A Haunting (2005–…): Season 4, Episode 7 - Spellbound - full transcript

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.

Sandra waldron and her son,
gene, have always been close,

sharing an interest
in the occult.

But when Sandra finds
herself lost and alone,

her fascination soon
turns to obsession.

She heads down a dangerous path.

Gene fears that his mother
is turning against him.

[ Indistinct whispering ]



Between the world we
see and the things we fear,

there are doors.

When they are opened...

Nightmares become reality.

captions paid for by
discovery communications

the supernatural realm
is vast and uncharted,

attracting those
who seek answers

beyond the physical world.

But its mysteries are infinite
and its power unpredictable.

When toyed with, its
consequences can be deadly.

The year is 1965.

Sandra waldron
and her son, gene,

have just settled into their
new home in Geneva, Ohio.

[ Horn honks ]



Her husband, Steven, works at
a nearby engineering company.

Sandra: Hey.

How was your day?

It was fine.

How about you?
Everything okay here?

Steven is the only father
that gene has ever known.

Gene: I never really
knew my real father.

Steven had been my stepfather
since I was 2, 3 years old.

Hey, do me a favor
and take gene inside

and get him
washed up for dinner.

I've been working all day.

I just want to get out of
these clothes and relax.

Hey, remember what I
said before we got married?

Parenting is a 24-hour
job, and now you're a parent.

Sandra: My husband
never mentioned

that it bothered him
that gene wasn't his child,

but I do think it did
bother him some.

I think he resented
it a little bit.

Come on, gene, buddy.

Narrator: Sandra
hopes that one day

Steven will be able to
accept gene as his own.

Sandra unearths
an old cornerstone.

Sandra: Someone had
died on our property,

and it had been
an old schoolmaster

that had lived there
quite a few years back.

Narrator: She's intrigued.

She had no idea
that her property

was once the site of
an old schoolhouse...

What are you doing?
Come on. Let's eat.

I'll be right there.

Narrator: And wonders how
the schoolmaster passed away.

Steven, did you know there
used to be a school here?

What's that?

There's a cornerstone out
by the side of the house.

Yeah, I remember
our neighbor, Denise,

say something about that.

Sandra has always believed
in the existence of spirits

and their interaction
with the living world.

But how did she say he died?

Sandra: My interest in the
occult and the supernatural

has been with me all my life.

There's so much
that we don't know.

It just fascinates me.

I want to know
all I can about it.

Wow.

Sandra...

Please don't start with that
hocus-pocus garbage again.

You know, you've been
spending way too much time

reading those weird books again.

Narrator: The supernatural is
kind of taboo for a lot of people.

My husband was more apprehensive
about those things than I was.

Narrator: Sandra's
discovery of the cornerstone

only fuels her
interest in the occult.

Sandra: I believe if
you're open to things,

then maybe they can come in.

Hey, it's getting late.

Why don't you put that
book down and get to sleep?

And I bet you won't leave
me alone until I do, right?

You got it.

Narrator: Over the next month,

Sandra soon forgets
about the old schoolmaster.

[ Floorboards creaking ]

Sandra: And I heard these
heavy boots walk across the floor.

Let's go upstairs, okay?

Narrator: She assumes that
it's Steven home early from work.

Steven?

How about you play
with your toys, okay?

Man: Sandra.

Sandra: There was
definitely no one there.

It maybe alarmed
me a little bit,

but I wasn't really scared.

It just really
piqued my curiosity.

Narrator: Because of
her interest in the occult,

Sandra wonders if she
could have invited a presence

into her home.

Sandra: I decided that, well,
maybe it was the schoolmaster

that was haunting our house.

I wasn't doing
anything intentionally,

but I could have
possibly opened a door.

Narrator: A few years pass...

and gene is now 11 years old.

I'm sorry.

That's okay. Boys
are allowed to be boys.

Get over here right now!

All my friends were
terrified of my dad.

