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.

Judy McCarthy has great hopes

for her family and their new home.

But a shadowy presence prowls its dark corners,

obsessively tormenting the family.

As Judy struggles to protect her loved ones,

she uncovers a violent secret

that threatens everything she holds dear.

Between the world we see and the things we fear,

there are doors.

When they are opened,

nightmares become reality.

Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com

captions paid for by discovery communications

beyond the sun-drenched shores of corpus christi, Texas,

musty gravestones Mark forgotten conflicts and silenced lives.

But sometimes death is not the final chapter.

Often, restless spirits roam the earth,

seeking to inflict their eternal fury...

on the living.

In early 2005,

the McCarthy family moves from a small apartment

in corpus christi, Texas, to a house nearby.

Judy McCarthy is a stay-at-home mom

whose first priority is her family.

She is always compassionate and supportive

of her 17-year-old daughter, caressa, her husband, John,

and her grown daughter, Lisa lambert.

Recently, Lisa was laid off from her job

as a human resources recruiter.

No longer able to support her son, Jacob,

she moved in with John and Judy.

Judy: Lisa and Jacob were having to sleep on the floor,

and we had to get a bigger place

because a two-bedroom with one bath just was not big enough.

Narrator: Lisa feels fortunate to have loving parents she can rely on.

Lisa: I asked them for their assistance

until I could get on my feet financially.

That's how we are. It's just a close-knit family.

Judy: Want to check it out?

Yeah! Okay, have fun.

Judy: Oh, we will!

Lisa: Here, let me help.

Great.

Narrator: Caressa loves the new house

and the fact that she will not have to change schools.

Jacob, look.

Nice.

Welcome to my humble abode.

I hadn't had a room this big, so I was very, very excited.

Can I use your computer when you don't need it?

Yeah, just make sure you ask first.

Whoa, what's this?

That's pretty cool.

Caressa: There was a water heater

that had a door that led into the hallway,

and there was also a door into my bedroom.

Judy: Jacob!

Okay, coming, mom.

John: Lisa, honey, look at this.

Narrator: Lisa and Jacob share a large addition off the living room.

Lisa: Jake, can you help me put these on hangers?

I loved that we had our own section of the house

away from everyone,

and we would have our privacy.

Narrator: As they finish settling in,

a treasured item evokes the memory of Judy's late father.

Hey, mom.

Judy: I did everything with my dad,

and whenever we'd go fishing, that is the lantern we used.

It was my pride and joy.

What do you think?

It looks good.

I think so, too.

Anything else?

It was very special to her

and special to all of us in that way.

Narrator: As weeks pass,

the family quickly falls into a hectic routine.

John's supervisory position as a diesel mechanic

requires him to work long hours.

I'll call you later. Okay, bye.

Oh, Jacob.

Jacob, it is late.

You're gonna be late for school, hon. We got to go.

When will you be back? I don't know, mom.

It really just depends on the job hunt.

We'll see. Have a good day, okay?

Okay.

Good luck!

Thank you.

Mom, have you seen my compact?

Judy: Did you check your room?

[ Sighs ]

Caressa: I went to look for my powder.

I couldn't find it anywhere.

I came back into the bathroom,

and it was right there,

just as if it was purposely placed for me to see.

Thanks, mom. Where'd you find it?

I didn't.

I thought that it was Jacob being a prankster,

moving around my compact.

But Jacob went to school, like, 20 minutes ago.

Narrator: Days turn into nights.

[ Sighing ]

I started to feel a little uneasy,

kind of a vague feeling of being watched.

Ahh, good morning.

Good morning.

Well, you're running kind of late, sleepyhead.

I couldn't sleep.

Are you coming down with something?

No.

Is everything going all right at school?

What is with the third degree?

I'm fine. Everything is fine.

Gosh!

Narrator: Later, after everyone has left,

Judy takes time to relax.

The trench walls collapsed.

In a matter of seconds...

How could such a large mass suddenly disappear?

And if it isn't...

come together to form dangerous gangs...

As the car sank deeper into the river...

Firefighter Dan skyle knew he and his men had to...

towards first, fielded by Johnson.

Walson told investigators

that during their Los Angeles business...

Judy: There's no timer on the TV or anything.

So I thought maybe there was something wrong

with the batteries.

Narrator: Weeks pass.

Eerie sounds continue to echo through the house.

Judy finds comfort in having her family around...

Two Jacks.

Especially on nights when John works late.

Okay, you got me.

Nice work.

[ Creaking ]

Did you hear that?

What do you think it was?

Sounded like it came from my room.

It's probably just the house settling.

Whose turn is it, anyway? Mine.

Judy: It's an older home.

You're expecting to hear some type of noises.

Stick 'em up and give me all your 8s!

Now, what makes you think I've got any 8s?

[ Laughs ]

[ Creaking ]

You had to have heard that.

