INTERVIEW — TAPE #4, SIDE #1
These are the objects that materialized around me during my visit.
Q: Mark Gordon Russell (interviewer)
M: Maxine Mc Wethy (the mother)
T: Twyla Eller (daughter)
B: Brenda Bell (daughter)
Y: Megan Eller (Twyla's daughter)
M: One night we had a bunch of them out here from Ada. Michael jumped up off that couch and said, “SOMETHING GRABBED MY UNIT.” (laughs)
Q: Well, that’s funny.
M: That was.
Q: What did you mean when you mentioned the wasps?
M: I was watching that newsguy. When he was outside that window trying to tape, this wasp kept flying around his head. (“WELL SOME OF THOSE”)
Q: In some of those bad horror movies there’s scenes with insects. Like in “The Amityville Horror” there’s a lot of flies. (“SOME OF”) Some people believe that they can assume the form of insects. I mean, I’m not saying that the wasps here are a case of that but isn’t it something to think about?
T: I don’t know.
Q: The movie was stupid but the book it was based upon was a huge bestseller.
T: The movie was ridiculous.
Q: It made lots of money, which is all they care about. The book, though, was the first major poltergeist book about poltergeists.
( . . . )
Q: The news report mentioned they tried to measure the electro-magnetic field around you.
T: They followed me with that thing everywhere.
Q: Did it keep going nuts everywhere you went?
M: No. It quit later.
T: After a while, it just totally zeroed and I said, “Gum it.” It was like he just left me.
M: He got away from her.
Q: That’s what makes you wonder. And its sort of comic to see these people doing all these weird stunts.
T: It wasn’t normal.
M: Because it went crazy?
T: The normal rate was between zero and, I think, fifteen. That’s about normal for dogs or whatever. But mine went over the normal status of a power line. I said, “Oh bummer. Thank you for telling me that. I really feel good now.”
Q: It makes you wonder. We heard it way off in the distance and you say it sometimes speaks right in your presence. It’s interesting to think in terms of the science involved in the ways it communicates.
M: There used to be a bunch of college kids from Ada who would come out here. There was a black guy who I just loved. One night me, Gil and nine other people were all standing in that little chicken house pen. All at once he hollered, “GET OUT OF HERE.”
Q: Wow.
M: That black guy stomped on my foot trying to get out of there.
T: We’d go out to the sheds at night.
M: You and Steve (“GET OUT OF THERE”) get to go to the cemetery.
T: You’re going to get the full experience tonight.
M: They’re going to take you to the cemetery.
Q: Okay. (“LIAR”)
T: Steve will have to take care of Megan.
Q: It’s a full moon. (“UH-HUH”)
M: Take your tape recorder, please.
T: I want her to go to sleep early.
M: I’ll get the little rascal to sleep. Where is she?
T: Probably asleep. I don’t know.
M: Here she is. Right in here.
( . . . )
Q: Maybe Bill knows what’s happening to him has to do with the entity but he isn’t telling you about it because he doesn’t want to scare you.”
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT TWYLA IS TELLING ME ON THE TAPE HERE BECAUSE SHE IS SPEAKING VERY SOFTLY.)
T: You can get money out (“BUT”) of them by just (“THAT’S”) going on the street and hawking it. She said he was.
Q: What is that again and what does it do? (“NOTHING”)
T: Ibuprofin.
M: It’s kind of like an aspirin. It’s for headaches.
T: You can sell it.
Q: You can get that anywhere though, right?
M: Yeah, it’s cheap to buy anywhere.
T: I don’t know.
M: In fact, I got Bill two bottles of it (“WHAT”) for $2-something the other day. (“SO”)
T: Anything came by Brenda?
( . . . )
(“WEIRD”)
( . . . )
M: . . . got a job. He quit. I’ve got some (“YEAH”) Excedrin. (“IF SHE NOTICES”)
B: I thought that those pills were mine. (“I KNOW IT”) They were mine and I didn’t want to give them.
T: I should’ve told you last night but I didn’t want —
( . . . )
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: MAXINE AND TWYLA GLANCE OUT THE WINDOW.)
T: There’s nobody around them. Eleanor and all them are out there —
M: Jerry has that gun. They’re shooting. (“HANDS UP”)
( . . . )
T: Every time I’m up here she gets mad at me and I never start it. Never. Mama can tell you. I never do anything with her. Never. She’s just jealous or something. (“SHE DON’T WANT NOBODY AROUND HER”)
Q: Subliminal envy.
T: Just because I’ve got a man and she doesn’t.
Q: That’ll do it. (laughs) That’ll do it.
T: I’ve got a man who supports me and hers doesn’t.
B: She’d do better with a woman. I know I do. (small laugh)
(“SON THAT’S THE DAY THAT I’M GONNA COME OUT” “WELL THAT’S GOOD”)
Q: Has Michael ever talked to you about that or — (“NO”)
B: He never said nothing, has he? (“ABOUT THE SAME”)
T: He’d probably just laugh.
B: I tell her — I tell everybody. She plays for a casino. (“IT WOULD BE INTERESTING”)
Q: It would be interesting to get the poltergeist’s view on being gay. (laughs) (“YEAH” “IT’S YOU AND ME”)
T: Michael would say, “WHATEVER WORKS.”
Q: Really?
M: Remember that Paul Amirault who we like? He’s gay.
Q: Right. Yeah. I know. Yeah. (“YEAH”)
T: I told him about that. (“RIGHT” “WHAT”) Because it was embarrassing.
Q: Do you know what else he has done? What other films or TV shows? (“I DON’T KNOW”)
T: They did Joan Lunden’s special “Under the CIA” or (“WHAT A CONCEPT”) “This is the CIA.”
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE TITLE WAS “BEHIND CLOSED DOORS” [SHOW #3].)
Q: So he doesn’t have many film credits?
T: I don’t think he has any film credits.
Q: (sighs) See, that’s why I’m very curious to see what that contract says that you signed. (“YOU KNOW”)
( . . . )
Y: Mama.
( . . . )
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I ASK TWYLA TO TELL ME ABOUT HER HUSBAND STEVE.)
Q: What are his work hours as a policeman?
T: Six in the morning until six in the evening. (“OOH — WOW”) He makes $5.60 an hour.
Q: But for overtime — is that including overtime?
( . . . )
T: We never argue.
Q: You never argue because he’s not home that much. (laughs)
( . . . )
T: . . . guy in the living room with all the dirt on him and stuff?
Q: Yeah?
T: He was in prison . . .
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: TWYLA IS TALKING ABOUT KIM’S HUSBAND STEVEN.)
Q: I can’t quite keep track of the various relationships but —
T: He pulled a gun on some cops once. (“OOHH”)
Q: Ooh.
T: And it’s a wonder they didn’t kill him.
Q: It is a wonder.
T: They made him get out of his car when they pulled him over.
Q: Have you and Kim always been sort of rivals? The youngest child is usually the parents’ favorite.
T: Not! (“YEAH”)
Q: Well, not in this family.
T: Mama doesn’t have favorites. But she knows who’s starting the fight.
(“MAYBE SHE’LL PUT AWAY THE CHECK” “IT’S MOM”)
T: Is Megan out there?
Q: Yeah.
M: Oh honey. (“IT CAN FRIGHTEN ME” “RIGHT” “IT”)
Q: It’s the warmest day of the year.
T: Uh-huh. (“WELL YEAH”)
Q: Kids can take it all.
T: She can come inside if she gets hot.
