“

I said, “we need to leave” and got back to the path. We were walking pretty quickly, but then we heard DISTINCT footsteps behind us.

“

“He, he, he, amazing!” The laugh was almost like that of a cartoon. “Drop it.” My hand fell to my side. “I wonder if you can feel.” The voice said menacingly.

“

I turned myself around in the chin-deep water. I saw what froze Sam. Swimming below the surface in the deep end, going from side-to-side was a dark figure. About the size of Sam and I, whatever it was swam swiftly and seemed to have no interest in coming up for air.

“

Convince yourself they’re not real all you want… just hope the spirits that cause this sort of thing don’t find you in the darkness.

“

I’m shaking on my keyboard right now. Now, I don’t believe they exist. I know they exist.

“

Don’t be alone at night.

“

“I was beginning to do some deliverance prayers. Within a few minutes she began to tremor and her facial countenance began to change. You saw a snake. She began sticking her tongue out like a snake and hissing and rolling her eyes. She coiled herself up.”

“

I was in high school back then all of this started, I guess I was about 16 years old. Karen was 12. My dad ended up getting a second phone line so she could talk to her friends and the rest of us could use the phone. It wasn’t uncommon for Karen to be up at night talking to her friends on the phone, so I don’t know when these things started happening, but I’ll tell you when I first noticed something was wrong.

“

Stephanie’s parents were hysterical when they brought her in.

“

“Payback’s a bitch,” Paul said.