I'll go take a look.

No, Jacob. You stay here.

[ Scraping ]

I was a little anxious.

We thought somebody had broken in.

I didn't know what was in there.

I didn't know what was gonna happen.

It's freezing in here.

I got goose bumps.

The hair stood up.

The closet.

Caressa: My heart kind of dropped

when I saw that my closet door was actually open.

I always kept my closet door shut.

[ Sighs ]

Oh, thank goodness.

What? Everything okay?

It's okay.

False alarm.

[ Sighs ]

Narrator: Weeks pass without incident.

I got a job!

As a corporate trainer.

Lisa: I was ecstatic.

It wasn't just a job for me. It was gonna be my career.

You rock, mom!

My son was thrilled

just because, eventually, we were gonna be on our own.

Well, let's party! Come on, we'll celebrate.

Pop the cork on that thing.

Narrator: A few hours later,

after Jacob and John have gone to bed...

body temperature began to drop,

blood pressure and pulse decreased sharply.

Confused and disoriented...

Jacob, get back to bed, young man.

I'm thinking somebody's playing a trick on me.

We don't have another remote.

Mom, what's wrong with the TV?

It just, like, just came on.

Uh... I thought it was Jacob.

It's been doing this in the mornings.

I tried changing the batteries,

but it hasn't stopped it, apparently.

It just turns on and flips channels.

Caressa: Knowing that somebody else in the house

was experiencing similar things was very comforting.

I'm starting to think the house is haunted.

Oh...

You know, I think it might be grandpa.

He was always such a practical joker.

I thought it was my dad checking in the house

to make sure that everybody was okay.

But why would he start this now?

He's been gone for years.

Narrator: Lisa has her doubts.

Lisa: She just wanted to have him in the house with us so much

that she wanted to grasp onto that possibility that it's him.

You know, I've got a huge day tomorrow.

I think I'm turning in.

Me too.

Night, caressa.

Narrator: Later, around 3:00 A.M...

Man #1: Stay away from that gun!

Man #2: Your territory?! Get out of my territory!

[ Indistinct shouting ]

Stay away from that gun!

Lisa: I wasn't imagining this.

It was within a foot of that window, if not closer.

I would have seen them walk away.

I would have at least seen their shadow, heard their footsteps.

I could smell smoke,

like there was something burning,

maybe in the living room or in the kitchen.

[ Breathing heavily ]

Oh, mom.

You almost gave me a heart attack.

Oh, I'm sorry, honey.

What are you doing up?

I smelled smoke.

Seemed like it was coming from this room.

I sure don't smell any now, though.

Mom, it wasn't the smoke that woke me up.

Really?

What was it?

I heard men outside talking.

And then when I looked to see them, they weren't even there.

Something weird is going on, mom.

Narrator: Judy believes the voices are connected to the haunting.

Judy: That's when I realized it couldn't be my dad,

that if he wanted to say something to me,

he would have done it a long time ago.

And that's when I finally realized we have a problem.

Can you keep it down?

I have to get up in three hours.

I'm sorry, honey.

There's just weird things going on here.

We think we might have a ghost.

A ghost?

You got nothing better to do at 3:00 in the morning?

I'm going back to bed, and you should, too.

I'm so sorry, honey.

He hasn't experienced any of it.

I know.

Thank goodness Jacob hasn't, either.

Let's just keep it that way, okay?

Goodnight, honey.

Lisa: My concern was will he come in contact with the spirit?

Will it start bothering him?

Narrator: Nothing unusual happens for several days,

and Lisa's concerns fade.

Caressa, however,

continues to sense an unseen presence watching her.

Nice. Nice bunt.

All right!

Because the feeling is most intense in her room,

she has suffered a string of restless nights.

All right. All right.

And the pitcher retires another batter.

And the pitcher retires, too.

Aw, come on. Play a little more.

I'm pooped, squirt.

Please? Jake, I said no.

Caressa: Night after night, not being able to go to sleep.

I was definitely tired all the time.

Narrator: The sleepless nights stretch into weeks.

Hoping to calm her uneasiness,

caressa leaves a light on each night.

[ Scraping ]

[ Creaking ]

Caressa: I felt like something was about to pop out at me.

[ Creaking ]

Narrator: She tries to convince herself

that it's just her imagination.

[ Pounding, creaking ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

Caressa.

What are you doing in here?

Whatever's in this house was in my room last night.

But it isn't grandpa.

Caressa: I knew it wouldn't be my grandpa

because I wouldn't be feeling scared and vulnerable

like I was.

Oh, honey.

Narrator: Judy wishes there was some way to comfort caressa.

Although she still feels uncomfortable being alone,

caressa presses on.

Ahh.

Why did caressa sleep in our room last night?

Don't even go there, John.

I couldn't stay in my room.

Why?

I got scared.

