Can you help us understand what happened to our friend, Dan?

To begin, if you have any questions or concerns, you can PM me or Kelson.

I am splitting this into a few parts, so please read through the whole thing before putting in your two cents. Thanks much. Looking forward to getting your views on this, friends on ATS

PART I

The following was experienced by me and my fiancé, Kevin, our good friend KingKelson, and our other good friend, Dan in southeastern Wisconsin approximately three years ago—mainly in a nice house in a quiet suburb a ways away outside of Milwaukee. We were friends from high school. Kelson and I graduated in 2009, whereas the other two graduated in 2010. I had been good friends with Kevin in high school, and friends with Dan, and had known Kelson as well. But after I came back from Loyola University Chicago in the winter of 2009 to recover from an eating disorder, during the course of my recovery I ended up getting back into touch with both Kevin and Kelson. Those two—Kevin in especial—helped me recover quite a bit.

Some time later, we got back into contact with Dan, who had been a friend of ours as well. The four of us enjoyed our golden years together, living it up, laughing our butts off, being silly and young and attractive and able to do basically whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. It was glorious. We ended up getting really close with one another and hung out literally every day all day. We did everything together.

Well, one time I had the brilliant idea that we should all do a ouija board. Kevin was firmly against it, as always, but was fine watching from the sidelines. Dan was as super-excited about it as I was and Kelson just went along with it. But it was my idea. Something that I’ve come to terribly regret.

We had done a ouija before at Dan’s house. Back in high school, our big group of friends did one—which I also participated in. Nothing big happened at that one besides a lighter (which we’d used as the planchette) flying off of the table and the candle flames going all wonky—basically it was a pretty tame time and it had been fairly entertaining.

So, once we’d decided to go through with it, I got a sheet of computer paper and neatly penned out the alphabet, ‘goodbye’, yes, no, and the numbers zero through nine. We got a nicely-scented candle, a lighter for that, and a quarter to use for our planchette. Keep in mind, since we used a quarter it would have been exceedingly easy to discern if one of us was the one moving the planchette and hoaxing the whole thing. That did not occur. It moved with a force opposite to our center of force upon the coin. It was weird. And it felt weird, as well: almost like a weird swooping feeling at the bottom of my stomach.

Due to my past experience being the oracle during ouija, I took the lead and politely began to ask questions (of course, knowing all the while that what I was talking to was something demonic—yeah, that didn’t deter me in wanting to play the game. I know. Really dumb choice on my part). We got in touch with a spirit I’d spoken to a few years back, one named Beatrice. Beatrice had previously admitted its being demonic back when I’d spoken with it before and had been really chatty, telling me that I was a vampire and that I would have violet hair and eyes (lol yeah yeah w/e you say ‘beatrice’) and that I’d live forever. It also predicted who I’d marry—which is so far correct. It then told me that I’d die several times—but yes, that I’d still live forever.

So anyway, I establish that yes it is the same Beatrice. And I’m like, well, it’s nice to speak with you again and ask how it’s doing and then I do I 180 and I go, yo Beatrice cut the crap. You know we know what you really are. I order you in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, tell me, what is your REAL name?

Then the board goes crazy for a second before jolting around to spell out B-E-L-I-A-L (which it spelled out the first time I’d spoken with it, too) not only once, but several times. It also did the weird figure-eight thing in the middle of the board, which I later found out means that it was trying to escape the board.

All of a sudden, Kevin jumps up out of his seat cries out for me to stop. He tells me I have a black cloud above me pressing at me. I get scared. I start to pray and I honestly don’t remember if I moved the quarter to goodbye or if we just blew the candle out, crumpled the board, and ran for the stairs (oh yeah we were doing this in DANS BASEMENT by the way. Which will be important to remember for later.)

We all wanted to burn it, even though you’re not supposed to do that. Because I felt that we must, because we had to destroy the portal. and Kevin decided we should include dollar bills as an ‘offering’.

So to the fire pit in Dan’s yard we marched, solemnly, each armed with a single dollar bill—and me with the crumpled piece of ouija paper board. I un-crumpled it slightly so that it would burn better and threw it in the fire pit. We all then recited the Our Father before throwing in our dollars (don’t try this at home—it’s a federal no-no O.O). Kevin got the BBQ lighter (keep in mind, Kevin is an Eagle Scout and was also the Summer Chief of his scouting troupe—and Kelson is also a seasoned Boy Scout) and proceeded to try and light the paper.

