Original subtitles

Narrator: In this world, there is real evil

in the darkest shadows and in the most ordinary places.

These are the true stories

of the innocent and the unimaginable.

Paranormal investigator Stacey Jones

knows the dangers of the supernatural world.

She's a former police officer who relies on her training

to methodically and safely search for human spirits.

But an innocent mistake puts her only son at risk,

and Stacey must battle the dark side to save his mortal soul.

Between the world we see and the things we fear,

there are doors.

When they are opened,

nightmares become reality.

Drawn by the allure of exploring the unknown...

enticed by the chance of proving the impossible...

paranormal investigators must stay grounded in their quest.

But when skepticism blinds the truth,

perilous consequences threaten the innocent.

Stacey: Research, documentation, evidence...

These are the keys to a solid investigation

and to finding the answers we seek.

The brown lady of raynham hall...

Taken in 1937,

it is the most famous alleged ghost photo of all time.

Take a close look. Pretty provocative.

Could it be a fraud?

Narrator: Stacey Jones founded central New York ghost hunters in 1997.

Stacey: Being an ex-police officer

sets me apart from other paranormal investigators

because I really want that evidence to support

what our claims are.

Next one.

Okay, with energy photos such as this one...

Narrator: Along with her team members,

Stacey scientifically investigates

human-spirit hauntings.

We're looking for evidence to support life after death.

It's ironic.

Narrator: Stacey lives with her husband, Lloyd,

and her 15-year-old son, Jamie, in Syracuse, New York.

Although Lloyd is a true skeptic,

he is a supportive husband and a devoted stepfather.

Jamie has had a unique upbringing.

Paranormal is pretty normal for me.

My mom deals with it almost every day.

Thank you.

[ Applause ]

We have any questions?

Yes?

Aren't ghosts, if they do exist, supposed to be dangerous?

Well, the human spirit poses a danger

that is more psychological than physical.

What are the exceptions?

The exceptions?

Well, that's a question for my friend John zaffis

if I ever heard one.

Ladies and gentlemen, our expert on the dark and dangerous,

Mr. John zaffis.

Thank you, Stacey.

Narrator: While Stacey focuses on human-spirit cases,

her longtime colleague from Connecticut

specializes in a much darker realm.

Hello, I'm John zaffis.

And for the past 25 years,

I've studied malevolent non-human spirits,

better known as demons.

When dealing with something on a negative level,

usually the activity is very intense.

You'll have furniture moving around.

You can have really foul smells.

Personalities will actually be changed

in these types of situations.

The whole environment usually changes.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Hey, Jamie, you still skateboarding?

Every day.

Hey...

Got a line on a historic cemetery

a few hours out of town.

A lot of activity.

Alleged activity.

Sorry... alleged activity.

We're hoping to get out there Saturday if you can make it.

Saturday... I told the guys we'd go for a picnic on Saturday.

Come on.

I'll see what I can do.

Narrator: Despite her full schedule,

Stacey knows it's important to spend time with Jamie.

That Saturday, family and work overlap.

Before entering the cemetery,

the team tests equipment they will use

to find anomalies associated with human spirits.

Electromagnetic field monitors

detect abnormal shifts in energy.

Infrared cameras record light sources

invisible to the naked eye.

And digital audio recorders

capture sounds imperceptible to the human ear.

1, 2, 3, testing.

Okay, there you go.

But not all the equipment is sophisticated.

What's that?

Dowsing rods.

What do they do?

Some people believe that they can mystically find

just about anything a person seeks.

Oh, Regina, that's ridiculous, and you know it.

Dowsing is an ancient procedure

for finding ionized objects underground.

Water, metal... Nothing more, nothing less.

I have never personally used dowsing rods.

I've never had anybody in my group

seriously use dowsing rods.

I doubted them a lot.

Can I try?

Well, I guess so.

Here's how you do them... Put them parallel,

and when they come in and start tapping like that,

you got something, all right?

Stacey: Jamie normally doesn't go on investigations with me,

but we found that cemeteries are usually pretty benign,

so I felt pretty comfortable taking him.

Wow. This place is huge.

Narrator: The cemetery has a dark history.

It entombs the remains of soldiers who met violent deaths

in every American war since the mid-1800s.

Stacey: We got e-mails from people

stating that they've gone in and seen shadows moving.

I'm skeptical of what people report

because they go into places wanting to be scared.