I didn't want to be alone.

There's a ghost in there.

Oh, not this ghost business again.

You're 17.

You're too old to be sleeping in your parents' room.

My dad never wanted to believe in the supernatural.

Crying won't help.

He thought that I was being very irrational.

I need to be heading out, too.

Narrator: That night, despite her fears,

caressa returns to her own room.

Caressa: I tried my hardest not to think about it.

I felt like I had to be strong and tough it out.

[ Creaking ]

I was too scared to look or move or do anything.

I just laid there, frozen.

My heart started beating very, very fast,

and I got very, very frightened.

[ Breathing heavily ]

Mom!

I could not move my body,

and I just felt like there was a huge weight on me.

[ Screaming ]

[ Screaming ]

Caressa, what's the matter, honey?!

What's the matter?

Honey, are you okay?

I couldn't breathe.

Oh, my god.

How about some fresh air?

They don't open.

Oh.

I forgot.

Narrator: Judy struggles to find some way

to keep her daughter safe.

I think that's it. It's all up and running again.

Wonderful. We'll have heat again.

You know, I was wondering what would happen

if we needed to get out of the lease early.

Why?

We think there might be a ghost here.

If you try to break that lease, you owe me the rest of the year.

And if you don't pay up, I'll sue.

Whoa. Nobody's trying to break the lease.

I think you need to talk to your wife.

Judy: I wanted out of the house. I didn't want any part of it.

I wanted to move.

We're not gonna move

just because you think there's ghosts in here.

John, you're away at work all day long.

You come home and sleep.

You're never around to see what's happening around here.

He told me that it was just our imagination,

that we were being stupid and silly and everything.

Narrator: A few days later,

caressa stays home from school to recover from a bad cold.

Caressa: Mom.

Judy: That was about the most frightening thing,

to see something going into caressa's room

and just disappear.

Caressa: My heart dropped.

Everything beforehand

had just been hearing things and feelings.

But seeing that just made everything that much worse.

Lisa lambert.

Lisa!

Narrator: The ghost's increasing boldness terrifies Judy.

It seems to be growing not only stronger,

but more focused on caressa.

You saw it?

Oh, my god.

We got to get out of here now!

Okay, listen, mom.

Go somewhere safe until dad gets home,

and I'm gonna see if I can find someone who can help us.

Narrator: Lisa finds Margaret Prescott's paranormal-research team

and arranges for them to come out as soon as possible.

Narrator: Soon after, while John is out of town

and Jacob is staying at a friend's house,

paranormal investigator Margaret Prescott

and her son, technical expert monty Prescott,

meet with the family.

Margaret: The goal of my group is to help people

to understand what they're experiencing,

what they're going through.

All right, we'll be setting up the cameras

throughout the house,

but mostly where you've had activity.

Like my room?

Especially your room.

Where my heart went out to this family

was seeing the fear in her eyes,

like something was coming after her.

Where do you want us to be?

We're gonna need everyone to leave the house.

That way, we can be sure that the activity we pick up

is paranormal and not human.

Monty will be in the garage.

He's setting up a viewing station

so he won't disturb the house, either.

Let's go.

Narrator: The team has set up infrared cameras

and digital tape recorders.

They hope to capture paranormal activity

and ghostly voices known as e.V.P.,

or electronic voice phenomena.

How's it going?

It's going pretty good.

I think we got a nice shot of the hallway.

We got a really nice shot of the bedroom here.

That's where most of our activity's been happening.

What was that?

Something just hit the camera.

My reaction was that they didn't want our cameras there,

and they did not want us there.

I'm gonna go fix that camera.

Be careful.

I will. Call me if there's a problem.

Narrator: Margaret knows any ghost who can move a camera

is powerful enough to inflict physical harm.

[ Creaking ]

Margaret: I just had this feeling

that there was something inside this closet,

and it just wasn't very nice.

Narrator: She tries to provoke the ghost

in order to elicit a response that can be recorded as e.V.P.

Prove to me you're really here.

I try to get from them why are they here?

Why are they tormenting this family?

Move something.

Come on. Show yourself to me.

An orb just flew out of the closet at you.

I think you should get out of there.

An orb just flew out of the closet at you.

I think you should get out of there.

Margaret: I thought, okay, I'm making a connection

with whatever is in there.

Who are you?

What are you doing in this house?

Answer me.

If you don't want me here...

Make me leave.

What's happening?

[ Gasping ]

This really strange feeling traveled up my legs

and just started traveling up to my arms.

Get out of there!

Margaret: It's like the air is just being sucked out,

and it was really getting very hard to breathe.

[ Wheezing ]

Get out of there!

Judy: How'd it go?

Narrator: Margaret confirms Judy's worst fears...

The ghost is powerful and violent.

You're gonna need a cleansing, and I don't do those.

But I can get you in touch with some people who do.

