WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:04.719 Have you ever had a moment that made your skin crawl, 2 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:08.039 a shadow where there shouldn't be one, a whisper in 3 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:12.359 an empty room, or something you simply can't explain. If so, 4 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:16.160 we want to hear from you here at the Haunted 5 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:19.800 UK Podcast. We're always on the lookout for spine tingling 6 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.199 stories to feature in our end of season listener episodes 7 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:27.559 and our short Haunts series. Whether it's a chilling encounter, 8 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:31.519 a mysterious experience, or something that's haunted you for years, 9 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:36.119 we want your tale. Send your story to contact us 10 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.119 at Haunted UK podcast dot com, and don't forget to 11 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:45.200 follow us on social media Facebook, x at Haunted Ukpod, 12 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:50.039 TikTok and Instagram at Haunted UK podcast, or visit our 13 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:56.560 website www dot hauntedukpodcast dot com. Now, if you love 14 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.759 what we do and want even more Haunted goodies, then 15 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:03.359 you can support the show on Patreon and Coffee. We've 16 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.560 got two brilliant tears, Possessed and Spooked, both packed with 17 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:12.239 bonus content, exclusive episodes and extra material that'll keep you 18 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:16.079 up all night. But that's not all. We've launched a 19 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:20.920 brand new sister podcast, Haunted UK Fiction, and we're calling 20 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:25.439 all storytellers, whether you're a published author, an aspiring writer, 21 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:28.719 or someone with a natural gift for spinning ear retails. 22 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.920 We're looking for original fictional short stories and novellas with 23 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:39.879 strong paranormal or supernatural themes. Think suspenseful, mysterious, atmospheric, terrifying, 24 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:44.719 thought provoking, even darkly magical. If your story is selected, 25 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:48.799 we'll professionally narrate, record, mix and master it into an 26 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:52.799 audiobook style format, then feature it on the show. You'll 27 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:55.519 get a copy of the finished production to use however 28 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:59.079 you like, and you'll retain full ownership of your work. 29 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:03.760 So admit your story to Haunted Ukfiction at hotmail dot 30 00:02:03.799 --> 00:02:08.560 com and follow us on Instagram at Haunted UK Fiction. So, 31 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:12.400 whether it's truth or fiction, if it's haunted, we wanted 32 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:31.400 now sit back and enjoy the episode. We ran as 33 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:34.719 fast as our little feet could carry us, our lungs burning, 34 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:37.520 making our way back through the path that we knew 35 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:40.520 so well, only to be back where we started at 36 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:43.960 the clearing the first time. We thought maybe in our 37 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:47.439 haste we'd taken a wrong turn, and so set out again, 38 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:50.719 But yet again we ended up back at the clearing. 39 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:54.520 We were stuck in a loop. I don't know if 40 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:57.120 I would classify it as a time loop, but whatever 41 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:59.960 was in that clearing, it had us running in circles. 42 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:04.840 We were absolutely terrified at this point as the shadow 43 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.599 people were flitting about the place and the sounds that 44 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:11.199 were coming from the woods had this horrible eerie quality 45 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:15.159 to them, but it was all around us. We were surrounded. 46 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.840 This is episode sixty nine of the Haunted UK podcast 47 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:14.400 and in this episode, we step into the world of Katie, 48 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:18.680 an eclectic witch as she shares her strange, supernatural and 49 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:41.120 deeply personal experiences. In this episode, we're diving into the 50 00:04:41.160 --> 00:04:46.680 many strange, paranormal and supernatural experiences of Katie, an eclectic 51 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:51.399 witch who now lives in Dublin, Ireland. Katie practices magic 52 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:55.639 in a deeply personal and intuitive way, drawing inspiration from 53 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:00.279 a wide variety of traditions and practices, from herbalism and 54 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:04.720 taro to astrology and energy work. She blends these elements 55 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:09.360 to create a craft that is entirely her own. Katie 56 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:15.040 values creativity, individuality, and exploration in her spiritual journey, and 57 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:19.040 she isn't afraid to follow her intuition wherever it leads. 