The Journal of the Maine Paranormal Society

I  look back over our latest road trip and debate if I should write two speparate blogs. But that little voice says. “Its  not the same.”  So I will tell it to you as it unfolded….. I will give you a hint. Its all begins with a Ford Focus. (offical car of the Maine Paranormal Society)

     We gather around Jim’s car. For me, this is the first time in two months I have seen my team members. It feels good to be headed off on another adventure. The mood is light and festive.

     “Does the client know its a drive-by?” Jason asks about the reveal we are headed to.

     We all look at each other. “Paranormal drive-by?” Holly asks. And the laughter begins. We pile into the car and I proudly hand out flyers for the next public relations presentation. Jim’s little red Focus rockets off to Benton. Jim and Jason roll down their windows and I watch as my flyer frantically flaps and flutters free from the visor and flys out the window. * Note to self…….add e-mail address to the flyers. So when it sails out the window at 70 miles per hour. It stands a chance at one last act of PR.

     I see Jason shrink down in his seat as Holly’s head pops up and she chirps. “What was that?”

     “All my hard work.” I answer, trying to sound put out. The seconds tick by and finally laughter erupts.

     “What are the chances it landed on someone’s windshield?”  Holly giggles.

     Topics of discussion ranged from cases to members to applicants and finally settled on “So you want to be a Case Manager.”  I knew who it was directed to. But I let Jim repeat himself just for fun.

     “Ummm, I said I would give it a try.” I finally answer.

     A defeated voice from the front says. “You can chew our asses.”

     “Sorry….I didn’t hear you. Can you repeat that?” I give Holly a sideways glance and see her smirking.

     “You can chew our asses as you need to.” Jim repeats.

     Even though I understand how hard this statement is for Jim. I still write it down and forever lock it safely into this blog. (8/8/09) Muahahahahahahhhahahah! So I confirm with Holly that this is indeed her wishes. She needs a change. Her heart is in the traveling. (our lil TAPS guru) She offers to help me so the transition is smooth. I offer to hand it back if she ever wants it back.

     The road to Benton flashed by in no time. We arrived and presented the evidence we had. A few audio clips sent different expressions across the homeowner’s face. A discussion followed. Touching on a revisit and further research. Once we were sure she was comfortable. We were off again.

     Back in the car we had a reveal of our own. The real face of Tom tom. *Note to manufacturer…..please include a warning label. “May cause heart palpatations and nausea. Barf bags not included.” We did make good time on those back roads. (Not all of them paved.) The little mouse mobile bobbing and weaving through the narrow roads. The foliage so dense, sun glasses were not needed. Jim crested a hill and the road dropped out from under us. The car plunged and an audible “ooomph!” was heard from all. Followed by Jim’s little giggle. You just know the doggie grin is there.

     When the car finally broke through the foliage and came to rest at a local gas station. We all stumbled out of the car blinking and rubbing our eyes like disaster victums. We were ahead of schedule and were able to sit at a picnic table to stretch and enjoy the pleasant company.

     “Alright, lets go meet the applicant and have some dinner.” Jim herded us into the car. A trip to Walmart and a few extra spins around the same block brought us to Rockland Cafe. Fastest Cafe in the Northeast. Jason had two bites of his salad and the waitress was back with piping hot, tasty food. The team chatted with the applicant. Questions fired back and forth. We thanked her for her recomendation for the Cafe and were off again.

     A very short trip to Thomaston and we found ourselves met in the driveway. We were welcomed into the house like we were family and the introductions began. The homeowner knew Holly as Case Manager and greeted her first through the door. Then she reached for my hand and said “I know you!”

     The rollerdex in my head whirled. I met so many people in my past career. But she wasn’t matching up with that. “From where?” I asked.

     “Dyer Library last year.” She answers.

     My mind drifts off to a chance meeting. A purposeful coincidence. A last minute decision carried Jamie’s feet to the Dyer Library for a presentation on the paranormal. She stood at the back of the room. Shifting from foot to foot, feeling the rough edges of her life rubbing against a tired soul. I watched her, knowing she was at a point in her life where she had to recreate herself. Searching for meaning and comfort in an otherwise impersonal world.

