Voices, I hear voices, voices, I hear voices

Activity really been to pick up steam at a furious pace once the kitchen incident happened.  The saying, "Things that go bump in the night."  had a whole new meaning for us.  We heard unexplained sounds, saw stuff out of the corner of our eyes, and at times could hear voices.  At this point there is no denying that something was happening, but what it is remained a mystery.

We decide that getting evidence of some kind, documenting it, would help convince not only others but ourselves as well.  It would help convince ourselves that we were actually sane and not about to have to check ourselves into the funny farm.

We had already starting watching paranormal shows in hopes to getting some advice.  Maybe we could find something similar to we were experiencing.   At the time, our options were limited to Ghost Adventures, The Dead Files, and stuff that we found on YouTube.   Other programs seemed staged and not helpful at all.  YouTube was filled with, for lack of better word, crap.

Ghost Adventures was the go to show for us.  We started watching before they turned into big celebrities and were really all about documenting & researching.  We thought if we know what we're dealing with than maybe we can get rid of it.

Our first attempt was EVP's.  Asking names, who was here, why were they here-just basic questions.  Nothing hateful at all.    The first one we did was in the back bedroom in what was Londyn's room (now Heidi's room).  I started by asking those basic questions but got nothing.   Londyn then asked, "do you like my cat?  do you like playing with her?"   We played it back,  low and behold,  we heard a male voice say "Noooo" very calmly right after Londyn asked the question.  My heart sank and I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared.   That was enough...no more EVP's that day.

Now there was no denying that we had an issue.  There was no one in Londyn's room except for her, myself, and one of the younger girls.  There certainly wasn't another male in the room.  The question now was who else is here and why.

I decided to try another EVP session but this time I would take a different approach.  Instead of asking questions I would just record and go about what I was doing.   Late one evening I went out to feed our chickens and the dog that protected them.   While I was taking care of the dog, I heard a voice repeatedly say "thank you, thank you, thank you."   It wasn't hostile though but it scared me to death.  I immediately ran back to house and we all listened to the recording and sure enough, there was the voice.  It sounded like an older man, possibly African American.  We were in shock about what we heard because no one was there with me.   I was still shaking and scared but I tried to play it off like we found a pot of gold.

I got my courage back up to try to get more documentation and started another EVP session in the basement.  It was a Saturday morning and I was finishing up some work related things.  I decided to try to see if I could get something on tape.  I put my phone on audio record and begin to ask simple basic questions..."is there anyone here with me?"..."Can you talk to me?".   Nothing...just dead air.  I tried again, asking the same questions.   This time I heard something on the recording.  It was garbled, sounded like a chant of some kind.  I made sure it wasn't a voice from upstairs as sometimes they carry into the basement but everyone was quiet and busy doing other things.  Just as I was about to play it back again when all the sudden I could feel someone breathing on my neck and then a growl in my ear!!!

I ran like hell out of the basement and into the bathroom where my wife was taking a shower.  I was panicked and could hardly breathe.  I was talking a mile a minute...rambling at light speed. Thankfully, Jennifer was able to calm me down.  I was able to explain what happened and had her listen to the tape.  Her immediate reaction was "That sounds demonic!"  

Even though I was scared, I felt as if we were finally starting to figure out what was going on.   We continued to watch the shows and do research on the internet.  I found that there was just so much stuff out there and trying to determine what would work vs what wouldn't along hose who were credible vs those who were just out to sell snake oil.  It was overwhelming and frustrating.

The novelty of this was starting to wear off.  It wasn't fun and everything was starting to change for the worse.   Something was here and it was getting stronger and we were getting weaker.

We needed help but had nowhere to turn.

This was open, and this was open, and this was open...

Now that I have experienced something, I was a little on edge.  However, like everything else, the anxiety of the experience began to fade with time.  My misguided logical mind decided to takeover   "It  must had been a radio alarm that went off."  or "Maybe a computer was left on or even a cellphone ringtone from someone leaving their phone behind."   My mind came up with the excuse for the scream and I bought it hook, line, and sinker.

I continued to work in the basement, like nothing had happened.  I'm good at shutting things down and focusing on my work so that's what I did.  Nothing else happened so I figured my logically brain was right.