58 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:24.279 On this episode, She shares her unique perspective on witchcraft, 59 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:28.120 the unusual experiences that have shaped her path, and the 60 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:32.680 way she weaves magic and intention into her everyday life. 61 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:37.199 Whether you're curious about modern witchcraft, fascinated by the paranormal, 62 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:41.759 or simply love a good story, Katie's journey is sure 63 00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:50.920 to captivate and inspire. Now over to Katie. I'm Katie, 64 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:55.920 and I'm an eclectic which that practices ancestor veneration. My 65 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:00.120 magic is a hodgepodge of different magical pathways and very 66 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:01.160 very gray. 67 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:02.560 Yes. 68 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:06.680 I do curses and hexes if they're warranted. Do I 69 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:11.079 put people in jars? You betcha? I use my magic 70 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:13.959 to help people as well, particularly when they need to 71 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:17.120 get rid of ghosts or spirits from their homes or 72 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:22.600 abusive or nasty, vindictive exes. Just an example, People come 73 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:25.240 to me with all sorts of magical and occultic queries. 74 00:06:25.879 --> 00:06:30.040 I honor the goddesses bast Artemis and Kate, and I 75 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:33.920 have a very strong link to Medusa. I'm also a 76 00:06:33.959 --> 00:06:38.480 herbalist and poisonous path practitioner and use non poisonous and 77 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:42.600 poisonous plants to help people with their ailments. I'm an 78 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:46.120 intuitive tarot reader and have been doing professional readings for 79 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:50.560 over twenty years. I'm an avid student of astrology and 80 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:55.920 a proud Sagittarius. I'm also a scientist, holding degrees in 81 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:01.439 forensic science and chemistry as well as herbal medicine. I'm 82 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:07.199 a staunch advocate, friend, and confidant to the LGTBQI plus community, 83 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:10.639 and I avidly stand up and protect all the underdogs 84 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:13.279 and fringe kids that get pushed to the corners of 85 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:17.519 society and bullied for being a little bit different. This 86 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:21.160 includes standing up and advocating for those who are oppressed 87 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:26.439 by colonization. I've always been drawn to the occult from 88 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:29.639 a young age and have had paranormal experiences since the 89 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:33.279 age of five. So I have been a Clare sentient, 90 00:07:33.480 --> 00:07:37.079 clairvoyant and Claire cognizant with a splash of Claire audience 91 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.040 from as long as I can remember, and would say 92 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:44.279 that I was born a witch, although I just followed 93 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:47.839 my intuition throughout my teens. I kept my beliefs and 94 00:07:47.879 --> 00:07:51.040 experiences mostly to myself so as not to have to 95 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:55.000 explain myself to my overly religious family. That would have 96 00:07:55.040 --> 00:08:00.480 made for some very interesting conversations. I grew up in 97 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:04.920 deep South Bible Belt, Alabama, so I was bombarded throughout 98 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:07.839 my early existence with the notion that my interest in 99 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:11.800 the weird, the macabre, and the occult was devil worship. 100 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:17.000 It was hard, very hard. I joked that I must 101 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:19.759 have fucked up really bad in a past life that 102 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:22.439 the universe thought it would be hilarious to have me 103 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.759 repay my karma by being born in the Bible Belt 104 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:31.920 into an evangelical household. I am the black sheep. I'm 105 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:35.000 not a religious person at all, due to, as having said, 106 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:39.720 evangelical Christianity shoved down my throat growing up. I never 107 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:42.840 thought of myself as a witch back in those early days. 108 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.559 Just knew that I was sensitive, could see and feel ghosts, 109 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:51.000 new things I shouldn't know, etc. It wasn't until I 110 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:53.480 was in college when a classmate who was a witch 111 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:56.559 said to me randomly, do you know what you are? 112 00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:02.759 Of course I was like, pardon what, But just that 113 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:08.960 question made me realize, oh, dreh, that makes so much sense. 114 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:13.120 From then on, everything fell into place. I read and 115 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:16.720 studied everything I could on different practices and pathways, and 116 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:21.919 intuitively incorporated what felt right My practice has changed over 117 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:26.919 the years as my knowledge has grown. I believe that 118 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:28.639 a lot of the things that we are told that 119 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:32.840 aren't real are in fact, very very real. There is 120 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:36.440 a reason why metaphysics has physics in it. Just because 121 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:39.519 it's hidden doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. I have 122 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:42.440 a knack for communicating with trees and some nature spirits. 