jason.
"Well, it hasn't happened in quite awhile now," said Marguerite. "But, I don't feel that it's completely left. I still get the feeling sometimes that I'm not alone, and that it's still with me…inside of me sometimes."
Grant then asked respectfully, "Marguerite, would you mind sharing with us about the recent sighting which you experienced on the staircase?"
Marguerite replied, "Well, it was one night just about a couple of weeks ago, I was coming around the corner intending to go upstairs, when all of a sudden, I saw my recently deceased son, standing right there on the stairs in front of me. He didn't say anything, but just stood there looking right at me…and then was gone."
"Did you attempt to communicate with him at all?" asked Grant.
"No…I was just too shocked, it all happened so fast," said Marguerite. "One moment he was there, and the next, he wasn't."
Jason asked, "Did he look like he did in life?"
"Yes, exactly…except he didn't have any facial expression, just a blank stare," she replied.
Gently, Grant asked her, "Do you feel as though he was trying to tell you something?"
"Well…I don't know," Marguerite said with a sigh. "He died so suddenly…maybe he's still here, or…maybe he just came back, to say good bye."
"Thank you, Marguerite," said Grant. "Now, in conclusion, I'd like to ask…what would you personally like to see accomplished from our visit here today?"
Reflectively, Marguerite replied, "Well…for one thing, I guess I hope you find some proof that these things are really going on here, and that we're not all nuts." (They all shared a laugh.) "And, I hope that whatever spirits are here can finally be put to rest…and that if there is a spirit inside of me, it can be gotten rid of once and for all."
"Well," said Jason with his reassuring smile, "that's what we have Keith here with us for."
"Oh, yes…I like Keith, very much," said Marguerite.
Next on the agenda would be a tour of the house itself, which Lisa would lead us on…starting with the basement. As the members of the production crew were repositioning their equipment, Marguerite asked me, "By the way, Keith, where is the other member of your team that was here before, uh, Sandra? She isn't with you this time?" Leo wanted to know as well.
"Unfortunately, she couldn't make it this time," I replied. "I really miss her being by my side."
"Oh, that's a shame; she's your wife isn't she?" asked Marguerite.
"Yes", I replied.
Leo added, "You just make sure you come up to visit us again, and that you bring her with ya!"
"I certainly will, Leo," I assured the kindly older gentleman with a smile.
Downstairs in the basement, the atmosphere did feel rather thick and oppressive, although I'm certain that the added humidity was at least partly responsible. After making a methodical sweep throughout the basement with a digital thermometer, Steve announced, "The temperature down here seems to be holding steady, at seventy-four degrees…except over here near the stairs, where it goes down to seventy-two."
When Brian and I pointed out the small section of the basement floor, where the visiting psychic had claimed to sense the presence of human remains, I explained to everyone else, "A member of Maine Paranormal who has experience in laying foundations examined this area. And he claimed that it's extremely doubtful, if not impossible, that a complete body could be buried underneath here. If there is anything, it would have to be partial remains."
Brian held his Gauss meter over the area, which indicated only a slight energy spike. "Could even be a minor electrical current under here, although nothing to write home about," he concluded.
Next, Lisa led us to the upstairs area where the bedrooms were, including the room which Clifford kept securely locked. Turning to Jason and Grant, Brian announced, "So, guys…this is the infamous locked bedroom door."
"That it is," Jason agreed, examining the padlock.
Huddling closer to us, Lisa whispered, "Clifford would have a bird, if he knew we were even up here touching the lock."
In a lowered voice, Jason asked her, "And am I given to understand, that's he's had this door locked ever since he and his family first moved in here?"
"Yes, almost right after they first moved in, I'd say in the first week," Lisa confirmed in her hushed tone.
"Lisa's right about Clifford," said Carl. "He's completely obsessed, and adamant about keeping this room securely locked at all times, for fear of what's inside."
"A proverbial 'Pandora's Box'," I added.