You take this.

Let's see...

Jamie and I will take the two eastern quadrants back here.

And, Regina, you and James, you go to the two...

The northwest and the southwest quadrants, all right?

So, what am I supposed to do with these things?

Oh, well, if you listen to James and Regina,

you can use them to try to find a specific grave.

Like what?

Oh, I don't know, honey. Smith?

Take me to a grave marked "Smith."

Nothing.

Hmm, imagine that.

Come on, honey, we got a lot more ground to cover.

Mom!

What is it?

Something's happening. What?

[ Rods tapping ]

What's happening, mom?

Well, I don't know.

[ Tapping continues ]

What are you doing?

I'll be damned.

You found a grave marked "Smith."

[ Chuckles ]

Don't you find that a little freaky?

I was intrigued by it, but I was still skeptical.

Oh, Jamie, be rational.

In a cemetery this big,

there's probably a hundred graves marked "Smith."

But how do you explain the rods vibrating?

Probably metal deposits in the soil.

Jamie: My mom's constantly downplaying experiences.

There's always a scientific conclusion

that could be made off these facts that we find.

Jamie, what is the first rule of paranormal investigation?

Be skeptical.

Exactly.

Those things are probably gonna detect metal

10 more times tonight.

Now, come on, let's go. Stay close to me.

I don't want you wandering off.

Coffee?

Uh, not right now.

Okay.

I'm gonna check in with Stacey.

Hey, we're in the old section.

Anything interesting happening there yet? Not really.

It's still early,

but I'm not sure there's much to find out here.

[ Rustling ]

Mom?

Oh!

You need to keep up with me, Jamie.

Sorry. Take them.

You all right?

Just take them.

Well, put them in my backpack.

Here.

Mom!

What is it? What is that?!

What are you doing?

Back up... Slowly.

Narrator: Stacey fears they have just encountered shadow people.

They're black forms that dart between trees and tombstones.

The sense I got from it was negative.

James, Regina, pack it up. Meet us at the Van.

Stacey, out.

Come on.

Narrator: Some researchers believe shadow people are dark beings.

Others think they're negative psychic energies.

Either way, Stacey knows they aren't human spirits.

Stacey: I really felt vulnerable.

It wasn't safe anymore.

And I've learned over the years to trust this instinct.

Mom, I don't remember this place.

James!

Regina!

[ Footsteps approach ]

We heard footsteps behind us, but there was no one there.

[ Footsteps approach ]

Is that them?

I don't know.

This way.

[ Panting ]

Stop... slow down.

Stacey: I felt like I was being surrounded.

There was something out there

that obviously had an interest in us.

James!

Regina!

James: Stacey? Is that you?

Where are you?

The parking lot. Are you okay?

Stacey, what's going on in there?

Whatever it was is gone.

We're coming!

I'm not getting anything right now.

Look.

What happened in there?

I don't know. Let's just talk about it later.

Let's get out of here.

Jamie, are you all right?

He just thought he saw something.

Did you see something?

I don't know. Maybe.

Hey. How was your shift?

Very long.

Aww.

I'm glad you're home.

Me, too. I'm gonna get something to drink.

Stacey: Yep.

Lloyd: Okay, good.

So, how was the big ghost hunt?

Oh, well, we saw something.

Shadow people, I think.

But I didn't get any documentation.

I think I need a better camera.

Or maybe there was nothing there, huh?

Jamie awake yet?

[ Rock music plays ]

[ Music stops ]

Oh, morning, sweetie. Mom...

Jamie, about last night at the cemetery,

I think we ended up just scaring ourselves more than anything.

What about this?

My god, Jamie, what did you do to yourself?

I-I-I didn't do anything!

Well, of course you did.

That didn't just appear by itself.

What in the world happened?

I didn't do anything!

It just, like, appeared! I swear!

Stacey: In the back of my mind,

I really had a nagging suspicion that something had gone on.

But then my rationale kicked in.

If you didn't do it, how did it get there?

What are you doing?

So I basically cleaned it up and let it go.

Stop!

You gouged it.

We got to keep it...

Jamie: I just felt completely betrayed.

I'm going to my room. Jamie!

We can try to downplay it as much as we want,

but what are the chances of it being a perfect star?

Narrator: In the following days,

Jamie senses the world around him changing.

As the school year begins,

he's numb to everyone.