Q: Even when she’s being bad she’s cute. That’s an interesting dynamic with the sisters. (“YEAH”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: TWYLA AND I BEGIN OUR EXCURSION. I AM DRIVING AN AVIS RENTAL CAR AND SHE IS IN THE PASSENGER’S SEAT. I TURN ON MY TAPE RECORDER WHEN THE SPIRIT LETS US KNOW HE’S WITH US — A ROCK SUDDENLY STRIKES THE INTERIOR WINDSHIELD. A WHILE LATER, WHEN MY TAPE RECORDER IS TURNED OFF, A DIME ALSO MATERIALIZES AND IS DEFLECTED FROM THE WINDSHIELD INSIDE THE CAR.)
Q: The rock came in. There was no rock in the car.
T: Not that we know of. Well, you would have noticed. I’m sure they clean them out after every drive.
Q: Yeah. Of course. I’ll keep that.
( . . . )
Q: Well, that’s funny.
M: That was.
Q: What did you mean when you mentioned the wasps?
M: I was watching that newsguy. When he was outside that window trying to tape, this wasp kept flying around his head. (“WELL SOME OF THOSE”)
Q: In some of those bad horror movies there’s scenes with insects. Like in “The Amityville Horror” there’s a lot of flies. (“SOME OF”) Some people believe that they can assume the form of insects. I mean, I’m not saying that the wasps here are a case of that but isn’t it something to think about?
T: I don’t know.
Q: The movie was stupid but the book it was based upon was a huge bestseller.
T: The movie was ridiculous.
Q: It made lots of money, which is all they care about. The book, though, was the first major poltergeist book about poltergeists.
( . . . )
Q: The news report mentioned they tried to measure the electro-magnetic field around you.
T: They followed me with that thing everywhere.
Q: Did it keep going nuts everywhere you went?
M: No. It quit later.
T: After a while, it just totally zeroed and I said, “Gum it.” It was like he just left me.
M: He got away from her.
Q: That’s what makes you wonder. And its sort of comic to see these people doing all these weird stunts.
T: It wasn’t normal.
M: Because it went crazy?
T: The normal rate was between zero and, I think, fifteen. That’s about normal for dogs or whatever. But mine went over the normal status of a power line. I said, “Oh bummer. Thank you for telling me that. I really feel good now.”
Q: It makes you wonder. We heard it way off in the distance and you say it sometimes speaks right in your presence. It’s interesting to think in terms of the science involved in the ways it communicates.
M: There used to be a bunch of college kids from Ada who would come out here. There was a black guy who I just loved. One night me, Gil and nine other people were all standing in that little chicken house pen. All at once he hollered, “GET OUT OF HERE.”
Q: Wow.
M: That black guy stomped on my foot trying to get out of there.
T: We’d go out to the sheds at night.
M: You and Steve (“GET OUT OF THERE”) get to go to the cemetery.
T: You’re going to get the full experience tonight.
M: They’re going to take you to the cemetery.
Q: Okay. (“LIAR”)
T: Steve will have to take care of Megan.
Q: It’s a full moon. (“UH-HUH”)
M: Take your tape recorder, please.
T: I want her to go to sleep early.
M: I’ll get the little rascal to sleep. Where is she?
T: Probably asleep. I don’t know.
M: Here she is. Right in here.
( . . . )
Q: Maybe Bill knows what’s happening to him has to do with the entity but he isn’t telling you about it because he doesn’t want to scare you.”
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT TWYLA IS TELLING ME ON THE TAPE HERE BECAUSE SHE IS SPEAKING VERY SOFTLY.)
T: You can get money out (“BUT”) of them by just (“THAT’S”) going on the street and hawking it. She said he was.
Q: What is that again and what does it do? (“NOTHING”)
T: Ibuprofin.
M: It’s kind of like an aspirin. It’s for headaches.
T: You can sell it.
Q: You can get that anywhere though, right?
M: Yeah, it’s cheap to buy anywhere.
T: I don’t know.
M: In fact, I got Bill two bottles of it (“WHAT”) for $2-something the other day. (“SO”)
T: Anything came by Brenda?
( . . . )
(“WEIRD”)
( . . . )
M: . . . got a job. He quit. I’ve got some (“YEAH”) Excedrin. (“IF SHE NOTICES”)
B: I thought that those pills were mine. (“I KNOW IT”) They were mine and I didn’t want to give them.
T: I should’ve told you last night but I didn’t want —
( . . . )
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: MAXINE AND TWYLA GLANCE OUT THE WINDOW.)
T: There’s nobody around them. Eleanor and all them are out there —
M: Jerry has that gun. They’re shooting. (“HANDS UP”)
( . . . )
T: Every time I’m up here she gets mad at me and I never start it. Never. Mama can tell you. I never do anything with her. Never. She’s just jealous or something. (“SHE DON’T WANT NOBODY AROUND HER”)
Q: Subliminal envy.
T: Just because I’ve got a man and she doesn’t.
Q: That’ll do it. (laughs) That’ll do it.
T: I’ve got a man who supports me and hers doesn’t.
B: She’d do better with a woman. I know I do. (small laugh)
(“SON THAT’S THE DAY THAT I’M GONNA COME OUT” “WELL THAT’S GOOD”)
Q: Has Michael ever talked to you about that or — (“NO”)
B: He never said nothing, has he? (“ABOUT THE SAME”)
T: He’d probably just laugh.
B: I tell her — I tell everybody. She plays for a casino. (“IT WOULD BE INTERESTING”)
Q: It would be interesting to get the poltergeist’s view on being gay. (laughs) (“YEAH” “IT’S YOU AND ME”)
T: Michael would say, “WHATEVER WORKS.”
Q: Really?
M: Remember that Paul Amirault who we like? He’s gay.
Q: Right. Yeah. I know. Yeah. (“YEAH”)
T: I told him about that. (“RIGHT” “WHAT”) Because it was embarrassing.
Q: Do you know what else he has done? What other films or TV shows? (“I DON’T KNOW”)
T: They did Joan Lunden’s special “Under the CIA” or (“WHAT A CONCEPT”) “This is the CIA.”
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE TITLE WAS “BEHIND CLOSED DOORS” [SHOW #3].)
Q: So he doesn’t have many film credits?
T: I don’t think he has any film credits.
Q: (sighs) See, that’s why I’m very curious to see what that contract says that you signed. (“YOU KNOW”)
( . . . )
Y: Mama.
( . . . )
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I ASK TWYLA TO TELL ME ABOUT HER HUSBAND STEVE.)
Q: What are his work hours as a policeman?
T: Six in the morning until six in the evening. (“OOH — WOW”) He makes $5.60 an hour.
Q: But for overtime — is that including overtime?
( . . . )
T: We never argue.
Q: You never argue because he’s not home that much. (laughs)
( . . . )
T: . . . guy in the living room with all the dirt on him and stuff?
Q: Yeah?
T: He was in prison . . .
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: TWYLA IS TALKING ABOUT KIM’S HUSBAND STEVEN.)
Q: I can’t quite keep track of the various relationships but —
T: He pulled a gun on some cops once. (“OOHH”)
Q: Ooh.
T: And it’s a wonder they didn’t kill him.
Q: It is a wonder.
T: They made him get out of his car when they pulled him over.
Q: Have you and Kim always been sort of rivals? The youngest child is usually the parents’ favorite.
T: Not! (“YEAH”)
Q: Well, not in this family.
T: Mama doesn’t have favorites. But she knows who’s starting the fight.
(“MAYBE SHE’LL PUT AWAY THE CHECK” “IT’S MOM”)
T: Is Megan out there?
Q: Yeah.
M: Oh honey. (“IT CAN FRIGHTEN ME” “RIGHT” “IT”)
Q: It’s the warmest day of the year.
T: Uh-huh. (“WELL YEAH”)
Q: Kids can take it all.
T: She can come inside if she gets hot.
