Tag: evil

Ouija Board, Ouija Board…Would You Work For Me?

I was reminded by a friend of their family horror story. It happened only five years ago. There were multiple family witnesses, all adults over eighteen years of age. The elderly mother, who had sold the family home had taken the proceeds and in turn rented a two-bedroom home. Her oldest son, now divorced, but with health issues, was to live in the finished basement. He easily converted this into his living space. He has three adult girls, the youngest then 22, would visit her father, aunt and grandmother often. And usually, especially on weekends would bring her pack of friends. Meanwhile, the mother and daughter had bedrooms on the first floor.

The Exorcist Marathon

The family attests that things started to go awry after the son, we’ll call him Steve, who grew up with The Exorcist phenomenon of the ’70’s, decided to show his daughter and friends the film down the basement. This was all unbeknownst to the grandmother and aunt, who staunchly forbade any even vaguely occult practice. The group intrigued, watched the film and the director’s cut in a marathon evening. The next few gatherings, the group of friends made a drastic decision. One of the girls’ parents had a said Ouija board!

Playing With The Devil

Sure enough, the girls rallied at the house and headed for the basement. Steve wasn’t home yet, but the aunt Carol, and Grandmother Ethel, were preoccupied upstairs and paid no mind. After hearing a few giggles and shrieks from the basement, Carol decided to see what the motley bunch was up to. When she descended and seen that they were huddled around the Ouija board she chastised her niece. Carol told her that she knew better and to never bring that into the house. She made them, then and there take it out into the firepit. Carol had to tell her mother Ethel, who panicked. Ethel personally went to supervise the burning. Only, it charred but would not fully ignite. {Now I have heard this before from a relative’s friend. They had a bad experience and tried to burn the board. It would not catch on fire.} They pulled it out of the firepit and promptly put it in the outdoor trash bin.

Things Go Bump

Not even a week later. Carol thought she had seen a shadow in the kitchen. In another instance Ethel swore she seen the dark silhouette of a man in the short hallway leading to the basement door. They said nothing to each other. When all were gathered for the weekend festivities, including Steve, his three daughters and their large group of friends they funneled outside for a cookout. Carol was trailing Ethel when one of Steve’s daughters turned to say something to Carol. There was a tall dark shadow figure behind her. Her niece said, “who’s that?” The figure promptly bolted down the hallway and dissolved into the basement door. It rattled them. Outside, still shaken, it was the talk of the weekend.

Girl Running

A week later, in the kitchen Carol saw an 11- or 12-year-old girl in a blue gingham dress dart out of the corner of her eye. Once more, Ethel had seen the same girl in the kitchen and had to pause thinking who it could be, before the girl vanished. One of Steve’s daughters stopped to visit, and while sitting in the TV room which is open from the kitchen, seen the same girl running from one side to the other side of the room. She jumped up and cried out “who’s that girl!” Then all three women collaborated on what they had witnessed and seen. The girl in the blue gingham dress.

Basement Handyman

Carol’s boyfriend, rendered some services down the basement, helping to rearrange furniture and hang a few things. No stranger to the supernatural he told me, “There’s definitely something down that basement. The hairs on the back of your neck will stand up! I told them to get out of there as soon as possible.” {He was instrumental later on, in finding another home for all of them. He has had several exceptional experiences which I have documented in other posts.}

The House Blessing

This is where I come into the story, though my memory had to be jogged. Carol called me frantic, asking me to bless the house. I wasn’t free that upcoming weekend, but I would absolutely supply her with Holy Water, and though she isn’t Catholic, a much-needed Crucifix if she was comfortable with that. She was and then some. She told me that her mother and Steve’s three daughters went from room to room, praying and blessing each. She splashed Holy Water and told the evil to leave, and she meant it. After the blessing, all was calm. But not taking ANY chances, they soon found other accommodations.

The Will – Bring Out The UGLY

Bring out your dead…and out come the wolves!

I found out the hard way; family doesn’t stick together once money – big or small is involved. All of the promises made by my siblings, their words given to me, meant nothing. They wanted their share. No matter that Dad is still alive and I’ve been taking care of my parent’s property, outbuildings, and any needs or wants prior to mom’s death. No, they “permitted” me to do these; while living their lives carefree, without thinking twice about who’s minding the store.

The Verbal Agreement

Over the decades, my older brother and sister repeatedly had told me that they both wanted me to have our childhood home. Afterall, they had families and homes of their own. They had each stressed all of the work, care, time and money that I had contributed to our parents’ lives. I of course, did this out of obedience both to God and my to parents. It is the fourth commandment.

Mom Died, Then My Sister

Once the initial shock of losing them both back-to-back, had begun to ease, Dad made an appointment with his senior attorney. I went with Dad. Not only did the will need to be totally redone, but all beneficiaries changed for life insurance policies, all titles such as house and cars needed to have a beneficiary named and a transfer upon death form completed. The same for all bank accounts, holdings, deposit boxes, etc. She wanted this done as soon as possible and gave him two weeks to execute this. Another thing the attorney stressed was the house. Unbeknownst to me, three years prior when mom and dad had their will done by this same attorney, an in-depth discussion ensued. And it revolved around me. For at that time, I had been giving mom one of my two-week paychecks. She needed it for her treatments. Her disease was rare called Pemphigoid, and her health care would not cover her care outside her network. And the specialist she needed was outside her care. At that point, she had received one thousand a month from me to cover her treatments, for the last three years. Mom had told me that she would apply this money to her ledger, and it would go against “buying out” my younger sister. For mom knew that she would not relent to my receiving the house without her due share. (I dismissed all of this. For I felt that mom and dad would live another decade or more. Why, because they had each other and I did most of the hard work. Also, my younger sister [by only a few years] had told me on several occasions that I should have the house. Thus, keeping it in the family.) Ironically, at this time period an old family friend was this attorney’s receptionist. This friend told me recently that the attorney, who rarely spoke her opinions to her staff, let everyone know how impressed she was. The fact that I helped my aging parents live their lives out in their own home, while doing all repairs and upkeep at my cost, plus helping mom survive. I won’t forget it, and neither did the attorney. I had never met her before this meeting, but she paused and said to dad that now we needed to talk about me.

