We visited the home of one of our researchers in Meriden, CT, on January 9, 2010. She was feeling a presence in her house and wanted to know what it was. This is the story of what occurred during our visit, based on our readings, observations and experiences.
One of our researchers, Julie, had been feeling the presence of something in her house. So we decided we just had to check for ourselves. Plus she had snacks. We like snacks.
As I pulled into Julie’s driveway, I was immediately pointed toward the barn – there was something in there. Vic came outside of the house to greet me, after discussing the case with Julie before the rest of the team’s arrival.
We waited for the rest of the crew to arrive, and after a short time discussing group business, I told everyone we have to go into the barn.
With no heat.
After enduring a bit of abuse for insisting on another cold location, we decided to try and get EVPs on our first contact with whatever was in the barn. But first we had to find out who was in our presence.
I started with “We can hear you. Say something.”
Nothing.
I asked for a name. Still nothing.
I kept attempting to tell the spirit that they could talk. Still nothing.
Crystal started seeing an image of a man, crouched down, that was gagged. This helped us to get him to talk. I told him he could remove it, and he would be better able to speak.
He removed the gag, and said to Crystal, “That’s better.”
Finally, we heard him. His name was Andrew.
We quickly asked a number of questions – he knew the year as 1931, and was from Southbury. He didn’t know what had happened to him, or where he was. He showed Crystal that his hands had been tied behind his back, and I told him he could remove this restraint, which he did. I asked him if that was better, and he replied to Crystal that it was. Vic asked if he had lived at the training center in Southbury. Andrew said to Crystal, “How did you know that?” Crystal could tell he was confused, and wanted to know who did this to him.
During the conversation, I too became confused, as I felt he was in one place and suddenly in another, and then back in the original place. I mentioned to the group that there might be someone else in the barn.
We asked Andrew if he was a patient at Southbury. He told us he was never there.
This was the other spirit.
Crystal could here this spirit laughing – he was apparently amused that he was confusing us. We asked this other spirit their name, and Crystal told us it was Phillip. Vic asked where he was from, and he told Crystal he was homeless – and living in the barn. We asked both Phillip and Andrew if they could see a bright light, and Sara told them that this light would lead to the afterlife. Phillip didn’t buy it.
And kept laughing.
We discovered that he thought it was 1957, and didn’t believe he was dead. He also thought we were wasting our time.
He then asked for money.
Flashing a $20 bill his way, we told him it was his for the taking. Thinking he was homeless and in his mind he might like a warm and safe place to sleep that night, it seemed like it could be an irresistible offer.
We tried to convince Phillip to take the money. We put a meter next to the $20 bill, so he might try and pick it up and his energy would show up. But he didn’t take to kindly to playing these games – he didn’t like the meters, and didn’t buy that the money was real.
Vic then told him the meters were a new type of gun.
Andrew then spoke up, telling Crystal that the really liked guns, so I told him to try and pick up one of the meters. I said, “We have a gun for you. We have money for you. What else do you want us to get you, a laywer?”
One of the spirits laughed.
We spent some time trying desperately to convince either Andrew or Phillip to try and pick up the money and the meter. It didn’t seem to be working.
Andrew then spoke up and said to Crystal, “Victor likes guns.”
I asked Vic, “Do you like guns?
Vic said “I certainly do.
He then said to Andrew, “If you weren’t already dead, I’d shoot you again.”
I think Vic was freezing.
Andrew also was having a hard time believing he was dead. I had him hit my arm, and pointed out that my arm didn’t move. Crystal then said that she could see a gun in his hand.
I then asked Andrew to shoot my foot.
Crystal told me that Andrew shot my foot twice. To prove to him that he had passed, I showed him my feet – no holes. They were perfectly fine, except for the fact that my toes had now become numb. From the cold.
This ghosthunting thing in the winter can be a bitch.
Asking them to think about what we said, we put the $20 bill on top of a box, set up a camera to record any activity, and said goodbye to Andrew and Phillip. We then retreated to the warmth of the house.
Which we hadn’t even explored yet. What were we going to find?
Read more in Part 2…