"Well, what IS inside?" asked Grant.
"Supposedly, just some junk," I said. "Nothing more, according to Clifford."
Nervously, Lisa began urging us on, saying, "We better not stay up here too long, or Cliff might start gettin' suspicious."
Ignoring her, Brian swept his Gauss meter along the crack underneath the door. "I'm definitely getting some spikes from underneath here, Dude!" he commented to Jason.
"Yeah, but that could be anything," said Jason. "I mean, we can't even get inside the room to investigate."
Grant agreed. "And what's more," he said, "we definitely need access to that room, for Keith to properly conduct a thorough blessing."
"Well…all I can say is, we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it," said Jason. We then moved away from the padlocked door and continued on our tour of the upstairs area, causing Lisa to breathe a temporary sigh of relief.
Back downstairs, it was almost time for me to begin the deliverance session with Marguerite. Earlier, Andy and two members of the production crew had asked me if I could explain why Marguerite's eyes had appeared to "black out" when she'd been under apparent possession. "When a person is in a full state of possession," I told them, "the eyes will often be wide and staring, with what could be described as a wild, unearthly look of hatred. However, there are also times where the afflicted individual's eyelids with be narrowed, and the eyes themselves will assume a darkened, almost serpentine appearance, which was apparently the case with Marguerite while she was under. At other times, the person's eyes will simply roll upward until only the whites of the sclera are visible…or, the eyes will roll around wildly, as if in spasm. Grant has also witnessed this in the eyes of the possessed. Now, the reason for this is that the possessing entity is desperately attempting to avoid eye contact. If someone is conducting any sort of deliverance over a possessed individual, direct eye contact seems to lend greater control to the person performing the deliverance."
Glancing up from my open Bible, which rested on the kitchen table in front of me, I saw both Jason and Grant approaching. "Well…you ready for this, Buddy?" Jason asked me. "Everything's all set up in there."
"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, rising from my seat.
"I know you can do this," said Jason, reassuringly placing a hand on my shoulder. "We've been through a lot together, and I have total confidence in you."
Placing a hand on my other shoulder, Grant said, "We'll both be right there in the room with you, my friend."
"Thank you, guys," I told them with a smile. "That means a lot to me…and I'm glad you'll both be there. I appreciate your support."
We were now ready to begin. With Marguerite once again seated comfortably in her cushioned parlor chair, I was positioned in one of the smaller parlor chairs beside her, allowing me to face her. Leo was seated in the background, in case he was needed to translate for Marguerite like the last time.
After checking with Dave who was manning the camera, sound technician Frank announced, "We're good to go."
"Whenever you're ready, Keith," said Jason.
"Alright, Marguerite," I began, "I understand you haven't had an episode of being completely taken over for awhile now, is that correct?"
"That's right, I haven't. Not completely, the way it used to happen," she replied.
"But, you personally feel as though it's still with you, oppressing you?"
"Yes, I definitely feel that it's still with me. I don't know if it's just been laying low for awhile, or what."
"And you'd like me to help you to rid yourself of it, and stop it from further oppressing you?"
"Yes, if possible, I'd like you to."
"Very well, Marguerite. Then if you would, please join with me in prayer. Let's begin with an 'Our Father'." Noticing that she was holding her cherished Rosary beads in her right hand, I gently took hold of her free hand, and began reciting the Lord's Prayer. Marguerite closed her eyes, bowed her head, and prayed along with me.
At the conclusion of this prayer, Marguerite looked back up at me, with her accustomed peaceful expression. "Now, Marguerite, I'd like to read some Scripture, from the New Testament," I said, turning in my Bible to the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 9.
After reading verses eleven through fourteen, I asked her, "How are you feeling?"
"Alright," she said quietly. (Although there was a somewhat distant look to her eyes, no dramatic change was apparent. Also, one indication that she was about to go under was that she'd remove her glasses. But since she was not now wearing her glasses, I could not use this as a warning sign.)