If they were at my house playing

and they saw my
dad pull up, they ran.

Everybody was scared of him.

Do you see this?

This is gonna cost money.

I'm sorry.

I'll work it off. I promise.

That goes without saying.

You'll work every
weekend, cutting the grass,

until you pay for this.

Narrator: Gene's
relationship with his stepfather

never really develops.

Gene: He was always
angry and yelling at me.

He never told me he loved me,

he never said
anything nice to me,

and I was never
good enough for him.

Steven, give gene a
break. It was an accident.

He was just trying to have
some fun with his friends.

We could all use a little
more fun around here.

Sandra, this is gonna cost
me an arm and a leg to fix.

Your son has no
concept of money.

Narrator: Steven's
ambivalence towards gene

begins to put a strain
on their marriage.

I'm sorry. I meant our son.

It's been a long day.

Why don't you go inside,

and I'll be in in a
while to fix dinner?

Sandra: My husband
was very critical of gene.

It was painful for me.

I loved my son,

and I wanted him to feel
more comfortable at home.

So, how are things with
you and Steven lately?

The next day,

Sandra and gene go over to
their neighbor Denise's house.

Hey, gene?

Can you go home and get that
can of beans out of the cupboard?

Okay, mom.

And hurry up 'cause
we're gonna eat soon.

[ Floorboards creaking ]

[ Footsteps approaching ]

[ Rattling ]

[ Laughter ]

[ Laughter ]

[ Laughter stops ]

Gene: I never experienced
anything like that before.

I just felt that there was
something evil in the house.

Narrator: Sandra believes that
gene was visited by the schoolmaster,

but she downplays the incident,

not wanting to
feed into his fear.

Gene: She just
completely wrote it off,

and I began to wonder later if
maybe it was my imagination.

Narrator: Still, Sandra is
intrigued by gene's encounter.

She hopes to one day
become a published author

and begins to write
about his experience.

Narrator: After a few weeks,

gene soon forgets about
his unexplainable encounter.

Gene returns from
his friend's house

and sees that his parents
are still out for the night.

[ Floorboards creaking ]

[ Footsteps ]

Mom?

Steven?

Is that you?

[ Laughter ]

Aah!

Gene, stop yelling!

Aah!

What's going on? Tell
me what happened.

Tell me what's going on.

Sandra: Gene,
it's okay. It's okay.

We're home now.

Steven, do me a favor
and just get out of here

so I can see what's going on.

It's okay, gene.

Narrator: Gene tries to explain
to his mother what he saw.

Gene: I saw a tall, thin man.

His face was all
red and disfigured

and it just terrified me.

Why am I seeing
these awful things?

There's something I should
have told you a long time ago,

but I didn't.

I've got something to show you.

I think the person you saw

was a man that lived
here a long time ago.

Narrator: Sandra tells
him about the schoolmaster

who died on their property.

Sandra: He knew
something was going on.

I felt really bad
for gene. I did.

And I didn't want to
see him that frightened.

This man, he died right here...

In our front yard?

I think so.

Narrator: She goes on to say

that she has had many
encounters with his spirit

and has never felt
threatened by his presence.

Sandra figures that gene is just
overreacting because of his age.

Think of it like one
of those scary movies

that we like to watch.

They're really scary, but,
in the end, it's just a movie.

Gene eventually accepts
his mother's explanation.

Gene: She made me feel so
much better and not be so afraid

'cause I knew that my
mother was there for me

and wouldn't let
anything happen to me.

[ Laughter ]

Narrator: Although Sandra
is able to comfort gene,

she wonders if there is a way

to remove the spirit
from the house.

Steven: Honey, where are you?

Oh, I'm in the living room.

Just give me a second,
Steven. I'll be right up.

What are you doing?

I just thought I'd tidy up
before I went up to bed.

Be up in a minute.

Don't take too long.

♪♪

[Music intensifies]

Narrator: For weeks,
Sandra has the same dream

over and over again.