Q: Even when she’s being bad she’s cute. That’s an interesting dynamic with the sisters. (“YEAH”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: TWYLA AND I BEGIN OUR EXCURSION. I AM DRIVING AN AVIS RENTAL CAR AND SHE IS IN THE PASSENGER’S SEAT. I TURN ON MY TAPE RECORDER WHEN THE SPIRIT LETS US KNOW HE’S WITH US — A ROCK SUDDENLY STRIKES THE INTERIOR WINDSHIELD. A WHILE LATER, WHEN MY TAPE RECORDER IS TURNED OFF, A DIME ALSO MATERIALIZES AND IS DEFLECTED FROM THE WINDSHIELD INSIDE THE CAR.)
Q: The rock came in. There was no rock in the car.
T: Not that we know of. Well, you would have noticed. I’m sure they clean them out after every drive.
Q: Yeah. Of course. I’ll keep that.
( . . . )
Note: An additional photo: It was at dusk when I took this photo of the bridge over Leader Creek.
Q: (speaking into tape recorder) I am now going to see ‘the cellar’ where — if he is a ghost, this is where he is buried.
( . . . )
T: He played here and that’s where he lived. He didn’t know where he was buried so he might have been buried in the cellar.
Q: So he maybe lived in a house here?
T: It wasn’t caved in like that. It’s just recently caved in. It’s strange. We used to be able to go down in it and investigate it too.
Q: You can hear the humming and buzzing of the insects, which is interesting. There were times when people described the voice of the Bell Witch as being like a buzzing sound.
( . . . )
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I TURN THE TAPE RECORDER BACK ON WHEN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS BEGIN BLINKING ON AND OFF. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO A CHURCH BUILT ON SOME INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS.)
T: Oh my gosh.
Q: Wait. The dashboard lights are going on and off and I can’t quite figure this out.
T: It shouldn’t do that — those dashboard lights like that.
Q: They should stay on or —
T: Stay on or stay off.
Q: Tell him to turn them on because we can have an accident if we can’t see them.
T: Michael turn them back on. You’re going to get us — I think they’re on outside, aren’t they?
Q: They are on outside but —
T: They’re not on in here.
Q: — the control panel’s not on.
T: Oooh. They’re having church here too. This is it.
Q: This is it here?
T: The church —
Q: Where should I go? Maybe we shouldn’t even stop. I mean — are they giving you a hassle? Are these the ones?
T: Yeah, but they’re having something —
Q: What about if I could just stop by and we’ll take a picture. We’ll turn around up here.
T: Okay.
Q: You don’t want to make it too obvious.
T: No.
Q: “The sinners — the possessed girl has come back.” Right.
T: Yeah, really. Hey, I dyed my hair since then. They might not recognize me.
( . . . )
T: There’s the cemetery right behind that field.
Q: Maybe I’ll come back tomorrow in the daylight and take a picture.
T: Yeah. When they’re not having the church or something. (“YEAH”)
Q: Because that might be easier to take a picture. So that’s an Indian burial ground? (“RIGHT HERE”)
( . . . )
(“OURS”)
Q: Will you please tell him to stop doing that?
T: Michael! He’s showing you he’s here. At least —
Q: We know you’re here, Michael. We’re glad. We like company.
T: You’ve witnessed poltergeist activity.
Q: That’s right. I don’t know how quite to respond to it.
T: And I didn’t expect that. He must like you Mark or he wouldn’t do nothing for you.
Q: Well, I would like — (“YEAH”) I — you know. It’s very interesting.
T: Do you want to go to Rachel’s?
Q: Rachel’s?
T: She’s his girlfriend.
Q: Yeah. That’s a good idea.
T: Her house . . .
( . . . )
T: You can still see most of it. Just drive straight on until I tell you. (“JUST A COUPLE MILES”)
Q: Okay. But the dashboard light going on and off is quite amazing. I’ll have to talk to the people (“NO”) at the rental car company to see what they would have to say about that.
T: Yeah.
Q: I bet it’s very unusual. I have a feeling. (“THIS”)
T: I don’t see what would be the point of making it where it turns off and on like that. That would scare somebody.
Q: There’s no point of it. (“RIGHT”) It could be a loose wire but what do you think?
T: There’s too many coincidences. (“SHHHHHH”)
Q: Exactly.
T: It can’t always be coincidence.
Q: Right.
T: There’s only 11,000 miles on here. Oh wow. Mine’s got 86,000. How much is yours? You have a boss car?
Q: Mine’s got a lot too because I’m not going to get a new car until I move.
T: Are you moving?
Q: Well, (“UH-HUH”) if I could find a place in Santa Monica.
T: Is that where you want to live?
Q: Yeah. Because it stays around 15 cooler in Santa Monica.
T: Oh cool. That would be nice.
Q: All along the beach it stays cooler and there’s no smog. (“WHO”) There are a lot of bums but they’re everywhere, you know?
T: That’s another thing about back here. The air is so clean — so much niftier.
Q: Yeah. (“YEAH YOU”) And I’m kind of allergic to smog. But you know (“IT’S”) it’s livable.
T: Are your allergies bothering you back here?
Q: Not yet they haven’t. (“RIGHT”)
T: Good. Boy, it’s so bad back here a lot of times that Andie lives in California.
Q: I do have some allergies too. Pollen. (“YEAH”)
T: She about dies every time she comes out here.
Q: Did Michael ever have any allergies when he was alive?
T: I’ve never asked him.
Q: Michael, you can just talk right up if you want.
T: We know you’re here. (“I AM”) The dashboard light is staying on now. It feels funny about that back seat — just like somebody’s back there.
Q: How do you mean ([METALLIC SOUNDING] “LIKE”) you feel it?
T: You get that feeling that sometimes —
Q: Your hunches usually are right, you know?
T: Yeah.
Q: So he’s probably back there.
T: Probably.
Q: I would say, judging by all the things he has thrown, he is probably back there but I don’t think I’m going to reach back and find out.
T: You’ll hear, “OWWWWWW!”
Q: That one lady was so spooked because when she heard he had gone home with someone else that was all she needed to hear. (“WHO”)
T: Peggy?
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THE AUTHOR OF THE FORTEAN TIMES ARTICLE WAS A WOMAN.)
Q: Right? Is that who it went home —
T: I think. It has gone home with so many, Mark, I can’t answer that question.
Q: Yeah — you really can’t.
T: And they say, “No, it won’t go home with me. Don’t say that.”
Q: That’s another — (“HELL YOU’RE RIGHT”) the most memorable of those events would also make good scenes. (“SO”) You know, social satire. People love to bash the media because they really are chumps in terms of how they want quick answers for everything right now.
T: Um-huh.
Q: I just wonder if there’ll ever be a day when they really mob you. It all depends upon what they got on film and how it comes off. I mean if they play really hokey music like in those TV spots we saw it’s (“PRETTY”) pretty easy to dismiss.
T: (laughs)
Q: Pure hysteria. (“MAYBE THEY’LL STAY”) It’s nice driving by and seeing these rural-type places. Isn’t that amazing, though? I’m still trying to get over seeing a dime coming through the air in here from nowhere and hitting the windshield.
T: Did you have a dime in here?
Q: Not that I know of.
T: Do you have change in your pocket? He takes money out of your pocket — change and stuff. So count what’s in there if you have change.
Q: Oh. (“YEAH”)
T: He’ll probably take it.
Q: I don’t even keep track of that.
T: He takes your big money too.
Q: I don’t have a coin purse. (“OH”) I wouldn’t care. There’s more where that came from, I guess.
T: Yeah, but you might need it out here. I don’t want him to take your money. Please don’t.
Q: Well, on the shuttle to the airport my VISA card was almost ripped in half by the driver because the machine was so old or whatever. (“PSSSH”) He didn’t mean to do it. It was just one of those things. So no cars are coming. I’m sure Michael would warn me if there were.