Man: That's enough. Outside now.

Look, I don't know what kind of stunt you're pulling in there,

but I am not gonna tolerate it.

I didn't do anything!

All right, wise guy,

let's see if you remember for the principal.

But I didn't do anything!

Now, right now. Let's go.

What's going on? Nothing.

Nothing?

Do you remember anything about incessant mumbling?

No.

I swear.

Nothingness, nothingness, nothingness.

Nothingness, nothingness, nothingness, nothingness.

Jamie!

What's wrong with you? You want another detention?

What for?

That's two. You want another one?

Why? Enough.

Jamie: Everything in my mind was completely normal.

There was not a single thing wrong.

But then there's all these things happening,

and for the sake of me, I could not figure out why.

Narrator: Over the next week,

Jamie feels like he's living in a fog.

Jamie: I was changing.

Everything was just constant depression, anger.

There was no happy point of my life.

Narrator: He wishes he could talk to his mom,

but she's always too busy.

Jamie: I just had nothing.

All I had was to sit in my room, listen to music, and that's it.

[ Heavy metal music plays ]

The tape dispenser just swipes across my room.

Did that just happen? It almost seemed fake.

[ Music continues ]

[ Heavy metal music plays ]

Jamie: I thought, maybe my house is haunted.

[ Music stops ]

Stacey: Jamie?

Jamie?

Mom, something just happened upstairs. What?

I don't know, but...

Oh, my gosh. What the heck is this?

Three detentions in one week?

Mom...

I don't know what's going on right now.

Well, obviously, there's some sort of problem.

I don't have a problem, Stacey.

But if I did...

do you think you could fix it?

What the heck is that supposed to mean?

I'm going to bed.

Jamie!

Narrator: Stacey hopes that Jamie is just going through a phase.

Stacey: This is not Jamie. This is not Jamie's behavior.

He doesn't get in trouble like this. He's a good kid.

Narrator: As Halloween nears, Stacey lectures constantly.

Hey, have either of you guys seen my diamond earrings?

What, they're not in your jewelry box?

No, Lloyd, I already looked there.

Have either of you seen my earrings?

No. No.

Oh, for gosh sakes. I'm gonna be late.

Yeah, me too. Look, you, after dinner, homework.

You gonna check my answers?

You know, I might.

Narrator: Jamie has never felt more alone.

Jamie: My mom was the last person I could turn to for help.

I had no friends to turn to for help.

My stepdad wasn't even in question to turn to for help.

Just, quite literally, no one.

[ Wet rustling ]

[ Rustling continues ]

I heard a gross, frictiony, wet noise.

[ Rustling continues ]

The sound slowly goes back into the kitchen.

[ Rustling continues ]

It goes into the computer room.

It was just a constant goose chase.

It was interacting.

Narrator: Jamie passes the night alone,

afraid the one person he used to count on won't believe him.

Jamie!

Jamie: Should I tell my mom?

After the star, the tape dispenser?

Every time I'd tell her, she'd blow it off, put it aside.

What's wrong?

I heard this sound.

It was like lips smacking...

Except for louder.

It was disgusting.

Oh, honey,

it was probably just the neighbor's cat prying again.

You know that they leave it out all the time.

It's so cold. They never let it in.

I did have suspicion that it may have been something

that Jamie made up

just because he could have heard me talking about it before.

Maybe this was the way he was getting this attention from me.

Why don't you ever believe me?

My view of my mom completely changed.

[ Wet rustling ]

[ Screams ]

[ Panting ]

The dream was so incredibly real.

The idea struck me that things were gonna get

just completely out-of-control violent.

[ Panting ]

Narrator: Stacey wonders if there's more to Jamie's behavior

than a plea for attention.

Jamie's been hiding his report card.

Stacey: He was failing everything.

What exactly is going on with this kid?

And I was absolutely, totally furious

that my jewelry was in Jamie's drawer.

That's it. I've had it with this kid.

If discipline is what he's looking for,

he's absolutely gonna get it.

Why are you going through my drawers?!

What are these doing in your drawer?

Whatever.

Jamie, what is going on with you?

I'm out of here.

Come back here! Jamie!

Jamie!

Jamie.

You stole from me, Jamie.

You stole from me, and you lied to me.

Yeah, I guess I did.

[ Voice deepens ] Bad, bad Jamie.

Don't talk to her like that.