Sandra: The dreams were
usually much more vivid to me

than regular dreams.

Narrator: And she wonders
what these recurring images

could possibly mean.

What are we doing?

We're fighting all of the time,

and it just doesn't seem
to be getting any better.

We cannot go on like this.

You're right, Sandra.

We have grown apart.

I've been denying
it for so long.

I can't do it anymore.

Steven...

It's over.

Narrator: Sandra decides
to move back to Texas city,

her hometown.

Sandra: Texas city was
where I was born and raised.

I had family there.

I hoped that would be good
for me and my son both.

Narrator: Sandra hasn't
left Geneva in years,

but suddenly, the drive
becomes oddly familiar.

Sandra: The dream was
definitely an indication

that I was going to be leaving.

Narrator: She now
realizes that her dreams

are visions of the future.

Sandra: I thought it was
so obviously prophetic.

Narrator: Sandra finds a
small house that she can afford.

What is this filthy
thing doing in here?

What's this?

Sandra: Right in the
center of that floor

was a star, a five-pointed star.

What is it, mom?

It's a symbol. It's
called a pentagram.

Narrator: Sandra is
familiar with the pentagram,

having read about it in
her books on the occult.

What's it mean?

It means different
things to different people.

She also knows that people
have used it to practice witchcraft.

Sandra: When I first
discovered the pentagram,

I thought, "wow, there
were witches here."

I knew that it would
just depend, you know,

which way you used the star,
whether it was good or bad.

I wondered was this coincidence,

or had I, by some
unnatural forces,

come to this house?

I saw it as a positive sign

that maybe I was
on the right path.

Narrator: Over the next
few years, Sandra struggles

with the pressures of
being a single mother

and has little time to
focus on anything else.

She takes on odd jobs
to support her and gene

but finds herself struggling
to pay the mounting bills.

Since my husband
and I had split,

I had never really worked.

I had to support myself and
my son, and I was scared.

Narrator: Sandra hopes to sell
one of her stories to a publisher,

but her dream of
becoming an author

is no closer to coming true.

Hey, mom.

Hey.

Gene is now ready to
graduate high school.

Hey, there's a zombie
movie on tonight.

You want to watch it?

You know I am not
into that stuff anymore.

Besides, I told you I already
made plans with friends.

Can I borrow the car?

Sandra: Gene and I
were getting more distant,

and that made me sad
because I wanted us to be close.

Just don't drive too fast, okay?

See you later.

Narrator: With gene
no longer around,

Sandra finds solace in
her books on the occult,

which have always
given her comfort.

She is immediately
drawn to wicca,

an earth-based religion

that worships both a
male and female deity.

Sandra: It was positive
on the female side.

Women were equal with men.

I think that's one of the
things that attracted me.

Narrator: She is also
intrigued by the wiccan belief

that one can create change

using the energy
that surrounds them.

Narrator: Sandra
creates an altar

using items that represent
the four elements of nature...

Earth, air, fire, and water.

Sandra: I didn't have
anybody to teach me,

so I had to learn
everything on my own,

through books, primarily.

I was hoping with wicca

that maybe I could
change things.

Maybe I could make
things more positive

in my life and my son's life.

Narrator: Sandra
performs her first ritual.

Earth sanctions
my magic tonight.

Narrator: She calls out
to the god and goddess,

asking them to help
ease her growing debt.

I call forth the
forces of prosperity...

Truth...

Transformation...

And purification.

Narrator: Sandra repeats
the chant over and over again,

channeling the
energy around her.

Mother goddess, father god,

Grant me this wish.

You can actually
feel, like, an energy.

It's a sensation of,
like, an electrical power

going through your body.

It's a very positive
feeling of power.

Narrator: Weeks later...

Sandra receives a
letter from a magazine.

They plan to publish
one of her short stories

and have included a
generous paycheck.

Sandra: When my first
ritual worked, I was hooked.