     She listened to the presentation ‘wobbling’ between “I belong here.” and “What am I crazy?”. When questions and answers came up she stepped forward. Her clear, direct questions, sharp, intent eyes and impeccable exterior didn’t match the wobbling inside. She had tenants in her family owned home. They were having some negative experiences. She personally had lived in the house and never had these herself.

     The scientific answer, the correct answer came out first. “Without an investigation, its impossible to tell what, if anything, is going on.” Then came the unofficial question. “Are they respectful of the house, property, and yourself?”

     She didn’t answer.

     I knew at this point the answer was no. I also knew there was a message for this person. I wondered if the opportunity would ever present itself. My reply was “We do alot to create our environment. Positive or negative, we leave our energy imprint on our surroundings. That can either comfort or stir up the spirits around us.”

     After answering a few more questions. I realized she was gone.

     My mind came back to the present. I realized I had been talking out loud the entire time. Jaws were slack and everyone was quiet. “I can’t believe you remembered all that.” she exclaims with a hand to her chest.

     “You were looking for something. You still are.” I answered simply.

     A bit speachless, she took us on a tour. The history of the house as familiar and comforting to her as a favorite bedtime story. We found ourselves back in the kitchen. Her ‘wobble’ was obvious. I told her my feelings about the house already. This was her ‘pantry of energy’. She agreed, saying this was her safe haven. The place where she recharges.

     She not only opened her home to us. But also shared her whole family history. The corridor to the past was wide open and pulling us in. “She even walked around the house telling the spirits you were coming.” a family member reported. Our team stood humbled and in awe. Jason asked if this is one story that might be told on a larger scale. Jamie easily agreed. Before they departed for the night. Will decided to stay in the house with us. His easy going nature blended with the team instantly. His hands were busy before the rest of the family was out the door.

     Set up was quick and soon Holly, Will and myself were upstairs in the master bedroom. Holly and I sat at oposite ends of the room. Will took the bed. A white fluttering near the floor. A quick black shadow in the same area had Holly and I switching places to see if she could see it too. The guys called upstairs. ” You guys walking around up there?”

     “Lightly, we switched chairs.” I reply.

     A series of debunking exercises brought us to the point of not being able to recreate the foot steps Jim and Jason heard.  As I sat in the chair with my hand out. All the hair stood on my arm. It felt like someone was brushing their fingertips across the tops of the hairs. I asked Holly to come sit beside me.

     “Oh the hair just stood on the back of my neck.” She says halfway across the room.

    I flipped my hand over and asked for a touch. On my pinkie and ring finger I felt cool elderly skin, ever so briefly, across the tips.  I have to say, at this point, I am at a disadvantage. I have no experience with being touched by spirit. I sat calmly and waited. But no other ‘touches’ were felt. I did however, get a heavy tingling on my right arm. This I have felt before when spirit was around. Its persistance a little unsettling as I rub and shake my hand. Trying to free it from the heaviness.

     We pass the night in much the same way. Little hints and teases of spirits present. At the bottom of the stairs  Jim stopped. “What the…….” Hes bent forward brushing at his leg. “Something just touched my leg.”

     We watch as Jim and Jason walk in circles at the bottom of the stairs. Holly looks to me, shrugs, and snaps a few pictures of them. Once of the shots shows a huge orb in the vicinity  of Jason’s rump and Jim looking right at it. We giggle at the potential of that picture.

     “Orb butt.” Holly snickers

     “Glad that orb was there. Otherwise Jim would have some explaining to do.” I add

     We realize the boys are now staring at us. We scurry off to a far corner that we assure them needs sudden scrutiny.

     As the investigation progressed. We all gravitated to the upstairs master bedroom. Some of the same sensations were felt. A few pictures taken spurred a discussion. Over all a sense of well being settled on us. The house was so beautiful. The connection to the past so vibrant and alive. The feeling of being awe struck never left us. To be trusted in this space by the unseen caretakers of this house. To sit in quiet peace and tranquility, overwhelmed each and every one of us. The gift of communication given to us as precious as unconditional love. In this house, there is no separation between past, present, and future.