T: (laughs)
Q: It’s nice to have a protector like Michael around because you really do feel like —
T: Yeah.
Q: — you always have someone there looking after you. That’s interesting. You know, there’s a lot of authors who investigate cases like this.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: AN ACCIDENTAL MOMENTARY ERASURE OCCURRED ON THE TAPE HERE. THIS HAPPENED LATER THAT NIGHT WHEN I TRIED TO PLAY THIS PORTION WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MY BROTHER AND HIS FRIEND JAMES.)
Q: Have you ever gotten any letters from the Warrens who do these —
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE SPIRIT GIGGLING HEARD ON THE TAPE HERE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM THE BACK SEAT. IT WAS HEARD AT THE TIME OF RECORDING AND HAD AN OTHERWORLDLY METALLIC TONE WITH A BLOOD-CHILLING EFFECT.)
Q: I just heard a really (“WARREN”) strange noise. Whining noise.
T: Did you? Where?
Q: Like a giggling noise.
T: Yes, that’s him. You heard it?
Q: Yes. I — in the back seat.
T: Oh cool. I didn’t hear it that time.
Q: Well, you — yeah, you were — (“I WAS”)
T: I wasn’t listening. (“YEAH”)
Q: — unless it was the car. Michael, was that you? Laugh again. You’re funny.
T: What were you telling me? They usually do it when you’re not paying attention. (“ME”)
Q: Oh, you know what? I mentioned the Warrens who have been involved in investigating psychic phenomena. It’s probably familiar with them. Some of its spirit buddies probably told him about them.
T: Huuuuhh.
Q: I had just said, “Did you get any letters from them?” I was thinking they probably would’ve contacted you out of curiosity if nothing more. Usually they get hired to exorcise things.
T: Well, it’s kind of hard to worry about who’s going to call when Mama doesn’t have a phone.
Q: Oh, that’s right. (“JUST”) Well, they will. Once that special airs, you’ll be getting a lot of letters and things like that from people.
T: But if you go back and when you (“RIGHT”) need to get a hold of Mom, you can get a hold of Sharon at the Centrahoma post office. She’s the post master.
Q: Oh, okay.
T: She’s into this ghost. She thinks Michael has visited her up here because she’s had things thrown across the —
( . . . )
(“DITTO”)
T: . . . and with me not even around.
Q: Oh, I’m sure it’s true. (“DID THAT”) That’s what they do. They actually eavesdrop on other neighbors and things.
T: And these people that brought this stuff to us a while ago —
Q: They do that. They go all through the community.
T: — they know about it. They swear he’s been at their house.
Q: Oh, I’m sure he has. Definitely. (“QUITE SURE”) Like if you ask him sometimes, “What are the Smiths doing right now?” (“UH-HUH”) He’ll probably tell you. He’ll say, “Just a moment.” And their door will open up and — you know. (“HEE HEE” “OH”) I hope — (“YOU KNOW”)
( . . . )
T: Keep on going around this curve.
Q: Okay. I’m probably (“CAR”) driving too slow but —
T: His mama’s house is down there. We just keep on going. (“NO”)
Q: — I guess this is easier. I should go faster. It’s pretty safe. The countryside is interesting, though. (sarcastic/ominous tone) Indian burial grounds.
T: Out here’s Boiling Springs where the bigfoot was spotted.
Q: Some people link that with psychic phenomena too.
T: A schoolteacher at a school —
Q: They’ve also been linked with UFOs. (“RIGHT”)
T: My best friend is an Indian girl. She was raised out here in Boiling Springs until she was about twelve or thirteen. One day her daddy was looking at binoculars out here and swears to have seen him.
Q: The bigfoot. Yeah.
T: This was a well-known schoolteacher but everyone felt he must be crazy. At first he thought he was seeing a huge man with an overcoat on. He thought, “Why is this man out here in a big overcoat in summertime? He was just watching because he couldn’t see that well but he could tell it was a huge person. He saw whatever that was take a cow and sling it over its back and carry it off into the woods.
Q: Oh my God.
T: Melanie said he went crazy. He dropped the binoculars.
Q: You know what? It might be aliens pretending to be Bigfoots.
T: (laughs)
Q: You know?
T: If aliens are very advanced, I’m sure they could do whatever they want.
Q: One of the books I read was written by Richard Bovet in the 17th century and it’s called Pandemonium. One part described something like a bigfoot flying a UFO even though they didn’t call them UFOs back then.
T: Oh gosh. Are you serious? Oh that’s weird. (“BEFORE”)
Q: Before (“THAT’S WEIRD”) — they called them flying wheels or something.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: SUDDENLY THE AUTOMATIC DOORS ARE LOCKED AND THIS IS HEARD ON THE TAPE.)
T: Did you lock the door?
Q: Oh — Michael. Did Michael just lock the door?
T: Did you just lock the door?
Q: No, no, I didn’t do it. Michael did it.
T: The doors locked.
Q: He did. Yeah. The car’s got an automatic —
T: Oh my gosh.
Q: — thing for the doors.
T: It locked our doors.
Q: That’s okay. I always drive with the doors locked.
T: I’m so surprised he’s doing this much stuff. But you never know if it’s him or the other ones. (“ALL RIGHT”) If bad things start happening we know it isn’t Michael.
Q: Which one would that be?
T: I think it’s child killer.
Q: That’s his name? Child Killer?
T: John Hathaway.
Q: Oh my goodness. Yeah — the H on the spoon.
T: I hope it was locking our doors and not trying to open them.
Q: It was locking it.
T: Okay.
Q: Because the doors are locked now.
T: You didn’t lock them a while ago?
Q: No.
T: Oh wow.
Q: This car has automatic locking. You just hit the auto button and they automatically all lock.
T: Cool.
Q: Does it do that very often?
T: But it’s just that you’re so new. I didn’t think he would do so much. I guess he trusts you.
Q: Well, he knows what’s going on. He knows our thoughts.
T: Yeah.
Q: He knows that I’m obviously not here to do him any harm.
T: My heart’s beating like crazy.
Q: There are people who have weird paranoid delusions. But I think he can protect himself against anyone who comes up here. Probably will. (“YOU THINK HE’LL”) I’m sure he’ll probably be at the funeral but I don’t (“YEAH”) think he’ll do anything. Look at that. I’m just sort of looking around. It’s so beautiful out here.
T: It is.
Q: I’ll make sure I don’t go over any potholes and wreck the car.
T: Is it totally different-looking from L.A.? (“GOD”)
Q: Oh yeah. There’s nothing spacious. Even if you go up to the mountains, there are people everywhere.
T: It’s real crowded in L.A., isn’t it?
Q: Oh my God. Yeah.
T: Like on the roads — freeways and stuff?
Q: Golly, it gets worse every year too. I wouldn’t recommend appearing on “The Other Side” to anyone but if they invite you to appear and you go to L.A. it will be interesting for you to see the city. I guess being on that show can’t do too much damage. (“BUT”) The thing you have to remember though if you go on any show, it will destroy you for other talkshows. They’re not going to want you on other shows once you’ve been on one show.
T: Yeah, that’s true.
Q: So in terms of if a book comes out later on and you’ve already been on “The Other Side” it’s going to just make it a little bit harder to be booked on other shows.
T: I’ve thought about that.
Q: It all depends on what happens and then who can read the future other than Michael? (“YEAH”)
T: It’s true.
Q: It’s hard to explain. It’s getting dark. (“I HOPE”)
T: It’s not much further.
Q: I should probably be going faster. It’s just I’m not used to driving on these roads. I’ll —
T: Don’t worry about it.
