Friday 20 January 2017


Friday January 20th 2017

A friend - American paranormal researcher, Steve Foster - had recently expressed an interest in cases of a 'poltergeist-like nature', so the W.M.G.C. dug into our archives to see if we could possibly find some of our older cases that might be of interest, from this particular angle?  This post and the following offering were instances that we had cause to 'look-into' in the past.......

In late November, 2003, we received an email from a young couple (Phil and Sue) who informed us that - over the preceding 7 or 8 months (approx.) - they had encountered 'strange goings-on' in their high-rise flat situated in the West Midlands area.   We were told that a specific event, during the early hours of the very day that we were contacted, had eventually urged them to 'reach out' and ask for someones opinions on their experiences.  The event concerned had apparently occurred at approximately 2.00 am, on a Saturday morning.....  and has affected Phil to the extent that he couldn't sleep, through fear.  His resulting email to the group was written / sent at 5.30 am, that same morning.

The events in question had begun with some activity that Phil was already used to:  Sue talking in her sleep, moaning, and saying "No... No... NO...!!"   This had occurred several times in the past and he had always assumed she was merely dreaming.  Sometimes, when he'd go to bed, the quilt would be on the floor... but always at the foot of the bed, never to the side.  Again, he always assumed that she must have simply kicked it off.

However:  at around 1.30 am their cat 'went mad' - looked terrified - and stared down the hallway at nothing, before bolting back into the living room and trying to hide.  Cats being cats, he tried his best to ignore the animal.  Then, a few minutes later, he heard Sue moaning in her sleep - again, the same "No... No... NO!!" he'd always heard.

At around 2.15 am, he opened the bedroom door to find that the quilt was once again lying on the floor at the foot of the bed and Sue was lying, asleep, on her front.  He put on the bedside lamp to lift the quilt back onto her and, in the gloom, he could see something lying on her back....  When he looked closer, he could see that it was a necklace.  He then turned the main light on and, when he looked at it in better light, he saw it was an old 60's / 70's style necklace that he'd never seen before!?  When looking back at where it had been lying, he discovered - to his absolute horror - that Sue's back was covered in deep scratches!!  On examination, he estimated that there were 10 or so marks - vertical, horizontal, diagonal - all situated around the middle of her back.  One, in particular, started just under her shoulder blades and ran all the way down the the base of her spine. 

He then woke her up and, as soon as she gained full consciousness, she had said something about her back hurting her.  (At this point, he captured the scratches on her back with a digital camcorder and sent some stills to the W.M.G.C.)  He told her it was covered in scratches and held up the necklace, asking what it was and where it had come from?  Sue identified it as her mothers necklace, her mother having passed away some 15 years earlier.  Sue never wore the necklace herself, as the clasp was broken.  The item concerned was normally housed in her jewellery case, housed on a shelf, and when they subsequently checked the case, it was still fastened and the drawer that housed the jewellery was situated as it should have been.  (Box had typical 'lift up lid', with series of drawers found inside, etc).

In attempting to rationalise the situation, Phil had considered that Sue was possibly sleepwalking.  They had, however, been together for 4 years and, in that time, he had never known her to sleepwalk!?  Besides, they could not fathom how she had come to scratch herself so badly in the process, if this had indeed been the cause?  During my visit to see the couple, Sue showed me her nails, which were purposefully kept very short, because of her occupation.  

As already mentioned, this particular incident had instantly scared the both of them to a considerable extent, Phil voicing the notion that he was, now, seriously considering moving out of the property concerned.  They had taken to 'going to bed at the same time' since the event.  It was noted that they always seemed to be alone when things occurred.  Understandably, Phil had thought about possibly contacting a local priest, etc, but would really like to find out what was present in their home? 

With regards to a 'general' history of the site, it seems that - as mentioned - the couple had been experiencing an array of poltergeist-like happenings for some months prior to the above.  It was estimated that they had lived in the property some 2 to 2.5 years, in all.   

Lights in the flat had sometimes been 'switching themselves off', at any time between midnight and 2am, and corresponding to rooms that Phil was occupying.  Sue usually went to bed first and then, around the times suggested, the lights would just click off.  This has happened around 5 or 6 times in the last 6 months.  Phil had initially believed this only happened in the living room area, as this was where he was usually situated.  However, around 2 months earlier, he had been in their 2nd bedroom, on his computer, with Sue situated in the living room.  At some point - between midnight and 2.00 am - the bedroom lights switched off, leaving the living room lights on.  Phil admits this had 'scared the hell out of him', as it clearly seemed these happenings were somehow targeting him specifically.

Interestingly, the lights in the living room area - two of them - worked on two, separate switches and, when they went off, the audible 'click' of the switches was heard.  After this had occurred 3 or so times, he had actually put sellotape over the switches after Sue had gone to bed!  The lights never switched off with the tape over them(?)

A friend, who lived abroad, came and visited the couple.  Phil had told them about the happenings and - as they were sitting in the living room around 2 am one morning - the lights had 'clicked off'....  "there you go!" Phil had said.

They had approached the concierge of the building with a view to having the electrics checked out, but nothing at all wrong could be found with the switches / system, etc.      

Around a month before sending his note to us, he had been in the 2nd bedroom (on the PC), with Sue in the living room again.  He heard Sue yell out, then she ran into the room he was in, clearly scared.  When he asked her what was wrong,  she told him that the rug - which lay in front of their fireplace - had 'shot across the room' and landed in front of the TV as she was watching it!  The distance involved was some 5 feet.  In describing what had occurred, she said that the rug had actually 'rolled up' before it went in front of the TV....  It hadn't 'slid', but rolled and crumpled up in front of the set!  Their cat had reacted to the situation too, having run behind their settee and refused to appear again for at least an hour.

On another occasion, Phil had placed his cigarettes and lighter on top of the microwave, in the kitchen, and set about doing the washing up.  After a while, he had heard a 'ping' sound and looked down to find his lighter now lying at his feet!?

Sue says that, on a few occasions, she had smelled a lovely perfume in the living room area.... something akin to 'Lilly Of The Valley', or some such.  At such times, however, she had purposefully drawn Phil's attention to the smell, but he had always said that he could smell nothing at all!?

On a couple of occasions, Sue had experienced a sensation that sounds typical of what is termed 'Sleep Paralysis'.  She said that it felt as if something was sitting on her chest at such times and she cannot move or speak.  She had tried to call out during her experiences.  She described the sensation as if someone was 'holding her very tight'.  She says that she had also had the same experience once - elsewhere - while still a child.

At the time of the visit, an investigation was offered to the group, but it was deemed more appropriate to leave matters at this simple visit / interview - at least initially - as it was our intention not to 'heighten' or 'put emphasis on' the activity outside of normal, daily experience for the couple.  It was heartening to hear the couple say that they 'felt a lot better' about their general situation, following our visit and they had both made a conscious decision to 'put a much braver face on things', treating anything that might happen with an objective view and simple curiosity, rather than 'fear', which had certainly been the controlling factor of late, etc.

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