“Before, or right before moving here, do you recall any violent episodes?”
“If by violent you mean fighting then no. I can’t even remember when the last time was when Emmy and I fought.” Matt answered.
“How about to your children?” Cain asked.
“What do you mean?”
“How are they disciplined?” Cain clarified.
“The most they got is a light spanking by their mom. Can’t even remember when the last time was for Jean. For Gina, must have like four, five years now. Emmy’s good with them though, she makes sure they know why, even just a little and after that it sort of just works after.”
“No repeat offenders then?” Cain asked with a smile.
“No, none of that. They’re smart kids, takes after their mother.”
“So, we can write that off then. No punishments, at least not physical. No time outs or standing in the corner?”
“No sir.”
“Shouting, verbal jabs?”
“Oh, Emmy knows better than verbal jabs, I assure you. If you sin, she will make sure you know and regret it.”
“I see. And from you, no punishments too? Verbal or physical?”
“Nope. Why do you ask?”
“Just being thorough. It wasn’t long ago when these types of discipline were common. Children today react differently to it because their peers are not treated like so. It can cause issues.”
“Jon was just telling me about something like that earlier. Manifestations or something?”
“Yes, correct although, I’ve never seen it happen with just a little physical discipline. It’s either an extreme of that or a combination of many other forms of abuse. How about lost time?”
“Like alien abduction kind of lost time?”
“Well, sort of.” Cain answered with a chuckle. “Basically you remember being at one place then you you’re in another the next moment you’re aware of. And some time has passed. Or, you could be in the same place but don’t remember spending that long a time being there.”
“Aside from the one I told you about? No, I don’t think I have.”
“Yes, you did tell me briefly about passing out. Can you elaborate on the details of that incident?”
“Me and Emmy, we sent the kids up. Gina was feeling a little better I think, so we tried to have them sleep in their own rooms again. After, you know, some of the weirdness.
I went to check on the children, make sure they’re tucked in and safe. First thing I checked for was Jean’s room. It’s the middle one.
I saw her on the bed, shaking and scared. Says… says there’s someone under the bed. I told her there wasn’t, but she wouldn’t even budge, kept insisting. So I… I took a look, just to satisfy her, you know? ‘Cause that’s what we do. I… I look under the bed and there was another one… Ano-”
Cain not only noted the strong emotions coming from Matt, it was coupled with his energy turning into a deep blue color, then paling until it was a bluish silver-grey.
“Another Jean?” Cain asked, leading the conversation.
“Yes. I lost it there… I admit, I lost it there. At first I thought it was my daughter on the bed, and I wanted to… to grab her, you know? Run out. And this other Jean approached me, mocked me. She- it moved like… I don’t even know how to describe it.
Then, I remember my back hitting something and knowing I was cornered, trapped. And I remember thinking Go! Get Jean and run! But the other Jean on the bed jumped out and started doing the same thing as the other one. I… Emmy found me in the morning, banging my head on the door, she said. Naked like the day I was born.”
“Hmmm. So, the girl was not even in the room then?”
“She wasn’t. Emmy told me she found both girls standing by the door looking at me. Apparently I screamed several times.”
“How about dreams, do you have anything of note lately? Nightmares perhaps? Or recurring ones?”
“I’m not much of a dreamer, to be honest. It would be a miracle if I remember just one dream in a year. Soon as I wake up, it’s gone. I forget right away.”
“Your wife related that she has been having waking nightmares. Anything more you can add about it?”
“About the dreams, nightmares I mean? No. She probably told you more than I can remember from what she said to me.”
“She claims she’s been having them even when she’s fully awake.” Cain pressed.
“I wouldn’t know anything about that. Is that even possible?”
“It is. Consider like a very deep kind of daydreaming, only these ones are nightmares. Can happen for many reasons, sleep deprivation is one. Psychosis is another.”
“She certainly hasn’t been sleeping that good since all these… I wouldn’t call it psychosis though. Otherwise, we’re all going to fall into that category.”
“What about the time you found her in the kitchen? She told me about the uh, nightmare just before that. Something about coming to the porch to see Gina.”