123 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:45.279 I'll have to tell you, guys about an experience I 124 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:48.480 had with a dryad in Greece. Sometime. She saved me 125 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:51.559 from a visit to A and E. I come to 126 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:54.120 the tulpa to protect me when my neighborhood had a 127 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:58.799 serial rapist attacking young single women living alone, which I 128 00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:02.840 was at the time. A tulpa is a materialized being, 129 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:08.759 typically in human form, and the apartment really did never 130 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:12.720 feel empty. My friends always asked if I'd had a 131 00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:15.519 guy over when they'd visit. The sense of him was 132 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.840 that strong, and it was really hard to say goodbye 133 00:10:18.919 --> 00:10:21.559 to him when I moved to Ireland. But he kept 134 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:25.320 me safe and filled my apartment with such a masculine vibe. 135 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.440 I even joked that he was my invisible night in 136 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:33.799 shining armor, my beloved familiar Onli the cat still haunts 137 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:36.240 me to visit and checks in to see how his 138 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:40.440 mamma is doing. And interestingly enough, he sent me my 139 00:10:40.519 --> 00:10:44.559 familiar that I have now, Tillie. She's a tortoise. By 140 00:10:44.600 --> 00:10:47.360 the way, I live in Dublin, Ireland. 141 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:47.639 Now. 142 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:50.960 Ireland has always called to me and I consider it 143 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:55.039 to be my home, real and ancestral. It's a magical 144 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:59.679 place full of mystery and mysticism. Still, the sacred sights 145 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:02.639 here are places I use for my rituals and to 146 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:06.399 commune with my ancestors. It's a place where I feel 147 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:08.840 I can always be myself and be open with who 148 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:12.879 I am. I've had many experiences throughout my life, and 149 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.840 some of these I'll be recounting with you in this episode, 150 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:21.919 So if you're ready, let's begin. My best friend Ell 151 00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:24.720 and I loved playing outside in the woods behind my 152 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:27.960 dad's house growing up. It was always a place where 153 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:31.360 our imagination ran riot and we would play for hours 154 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:35.240 in our own made up worlds. I know that I've 155 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:38.480 previously mentioned in a listener's episode that my dad's property 156 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:40.639 was on a stretch of land that the Creek and 157 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:43.639 Chocked Tor Native Americans had lived on, which had been 158 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:48.200 decimated by the Spanish conquistadores. We'd found a few bones 159 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.559 in our exploits that I am more than certain were human, 160 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:56.320 which my dad confiscated, probably for that very reason, very 161 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:03.360 quickly afterwards, much to our disappointment, treasures in our innocent minds. Anyway, 162 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:06.240 on one occasion, we set out along a well known 163 00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:10.360 trail that we had traversed many many times before. But 164 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:13.000 what made this time different was the trail took us 165 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:16.919 deeper into the forest than we'd ever gone before. I 166 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:19.639 remember us both wondering why it was taking so long 167 00:12:19.720 --> 00:12:22.320 to get to this particular spot that we always played at, 168 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:26.320 and then suddenly the trail opened up to this expansive 169 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:28.759 clearing that had dried out from the lack of rain. 170 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.480 As the tree's roots looked like those that you might 171 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:35.320 find protruding in a swamp or marsh, we were a 172 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:37.840 bit awe struck to have found such a cool place 173 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:41.679 to play, and proceeded to make a day of it. Now. 174 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:45.320 During this time, there was this nagging feeling that we 175 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:48.279 were being watched, and every once in a while we 176 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.240 would catch a flitter of a shadow person ducking behind 177 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:55.679 a tree. The clearing was bathed in the light of 178 00:12:55.720 --> 00:12:59.200 the sunshine filtering through the trees. So I had the 179 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.399 notion that as as long as we stayed in the light, 180 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:05.360 it couldn't get us. And honestly, when I think back 181 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:08.600 on that memory, we were having so much fun, so 182 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:12.200 lost in our imaginations that we didn't care, which makes 183 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:14.159 me wonder if the spot had put a spell on 184 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:17.039 us to lure us in, because when we found it, 185 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:22.799 the clearing had that other worldly quality about it. The 186 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:24.720 rule at home was that we had to be back 187 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:29.240 at twilight. All gen X's know this rule. That was 188 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:32.240 what was so great about the eighties. Mom would leave 189 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:35.200 us to our devices and let us play outside on 190 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:38.840 the property unsupervised until twilight, which was when the street 191 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:42.240 lights came on. If we weren't home by then, we 192 00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:46.440 got in trouble. Simple. At some point in our play, 193 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:49.639 it was like we woke up and realized it was 194 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:53.440 almost dark. We panicked as we had very little time 195 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:57.200 to get home before the street lights came on, and 196 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:01.000 because we had walked, to our knowledge and farther to 197 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:04.480 this location than the original location in the woods, we 198 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:06.919 knew we had to hurry or else get in trouble. 