[ Normal voice ] Shut your mouth, Lloyd.

You might embarrass yourself in front of my mom.

All right, stop it. Just stop it right now.

Mom, w-what did I do?

All right, that's it. Go on upstairs.

I'm tired of looking at you. Go.

Go on.

This relationship completely turned on a dime

in less than three months.

[ Heavy metal music plays ]

Jamie: What is going on here?

Is this seriously, seriously all going on right now?

I don't have any control of this.

I hate the idea of stealing, but sure enough, I did it.

It just freaked me out so much. I could not figure out why.

Constant negative, negative, negative, negative.

This is completely out of my hands.

Well, maybe it is just me.

Maybe I am a bad person.

[ Music continues ]

[ Music blaring in distance ]

Stacey: My husband said that I shouldn't overreact.

I didn't agree. This was not Jamie.

This was not the way he is.

There wasn't any explanation

of why that book came flying down the stairs.

I started putting things together, saying,

"okay, there is something paranormal

going on in my house."

Narrator: Stacey suspects Jamie is the focus of a poltergeist.

Almost without exception,

poltergeists center on pubescent youth.

The theory holds that intense but repressed emotions

trigger psychokinetic energy.

Stacey: It would explain the behavior,

the book flying through the house, the lip smacking.

It would explain a lot of things.

Narrator: Thankfully, poltergeists rarely last longer than a month or two.

Stacey: I figured it's something that's gonna be so short-lived

that I can deal with it and we can move on.

Narrator: The next evening...

Okay, listen.

I think I understand what's been going on.

I think you've been the target of a poltergeist.

What?

It would explain a lot of the things

that have been going on around here,

like the weird noises, stuff flying around...

Ow!

Oh, my god!

Mom, what's happening?!

I don't know... son, oh, my god!

What is that?!

[ Screams ]

Mom! [ Screaming ]

Make it stop!

All right, stop, stop now!

Make it stop! Make it stop!

Zaffis: Hello, you've reached the voicemail of John zaffis.

Please leave a message.

[ Beep ]

John, pick up, it's me. It's Stacey.

John, are you there?

Look, John, there's something attacking Jamie.

I need you.

[ Voice breaking ] I'm really scared.

Jamie: [ Screams ]

Narrator: The next morning, in Connecticut,

zaffis gets Stacey's message.

Zaffis: Am I very concerned about Jamie? Absolutely.

This is a very personal situation.

They're my friends. They're like family.

He's been like this ever since you were last in town,

and with all the noises and stuff flying around,

just everything pointed to a poltergeist.

Jamie is the right age.

Yeah, and last night,

these scratches just appeared on his chest.

That's no poltergeist.

She just looked right up at me, and she says,

"this is what I didn't want to hear.

This is what I didn't want to know."

Stacey, what happened in that cemetery?

Well...

I just let Jamie mess around with those dowsing rods.

Oh, god.

I thought they were harmless.

Far from it.

Those...

By playing with the dowsing rods,

he opened up the doors where something actually came in

and attached to him.

Jamie: Mom?

Honey, I told John everything. What?!

Would you mind showing me the scratches?

Why?

Jamie, please.

Oh, my poor baby!

Zaffis: He lifted his shirt up, and he had brand-new scratches.

Jamie was being tormented.

Jamie, um...

I think a demonic entity has attached itself to you.

It's the only explanation for what's been happening.

We were definitely dealing with something on a demonic level.

Its main objective is to wear the person down.

It wanted him to cross over.

It wanted to gain control of his soul.

So, is this just gonna keep going on and on?

It might.

That depends on you.

John thinks you need an exorcism.

There's a priest in Connecticut who can help.

No.

Jamie, it's the only way. Stop, stop! Stop!

No.

Jamie: You try to comprehend what is going to happen from,

like, movies you saw.

"Exorcist"... The girl throws up puke.

Afterwards, she's all scarred up and stuff.

It's like, "do I really want that?"

Narrator: Without Jamie's consent, there can be no exorcism.

Jamie: It's a very weird feeling,

thinking about what's gonna happen.

It was overwhelming.

Jamie, I love you more than anything in this world.

Please, son, for me, come to Connecticut.

Thank you.

Narrator: That weekend,

Stacey and Jamie drive to Connecticut for the exorcism.

I was afraid for Jamie.

I was afraid of what they were going to do,

but I knew that this was the only way.