Well, the thing wouldn’t light. It wasn’t a windy night. It was dry paper. Computer paper. And the thing wouldn’t light. It would smolder for a second, a shimmering WHITE (like Magnesium, only not as bright) instead of the normal reddish-orange that one would usually expect to see.

We were trying to burn this thing for like ten minutes. I kid you not. It was getting pretty obnoxious. Well, finally, the thing started to burn, because we kept that flame on it. Otherwise I’m not sure it would have.

Now, I didn’t hear this, but the three of them said that at the exact moment it caught on fire better, they heard this bloodcurdling unearthly howl going off past Dan’s backyard (they said it sounded like it moved through the thin tree line) and into the distance. I later learned that that meant that one is cursed by the board.

I don’t know about any of that, but what happened next almost makes me believe that that curse thing might be true.

PART II

I think it is pertinent to note that all of this happened after my encounter with the beast of Bray Road. About a year or so after that, I’d say. My interview on Haunted Highway was recorded a year and a half after all of this happened with Dan.

Now, what I’m about to get into is going to sound really weird, crazy, scary, and messed up. My friends and I won’t blame you if you don’t believe this. But we know that this happened. We were there. It happened all of the time—so much that you’d have to really work to convince me it wasn’t happening. We saw the same things—heard the same things. For some reason, recording it never occurred to us, even though we all had smartphones. We figured that the four of us experiencing it was proof enough. And we didn’t have the intent to share this experience. I made that decision years after the fact—a decision that is supported by both Kevin and Kelson. And would be supported by Dan, too, I’d imagine. If Dan were still Dan.

The main center of activity was Dan’s house itself. Dan’s house is a grey two story that is fairly well kept and is the home to a pure-bred Malamute, Dan, Dan’s older brother, and their parents. The suburb is within five or ten minutes of my house, Kevin’s house, and Kelson’s house, and is in the same town.

Kevin worked as a server at the time and wasn’t always present during the main part of what happened at Dan’s house, luckily for him. When Kevin wasn’t around, Kelson, Dan, and I would typically go to Blockbuster and rent a few horror movies that looked good, get a whole bunch of tasty candy, and go back to Dan’s.

We always sat in the family room, which was located on the first floor of the home and had surround sound. We’d chill on the couch and watch our movies and nom on our candy. Much of this would be going on in the afternoon. Dan’s parents worked and also liked to go out for drinks a lot. So the house was ours for much of the time.

Well, we heard sounds always. Every day, without fail. At any time of the day. There was no rhyme or reason to it. It sounded like people were moving and crashing into his parents’ bedroom furniture. But whenever we’d go to check it out, nothing would be moved. The thumps and thuds were so loud sometimes it sounded like the dresser had fallen over but every time there was nothing.

We also heard steps coming up from the basement stairs. A quarter of Dan’s basement was redone with carpeting and a couch, table, and TV. It was the other place in his house that we hung out a lot in because it had the Wii and Smash Bros.—which we played a whole lot. For the other half of the basement, a quarter of that was storage and a freezer with pizzas and Italian Ice, and the other half was a computer area with dual monitors and stuff and then there was a stage that was built up from the floor and that had a keyboard, drum set, and various guitars. Dan’s brother has a band and they have friends over sometimes (became more and more often as this story continues, and I’ll get to that later) for music and drinks.

We also heard the garage door opening, sounds like his parents coming home, the garage door into the house opening, shoes on the rug, coats, a jingle of keys—even a cough (like from his dad or something). But then nothing. We’d go to investigate. Nothing. It would be 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon, kids playing in the street, his mom and dad still at work, his brother not home, and just me, Dan, and Kelson and the dog in the house. All of whom were in the family room watching a asian horror movie at the time.

The weirdest thing that all four of us witnessed happened for the first time one night around 11pm—and then happened many times after that. Sometimes multiple times a day, at many times whether day or night, and other times only at night. It sounded like the beginning of the Mary Poppins song that goes au revoir, farewell—etc. Just the ‘da daaa da daaaaaa’ part. It would be at times soft and barely discernible and very loud (like from a megaphone) at others. Very eerie and drawn-out. Sounded thin and haunting. We have not heard it since stopping hanging out with Dan.

