The Journal of the Maine Paranormal Society

Ahhhh….the sound of members forming goals for the upcoming year. (Better have a fire extinguisher handy.) I am anxious to see what they come up with. Its funny how the members we have added in the last few months are all looking for a new beginning. Some traumatic events. Some just a change of scenery. At some point this is not about the paranormal at all…….or is it?  Are our departed loved ones guiding our feet? Bringing us to the doorstep of a group that will empower us and accept us unconditionally?

Even our clients lately have needed reassurance that someone is watching out for them. A patchwork quilt of ages, backgrounds and experiences. But a family that transcends time. All looking toward the rising sun cresting the horizon. Is this a calling to a new faith, a different belief system or just a reminder to look out for one another? Restless guides pace, chant, pray and sing. Urging you to destinations unknown. A connection to these guides so strong, its the very breath of your soul. Creating seemingly random steps in your life. That lead you down an unexpected road. Face to face with strangers that appear to have more answers about your life than you do. Do you walk along with them when there is no physical proof of these guides?

For Jamie the decision is getting easier. Confirmation coming from the voices on the recorders. They ranged from intelligent responses, random bursts of words, to a sage old crone weaving her will onto the physical world with a chanted spell. Jamie graciously invited us back into her Thomaston home to spend some time with her ‘extended’ family.

The weekend that was planned quickly succumbed to the trials of life. Jim was working, JJ juggling babies, Scott and Holly were just not able to get away for two nights in a row. So it was Luke and myself cruising up to Thomaston in the ‘golden nugget’. Falling victum to the MPS curse. The golden chariot nursed a broken wing. The passenger’s side door frozen in the locked position. I found myself praising Luke’s good manners everytime I scammpered across his front seat. He never said a word. Even when I hit the horn with my butt.

The beginning of our trip had us scratching our heads. In  Biddeford the traffic light turns green and Luke starts into the intersection. A vehicle sails right through a red light, nearly broad siding us. The near miss left Luke on the quiet side. We got onto the turnpike and soon realized I am not a good co-pilot. (squirrel!) At Exit 48 I mention we needed Exit 44.

“No worries. We will just spin a circle off Exit 48.”  Luke chuckles.

At the intersection of Brighton Ave. The light turns green and the car in front starts to go. A van sails right through the intersection. The driver jams on the brakes, smoke pours out of the loudly protesting tires as the end of the van lifted off the pavement.

Again silence dominated the interior of the van. Until Luke casually says. “Things happen in threes. Not that I believe that.”

“Ok, one more and we are headed home!” I blurt.

In Portland, as we neared the 295 on ramp. We see a pedestrian crossing the road. She looks, sees a car coming and starts to run.

“Oh crap!” I sit up straighter in my seat.

The pedestrian has to take a few sideways steps to avoid the grill of the oncoming car.

“Its a pedestrian. Doesn’t count.” Luke calmly adds.

The rest of the trip was pleasant. Brilliant colors of fall blurred by as we chatted or tuned out. In Thomaston we discover Luke wasn’t such a good pilot. We sailed right on past our turn, looking on the wrong side of the road. Once we turned around and accidentally found the turn he says.

“Wow! Look at that building. Looks haunted. We should investigate that.”

” Heh, Thats what Holly said about that same building. We found out turn.”

At the house we walked around and snapped pictures. We unloaded the equipment and began setting up. The heat had been off and there was a slight chill in the air. It went from ‘Its not bad in here’ to ‘Jamie will be along soon.’ and finally ‘damn I hope Jamie gets here soon!’. As we were on the verge of breaking out the sleeping bags Jamie arrived. She lights the wood stove as we catch up on the latest happenings. She mentions she is not sure if she will stay in the home overnight. I let her know it was just Luke and I if she wanted to stay. She decided to stay and participate in the nights investigation.

She showed us pictures of the original owners, of her grandmother and of course “Pa”. We sit in the living room casually chatting, occasionally sending out a question to our potential visitors. A few times we all heard a voice. We made our rounds and found ourselves back in the living room. Luke decides to take a spin around the home with his new handi cam. He went up the stairs calling out his actions. “Going up the stairs, walking around, camera noise…”

Jamie asked why he would do this and I explain it makes it easier for the person listening to audio to know it was him and not paranormal activity. Luke heads down  the stairs and we hear him tagging his actions.

“Walking down the stairs.”  THUMP THUMP….. “Falling down the stairs.”

Jamie couldn’t hold back the laughter and repeated “Going up the stairs, coming down the stairs, falling down the stairs.”

Luke turned the corner with that defeated look.

“why do you always get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a couple of crazu broads?” I ask

“I don’t know. I think I ought to ask about my position on this team.”

Unfortunately the image of the tail end of “Super Troopers” flashes in my head and I say out loud. “Can’t you just imagine him in a prom dress and heels, adjusting the front of the dress in a huff as he stumbles on his heels.”

Jamie was in hysterics. Luke turns on his heel and goes to the com center. Ok…..looking back on it he did take it pretty hard that night. Listening to the audio after. I hear Jamie and I roaring with laughter at his expense. All he did was occasionally throw out a snarkie laugh.

Soon we are all dozing. Jamie wakes herself with a snore and goes upstairs. I settle into my sleeping bag anxious to close my eyes.

“Jen…did you hear that?”

“Nope”

(5 minutes later)

“Jen did you hear that?”

“Its just the wood stove.”

(5 minutes later)

“Jen did you hear that?”

“You mean the sound of roller skating upstairs?”

“Don’t say its the wood stove.”

“ok, its not the woodstove.”