Q: — make sure I don’t hit any potholes.
T: There are some. We’re coming to a pretty good-sized curve up here at the turning point. I’m getting cold. (“THIS IS”)
Q: I should — No, I’m sorry —
( . . . )
Q: It’s just a little bit farther. (“HE’S BEHIND US” “SATURN’S COOL AGAIN”) There are no streetlights here, which is unusual.
T: You don’t find them in the countryside very much —
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE REMAINING PORTION OF TWYLA’S SENTENCE IS UNINTELLIGIBLE. THIS SOUNDS ALTERED IN SOME WAY BY THE SPIRIT[S].)
(“SHHHHHH”)
Q: I guess they’re not worried about crime. (laughs)
T: Not out here. (“OH MY GOD”)
Q: I get weird vibes about this area. I don’t know why.
T: You’re getting into Boiling Springs. (“RIGHT”) That’s why.
Q: I just feel that this looks like a UFO landing zone if ever I saw one.
T: Oh gosh. You are so — that is so funny. My best friend, like I said, and her whole family lived out here. Well, quite a ways further. And she showed me a spot out here — if you want to go see it too — where they saw a UFO land one time.
Q: See? Oh my God.
T: And it scared them. It scared her and her brother so bad. Her brother is twenty-six —
Q: (laughs)
T: — years old and he still has nightmares about it.
Q: Oh God. (“WELL YEAH”)
T: It was just (“THEY WOULD”) they didn’t tell nobody because they knew somebody would think they were crazy. They still have nightmares about it and they know that’s what it was because it was huge. It was the size of a block. (“YEAH”) It was just huge. “Fire,” she said. “Fire.” (“THIS IS”) It looked like fire was all around it. You know. Strange. It’s strange that you said that “It looked like a place where a UFO —”
Q: That’s one thing you should do. (“NEVER MIND”)
T: It happened on a clear pasture out here.
Q: You should make a list of all the strange things that happened to people in the community.
T: Yeah.
Q: It should consist of their names and what things have happened to them.
T: That’s a good idea.
Q: These are all events that could be made into something. (“AND AGAIN”) You don’t know how much — (“LIKE”) sometimes, like, you don’t have to be exactly honest. (“YOU KNOW”) Sometimes you can be more true by sort-of, you know, —
T: Yeah.
Q: — by enhancing something because nothing can ever recapture reality. It’s a matter of (“YOU”) setting a certain tone.
T: I think it’s this driveway right up here on the left. You’ll see it. (“SSSSSSS”)
Q: Out in the middle of nowhere. There’s a sign. Middle of nowhere. Should I go down there?
T: Yeah. You can drive up in there.
Q: Look, there’s a sign. It says middle of nowhere.
T: Where?
Q: No, I’m just thinking —
T: (laughs)
Q: — that’s what it should say, you know? Middle of Nowhere, U.S.A.
T: I thought you were being serious.
Q: Well, I almost should be.
T: See the chimney right there?
Q: Look at this. Is this safe to drive down this way?
T: It’s up the hill.
Q: Just off the hill. Oh I see. So we’re just getting off the street for a moment.
T: Yeah.
Q: Okay. Well, we have Michael to protect us so it’s not too bad.
( . . . )
T: This is Rachel’s house where she was supposed to have been killed by her ex-husband. She turned out to be Michael’s girlfriend. Michael was seeing her. Then.
Q: I’ll just take a picture of that and see what develops. You never know. (“NO”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: A ROCK THEN STRIKES THE CHAIN LINK FENCE AND THIS SOUND IS HEARD ON THE TAPE.)
Q: Oops.
T: A rock.
Q: Yeah, I saw it. (“HI”) Do I aim the camera right over here about?
T: Yeah. But the bush has grown out a lot. It used to be inside this gate.
Q: Where’s the chimney?
T: See this tree? Right behind that tree?
Q: Oh okay. (“BEHIND THOSE TREES”) Oh I see it.
T: (gasps) (“WHOOPS”)
Q: What is it?
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I TAKE A SNAPSHOT.)
( . . . )
T: He played here and that’s where he lived. He didn’t know where he was buried so he might have been buried in the cellar.
Q: So he maybe lived in a house here?
T: It wasn’t caved in like that. It’s just recently caved in. It’s strange. We used to be able to go down in it and investigate it too.
Q: You can hear the humming and buzzing of the insects, which is interesting. There were times when people described the voice of the Bell Witch as being like a buzzing sound.
( . . . )
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I TURN THE TAPE RECORDER BACK ON WHEN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS BEGIN BLINKING ON AND OFF. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO A CHURCH BUILT ON SOME INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS.)
T: Oh my gosh.
Q: Wait. The dashboard lights are going on and off and I can’t quite figure this out.
T: It shouldn’t do that — those dashboard lights like that.
Q: They should stay on or —
T: Stay on or stay off.
Q: Tell him to turn them on because we can have an accident if we can’t see them.
T: Michael turn them back on. You’re going to get us — I think they’re on outside, aren’t they?
Q: They are on outside but —
T: They’re not on in here.
Q: — the control panel’s not on.
T: Oooh. They’re having church here too. This is it.
Q: This is it here?
T: The church —
Q: Where should I go? Maybe we shouldn’t even stop. I mean — are they giving you a hassle? Are these the ones?
T: Yeah, but they’re having something —
Q: What about if I could just stop by and we’ll take a picture. We’ll turn around up here.
T: Okay.
Q: You don’t want to make it too obvious.
T: No.
Q: “The sinners — the possessed girl has come back.” Right.
T: Yeah, really. Hey, I dyed my hair since then. They might not recognize me.
( . . . )
T: There’s the cemetery right behind that field.
Q: Maybe I’ll come back tomorrow in the daylight and take a picture.
T: Yeah. When they’re not having the church or something. (“YEAH”)
Q: Because that might be easier to take a picture. So that’s an Indian burial ground? (“RIGHT HERE”)
( . . . )
(“OURS”)
Q: Will you please tell him to stop doing that?
T: Michael! He’s showing you he’s here. At least —
Q: We know you’re here, Michael. We’re glad. We like company.
T: You’ve witnessed poltergeist activity.
Q: That’s right. I don’t know how quite to respond to it.
T: And I didn’t expect that. He must like you Mark or he wouldn’t do nothing for you.
Q: Well, I would like — (“YEAH”) I — you know. It’s very interesting.
T: Do you want to go to Rachel’s?
Q: Rachel’s?
T: She’s his girlfriend.
Q: Yeah. That’s a good idea.
T: Her house . . .
( . . . )
T: You can still see most of it. Just drive straight on until I tell you. (“JUST A COUPLE MILES”)
Q: Okay. But the dashboard light going on and off is quite amazing. I’ll have to talk to the people (“NO”) at the rental car company to see what they would have to say about that.
T: Yeah.
Q: I bet it’s very unusual. I have a feeling. (“THIS”)
T: I don’t see what would be the point of making it where it turns off and on like that. That would scare somebody.
Q: There’s no point of it. (“RIGHT”) It could be a loose wire but what do you think?
T: There’s too many coincidences. (“SHHHHHH”)
Q: Exactly.
T: It can’t always be coincidence.
Q: Right.
T: There’s only 11,000 miles on here. Oh wow. Mine’s got 86,000. How much is yours? You have a boss car?
Q: Mine’s got a lot too because I’m not going to get a new car until I move.
T: Are you moving?
Q: Well, (“UH-HUH”) if I could find a place in Santa Monica.
T: Is that where you want to live?
Q: Yeah. Because it stays around 15 cooler in Santa Monica.
T: Oh cool. That would be nice.
Q: All along the beach it stays cooler and there’s no smog. (“WHO”) There are a lot of bums but they’re everywhere, you know?