PART III

Throughout all of this there were times where Dan would start acting really weird. His voice would change. Sometimes his eyes would either dilate or roll back (or forward? it was hard to tell which) in his head, exposing only the whites and veins. He would speak in strange languages that were melodic and guttural and made no sense but were phonetically quite interesting. He doesn’t know a language other than English, usually. He would laugh maniacally and grunt and squeal and screech. He would also whimper a lot. And mutter darkly to himself. He would also sometimes get long kitchen knives and just sway in the middle of the room with it, his eyes rolled into his head, drooling, and muttering things. He once made threatening gestures at me with the butcher knife and shook it and a fake potted plant at me. I got him to put the knife back that time, though. He had this weird high pitched whiney trickster-y voice that he would do that sounded rather impish.

Dan would snap out of these fits almost as quickly and randomly as he went into them. While in the fit, prayer would make him hostile, but would keep him at bay. When I prayed, he sometimes got right in my face. When he did this, his eyes looked black and shiny. Sometimes he’d be totally normal then slip into these things. Like it’d be just me and Dan watching a movie and I’d hear him making weird noises, turn to my side, and see him staring at me with white eyes making scary sounds and not reacting to me when I tried to talk to him. If I moved away, he’d just stay seated. And when he got up, he’d be fine and have no memory of it. He would also get very afraid of things very easily and with no reason behind it.

His style of dressed changed radically—from someone who dressed in black mainly to someone in preppy outfits (I was usually the one wearing that kinda thing—Kevin too, sometimes). His attitude would also shift radically even when not having a fit. He would always agree with me, no matter what. And went out of his way to do things for me. He also almost killed me several times in his car—which he seemed to want to crash sometimes (and he almost did, too. I still don’t know how we survived one time on the freeway back from Chicago doing 75 headed straight at a concrete wall somehow ending up going the right way on the road right as we should have hit it head on). Dan often had this evil look in his eye and seemed to look slightly different and more mischievous than he had before. Almost like he was possessed. He would laugh inanely and uncontrollably a lot.

He would also disappear into his room sometimes. And if he did that, every single time he’d return not himself—but in a fit of some kind again. He was pretty scary and intimidating sometimes with what he did. Kelson also seemed to be effected somewhat. He would get super sleepy and fall asleep buried in his hoodie. When this happened, typically something weird with Dan would also happen.

One time, Kelson, Dan and I were in the family room watching this one asian horror movie about this hotel where people start dying because of the date and there’s this weird monster and it’s pretty stupid. Well, it’s about 5pm and getting slightly dark, the kitchen light is on, the family room light is off. When Kelson and I hear this scratching shuffling noise coming from the kitchen.

Right in the middle of the floor, behind the last chair, near the sliding glass door is this thing. It had to have been at least 5 feet long. Like the most-disturbing stuffed animal imaginable. Covered in thick disgusting matted reddish brown hair. And WEARING A RED HOODED SWEATSHIRT OF ALL THINGS. Shuffling strangely (think similar to how those creepy chicks move in The Grudge) under the chair, making gross and oddly wet-sounding snuffling noises. (Dan’s dog was by us at the time, by the way, whimpering at first then going silent, also looking at this thing.) Kelson said he saw it’s eyes, which were pinpricks of red with no pupil, and a flat smushed face with grotesque fangs. I don’t remember seeing any of the face. I think I turned back to the movie and Kelson must have seen that after I did that. I don’t think Dan noticed anything. I was on the far right of the couch, closest to the apparition, Kelson was next to me, and Dan was next to him on the far left.

Somehow, Dan got it into his head that Kelson was out to get him and started to not want to hang out with him. Then he got it into his head that Kevin was like that too. He has also professed to love these two on separate occasions. Dan is gay, by the way. But then, Dan also professed his love for me after talking about how the other two were out to get him. He spoke of once ‘confronting’ whatever is in his house. He said he screamed at it while running through his house. But then he said that all the doors started slamming on their own, except the door of his room, upstairs. He said there was a bright shining light coming from behind his door, and he went to the light (eek) and said it was god and his grandmother and he was so happy. But then he started talking about how God’s all about punishing the bad guy and how God’s vengeful and etc. Basically ignoring that God is love. And I tell him that he’s wrong and that that’s not my God and he gets all angry and starts spouting blasphemous crap I can’t remember.

Dan also started to freak out a lot and go into these really weird hysterics where he’d shake us and beg us never to leave him and then where he’d get nasty at whatever was in his house.

