A Haunting (2005–…): Season 4, Episode 9 - Ghost Hunter - 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.

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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