This was the only answer that we had.

Narrator: Zaffis has arranged for the exorcism to take place

in the home of father Larry elward,

an independent priest.

To perform the ancient rite,

Larry will follow "the Roman ritual,"

a catholic text from the 6th century.

Larry: Basically, the ritual is an expression of prayer

proclaiming the power and the healing

and deliverance power of god.

Narrator: His wife, Debbie, has the gift of discernment.

During the exorcism, she crosses the threshold

separating the physical world from the spiritual.

Oh, I think they're here.

Debbie: I will feel what the person is going through.

I can also see and hear the demon.

I am witness to both sides.

Stacey: Jamie was very nervous, very scared, very apprehensive.

I think it's kind of scary for him to accept

that I was just as scared as he was.

Jamie, please sit down.

Narrator: Once the exorcism begins,

zaffis knows the demon will feel threatened.

Whatever happens, I need you to keep your distance.

I understand.

Narrator: He fears the demon could lash out at Stacey through Jamie.

You secure his left side. I'll secure his right side.

Debbie: When a demonic presence enters the room, I feel very nauseous.

My skin seems to crawl.

Narrator: Despite the pain,

Debbie must focus on discerning the demon's name.

Demons don't like to be recognized or acknowledged.

By using their name, we are getting power over the demon.

Narrator: Larry opens the ritual with the litany of the saints.

♪ Lord, have mercy ♪

Both: ♪ have mercy on us ♪

♪ Christ, have mercy ♪

♪ have mercy on us ♪

♪ god, the father, in heaven ♪

♪ have mercy on us ♪

♪ god, the son, redeemer of the world ♪

♪ have mercy on us ♪

♪ god, the holy spirit ♪

♪ have mercy on us ♪

Narrator: An hour into the exorcism,

Stacey fears for Jamie.

Stacey: His facial features started to change.

He almost looked like a different person.

Father of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

You who cast the most evil tyrant

into the depths of hell for eternity.

You who sacrificed your only son

that he might crush this venomous serpent.

I've almost got a name.

Concentrate.

[ Panting ]

Holy and most merciful father,

we beseech you to save this child.

By the power of the holy spirit

and by the last judgment of god, hear my command!

Tell me your name!

Holy and most merciful father, we beseech you...

Narrator: Debbie psychically steps into Jamie's head.

Debbie: The entity was trying to stop the ritual

through this vision that Jamie was seeing.

Jamie thought he was lashing out and Larry and at me,

but that never happened.

[ Distorted talking ]

Demonic voice: Irritum.

I command you to retire,

vanquished by the power of the holy spirit,

heeded by the sign, the holy cross of our lord, Jesus Christ.

This is the name I've been getting.

Irritum... nothingness, worthlessness, vanity.

Narrator: Larry can now target the demon with its own name.

Behold the cross of our lord, Jesus Christ!

Tremble before its power, evil enemy!

Flee from its ancient majesty and might!

Jesus is our strength and hope.

[ Demonic growling ]

In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit,

I beseech you.

Give me strength against the unclean spirit

which delights in tormenting a child of your creation.

Amen! Amen!

[ Screams ]

Is he free?

Be still.

I exorcise the invading entity.

I exorcise thee, spirit of nothingness,

in the name of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Be uprooted and vanished from this child of god!

He who commands you, unclean spirit,

is he who flung you from heaven's embrace

and into the fires of hell!

[ Screaming ]

Jamie! Jamie!

Jamie!

I'm sorry. Oh, no.

Oh, no, honey, don't be sorry.

Oh, no, don't be sorry.

[ Sobbing ]

It's okay. It's okay.

Jamie: The hate just slowly went away, went away.

And then I realized I was done.

The whole thing was done.

Narrator: In the months following the exorcism,

Jamie's life returns to normal.

Jamie: This period of my life was just so incredibly depressing.

Everything's better now.

You think you can keep up with your old man?

You're going down, dad.

I'll play the winner.

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: Stacey can't help thinking back to the night

that she let Jamie tag along at the cemetery.

Stacey: Do I regret it? Yes. I do regret it.

I wish I could go back and leave Jamie home.

But almost in a way, it made us grow stronger.

Now it's almost like there's this unspoken bond between us

because we've been through it together

and we got past it

and we'll move on for the future.

Make him run!

[ Speaking indistinctly ]

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