Another time, where it was just me, Dan, and Kelson, we were out back having a cigarette and his dog was running in the yard. It was evening. We all of a sudden hear this tearing ripping growling sound from behind us, in the garage where nobody was. It sounded like some great big beast was in there clawing at the wall to our backs. I say run and we all start running. I turn around and see the two of them going back and I start screaming NO and eventually get them to come with me out near the curb and away from whatever that was.

Part IV

Dan started to get in these really weird fits where he’d disappear to his room upstairs, be really quiet for a while, then start shrieking bloody murder about his legs his legs or something. He’d seriously be like howling. And Kelson and I would call out asking if he was okay, and he’d just ignore us and keep on wailing. Once, his parents came home in the middle of this and went up to see what was happening, ashen-faced. He was freaking out for no apparent reason. And only calmed down a long while later.

He had odd switches in personality, as I said, and the last time that we hung out we had a great time and left on great terms, the next day he wanted nothing more to do with us. We haven’t really seen him in three years. He has driven away all of his other friends, some of which experienced similar things to what we experienced. When we’ve driven by his house, we still get a really freaky vibe and think that he’s still dealing with whatever was going on. Which seemed to be centered in the weird unused back portion of his basement. other things happened as well, and maybe Kelson can help me fill in some of the blanks that I missed. So much happened that it’s really likely that I forgot a few things, so I’ll add them when I remember.

Anyway, please let me know what you think. I’d like to help Dan, if at all possible.

Honestly, I'd be fine thinking that Dan was just crazy if it hadn't been for seeing that weird stuff. Also, Dan acted fairly sane when he wasn't freaking out, but still acted WAY different than he used to before the ouija board.

a reply to: rukia
Dunno what to say. Just as I started to read this I knocked my coffee cup off the desk and it smashed. And you are talking about Ouija boards. Freaky stuff.

a reply to: rukia

Where did the animal thing go to? Behind the couch? This all sounds so crazy. I don't suppose you tested burning another piece of computer paper and seeing whether it instantly lit or not and whether the flame was white?

Cute story, but nah, not buyin' it.

If anything, Dan sounds like a bit of a sociopath, or maybe even schizo, so maybe he's just on meds now. If he even exists.

Yes and Belial being an Hebrew name for satan, how creative!

Sounds like all these dudes had a thing for ya and they all wanted to prove to you that they were more in touch with the dark side than the other, since you seem to have had a thing for that.

Cute story though.

Anything else happening in his life?, like perhaps his Dad tried to beat him straight or bum him gay?

My mate one day started telling me they watching him, that all the Satellite dishes were spying on him and his dad was the biggest drug dealer in the town. He claims he was taken to a place in the woods where he had implants put in him and stuff.

He got worse and worse, turned out he had caught paranoid schizophrenia, not sure how or why. I always thought that because he had a young brother and sister and he was older, it was like they were the real family and he was an outsider most of his life, it finally clicked one day and he went crazy. However it could have been the Barbiturates.

Good news is that it can be treated.

I wouldn't say he is possessed, but I am not a qualified person, maybe he just had a bad trip.

I would advise taking him to a shrink and going with him but perhaps not mentioning the Ouija Board

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

I think we'd all be a little surprised at how often that is actually the case of these "events". I've witnessed this personally with other guys I've known. Pretty common really. And somehow, the ladies rarely catch on.

a reply to: Forensick

yeah it wasn't like he was schizophrenic though. I'm a psych major and fairly familiar. We can't explain it. Seriously. It doesn't fit mental illness. Because of what we saw on our own. When neither of us have any history of seeing things normally. Schizophrenia doesn't cause apparitions to present themselves to people around the schizophrenic person.

As for a bad trip, no. It was a bit too long lasting (all of this happened over the course of nearly a year) and bore no resemblance to any trip. In fact. It was all a bit too real. And traumatic.

Kevin, Kelson, and I are finally kinda getting over it all. It was all very shocking and frightening and confusing.


I also mentioned that others witnessed things enough to call him possessed even after Kevin, Kelson, and I stopped hanging out with Dan. These people were our mutual friends in high school. They also avoid Dan now, even though two of them were closer to him back then than any of us. These are people who normally say b.s to supernatural stuff who came forward to say that there might be something to that whole possessed thing because whatever was happening with Dan was weird and over the top.

a reply to: rukia

Well, I'm not being condescending when I say it's actually very common to see things that aren't there in schizophrenia. And when worked up (or again, ACTING worked up) from a supposed experience like this, it's very easy to pass on to others. Hysteria and mass delusions have taken on entire towns before and are actually a fascinating read that I suggest some time.

