Hanging with Spirits (A Zak Bagans Story)

Chapter 3

"Wait" my dad said holding up his hand. "You stopped when I got pulled out of bed?"

I nodded and tried to think about where he is going with this. 

"So what about when you were the target of all the activity.  You know, the door locking on you, closet doors being swung open, being thrown into the wall...you continued to play with your friends then?"

Oh that's where he is going with this...

"Well....kinda...not really...weren't we having a sweet father and daughter moment a couple minutes ago?" I asked trying desperately to change the subject.  Sometimes it works.  

"Really Elsie?" My dad said in his "you are seriously pushing me to far" voice

This would not be one of the times where it would work. Hint number one: Voice tone.  Hint number 2: The really Elsie comment. 

"Sorry."

"Now answer my question!" My dad yelled at me. I looked up at him and cringed.  He rarely yells at me.  I hate it when he does.  It's the worst thing to me. 

"I didn't stop" I said quietly.  I kept thinking that I should have lied.  I should have told him I didn't use the ouija board when I was being attacked. However I suck at lying and it would have ended much worse.  I have already learned that lesson.  Only took once.  Pretty proud of myself there. 

By now my dad was pacing up and down the stairs and shaking his head. I knew he either didn't know what to say or was trying to calm down before he said anything. 

"I love you kid" He finally said "You are the world to me but how could you be so fucking stupid?"

I looked down at my shoes and shrugged. I was trying to hold back my tears but I didn't think I could much longer.  I was debating on running to my room. 

"You are like me" my dad said "That is for sure.  As long as its not happening to you it really doesn't matter."

I looked at him.  I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. 

"But you knew exactly what you were doing.  That's what gets me" my dad continues. "That's what I cannot figure out.  What the hell were you thinking when you were playing with your friends?"

I thought a bit.  I really didn't know what I was thinking. I don't even know if I was thinking. 

"I don't know" I said quietly.  "I knew I shouldn't do it but my friends wanted to and I thought if I played the part of the spirit nothing would bother us.  But it didn't work."

"Did the needle move by itself or did you move it?" my dad asked

"At first I moved it.  They freaked out and ran away.  I thought it was done for good but they came back a couple weeks later with other questions.  That time...the spirit was faster than I was. And they were more interested in it."

"What type of questions did they ask?"

"Who the spirit was, where he was from, what he wanted. The typical questions."

"What were the answers?" my dad asked 

"Lies" I said looking at my dad. "They were lies"

"How do you know?" my dad asked

"Because he said he was an 8 year old boy.  But dad, what was happening to you and me, that was not an 8 year old boy."

"No" my dad said shaking his head. "No it wasn't.  But with all this stuff...knowing it wasn't an 8 year old boy....you kept using the board?"

I nodded.

"Until I got pulled out of bed."

I nodded.

"Then what did you do with it?" My dad asked. 

I took a deep breath.  I couldn't hide my tears anymore.  I put my head down and started crying.  

"Honey," my dad said holding me "no matter what happened or what you did it will be ok.   You just gotta tell me so I can fix it. What did you do with the board?"

"I got so mad when you were pulled out of bed.  I was so scared and I knew I did it." I said between my sobs

"No Elise, you can't blame yourself for that.  There is no proof that me getting pulled out of bed is connected to the ouija board in any way.  But I need to know what you did with it."

"It's in my closet at home"

My dad nodded. 

"It's even been there during our peaceful times?" my dad asked 

I nodded. 

"Well nothing we can do about that until we get home.  But you..." my dad looked at me and then shook his head. 

"You know" my dad continued "Usually kids your age are coming home late, drinking, smoking....why can't you do something like that? I know what I am going to do with you then.  Instead you do things that I really thought you would never do and I don't know what to do with you."

"Love me" I said looking at him. 

"Other than that" my dad said with a bit of a smile. 

"Just go to your rented room right now.  I need to think."

I got up and went to my room with Gracie following.