T: That’s another thing about back here. The air is so clean — so much niftier.
Q: Yeah. (“YEAH YOU”) And I’m kind of allergic to smog. But you know (“IT’S”) it’s livable.
T: Are your allergies bothering you back here?
Q: Not yet they haven’t. (“RIGHT”)
T: Good. Boy, it’s so bad back here a lot of times that Andie lives in California.
Q: I do have some allergies too. Pollen. (“YEAH”)
T: She about dies every time she comes out here.
Q: Did Michael ever have any allergies when he was alive?
T: I’ve never asked him.
Q: Michael, you can just talk right up if you want.
T: We know you’re here. (“I AM”) The dashboard light is staying on now. It feels funny about that back seat — just like somebody’s back there.
Q: How do you mean ([METALLIC SOUNDING] “LIKE”) you feel it?
T: You get that feeling that sometimes —
Q: Your hunches usually are right, you know?
T: Yeah.
Q: So he’s probably back there.
T: Probably.
Q: I would say, judging by all the things he has thrown, he is probably back there but I don’t think I’m going to reach back and find out.
T: You’ll hear, “OWWWWWW!”
Q: That one lady was so spooked because when she heard he had gone home with someone else that was all she needed to hear. (“WHO”)
T: Peggy?
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THE AUTHOR OF THE FORTEAN TIMES ARTICLE WAS A WOMAN.)
Q: Right? Is that who it went home —
T: I think. It has gone home with so many, Mark, I can’t answer that question.
Q: Yeah — you really can’t.
T: And they say, “No, it won’t go home with me. Don’t say that.”
Q: That’s another — (“HELL YOU’RE RIGHT”) the most memorable of those events would also make good scenes. (“SO”) You know, social satire. People love to bash the media because they really are chumps in terms of how they want quick answers for everything right now.
T: Um-huh.
Q: I just wonder if there’ll ever be a day when they really mob you. It all depends upon what they got on film and how it comes off. I mean if they play really hokey music like in those TV spots we saw it’s (“PRETTY”) pretty easy to dismiss.
T: (laughs)
Q: Pure hysteria. (“MAYBE THEY’LL STAY”) It’s nice driving by and seeing these rural-type places. Isn’t that amazing, though? I’m still trying to get over seeing a dime coming through the air in here from nowhere and hitting the windshield.
T: Did you have a dime in here?
Q: Not that I know of.
T: Do you have change in your pocket? He takes money out of your pocket — change and stuff. So count what’s in there if you have change.
Q: Oh. (“YEAH”)
T: He’ll probably take it.
Q: I don’t even keep track of that.
T: He takes your big money too.
Q: I don’t have a coin purse. (“OH”) I wouldn’t care. There’s more where that came from, I guess.
T: Yeah, but you might need it out here. I don’t want him to take your money. Please don’t.
Q: Well, on the shuttle to the airport my VISA card was almost ripped in half by the driver because the machine was so old or whatever. (“PSSSH”) He didn’t mean to do it. It was just one of those things. So no cars are coming. I’m sure Michael would warn me if there were.
T: (laughs)
Q: It’s nice to have a protector like Michael around because you really do feel like —
T: Yeah.
Q: — you always have someone there looking after you. That’s interesting. You know, there’s a lot of authors who investigate cases like this.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: AN ACCIDENTAL MOMENTARY ERASURE OCCURRED ON THE TAPE HERE. THIS HAPPENED LATER THAT NIGHT WHEN I TRIED TO PLAY THIS PORTION WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MY BROTHER AND HIS FRIEND JAMES.)
Q: Have you ever gotten any letters from the Warrens who do these —
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE SPIRIT GIGGLING HEARD ON THE TAPE HERE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM THE BACK SEAT. IT WAS HEARD AT THE TIME OF RECORDING AND HAD AN OTHERWORLDLY METALLIC TONE WITH A BLOOD-CHILLING EFFECT.)
Q: I just heard a really (“WARREN”) strange noise. Whining noise.
T: Did you? Where?
Q: Like a giggling noise.
T: Yes, that’s him. You heard it?
Q: Yes. I — in the back seat.
T: Oh cool. I didn’t hear it that time.
Q: Well, you — yeah, you were — (“I WAS”)
T: I wasn’t listening. (“YEAH”)
Q: — unless it was the car. Michael, was that you? Laugh again. You’re funny.
T: What were you telling me? They usually do it when you’re not paying attention. (“ME”)
Q: Oh, you know what? I mentioned the Warrens who have been involved in investigating psychic phenomena. It’s probably familiar with them. Some of its spirit buddies probably told him about them.
T: Huuuuhh.
Q: I had just said, “Did you get any letters from them?” I was thinking they probably would’ve contacted you out of curiosity if nothing more. Usually they get hired to exorcise things.
T: Well, it’s kind of hard to worry about who’s going to call when Mama doesn’t have a phone.
Q: Oh, that’s right. (“JUST”) Well, they will. Once that special airs, you’ll be getting a lot of letters and things like that from people.
T: But if you go back and when you (“RIGHT”) need to get a hold of Mom, you can get a hold of Sharon at the Centrahoma post office. She’s the post master.
Q: Oh, okay.
T: She’s into this ghost. She thinks Michael has visited her up here because she’s had things thrown across the —
( . . . )
(“DITTO”)
T: . . . and with me not even around.
Q: Oh, I’m sure it’s true. (“DID THAT”) That’s what they do. They actually eavesdrop on other neighbors and things.
T: And these people that brought this stuff to us a while ago —
Q: They do that. They go all through the community.
T: — they know about it. They swear he’s been at their house.
Q: Oh, I’m sure he has. Definitely. (“QUITE SURE”) Like if you ask him sometimes, “What are the Smiths doing right now?” (“UH-HUH”) He’ll probably tell you. He’ll say, “Just a moment.” And their door will open up and — you know. (“HEE HEE” “OH”) I hope — (“YOU KNOW”)
( . . . )
T: Keep on going around this curve.
Q: Okay. I’m probably (“CAR”) driving too slow but —
T: His mama’s house is down there. We just keep on going. (“NO”)
Q: — I guess this is easier. I should go faster. It’s pretty safe. The countryside is interesting, though. (sarcastic/ominous tone) Indian burial grounds.
T: Out here’s Boiling Springs where the bigfoot was spotted.
Q: Some people link that with psychic phenomena too.
T: A schoolteacher at a school —
Q: They’ve also been linked with UFOs. (“RIGHT”)
T: My best friend is an Indian girl. She was raised out here in Boiling Springs until she was about twelve or thirteen. One day her daddy was looking at binoculars out here and swears to have seen him.
Q: The bigfoot. Yeah.
T: This was a well-known schoolteacher but everyone felt he must be crazy. At first he thought he was seeing a huge man with an overcoat on. He thought, “Why is this man out here in a big overcoat in summertime? He was just watching because he couldn’t see that well but he could tell it was a huge person. He saw whatever that was take a cow and sling it over its back and carry it off into the woods.
Q: Oh my God.
T: Melanie said he went crazy. He dropped the binoculars.
Q: You know what? It might be aliens pretending to be Bigfoots.
T: (laughs)
Q: You know?
T: If aliens are very advanced, I’m sure they could do whatever they want.
Q: One of the books I read was written by Richard Bovet in the 17th century and it’s called Pandemonium. One part described something like a bigfoot flying a UFO even though they didn’t call them UFOs back then.
T: Oh gosh. Are you serious? Oh that’s weird. (“BEFORE”)
Q: Before (“THAT’S WEIRD”) — they called them flying wheels or something.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: SUDDENLY THE AUTOMATIC DOORS ARE LOCKED AND THIS IS HEARD ON THE TAPE.)