“Yeah, I fell asleep on the sofa in the living room. Woke up few hours later and first thing I hear was Emmy preparing something in the kitchen. I was supposed to be watching over the kids while she napped so the next thing I did was to go out to the porch and check on Gina. Found her just staring at screen, like… I forgot the word, b-”
“Catatonic?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. So I brought her in, try and get her settled. Had a hard time getting her to close her eyes. Kept calling for Emmy, she wouldn’t come. I remember getting irritated that as soon as Gina closed her eyes, I stormed into the kitchen and found her just mindlessly chopping meat. More like hacking it, really.” Matt answered, rubbing his arms.
“Then what happened?”
“I also tried to get her to close her eyes, after, you know, struggling to take away the knife. Brought her to the living room too. When she finally looked like she was asleep, I went to prepare dinner. At this point all of them were asleep in the living room, so it was easier to keep an eye on them.
Then they all just woke up. All three of them. Woke up all together. Unresponsive. Just staring right through everything. Scared the shit out of me.”
“Did your wife, or kids, offer any sort of explanation when they came off of it?”
“I didn’t tell Emmy until I needed to. She just acted like she woke up from a nap, to be honest. The kids, well, we didn’t tell them, even now.”
“Let’s talk about the incidents you both experienced together. Tell me from the start.”
“There was the muddy prints on the floor, and the knives turning and standing on their ends. Oh, and we both saw the dead squirrels, although I was first to find them. We both heard the voice that called out to me. It was like hers, it sounded really just like hers.”
“This was,” Cain paused to check on his notes, “the same time you found the prints and the standing knives?”
“Yes. We both saw those things, whatever they were, standing outside our house. Looked like people from another time. Their voices seemed to shake out house. It’s what prompted me to get the cameras. I was thinking vandals. Then, of course, the events last night.”
“Thank you, Matt. I would like some time to consider all the information I’ve gathered so far.”
“No, thank you, Cain. Listen, any other time or circumstance, I will wait. This is different, I need to know what you think is happening and what you plan on doing about it.”
“Reasonable demand. I have my suspicions but I would like some time to reevaluate them, if that’s okay.”
“Reevaluate all you want, Cain. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I just want to know what it is so I know what to look for.”
Cain smiled. He did not want to say it, but he respected the man’s stance. It was, of course, for him to be able to protect his family.
“If you insist. It’s well within your rights but let me start by saying that there is nothing you can do except be alert, be ready, and hope for the best.”
“What are you saying? Be ready for what.”
“There was no doubt in my mind that a part of what was happening as you described to me over the phone was already at the end if not the end of the second stage. I just wasn’t sure who the target was. It’s inconceivable but I’m starting to believe you are all being primed or have been primed for the last stage.”
“What stage? What do you mean primed?”
“Possession Matt. You all have gone through the stages. The way I see it, the young girl is the least likely. All signs seem to point that way, but I have my doubts.”
Matts face visibly paled. Cain felt what Matt felt. He also saw his energy colors shift.
“Wh- why do you doubt? About Jean, I mean.”
“Two things. The story you told about her waking up muddied, with a reasonable yet unbelievable explanation if you would call it that. And the story your wife and you told me, about the child suddenly having black eyes.”
“I…” Matt stammered. “What reason would you have if you were to, say, discount her. Remove her from the list, so to speak.”
“Only one. She seems, by all accounts, a normal child. I don’t feel anything negative, at all, from her.”
“And Gina?”
“Hard to say Matt. If I am to go by everything I learned today, I’d say she is at just about the same risk as you and your wife being targets. You three have been subjected to almost everything that’s ever happened so far.”
“Did she… she ever told you what she’s seen? Or dreamt, or anything at all? We didn’t get the chance.”
“No, she seems to take from you. She says she doesn’t remember her dreams as well. Now, I seem to remember you have some curious videos to show me?”
“Yes, yes. I do have those.”
“Would you kindly prepare it for me? I mean have Jon take a look at it and prepare it. I’ll be joining you both shortly.”