I never believed in paranormal phenomena. It just seemed like a bunch of crap to me. I know it’s a popular subject, and I’ll admit, I watched a lot of paranormal shows. It was just so much fun to laugh at all of these people with flashlights, running around in old houses looking for ghosts, or trekking through the woods searching for bigfoot.

Even better, were the people I’ve come across in my life that would try to sell me on their own “paranormal experiences.” Usually, once I was done poking holes through their stories, they would run away with their tails between their legs.

I know, you’re probably thinking I’m an asshole, but not really. I just can’t stand how people would rather put their energy into believing a bunch of bullshit when they could find a rational explanation for these things if they just tried.

I was content with living my life as an unbeliever. Then I met Mitchell.

I work as a therapist, and Mitchell was a patient. Now, before someone starts yelling HIPAA violation, I assure you all, that was not his real name. That being said, it was obvious from his first visit, that he was a “believer.”

He started off by telling me how his need for my services was due to the things going on in his home. At first, I assumed he was talking about typical domestic issues, but he reminded me that his file would show he was unmarried, so I asked him what the basis of his issues were.

“There’s a demon in my house,” he told me without a bit of embarrassment in his voice. “I need someone to talk to about it, or I’m going to go crazy.

When it comes to my work, I typically try to maintain an impartial manner, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Mitchell’s statement.

I’ve mentioned my stance on the paranormal, and I would add religion and anything pertaining to it, was also on my list of things I didn’t believe in.

Mitchell shook his head. “I take it you don’t believe in these things?” he asked me.

I told him no, then explained to him my opinion on the matter. “There can always be a logical, scientific explanation for these kinds of things,” I told him.

He stared at me for a moment, then pulled out his phone. I watched curiously as he searched through it for a moment, then he handed it to me, and said to push play.

The video started with Mitchell sitting on his couch watching television. At first, everything seemed perfectly normal, but then Mitchell winced in pain. He lifted up his shirt, looking down at his abdomen. Four long, bloody scratch marks ran across his midsection. “Leave me alone,” he yelled at someone off-camera. “NO,” growled a voice that barely sounded human. Before Mitchell could respond, the couch, with him still on it, was thrust across the room like it was a toy.

The video ended there, but I re-watched it before handing the phone back. I’ll admit, the video was compelling, and that voice was unsettling, but I knew a video like that could be faked with a little computer magic.

“Well?” Mitchell asked.

I had to be careful with my response. I was certain the video was a fake, but I couldn’t risk losing a client.

“It’s an interesting video,” I told him. “But I think you’re either a great actor with a talent for filmmaking, or someone is screwing with you.”

This was the point where I expected to lose him, but he surprised me.

“Fair enough,” he said un-phased. “I suppose if I expect you to help me, I should at least give you enough information to understand my situation. Then maybe you can make an educated decision whether to help me or not.”

He went on to explain how he had wired his entire home with cameras to record any demonic activity as it occurred. He also kept detailed written logs of the activity he himself had witnessed, with most of it corresponding with what was visually recorded. He said he would turn over this evidence to me for a week, and if after watching the videos and reading the notes, I still couldn’t at least give him the benefit of the doubt, we would part ways with no hard feelings.

I thought about Mitchell’s proposal. I still thought he was crazy, but the video was just too interesting, and I wanted to see what else there could be.

I told him we had a deal.

The following day, Mitchell came by the office, and I was taken aback by the sheer amount of material he had brought. There were two external hard drives, each holding several hundred gigabytes of video, and a dozen full spiral notebooks.

“This isn’t all of it,” he told me. “But I figured if this wasn’t enough to convince you, then nothing will.”

I told him I would get started reviewing it all as soon as possible, then I would let him know my consensus at our next session.

That evening I connected one of the hard drives to my computer, found the corresponding notebook, and hit play on the first video.

After four hours, I was beginning to wonder what I had gotten myself into. The notebooks were bad enough but combined with the videos, this was some disturbing shit.

Many of the videos showed objects moving on their own accord, which I felt, could be easily faked, but there were others, I wasn’t so sure about.

These videos showed things such as scratches appearing out of nowhere on Mitchell and other people’s bodies, inhuman growls coming from empty rooms, and spontaneous combustion of random objects.

The videos that really got to me were the ones where Mitchell himself, was attacked by invisible forces. At times, he was thrown across a room, or things were thrown at him. In one, he was levitated off the floor, and his body was contorted completely out of shape, like someone wringing out a wet rag.

I can honestly say, that after watching for a while, I was starting to question my initial assessment of Mitchell’s story. I was a man of science, and I did not want to believe that this stuff could be true. Unfortunately, there was no denying how impossible it would be to stage some of the things I was seeing.