T: Did you lock the door?
Q: Oh — Michael. Did Michael just lock the door?
T: Did you just lock the door?
Q: No, no, I didn’t do it. Michael did it.
T: The doors locked.
Q: He did. Yeah. The car’s got an automatic —
T: Oh my gosh.
Q: — thing for the doors.
T: It locked our doors.
Q: That’s okay. I always drive with the doors locked.
T: I’m so surprised he’s doing this much stuff. But you never know if it’s him or the other ones. (“ALL RIGHT”) If bad things start happening we know it isn’t Michael.
Q: Which one would that be?
T: I think it’s child killer.
Q: That’s his name? Child Killer?
T: John Hathaway.
Q: Oh my goodness. Yeah — the H on the spoon.
T: I hope it was locking our doors and not trying to open them.
Q: It was locking it.
T: Okay.
Q: Because the doors are locked now.
T: You didn’t lock them a while ago?
Q: No.
T: Oh wow.
Q: This car has automatic locking. You just hit the auto button and they automatically all lock.
T: Cool.
Q: Does it do that very often?
T: But it’s just that you’re so new. I didn’t think he would do so much. I guess he trusts you.
Q: Well, he knows what’s going on. He knows our thoughts.
T: Yeah.
Q: He knows that I’m obviously not here to do him any harm.
T: My heart’s beating like crazy.
Q: There are people who have weird paranoid delusions. But I think he can protect himself against anyone who comes up here. Probably will. (“YOU THINK HE’LL”) I’m sure he’ll probably be at the funeral but I don’t (“YEAH”) think he’ll do anything. Look at that. I’m just sort of looking around. It’s so beautiful out here.
T: It is.
Q: I’ll make sure I don’t go over any potholes and wreck the car.
T: Is it totally different-looking from L.A.? (“GOD”)
Q: Oh yeah. There’s nothing spacious. Even if you go up to the mountains, there are people everywhere.
T: It’s real crowded in L.A., isn’t it?
Q: Oh my God. Yeah.
T: Like on the roads — freeways and stuff?
Q: Golly, it gets worse every year too. I wouldn’t recommend appearing on “The Other Side” to anyone but if they invite you to appear and you go to L.A. it will be interesting for you to see the city. I guess being on that show can’t do too much damage. (“BUT”) The thing you have to remember though if you go on any show, it will destroy you for other talkshows. They’re not going to want you on other shows once you’ve been on one show.
T: Yeah, that’s true.
Q: So in terms of if a book comes out later on and you’ve already been on “The Other Side” it’s going to just make it a little bit harder to be booked on other shows.
T: I’ve thought about that.
Q: It all depends on what happens and then who can read the future other than Michael? (“YEAH”)
T: It’s true.
Q: It’s hard to explain. It’s getting dark. (“I HOPE”)
T: It’s not much further.
Q: I should probably be going faster. It’s just I’m not used to driving on these roads. I’ll —
T: Don’t worry about it.
Q: — make sure I don’t hit any potholes.
T: There are some. We’re coming to a pretty good-sized curve up here at the turning point. I’m getting cold. (“THIS IS”)
Q: I should — No, I’m sorry —
( . . . )
Q: It’s just a little bit farther. (“HE’S BEHIND US” “SATURN’S COOL AGAIN”) There are no streetlights here, which is unusual.
T: You don’t find them in the countryside very much —
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE REMAINING PORTION OF TWYLA’S SENTENCE IS UNINTELLIGIBLE. THIS SOUNDS ALTERED IN SOME WAY BY THE SPIRIT[S].)
(“SHHHHHH”)
Q: I guess they’re not worried about crime. (laughs)
T: Not out here. (“OH MY GOD”)
Q: I get weird vibes about this area. I don’t know why.
T: You’re getting into Boiling Springs. (“RIGHT”) That’s why.
Q: I just feel that this looks like a UFO landing zone if ever I saw one.
T: Oh gosh. You are so — that is so funny. My best friend, like I said, and her whole family lived out here. Well, quite a ways further. And she showed me a spot out here — if you want to go see it too — where they saw a UFO land one time.
Q: See? Oh my God.
T: And it scared them. It scared her and her brother so bad. Her brother is twenty-six —
Q: (laughs)
T: — years old and he still has nightmares about it.
Q: Oh God. (“WELL YEAH”)
T: It was just (“THEY WOULD”) they didn’t tell nobody because they knew somebody would think they were crazy. They still have nightmares about it and they know that’s what it was because it was huge. It was the size of a block. (“YEAH”) It was just huge. “Fire,” she said. “Fire.” (“THIS IS”) It looked like fire was all around it. You know. Strange. It’s strange that you said that “It looked like a place where a UFO —”
Q: That’s one thing you should do. (“NEVER MIND”)
T: It happened on a clear pasture out here.
Q: You should make a list of all the strange things that happened to people in the community.
T: Yeah.
Q: It should consist of their names and what things have happened to them.
T: That’s a good idea.
Q: These are all events that could be made into something. (“AND AGAIN”) You don’t know how much — (“LIKE”) sometimes, like, you don’t have to be exactly honest. (“YOU KNOW”) Sometimes you can be more true by sort-of, you know, —
T: Yeah.
Q: — by enhancing something because nothing can ever recapture reality. It’s a matter of (“YOU”) setting a certain tone.
T: I think it’s this driveway right up here on the left. You’ll see it. (“SSSSSSS”)
Q: Out in the middle of nowhere. There’s a sign. Middle of nowhere. Should I go down there?
T: Yeah. You can drive up in there.
Q: Look, there’s a sign. It says middle of nowhere.
T: Where?
Q: No, I’m just thinking —
T: (laughs)
Q: — that’s what it should say, you know? Middle of Nowhere, U.S.A.
T: I thought you were being serious.
Q: Well, I almost should be.
T: See the chimney right there?
Q: Look at this. Is this safe to drive down this way?
T: It’s up the hill.
Q: Just off the hill. Oh I see. So we’re just getting off the street for a moment.
T: Yeah.
Q: Okay. Well, we have Michael to protect us so it’s not too bad.
( . . . )
T: This is Rachel’s house where she was supposed to have been killed by her ex-husband. She turned out to be Michael’s girlfriend. Michael was seeing her. Then.
Q: I’ll just take a picture of that and see what develops. You never know. (“NO”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: A ROCK THEN STRIKES THE CHAIN LINK FENCE AND THIS SOUND IS HEARD ON THE TAPE.)
Q: Oops.
T: A rock.
Q: Yeah, I saw it. (“HI”) Do I aim the camera right over here about?
T: Yeah. But the bush has grown out a lot. It used to be inside this gate.
Q: Where’s the chimney?
T: See this tree? Right behind that tree?
Q: Oh okay. (“BEHIND THOSE TREES”) Oh I see it.
T: (gasps) (“WHOOPS”)
Q: What is it?
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I TAKE A SNAPSHOT.)
T: A big spider in my hair. (giggles) (“THAT’S NOT FUN”) I’m not even scared of them but they scare me when they get on my head.
Q: I don’t like spiders at all. But did you see that rock? I couldn’t believe that rock. (“IT’S BIG”) It’s like all the time this thing’s going on. (“OH — REALLY”)
T: Everywhere I go.
Q: A web here and then there —
( . . . )
T: The spider’s probably in my hair.
Q: Just jump up and down and it’ll come out. (“I’LL SEE IF I CAN”)
T: (laughing) Just jump up and down and it’ll come out. In my dark hair you won’t be able to see it if it’s dark.
Q: No, I don’t think he’s there. I think you just hit part of the web. (“UH-UH” “TWYLA”)
( . . . )
T: It’s a pretty place out here. It was a decent-looking house too.