I’m really not sure if I got any sleep the rest of the night. But Luke was in one piece in the morning. No visible bruising. so I guess I got some. We downloaded audio and reset everything. Leaving it running for the day. We headed south to meet with the team to do a presentation at the Dyer Library. A rainy day makes for a smaller crowd. Pumpkin Fest being postponed till the next day. Its always great to check in with Leslie and find out the latest happening. She extended the invitation to return next year. Which we are always happy to do.

Presentation over we headed to the vehicles and worked out who is riding with who. Everyone giggles and snorts as I climb into the passenger’s seat from the driver’s side. Scott in the back seat makes a comment. Then “eeps” as I lean over.

“Did you think  I would hit you?” I ask him.

“I would of hit me!” He laughs.

The ride up was a review of the nights activities. I giggle about the ribbing Luke took and he gives me his snarkie laugh. Holly looks at him with raised eyebrows.

“He might be a tad sensitive. It was a repeat of Fryeburg. We teased him relentlessly.” I explain.

The gleam returns to Holly’s eyes as she nods. Filing the information away for a later time.

At the house Jim exclaims “You really did leave the equipment running.”

“Umm yeah. I remember saying those exact words to you at Dyer.” I reply.

” I didn’t think you really did.” He gets behind the com center and camera angles are discussed. Sophie, Holly and I sit on the couches and hackle the boys. Soon Jamie joins us and we break out the E VPs from the last investigation.

Her eyes widen as she listens to clip after clip. When she hears “Pa” respond to an investigator’s question. She wiggles and giggles. “Hes here!” She cheers.

I chat with her about how she feels hearing  these. With the number of different voices we got, they can’t all be relatives.

Very firmly she says. “Doesn’t matter. They are here in this house. They are family.”

Its rare when I can sum up an investigation in one word. “Family” My mind runs on square wheels. Situations I personally struggle with are analysed with clinical detachnent. I switch from the group, to Jamie’s past, to the current situation of spirits in her home that might not be relatives. I recognize the energy her words carry. It translates to unconditional love. The complete acceptance of another being regardless of how different they are to ourselves. I admire her for her courage to do this. Especially considering, in this case, its blind acceptance. I start to see knowledge in her eyes. She knows they are there for a reason.

The team sets about collecting more evidence for Jamie’s collection. The boys head upstairs, Holly and I stay comfy on the couches. Its another calm night in the home. Until, of course, the boredom sets into those with ADD. Once we switch places, Holly and I upstairs. Luke brings us a radio. Promptly Jim hits the call button and a loud ringing fills the room. After the third time Sophie grumbles about an audiovox enema and I shut the radio off. From below the boys could be heard puzzling on why we are not answering.  When I hear them mention that maybe the batteries got ‘drained’. I look at Holly and comment. “Its just tooooo easy.”

Holly and Sophie snicker as Luke bravely climbs the stairs. “Hey we’ve been trying to reach you guys.” He puts some authority into it.

“Yeah, radios only work if they are on.” I reply.

“Oh I thought it was on.” He says as he reaches for it.

I pick up the radio and quietly tell him it would of sailed down the stairwell if I hadn’t been worried about the wood work. He wisely stops his feet and lowers his voice. “Can we turn it on?”

“Heres the deal. I turn it on…..You go down there and take the radio out of Jim’s hand.”

“Deal.” He says and happily returns to the lower level. We hear a disapointed Jim.

“Hey……..”

Like a child that has had a toy taken away because of improper use. We hear Luke’s steady, authoritative voice scolding.

After things settle, its easier to get the feel of the room. The white shadows and flashes danced in a corner. But on this night, they didn’t approach. Rotations done. The team got to sleeping arrangements. Holly planned on sleeping on the dining room floor. That left the couch to Scott. With a confession worthy of an HBO special. Scott blurts out hes feeling “vulnerable”   “Just how far away will Holly be?” he asks in that quiet voice.

“whats that about?” Jim asks

“Your kidding me right?” I laugh “Ok Luke….hes your lacky……your job to snuggle with him tonight.”

The boys disapear upstairs, Holly and I stretch out on the couches like cats. The heat from the wood stove weighing down our eyelids.

Morning always comes too quick. I bound up the stairs ready to jump on some beds. Sophie is awake.

“Mom can we open presents now?” I whine

“No! Only stockings.” she answers as Jim rolls over.

“Whoa is he……….?!” I back away as Sophie nods. “I’m naked!” I yell as I head to the other two sleeping beauties. I tickle Scott’s foot and snicker as he startles. I eye Luke’s bed and judge that it wouldn’t hold up to me jumping on it. So I sit on the side of it. He emits the slightest of groans and returns to sleep. I head downstairs for coffee, following in the same routine  Holly and I set about cleaning and picking up.

Slowly the crew wakes. Equipement is packed up and we are on the road again. A quick stop at Moody’s diner and then we are headed home. Luke tunes out. Singing, playing air guitar and drums as Scott laughs at his antics. I snap some pictures as Holly quietly clicks away texting on her phone.

I ask the boys what they would like to see change about MPS. Luke answers, more get togethers. I ask if he meant meetings and he says. “No, like just to hang out.”

As the needle scratches across the record playing in my head. I find myself back to the same word. “Family” I have to admit, I’m at a loss. I don’t understand this need. But I do understand the energy his words carry. Its the same as Jamie’s. I wonder to myself, who actually co-ordinates these spiritual missions? How could it possibly be that so many people are brought together in one house. Just to find the same thing in each room they look into.

Our travels this weekend took us on one final stop. WMPG radio. Jim and I found ourselves guests on their show. We sat there answering questions and shaking our heads in amazement. One caller asked if any of the members studied parapsychology or the science of why these events can happen. In my answer, I stumble upon a feeling I was searching for. Respect, awe that my team memembers can come together to accomplish one common goal dispite different beliefs. Neither pride nor ego impede our progress. Each memeber accepts the other regardless of how different.