I hit play on the next video. A possessed Mitchell looked directly at the camera and spoke in Latin with what sounded like a legion of inhuman voices. This shook me to the core, and I turned off the computer.

I went into my bedroom and tried to go to sleep, but I just couldn’t get that last video out of my head. It was unsettling. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep much that night.

After that first night, I really didn’t want to watch any more of Mitchell’s videos. I felt I had seen enough already, but I felt obligated to continue, and the more of them I watched, the more disturbing they became.

In one of the most intense videos, Mitchell and a young woman made out on the couch. One moment they were kissing, but then the next they were assaulting one another. What followed, was one of the most brutal, and violent sexual encounters that I have ever seen. By the time it was over, both parties were covered in blood, which flowed from various wounds they’d inflicted upon one another.

To say it was disturbing, was an understatement. It was no wonder the man needed a therapist, and I was amazed he hadn’t been committed yet.

When I finally finished watching and reading everything, I honestly didn’t know what to think. I wanted to dismiss it all as a sick joke, but I knew it wasn’t.

As much as I wanted to fight the idea, I was ready to believe Mitchell was being plagued by a demon, but I still harbored a tiny shred of doubt.

To be one hundred percent sure, I needed to go to Mitchell’s house and experience the activity myself.

Mitchell came in for his next session a few days later. As he entered the office, he saw his hard drives and notebooks sitting on the table, and asked if I had looked at any of it.

I told Mitchell that I had looked at everything he had given me and that I was willing to treat him, but I had a personal request. I explained what it was and he shook his head. “I can’t allow that,” he said firmly.

I assured him that it would be completely off the record, but he said it had nothing to do with doctor/patient ethics.

“I’ve exposed enough people to this thing,” he told me. “It’s just too dangerous.”

I wasn’t going to be deterred. “You have no idea how much all of this has affected me and my beliefs,” I told him. “I’m willing to take the risk.”

Mitchell thought about it for a long while. Hesitantly, he agreed to the request, and it was decided I would go to his house that night.

Three hours later, I pulled up in front of Mitchell’s place. The house was older but didn’t look like much otherwise. I got out of the car and started up the walk. I was just going up the steps when Mitchell came out on the porch.

“I was hoping you’d changed your mind,” he said to me. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”

I shook my head. “No sir,” I said staunchly. “I have to do this.” He turned to the door and opened it. “Come on then,” he told me as he motioned for me to follow.

I entered the house and looked around. Everything looked just as it did in the videos, but I couldn’t help but feel strange having such familiarity with a house I’d never been in before.

I was still taking it all in when I noticed the atmosphere began to feel heavy. I turned to ask Mitchell if he felt it too when I saw him locking the door.

“Mitchell, what are you doing?” I asked trying not to panic. He smirked at me. “I tried to give you a chance to turn back, but you just couldn’t do it,” he said with contempt in his voice. “People like you are all the same. You put all your faith in science and facts, but when something comes along that doesn’t fit your perfect narrative, you dismiss it as bullshit. Then, when you have no other choice but to accept it, you treat it like it’s a fascinating new game, and I can assure you, this isn’t a game you want to play.”

“Mitchell, I swear to you that I’m only trying to help, but I had to be completely sure in order to do that,” I told him no longer hiding the panic in my voice.” He sneered at me. “You’re only here for yourself,” he said. “The videos should have been enough to convince anyone, but you needed to see it for yourself. You’re about to get your chance.”

Suddenly, the lights in the room began to flicker as the whole house quaked. A huge, black shadow descend from the ceiling and headed straight at Mitchell. The thing hit him with the force of an oncoming train, and he was knocked to the floor. Then just as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking stopped and the lights came back on.

I looked at Mitchell’s motionless body on the floor. Maybe I could get away while he was down, so I started for the door, but before I could reach it, an invisible force stopped me and held me in place.

I was so terrified, I pissed myself. This was not what I wanted. “God, please help me,” I screamed desperately.

“God isn’t here,” a multitude of inhuman voices in one answered me from the body on the floor.

I watched as Mitchell got back to his feet. He looked at me and smiled. “God only exists for believers,” the demon growled from inside him. “You’re not a believer, but you will be.”

The demon left Mitchell’s body and materialized behind him. It grabbed him with a massive clawed hand, then hurled the man at the far wall. The body’s impact made a sickening thud and left a bloody splatter.

I wanted to run, but I was still held frozen in place. I watched helplessly as the demon came for me, then everything went black.

I awoke sometime later back at my apartment. I didn’t know how or when I had got there, but I had a dreadful feeling that I hadn’t come home alone. In fact, I was pretty sure I would never be completely alone again.

Like I said earlier, I never believed in paranormal phenomena before, but now I believe one hundred percent. X