199 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:10.840 But then it was like the clearing started closing in 200 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:14.919 on us, the shadow people hiding behind the trees, slithering out, 201 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:19.480 becoming braver with the coming dark. I remember talking about 202 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:21.639 the incident when we were older, and both of us 203 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:24.799 had this sinking and terrible feeling, knowing that if one 204 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:28.039 of those shadows had touched us, we would be stuck there. 205 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:32.879 I know that sounds odd, but Elle and I have 206 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:36.120 talked about this event many times over the years, and 207 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:39.519 it is something that has never left us. We ran 208 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:42.320 as fast as our little feet could carry us, our 209 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:45.519 lungs burning, making our way back through the path that 210 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:48.399 we knew so well, only to be back where we 211 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:52.159 started at the clearing the first time. We thought maybe 212 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:55.039 in our haste we'd taken a wrong turn, and so 213 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:58.559 set out again, but yet again, we ended up back 214 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:02.519 at the clearing. We were stuck in a loop. I 215 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:04.759 don't know if I would classify it as a time loop, 216 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:07.840 but whatever was in that clearing, it had us running 217 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:12.840 in circles. We were absolutely terrified at this point, as 218 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:15.559 the shadow people were flitting about the place and the 219 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.799 sounds that were coming from the woods had this horrible 220 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:21.919 eerie quality to them, but it was all around us. 221 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:28.360 We were surrounded. We set out again. I was determined 222 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:30.440 to get us out of there, and I honestly didn't 223 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:33.200 know if I willed us home or if our guardians 224 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:35.559 stepped in to help us. But it was like we 225 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:38.000 came to the edge of whatever's shadow magic was in 226 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:40.360 the woods and was able to break through the barrier 227 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:43.919 into the normal woods. The street lights had just turned on, 228 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:46.679 but we were so distressed that my mom gave us 229 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:51.600 a pass, asking us what had happened. We downplayed it 230 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:53.879 as we didn't want her not letting us play in 231 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:56.399 the woods, and in the end we said that we 232 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.279 simply had got lost. Coming back home. Years later, I 233 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:02.039 met a lovely woman who was a sham and here 234 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:05.240 in Dublin, we were telling stories of weird things that 235 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.360 had happened to us, and I recounted this story to her. 236 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:11.360 I remember her having an odd look on her face 237 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:14.399 throughout the telling of my story. When I got to 238 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:17.240 the part about being led out of the woods, she 239 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:20.080 got this very dreamy look on her face, as if 240 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.480 she was far away, and told me that that was 241 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:27.240 exactly what had happened. She told me that I had 242 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:31.559 two very large Native American warrior chieftains that stood tall 243 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:34.480 at either side of me as guardians, and that they 244 00:16:34.519 --> 00:16:36.440 were the ones that had led me and my best 245 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:39.240 friend out of the woods that day and they were 246 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:42.960 always with me. I was gobsmacked, as I had not 247 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:45.639 said anything to her about how I had always felt 248 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:49.120 that my guardians had led us to safety. I just 249 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:51.600 said to her that I felt like we were guided out, 250 00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:55.320 no more, no less. That was pretty amazing to me. 251 00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:59.080 A week or so went by before we dared to 252 00:16:59.159 --> 00:17:02.080 venture back into the woods again, and this time we 253 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:06.720 left ourselves breadcrumbs tying little ribbons along our trail to 254 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:09.440 mark our way so we didn't get turned around again. 255 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:13.880 We followed the exact path that we had before that 256 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:17.079 led us to this clearing. We were met with just 257 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.480 more trees where the opening of the clearing had been. 258 00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:22.720 It was just a wall of forest, and the path 259 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:26.160 veered off to the left as it always had done. 260 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:29.119 We were definitely freaked out, as it seemed the clearing 261 00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:33.799 had never existed before. As I got older, I reflected 262 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:37.640 back on that day periodically. I believe those woods were 263 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.319 and still are haunted either by angry spirits of long 264 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:46.720 forgotten Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors or due to Satanic rituals. 