My group of friends also went through a Ouija board experience and thanks to the lowlife sociopath who orchestrated it, it got really carried away in how much it affected everyone for quite awhile. Turned out the dude was just trying to get into two of my (male)friend's pants by coercing them into his woo. A lot of people aren't worthy of trust. And there's no such thing as ghosts/etc.

And also, can I just add that you should find out what happened to your "friend" Dan by maybe contacting him since he lives near you?
Find some courage, be the friend you claim you are and ask him yourself. If you were so close, there's no reason you should be shunning him like this.

Praying to a diety isn't what saves you. It's pure will power.
The focus you put on prayer is the exact same as others who envision white light. It is all simply will power.


So you guys are experiencing amazing things. Inexplicable things.

You all have smartphones. Even a normal phone would suffice. And yet, no record, no evidence beyond a mediocre story.

You star that Dan would often sway with a butcher knife or large knife and none of you thought that maybe he should see or talk to someone?

His eyes would roll back into his head and he would speak non sense or in a lost language and it was never once recorded.

originally posted by: rukia


So, once we’d decided to go through with it, I got a sheet of computer paper and neatly penned out the alphabet, ‘goodbye’, yes, no, and the numbers zero through nine.

-------------------------------------------------

I start to pray and I honestly don’t remember if I moved the quarter to goodbye or if we just blew the candle out, crumpled the board, and ran for the stairs (oh yeah we were doing this in DANS BASEMENT by the way. Which will be important to remember for later.)

Ok idk much anything about Ouija boards, I've never used one, and honestly not sure I believe one could summon a demon or something like that, but I have had a friend that used one, and did not say goodbye to it. He believes and is convinced that by not saying goodbye, it caused all kinds of scary, unexplainable experiences in his life. It followed him.

That being said, you said you wrote goodbye on the paper, then said you don't remember if you moved the quarter to goodbye or not. In the last paragraph of part 2, you mention the thing saying/singing (I'm not sure how it sounded) au revoir, farewell...., like the song in Mary Poppins.

Do you think maybe you didn't move the quarter to goodbye? And I really don't know enough about this, but would not moving it to goodbye, and just blowing out the candle be enough?

Do you think maybe the au revoir, farewell was this thing hinting to you of what you didn't do, ie...move the quarter to goodbye? (Not sure a demon would do that though?)

a reply to: grumpy64

Too adolescent in every aspect to be taken seriously.

(Sorry grumpy, this was intended to have been directed at the OP and not you.)

a reply to: Aliensun

So you can quite easily ignore it but you chose to call the OP "adolescent".

Hmmm, I would say the more mature response would be to ignore it and not make remarks aimed to inflame.

Too Troll like in every aspect to be taken seriously.

Look, I don't know if the OP is real or fake and quite honestly Im not going to lose a seconds sleep about it as I am an unbeliever, but I read her post and her friend seems to be a bit mental and I dont go in for ouija and stuff.

Another thought I had is that people, some people, go mad to get attention, or get depressed to get attention, its not a decision, it just grows on people and they can get more and more dependent on it.

a reply to: Forensick

You finished your response to my post by saying:

"Another thought I had is that people, some people, go mad to get attention, or get depressed to get attention, its not a decision, it just grows on people and they can get more and more dependent on it."

I agree with your last sentence which explains to me why you wasted time knocking my short review of the writer which, I believe, has belabored us before with an earlier such story some months ago.

Weird stuff happens...

I just think that 'demons' and 'angels' are way too simple an answer (not that you point to that, exactly)... it goes several layers deeper than some spiritual war... more 'meta.'

But this 'flavor' of experience happens... and our reactions and mental composition likely have more to do with it than exterior forces, is what I mean.

a reply to: rukia

So, basically you've messed around with something that I have no doubt you were warned not to do, summoned a demon and left your friend f.u.b.a.r

Ah mates.

originally posted by: Baddogma
Weird stuff happens...

I just think that 'demons' and 'angles' are way too simple an answer (not that you point to that, exactly)... it goes several layers deeper than some spiritual war... more 'meta.'

But this 'flavor' of experience happens... and our reactions and mental composition likely have more to do with it than exterior forces, is what I mean.

Those obtuse demons are the worst.