Q: How many rocks have we seen? (“GUY IT’S A LOT”)
T: I wish we could have found that one but I don’t know which one it was.
Q: No, I don’t know either.
T: It’s clear up here.
Q: Isn’t it though? It’s so nice. (“WHAT I THINK”)
( . . . )
Q: What?
T: A cow.
Q: Oh.
( . . . )
( “AHEAH”)
( . . . )
Q: Okay, so anyway this is the right way?
T: Yeah.
Q: It’s interesting how the rocks are thrown just to sort of indicate he’s here.
T: Uh-huh.
Q: Of course, I know what the skeptical people would say — that you’re doing it somehow without knowing it and you can’t control it somehow.
T: Uh-huh.
Q: A lot of experts have linked poltergeist phenomena with puberty.
( . . . )
T: Yeah. ([OVERLAPPING] “YEAH”) That’s strange.
Q: Because teenagers have a lot of psychic energy when they’re going through that period.
T: Oh, that girl’s not getting it at all.
Q: No? I thought she was —
T: You ever heard about that?
Q: No.
T: Does it say (“EXCEPT”) anywhere anything about women whose husbands are never home? (laughs) That might tie-in somewhere.
Q: They never get divorced.
T: (laughs)
Q: (laughs) (“SHHHHHH”) The humor really should be part of this. Whatever it is.
T: Yeah. That’s what Brenda told me.
Q: Let me describe this. Everything is dark. Just bushes everywhere. Dark bushes. Dark grass. God only knows what’s in them. Flying saucers. Bigfoot. The Loch Ness Monster, probably. All sorts of spooks and spirits. At least, I haven’t seen any red eyes in the bushes.
T: (laughs) I’m not looking. Are you looking?
Q: No, but I just saw something jump out of the —
T: Did you see a hag?
Q: I saw like a little frog or something jump out.
T: Oh, there’ll be anything — an armadillo or anything. (“RIGHT HERE”) Did you notice coming down here a lot of dead animals on the road. (laughs)
Q: Yeah. It’s sad. (“YOU’RE KIDDING”) I would slow down.
T: I try but I’m not going to get myself into a wreck. If you have to — hit one.
Q: What? You don’t want to do that. If they jump at the last moment there’s nothing you can do. (“UH-HUH”) If there’s a big truck following you, forget it. They really are obnoxious.
T: (screeches)
Q: What? What?
T: Something crawled up my arm. Oh God.
Q: I attributed it to an entity thing. Oh — (“GOD”)
T: I’m sorry.
Q: That’s okay. (“ACTION”)
T: Something went like that to my arm.
Q: Oh my God. I don’t — (“GIRL” “MIKE SIGNED IT” “GET”) Yeah — (“YEAH” “TELL HIM”) — but I went through the same thing.
T: Did you feel anything on your arm?
Q: No. I’m driving. Michael knows better.
T: (laughs) Slam on your breaks. I’m sorry but it scared me. (“WHAT”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS UNLOCKING AND LOCKING CAN BE HEARD HERE ON THE TAPE.)
Q: Oh my God. Did you hear that?
T: Like something touched what?
Q: It just locked the doors again.
T: Hey, there he is. Did you hear the cat?
Q: I did!
T: That’s him.
Q: Is that a cat or is that a human?
T: (laughing) It’s not a cat (“BUT IT”) but it sounds like one. He locked the doors again, you said? (“YES”)
Q: I think it’s adorable — whatever it is.
T: It’s so innocent.
Q: It’s like a wonderful pet. (“NOW THEY AGREE”)
Q: I don’t like spiders at all. But did you see that rock? I couldn’t believe that rock. (“IT’S BIG”) It’s like all the time this thing’s going on. (“OH — REALLY”)
T: Everywhere I go.
Q: A web here and then there —
( . . . )
T: The spider’s probably in my hair.
Q: Just jump up and down and it’ll come out. (“I’LL SEE IF I CAN”)
T: (laughing) Just jump up and down and it’ll come out. In my dark hair you won’t be able to see it if it’s dark.
Q: No, I don’t think he’s there. I think you just hit part of the web. (“UH-UH” “TWYLA”)
( . . . )
T: It’s a pretty place out here. It was a decent-looking house too.
Q: How many rocks have we seen? (“GUY IT’S A LOT”)
T: I wish we could have found that one but I don’t know which one it was.
Q: No, I don’t know either.
T: It’s clear up here.
Q: Isn’t it though? It’s so nice. (“WHAT I THINK”)
( . . . )
Q: What?
T: A cow.
Q: Oh.
( . . . )
( “AHEAH”)
( . . . )
Q: Okay, so anyway this is the right way?
T: Yeah.
Q: It’s interesting how the rocks are thrown just to sort of indicate he’s here.
T: Uh-huh.
Q: Of course, I know what the skeptical people would say — that you’re doing it somehow without knowing it and you can’t control it somehow.
T: Uh-huh.
Q: A lot of experts have linked poltergeist phenomena with puberty.
( . . . )
T: Yeah. ([OVERLAPPING] “YEAH”) That’s strange.
Q: Because teenagers have a lot of psychic energy when they’re going through that period.
T: Oh, that girl’s not getting it at all.
Q: No? I thought she was —
T: You ever heard about that?
Q: No.
T: Does it say (“EXCEPT”) anywhere anything about women whose husbands are never home? (laughs) That might tie-in somewhere.
Q: They never get divorced.
T: (laughs)
Q: (laughs) (“SHHHHHH”) The humor really should be part of this. Whatever it is.
T: Yeah. That’s what Brenda told me.
Q: Let me describe this. Everything is dark. Just bushes everywhere. Dark bushes. Dark grass. God only knows what’s in them. Flying saucers. Bigfoot. The Loch Ness Monster, probably. All sorts of spooks and spirits. At least, I haven’t seen any red eyes in the bushes.
T: (laughs) I’m not looking. Are you looking?
Q: No, but I just saw something jump out of the —
T: Did you see a hag?
Q: I saw like a little frog or something jump out.
T: Oh, there’ll be anything — an armadillo or anything. (“RIGHT HERE”) Did you notice coming down here a lot of dead animals on the road. (laughs)
Q: Yeah. It’s sad. (“YOU’RE KIDDING”) I would slow down.
T: I try but I’m not going to get myself into a wreck. If you have to — hit one.
Q: What? You don’t want to do that. If they jump at the last moment there’s nothing you can do. (“UH-HUH”) If there’s a big truck following you, forget it. They really are obnoxious.
T: (screeches)
Q: What? What?
T: Something crawled up my arm. Oh God.
Q: I attributed it to an entity thing. Oh — (“GOD”)
T: I’m sorry.
Q: That’s okay. (“ACTION”)
T: Something went like that to my arm.
Q: Oh my God. I don’t — (“GIRL” “MIKE SIGNED IT” “GET”) Yeah — (“YEAH” “TELL HIM”) — but I went through the same thing.
T: Did you feel anything on your arm?
Q: No. I’m driving. Michael knows better.
T: (laughs) Slam on your breaks. I’m sorry but it scared me. (“WHAT”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS UNLOCKING AND LOCKING CAN BE HEARD HERE ON THE TAPE.)
Q: Oh my God. Did you hear that?
T: Like something touched what?
Q: It just locked the doors again.
T: Hey, there he is. Did you hear the cat?
Q: I did!
T: That’s him.
Q: Is that a cat or is that a human?
T: (laughing) It’s not a cat (“BUT IT”) but it sounds like one. He locked the doors again, you said? (“YES”)
Q: I think it’s adorable — whatever it is.
T: It’s so innocent.
Q: It’s like a wonderful pet. (“NOW THEY AGREE”)