265 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:48.960 There was a lot of that going on at the 266 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:52.359 time in town. A story for another time or volume, 267 00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:56.119 and we somehow got stuck in a vortex or time 268 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:59.799 loop of some sort where those spirits congregated and they 269 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:05.039 had plans not to let us leave. My Mimi. Mum's 270 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:08.920 mother had inherited a few dolls from her mother memwhile 271 00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:14.519 that were ridiculously old, probably turn of the century. The 272 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:17.680 want to note was one of those early nineteen hundred's 273 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.599 porcelain dolls that had the blinky eyes when you tipped 274 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:23.480 them back, so they would go to sleep when you 275 00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:26.960 laid them down. At the time, we lived in South 276 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:30.599 Alabama and my mom's family lived in North Alabama, about 277 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:34.640 a four hour drive. Growing up, we didn't really go 278 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:37.599 to visit that much, as my dad's mother was disabled 279 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:40.279 and lived with us, so it made it hard to 280 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:42.880 travel for someone had to watch her around the clock. 281 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:46.359 But on this occasion we were traveling up with Mom 282 00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:49.839 to see her mom and siblings. I can't remember why 283 00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:52.279 we were going, but as young children we were as 284 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:54.480 excited as it meant we could have a spend the 285 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.960 night party at Mimi's. I was about six or seven 286 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:00.880 at the time, and my sister was about four or five. 287 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:07.759 My sister loves dolls, all sorts. If it was a doll, 288 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:10.359 then you could bet she would love it. She was 289 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.599 excited to be able to play with Mimi's dolls. I 290 00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:17.240 remember arriving at Mimi's apartment building, which was extremely haunted 291 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:20.839 by the way again another story, and I was looking 292 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:23.119 forward to staying with her, as we didn't see her 293 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:26.880 very often. I remembered the building giving me a feeling 294 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:30.759 of uneasiness. Though the building housed a lot of older 295 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:34.400 people that eventually died in their apartments, so I immediately 296 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:38.480 felt a few errand spirits wandering the halls. I pushed 297 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:43.160 it aside as my excitement was greater. Mimi's apartment was tiny, 298 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:47.079 but it was cozy, smelling of stale nicotine and double 299 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:50.519 mint gum. The front door opened straight into the living 300 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:54.119 room that was framed by a wall of windows. There 301 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:56.759 was a couch that sat against that wall of windows, 302 00:19:56.839 --> 00:19:59.119 and off to the right of the front door was 303 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:02.400 a closet. Mimi had set out her dolls on the 304 00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:06.640 couch for my sister, and I froze in the middle 305 00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:11.799 of all these innocuous dolls was that porcelain one. That 306 00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:15.880 doll made my skin crawl. There was this cold intelligence 307 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:19.279 that emanated from it, and it was watching us. I 308 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:22.839 immediately didn't want to be around it. My sister, on 309 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:26.440 the other hand, loved that fucking doll. She was drawn 310 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:28.359 to it as much as I had an aversion to it. 311 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:31.880 I stayed as far away from it as humanly possible, 312 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:37.079 and the evening went without a hitch. Mimi made us 313 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:39.640 palettes on the floor in front of the couch that evening. 314 00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:43.240 The living room closet was at her feet. She told 315 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:45.279 us spent time stories and that we could pick up 316 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:48.640 a doll each to sleep with. I picked a stuffed 317 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:51.880 animal of swords, but of course my sister picked up 318 00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:57.519 that damn doll. I was like, absolutely nope. I told 319 00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:59.319 her that there was something wrong with the doll and 320 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:01.440 that I refuse to sleep next to her with it. 321 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:05.240 During this exchange, the doll was sat on the couch 322 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:09.400 watching us. I could feel its eyes on me, I wonder, 323 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:12.440 and when Mimi told us to clear away the excess 324 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:17.039 toys and dolls into the closet, I happily obliged. It's 325 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:20.519 important to note I watched my sister put the doll 326 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:26.480 into the closet. We then went to sleep. The next morning, 327 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:30.400 I woke up, yawned, and stretched. I looked out the window, 328 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:32.839 only to be met with the eyes of the doll 329 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.599 staring at me. She was sat at the corner of 330 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:38.880 the couch. I just remember getting angry at first that 331 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:41.599 my sister had obviously gotten the doll out of the 332 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:44.839 closet at some point in the night. I jostled her 333 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:47.359 awake and asked her why she had gone and got 334 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:49.960 the doll out of the closet. She looked at me 335 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:54.759 puzzled and said I didn't. I remember thinking she was lying, 336 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:59.400 but the absolute surprise on her face made me think twice. 