Emi was still at home at this point as she wouldn't start school until the next year.  It was nice to have her home and she seemed not bothered by anything going on.  One morning, she came down into the basement and asked me to come upstairs.  Since I needed some coffee, I was more than happy to.   As we were going upstairs she keep telling me about the cabinets in the kitchen being open.  I didn't think much of because people left them open all the time.   As we got to the kitchen a couple of cabinet doors were open and I said to her, "yeah, someone left them open."   She said "they were all open".   She went around the entire kitchen and said,  "This was open, and this was open, and this was open..."  She even pointed to ones that she couldn't even reach as well as to the dishwasher, oven, microwave, and refrigerator.  I dismissed it and thought nothing more of it.  It was just her overactive imagination .

The next morning started like all the rest.  Getting coffee, check my phone, and check emails.  I was reading an email as I made my way down stairs to start the day.   As I got to my desk, I realized I forgot my coffee.  So I went back up stairs to get it.  As I got to the kitchen, I saw it.   I saw what Emi had seen.  I wasn't even gone 5 minutes and every single cabinet & drawer were opened.  Along with everything else.

What I found when I went back upstairs to get my coffee. 

It all happened within less than 5 minutes.  I tried to take a picture...blurry.  I tried to take another one...blurry again.  Changed the camera settings on my phone...still blurry.

Emi was awake in her room, I asked her if she had been in the kitchen.  She hadn't, she hadn't heard anything either. She went into the kitchen told me this is what happened yesterday.

Now I've experienced 2 things.  My mind was racing.  I was thinking back to other unexplained things that had occurred since we moved here.  One came to mind very quickly.  It was regarding a TV in the girls bedroom.  Every time we turned it on, the volume would become very loud and we couldn't change the channel.  I took a look at it, thinking it might a dog or something was walking over the remote (logically brain at work again).  When I turned it on, the same thing happened.  The sound turned all the way up and at first I couldn't change the channel.  I finally got the volume turned down and was able to change the channel but now I couldn't turn it off!!!  I figured, okay unplug it.  Maybe it just needs to reset itself.  As I was about to pull the plug, the channel changed back to the original channel it was on and the volume begin to increase.  I unplugged it but the damn thing was still on!   I plugged it back in and it sparked and turned off.  I told the girls to leave it unplugged.  I thought it had just "given up the ghost" but how could it stay on for nearly 5 minutes after I unplugged?

Now everything was starting to make sense and logical thinking was out the window.

Can you hear me now!!!!

Up to this point, I had been in denial of what was going on in house.  This was despite feeling the heaviness, the anxiety, & for the lack of a better phrase-the knowing.  I'd been trying to find a logical explanation for everything.  It was about to change and logic would not be the answer.

I am office & work out of the house.  My office is in the basement.  It's like a dungeon; no walk out and 3 window wells that only provide light without a view.  It's not the most comfortable place to work, let alone being down there.  I hadn't heard or seen anything.  Nothing had every happened to me, other than the heaviness or anxiety I had felt at certain times.   Up to now, I'd pretty much been left alone.

On one winter's night, that all changed.  Jennifer & the girls weren't home, it was just me.  I was taking advantage of this and was working late down in my basement office.  I only had few lights on; the one in my office area and the one by the stairway along with the stairway light.  Our basement is always warm because our heater boiler is down there.  So, I'm wearing shorts, a t-shirt and I think flip flops.

As I was finishing up my work, the printer behind me started spitting out paper.  I had not printed anything, there was nothing in the queue, and I had never had any problems with it before.  I didn't think much of it and took it as a sign to call it a day.  I turned it off to stop the paper feed however, it keep going.  I thought that it was just some kind of power surge or back up and decided to just unplug it.

As I walked over to the outlet, I was beginning to sense something heavy.  The anxiety hit me like a wave and as I reached down I heard it...a blood curdling scream of a woman.  It was loud, very loud. Like she was right behind.  I had a rush of emotions, I was scared beyond belief.  The basement walls felt like they were closing in on me.  I had to get the hell out of there.  I didn't pass "Go", I didn't collect $200, and just made a straight line out of there.

I didn't stop after I got of the basement.  I didn't want to be in the house alone.   I got the hell out.  I went outside and sat on the deck.  It was freezing but I didn't care, I just didn't want to be in the house.  I sat out there until Jennifer & the girls got home which was over an hour.

When they got home, Jennifer could tell by the look on my face that something had happened.   Once I told her, I could see the fear in her face.   If you watched the show, you know that my wife is not only a strong woman but a comforting one.  It was her comfort and love that finally calmed me down.