It made me feel like I had
some kind of control over my life.

That I can make things
change when they go wrong.

Gene: My mother just
got deeper and deeper

into the supernatural, and
it just drove me more away.

I had been scared to
death when I was a kid,

and I was afraid that
something was gonna happen.

Morning, mom.

Oh, gene!

I had the most incredible
dream last night.

Actually, I think
it was a vision.

My mom just started
talking to me about the occult

a whole lot more.

I really think that
this experience

is a sign of things to come.

It just seems like we were
becoming two different people

and going our own ways.

But enough about that.

So, graduation is less
than a month away.

Have you started
looking for a job?

Sort of.

Really?

Well, tell me.

What are you gonna be doing?

I signed up with the air force.

I am leaving just a couple
days after graduation.

I can't believe it.

Well, wow.

I'm proud of you, gene.

Thanks, mom.

The relationship
between my mother and I

had gotten so strained

that I decided my best
chance was to join the military,

get away, clear my head,

figure out the answers
to life's questions myself

without my mother's influence.

Narrator: Soon
after gene graduates,

he leaves to serve
in the air force.

Sandra: When gene was in
the military, I really got into wicca

and started really
practicing it and doing rituals.

Narrator: Over the years,

gene slowly loses
touch with his mother.

Gene: After I joined the air
force and I started to travel,

I couldn't tell anybody
what I was doing.

I could hardly ever see my mom.

Narrator: After seven
years in the air force,

gene returns home to Texas city.

Gene: I was looking forward to
seeing my mother and coming home,

and I thought things
were gonna be great.

Gene?

Hi!

Narrator: He is surprised
by Sandra's appearance

and is unsure how to react
to this unexpected change.

Gene: She had black hair,
black blouse, black pants.

She had a necklace
with a pentagram on it.

I was just dazed.

I am so glad
you're finally home.

Looks like you remodeled
while I was away.

Well, let's get you set
up in your old room.

It's just as you left it.

I...

Don't remember this being here.

Well, I'll leave you to unpack,

and dinner will
be in half an hour.

Gene: It was just
too much for me...

The way my mom looked,
the way the house was.

Now I have a picture
of the devil in my room.

My last couple of
years in the military,

I started to really
go to church.

And so by the time I got out,
I was a very devout Christian.

Narrator: That evening...

Mmm.

Sandra and gene
catch up over dinner.

That looks and smells
as good as I remember.

Well, I know it's your favorite.

So, tell me. What's
been happening?

Well, life has been great, gene.

I mean, ever since I
started practicing wicca,

things have changed
and for the better.

What does that mean,
exactly, to study wicca?

Gene: I was concerned that she
was practicing some form of magic.

And even if her
intentions were good,

the potential for it to go
wrong just is what scared me.

Honey, there's nothing
to be concerned about.

Sandra: Thank you
for your blessing.

My gratitude is endless.

Continue to protect us,

especially gene,

now that he's in
your watchful eye.

As I receive your energy,

now you receive mine.

Sandra: Continue to protect us,

especially gene.

As I receive your energy,

now you receive mine.

My gratitude is endless.

As I receive your energy,

now you receive mine.

Thank you, great goddess.

Narrator: Later that night...

Gene: I thought, "what was it?"

And I thought maybe
it was just headlights

shining in the window.

[ Warbling ]

[ Deep voice ] Destroy him.

[ Echoing ] Destroy him.

Gene!

Where have you been?

I've been worried
sick about you.

Worried sick.

Really?

Did you get up in the middle
of the night to check on me?

'Cause last night,
I was attacked.

I was attacked by a woman
that looked just like you.

[ Deep voice ] Destroy him.

Gene...

Gene, I have no idea
what you're talking about.

Mom.

It wasn't me. I
promise you that.

Mother, I'm scared for you.

I'm scared of
what you've let in.

You're opening doors you
don't know how to close.