"Now, Marguerite, I'd like to pray over you." Placing my right hand lightly on her shoulder, I began an invocation. "In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for us at Calvary for the remission of our sins, we ask that if there be any unholy spirit inside of Marguerite, it reveal its presence to us now. In the name of Jesus, we ask that, without harming Marguerite or anyone else in this room, this invading spirit give us a sign of its presence. Amen."
Still, Marguerite displayed no overt reaction. Deciding that this might be a good time to attempt a direct confrontation with the entity, I said, "Marguerite…I'd now like for you to maintain eye contact with me. I'm going to try to bring the spirit forward now. Do you understand?"
"Yes…I understand," she replied almost dreamily.
"Good," I said. As a precaution, I first quoted the Psalmist: "'Touch not my prophets, nor do my anointed ones harm.'" Gazing intently into her eyes, I then said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I am now addressing the unclean spirit inside of Marguerite. Come forward, now. By the authority of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, come up…come up to the surface, and reveal yourself."
For a moment, Marguerite's gaze slowly began to drift away from me. "Please continue to look at me," I said. (She did as instructed, her eyes now appearing vague and slightly clouded.) "In the name of Jesus Christ, let that which is unholy, and not a part of Marguerite, come forth." (A pause.) "Come forth out of hiding now, and reveal yourself to us."
Almost imperceptibly, Marguerite's eyes began to narrow, and her upper lip curled into a slight sneer. Sensing that I was now making progress, I continued: "In the name of Jesus, are you the spirit who has been oppressing Marguerite, and invading her body?"
When Marguerite did not reply, I asked again, "In the name of Jesus Christ…are you the unclean spirit who has been oppressing Marguerite, and taking over her personality?"
"Yeeeees…yeeeees," she answered.
"What is your name?" I asked. "In the name of Jesus, identify yourself."
"I…don't…know," she said quietly.
"But you are the spirit who has been residing inside of Marguerite? In the name of Jesus, answer truthfully."
"Yes", she replied without expression.
Now positioning my right hand slightly above Marguerite's head, while maintaining close eye contact, I said, "Then in the name of Jesus Christ, I declare that you must leave Marguerite, now! Depart from this temple of God. In the name of Jesus, may you now be cast out of Marguerite, never to return to her!"
Marguerite's eyes closed for a moment, then reopened…still with that somewhat vacant look. "In the name of Jesus Christ," I asked, "who are you?"
"Marguerite," she replied quietly, almost as if hypnotized.
"In the name of Jesus Christ, are there any unclean spirits still inside of you?" I asked.
"No," she said flatly.
"Marguerite, how do you feel now?"
"Peaceful," she replied in the same flat tone. "I feel at peace now."
"Do you feel that the oppressing spirit is now gone from you?" I asked her.
"Yes…I feel it's gone from me now. Thank you, very much," she said quietly.
"I'm so glad, Marguerite," I told her, resting my hand on her shoulder. "God bless you."
All through this, Clifford had been sitting upon the parlor sofa, observing in silence. Although he made no comment now, Lisa - who'd been standing by the stairs - approached us and said, "For a moment there, Marguerite, I saw your face startin' to turn mean, just like it used to! Right then I thought that you were gonna start freakin' out again!"
"It did?" Marguerite asked her with a light chuckle.
"Yes, I noticed it too," said Carl, also coming forward.
"Well, I guess this time I wasn't as wild actin' as usual," said Marguerite, in a subdued tone.
Grant asked, "But you do feel better, Marguerite?"
"Oh, yes…much better," she replied. "Just a little tired, that's all."
"Well, that's understandable," said Grant, rising from his seat. "Well done, Keith!"
"Yes, great job, Keith!" said Jason, also rising from his seat.
"Thank you, guys," I said. "And thank you for being here."
"Not a problem," Jason assured me.
Leo suggested, "Maybe you'd like to go upstairs and take a nap for awhile, Marguerite?"