Oh. Can they do it right away?

I've got to protect my family, especially caressa.

Judy: I was so scared for her.

This was her room, and something was invading it.

It'll be about a week or more.

That long?

Well, you can try to cleanse the house yourself.

Narrator: Judy is willing to accept any risk to protect her family.

Go to each room alone with a Bible,

and you order the spirits to go away.

Thank you.

It'll be okay, okay?

We'll keep in touch. All right.

Narrator: The following morning, despite her fears,

Judy is determined to bless the house.

I'm just really not comfortable leaving you alone to do this.

Let me call in and take a personal day.

I was very concerned.

Margaret had said that two things could happen.

You could either really make the spirit angry,

they could retaliate,

or they will actually leave you alone.

In god's name...

Narrator: Judy blesses the house, room by room,

saving caressa's for last.

Leave my family alone.

In god's name,

please leave this house.

Leave us alone.

[ Creaking ]

In god's name, please leave this house.

Leave us alone.

Leave my family alone!

In god's name,

I command you to leave this house!

[ Creaking ] Get out of this house!

[ Wind blows, creaking, rustling ]

In the name of god,

I command you to leave this house!

[ Growling ] Leave us alone!

I felt like there was someone standing right beside me.

I didn't know what was gonna happen,

and I couldn't breathe.

[ Gasps ]

I thought that I had done something I shouldn't have.

[ Thunder crashes ]

I tried to cleanse the house,

but I heard angry knocking on the walls.

Leave us alone!

That means it's not gonna leave.

I need you to hear something.

Man: I'm here. I'm here for the girl.

I'm here.

I'm here for the girl.

We've got the confirmation of what this entity wants,

and it was very frightening.

I'm here. I'm here for the girl.

Man: I'm here for the girl.

He's obsessed with caressa.

He wants her.

Her rejection is making him so angry.

Margaret: She might have reminded him

of someone he once cared for a great deal,

and he did not want to let her go.

Judy: Knowing that is your flesh and blood

that whatever this thing is wants,

what am I gonna do?

How am I gonna protect her?

There was a murder in the house.

Narrator: Margaret's research has uncovered a drug-related murder

that occurred in the house 20 years earlier.

Get out of my territory! Your territory?!

[ Indistinct shouting ]

[ Gunshots ]

You know the smoke that you smelled

and the argument that Lisa heard?

They're all replays of that event.

The killer set a fire to destroy the evidence.

Get caressa out of that house as soon as possible.

Margaret: The next step is that this girl's

gonna get harmed in some way.

It's building up more and more strength

because this family's afraid of it.

Oh, my god, caressa is due home from softball practice

any minute now.

I can't have her in that house alone!

Where's caressa?

Still at softball practice.

Oh, thank god.

Why?

John, we have to move.

What?

The ghost is obsessed with caressa.

Margaret caught him on tape

saying he wanted the girl.

Man: I'm here for the girl.

John, we have to move.

Judy: I was determined nothing was gonna get her.

[ Crying ]

Well, that's about it for us.

Narrator: Within days, Judy finds a house nearby,

and the family quickly packs for the move.

Now, you and Jacob come and visit us sometime soon.

Lisa and Jacob relocate to an apartment across town.

Don't be a stranger. All right.

[ Chuckles ]

Well, I think that about does it for us, too.

I just need to get one more box from my room.

Okay, hurry up, honey.

I was never so happy in my life that we were gonna move.

Mom? I can't get the door open!

It's stuck! Help!

It's not even locked or latched!

Get me out of here! Help!

Get away from the door! Stand back!

Can you climb out a window?

No, it's nailed shut, remember?

I'm gonna crawl through the furnace door.

I can see you, baby!

Get me something to pry it with, like a screwdriver.

Yes!

Give me your hand!

I felt a presence just bearing down on me.

I just kept thinking that it's gonna get me.

It's gonna get me.

Give me your hands, baby.

That's it.

Come on, come to dad. Come on, I got you. I got you.

Something's pulling me!

It's trying to keep me in the room!

Judy: It felt like something was pulling her the other way,

towards her closet.

Caressa: It wasn't letting me leave.

[ Screaming ]

I was so scared.

I got you, baby!

John, she's freezing. We got to get out of here now.

I was so happy and so scared.

I mean, I didn't ever want to let her go.

Hold that pose!

Narrator: Several months later,

caressa recovers from her ordeal and graduates from high school.

Soon after, she secures a full-time job

and begins taking college classes.

You're smart, but that's a dumb hat.

You can't wait to wear one, can you, squirt?

[ Laughter ]

Once we moved out of the house, nothing bad happened after that,

and everybody's doing really good now.

Narrator: But the months of constant fear for her daughter's safety

will forever haunt Judy.

It's a feeling that I hope to god I never have to feel again,

and I don't ever want anyone

to have to go through that with their child.