Gene, I'm not doing
anything wrong.

You're in over you head.
You've got to stop this right now!

I don't know what to tell
you other than I love you,

and I would never do
anything to hurt you.

You know this, right?

I don't know anything anymore.

I got to go. I need
to clear my head.

Narrator: Gene
scours the library,

hoping to find something

that could explain
what he experienced.

Gene: I had never seen
lights like these before.

I wanted to know what it was.

Narrator: He discovers
a book on the occult

that refers to these paranormal
phenomena as sprites.

Gene: These sprites, they
were a product of witchcraft.

I believe that her
intentions were good

but that she had let something
in the house that was evil.

I didn't want to go back.

But I realized my
mom was in trouble.

I had to have the courage
to go back in that house

and fight for my mom

'cause I knew that something
was trying to destroy us both.

Mom?

You home?

We need to talk.

[ Keys clatter ]

Gene: When I saw my
cross in a pentagram,

I was furious.

I cannot believe you, mother.

You are messing with
things that you cannot control.

Where are you going?

I'm afraid of
what you've let in.

And I'm not gonna stick
around to see what happens.

I thought my mom was
casting spells on me.

Narrator: Gene now
believes that the schoolmaster

was really an evil entity

that his mother may have
conjured up many years ago.

Gene: Something came into
my mother's life when I was a child

and tried to show her dreams

and tried to take her down
the path into the occult.

Narrator: He cuts
all ties with Sandra,

realizing that there is
nothing he can do to stop her.

Gene: I felt that my
mom was too far-gone.

The more I talked to
her, the more I thought

that she was lying
to herself, lying to me.

So, I finally left.

Narrator: Sandra is devastated
by gene's angry departure.

I was really upset that he
thought I was causing something.

I could understand maybe
why he would think I was doing it

because I said I was a witch.

Narrator: But she
continues to practice wicca,

despite her son's warnings.

Sandra: I was gonna
do a dedication to Isis.

Narrator: Isis is the supreme
mother goddess of ancient Egypt.

She is also considered the most
powerful deity of the pantheon.

Sandra: Great goddess Isis,

I dedicate myself to you.

In this place of power, I
open myself to your energy.

Great goddess Isis, make
me one with your spirit.

I dedicate myself to you.

Narrator: Sandra prays to Isis,

believing that she can guide
her through this turbulent time.

In this place of power, I
open myself to your energy.

I open myself to your energy.

Great goddess Isis, make
me one with your spirit.

I dedicate myself to you.

Goddess Isis, I
dedicate myself to you.

[ Warbling ]

Goddess Isis, I
dedicate myself to you.

[ Warbling intensifies ]

I dedicate myself to you.

Man: [ Echoing ] Destroy. Kill.

Die. Kill. Die. Destroy.

Destroy.

[ Growling ]

Kill. Kill.

[ Warbling ]

Destroy. Destroy.

[ Shrieks ]

Get away!

Narrator: Sandra
destroys the altar,

hoping that it will close
the door to the other side.

Sandra: I think
they were demons.

This scared me
so bad that I said,

"that's it. I want out. I
don't know what I'm doing."

It was definitely
something I couldn't control.

You're messing with something

that is beyond our
comprehension.

Narrator: Gene and Sandra

eventually reconcile
their relationship,

and they are closer
than ever before.

Gene: Now we talk
almost every day,

and we're trying to
make up for lost time.

And everything else
is going well? Yes, it is.

Narrator: Gene is now a minister

and counsels people who are
victims of supernatural events.

Sandra finally
realizes her dream

and becomes a published author.

She never practices wicca again.

She believes that
her inexperience

with practicing magic

allowed these demonic
entities into their lives.

Sandra: It's possible that my
interest in the occult all my life

could have opened some doors.

I could have been manipulated
by demons or other spirits.

I just don't know. I
don't know the answers.

I believe that it started
out as one evil spirit

that just became many
and tried to destroy our lives.