337 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:03.319 Mimi came out shortly after and started making breakfast for us. 338 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:06.079 I asked her if she'd gotten me Moore's doll out 339 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:09.240 of the closet. She looked at me blankly and said no. 340 00:22:10.680 --> 00:22:13.880 I was absolutely freaking out at this point, but just 341 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:16.920 kept quiet as we would be leaving later in the day, 342 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:19.759 so I just had to endure the doll's presence for 343 00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:25.000 a little while longer. Fast forward to nineteen ninety seven, 344 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:28.279 Mimi had passed away and had left that doll to 345 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:31.680 my sister in her will. I was obviously thrilled, as 346 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:34.960 you can imagine. I remember getting in a huge argument 347 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.440 with my mom about it, saying that I didn't want 348 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:40.480 it in the house. My mom couldn't understand why I 349 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:42.680 had such an issue with it, so I explained to 350 00:22:42.759 --> 00:22:45.640 her that the doll was evil, that there was something 351 00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:48.400 very wrong with it, and recounted the story at Mimi's 352 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:52.559 apartments so many years ago. She kind of brushed it off, 353 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:54.839 and so I just told my sister to keep the 354 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:58.279 doll in her room and keep it away from me. Now, 355 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:01.079 the farmhouse where we lived throughout my middle and high 356 00:23:01.079 --> 00:23:04.640 school years also had some weird goings on, and that 357 00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:08.799 doll just added to them even more. You'd hear whisperings 358 00:23:08.839 --> 00:23:12.400 and this evil giggle coming from my sister's room. I 359 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:15.319 hated being alone in the house and would normally keep 360 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:18.559 the doors shut to her room if I was there alone. 361 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:20.920 The doll would watch you if you were in the room, 362 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:24.400 and it would also physically move around. I kid you not. 363 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:28.759 I remember putting the doll in my sister's wardrobe, only 364 00:23:28.839 --> 00:23:31.319 to come in later to put something I had borrowed back, 365 00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:34.880 and the doll was on her bed. Crazy shit like 366 00:23:34.920 --> 00:23:38.039 that happened on a regular basis. There was always this 367 00:23:38.119 --> 00:23:40.440 feeling of a presence in the room throughout the time 368 00:23:40.519 --> 00:23:43.519 she had that doll. I normally didn't go into her 369 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:46.279 room unless she was there, but she was oblivious to 370 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:52.559 it all, or so I thought. Years later, she randomly 371 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:54.279 told me that she had given the doll to one 372 00:23:54.279 --> 00:23:57.440 of our cousins, who insanely enough, also loved the doll. 373 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:01.200 I was actually shocked because she always seemed to be 374 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:04.599 so attached to it. She said that she knew I 375 00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:07.279 was telling the truth because she had experienced similar things 376 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:09.920 with the doll and had been attacked by a shadow 377 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:13.319 figure in her room after putting the doll away, something 378 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:16.640 she never did. I was like, why not just throw 379 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:20.079 the doll in the trash. She argued that she couldn't 380 00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:23.440 because it was a family heirloom, but I called bullshit. 381 00:24:24.359 --> 00:24:26.440 We argued about it, but I stopped as I was 382 00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:29.400 just wasting my breath. As far as I know, my 383 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:32.240 cousin still has the doll, but I have no idea 384 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:37.240 if they've experienced anything. I went to a bog Standard 385 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:40.319 Elementary school until I was in the fourth grade that's 386 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.319 nine to ten years old, before my mom thought it 387 00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:46.720 would be an amazing idea to homeschool me and my sister. 388 00:24:47.640 --> 00:24:52.680 Believe me when I say it wasn't anyway. The school 389 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:55.640 had a main building where this story takes place, and 390 00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:59.759 was divided into three floors. The cafeteria and first grade 391 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:03.839 bild building was separate. The first grade building was also haunted, 392 00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:07.000 but I never had any memorable experiences in there, other 393 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:09.559 than it felt weird, as if you were being followed 394 00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:13.359 in an empty hallway. The second grade classes were on 395 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:16.559 the lower floor. My classroom was tucked off to the 396 00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:19.160 right of the main stairway up to the main floor. 397 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:21.759 As you were going up, on the left of the 398 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:24.640 stairway was the girl's bathroom, and there was a fire 399 00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:28.680 exit that was used for recess right beside it. Now, 400 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:31.759 the lower floor had that same creepy feeling as the 401 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:35.359