How I Played A Major Role In The Will

During this time, my older sister was actively dying, though it was not immediately communicated to us. The attorney, who asked if any children were disabled, then learned of our oldest sister. She had a rare form of Alzheimer’s called Benson’s Syndrome. She would die two weeks later. Then the attorney went onto to say that the next order of business was to ensure that I get the family home. I did not yet know about the years earlier discussion with mom. Nor was I expecting a candid conversation about the ‘purchasing’ of the house from my siblings. I remained quiet. Listening to dad talk about how they all expected $50K each or $150K for the house, I became anxious. Yes, the house is worth an easy $450K, but I was told worst case scenario paying my younger sister $50K from my retirement savings. Again, when I retire, from my 401K earnings! We she asked me if I could do that, I then spoke up and said that my oldest sister and brother are foregoing their share, and I was expecting my other sister to follow suit. If she doesn’t, then mom said $50K for her. Dad said: ‘They may have said they wanted you to have it. Don’t count on it, people get funny when there’s a will.’

They Did Get Funny About Money

Almost instantaneously, my brother wanted his share, along with of course my younger sister. Once my older sister had died, then dad without hesitation, cut out her husband and son from the will. No possessions, nothing. Several trips back and forth to the attorney’s office. Many meetings with her team to sort out insurance payments, titles, transfer upon death forms. Dad was secretive about the doling out of their possessions. His closely regarded valuables, mom’s jewelry, heirlooms-were all pawns for him. One week this went to my brother, the next week, no. By cutting out my older sister, now everything was split three ways. Long ago it was decided by my parents to go by the taxes only, to keep the house purchase by me affordable. So the sum I needed to pay for each share? $66,667.00. You read that right…

Leverage

After receiving several nasty calls from my brother stating (without prompt or provocation) that he never said he was going to give his share to me. Just for him to do an about face here and there, I wasn’t sure who to trust. My younger sister couldn’t wait to shout: “I’m not getting screwed out of my inheritance!” That cemented it. I had to pay her. Meanwhile my deceased sister’s husband wanted to vouch for me. Her knew my sister had told him that she wanted to forgo her share for me. My cousin, second that. Word spread and my extended family learned of the drama over the will. Now, the attorney wanted a meeting to draw up a family agreement.

The Family Meeting

You could feel the chill. No one looked each other in the eyes. And as per usual, I had to pick my brother up and take him to the meeting. For years now, this had become a routine. But if he were to be a Judas to me – he can get his own ride! Dad said no. He claimed my brother was going to keep his word to me, though reluctantly. I had heatedly told dad the night before, if I was to be expected to pay out $134K, I might as well go to our nearest city. I could get two homes for that! No joke. I told him I’d move out and let my younger sister take care of him. For mom had told me at the most $50K for my sister. Thinking, for he knew the consequences, that he would wind up in a senior home, he became frightened. He told me later, that he called my brother and struck a bargain with him. If he kept his promise to me, dad would leave him his Model A, his tools, contracting equipment, guitar equipment and coin collection. But my brother demanded dad’s prized electric guitar, too. Dad would not relinquish the guitar, no that was dad’s leverage. Also, he proposed the $50K to my sister.

Back to the meeting, when the attorney asked if my brother wanted his share, he quietly said; “No.” Thank God. Now onto my sister. For clarification, there are seventeen barn cats on the property. I’ve taken care of them, too. Some are feral. All but one have been neutered or spayed. The oldest at that time was 17 years. She used them as collateral as leverage to get what she wanted. Extortion. It was ugly. She looked at the attorney and said, “I’ll take the $50,000 if she takes all but two of the cats to a no-kill shelter. What’s it going to be. The cats or the house?” I was not expecting such a low, manipulative, evil, disgusting, heartless blow from my own sister, who I doted on in her life. She’s sick, a bi-polar off her meds by her own admission. It was despicable. I stood up, I told her that she was not to touch those animals. I was ready to walk. I meant it. The attorney shouted for me to sit down. She said this is easy to rectify. You will pay her upon your father’s death $66,667.00. My sister smugly agreed to this.

Not Too Fast – Still Greedy

The attorney would get back to us in approximately 3 weeks, papers drawn each of us were to sign and it was written in stone. Oh, no. Three months went by, why? Because my brother and sister were bickering over the phone. My brother wanted to know why she was so greedy. They could each have received $33,000 from me. She took offense and called the attorney! She told the attorney that my brother needed his share! She stirred up more trouble. So, when I thought, I was going to sign the final papers, I was met with the question of buying my brother out for another $66.667.00! So $134K of my retirement. The answer was no. I stood up and said I’m done. She asked me to step out of the room while she spoke to dad. Later I was called in. Dad would add more of his savings to brother’s tally. This he felt, would level the shares. After we left, I let dad know that if they did not sign this agreement in the next two days, I was pulling out, moving out and I could care less. I meant it. Oh, they beat feet to sign it.

At What cost?

All of this to fulfill my promise to mom to keep it in the family. All this so I could leave it to my deceased sisters’ grandson. All of this nonsense so my dad could stay in his home. For I am just the curator, the steward, the target of contempt. This is a cautionary tale for you, please learn from it.