What happened to me was a wake up call, a prelude of things to come.  It was out in the open and I had no choice but to believe.   However, we didn't know what it was or how to deal with it.  We didn't know where to start.   This was the beginning of more sinister things to come.   Wickedness had arrived and it was about to get ugly.

The Grave, The Gunshot, & Something Wicked is Coming.

Living in this part of Missouri and particularly in Clay County, means we are surrounded by history. Some good, some bad.  When I say bad, I mean violent and deadly.   Clay county supported the confederate beliefs.  This meant supporting slavery.   This area soon became known as "Little Dixie" because of those beliefs.   When the Civil War broke out, Clay County was occupied by and under union control.  This did not set well with the residences.

Our home/land was right in the middle of all this turmoil and unrest.  It was said at one time, a Antebellum plantation home stood somewhere in the area, possibly on our land.   It was burned to the ground by Union troops as per General Order No. 11.   The order was in response to the Lawrence Massacre carried out by Quantrill's Raiders which included William (Bloody Bill) Anderson.  Even though Clay County was not included in this order, county lines and loyalties were fuzzy during this time.  Union troops didn't care and some commanders issued their own orders in the field using General Order No. 11 as their justification.

If you watched the show, you know that three members of Quantrill's group had ties to our land. They were violent and angry individuals who despised anything related to the Union.   Two of the members were killed in action and we know that because of their deeds, their souls cannot rest.

Anyway, enough with the history lessons.  I just wanted to give some prospective on the history here and how it ties to our property.

Living on 15+ acres of land with ties to all kinds of seedy individuals makes for the curiosity to explore.  With that being said, Jennifer and I set out to the "Way Back".  It's our 10 acres on the southern side of our property.  It's beautiful; with trees, an open field and a creek running through it.  During one our adventures we stumbled upon a flat rock place perfectly near an huge tree.  It was definitely put there by someone because it's not in an area that is subject to creek flooding.  It also had a rock which appeared to have been used as a foot-stone as well as rocks outlining it.  Any markings on the headstone had long since washed away.  Considering events occurring at our home,  we decided to leave it be.

A full picture of the grave on the Southwest corner of our property.  Headstone & Foot-stone.  It could be the grave of  Lucy"Granny" Boggess.  

Owning a farm/ranch requires a lot of work on a daily basis.  I spend a lot my free time tending to the needs of the land.  I enjoy it however, I'm proud of what we have and I like keeping it looking nice. One early evening I was standing on the backside of the pond, I was looking through the treeline into the Way Back.   I could hear gunshots.  It's not unusual to hear them given that we live in a rural area. I don't really pay them much mind.  While standing there, I hear a "whoosh" and I feel a tug at my pants.  It knocked me backwards, stumbling a little.  At first I thought a hawk or an owl had swooped down but I looked at my hip I saw my shirt and pants torn.  I then notice blood.  I realized I had been shot at that point!  Thankfully it only grazed me but it still hurt like hell!  I was pissed beyond words. I stormed back to the house and told Jennifer I'd been shot but it just grazed me.  I was lucky.  After I calmed down a bit I called the Sheriff's Department because someone was obviously trespassing on our land.

The deputy that came out was a friend of mine (benefit of living in a small town).  We walked to the Way Back trying to get an idea of where the shot had originated from.  During our walk, I told him about the grave.  Naturally, he wanted to see it.  His response was more curiosity than anything, "Why is there a grave on your property Lance?".  I told him about all the crazy stuff going on at house.  I could tell he was a little uneasy.  His thoughts about the grave were that it was old  and like I said, he was more curious than concerned.

The foot-stone of the grave

Grave Headstone.  The detectives determined it was "historical" and stopped poking it.  The damage was already one however.

The next day I got a call from the deputy, he said he was talking about the grave and his supervisor told him to take some detectives out and look into it further.  They came out and started poking around the grave with depth sticks!  I felt more than just a little concerned given what's been happening.  They finally determined, it was an "historical" grave and left it alone.  One of the detectives was a history buff.  He started to tell me more about the area and asked if I would mind if he did some research on the grave and property.

The detective called me a couple days later and said a lot of the land around our area once belonged to the Boggess family as well as others, maybe named Peterson. He was able to talk to one of the Boggess descendants and was told the grave was probably Lucy "Granny" Boggess but that was all they would tell him.  They didn't want to talk about our land, their family, or anything else about the area.  The detective gave me the name of an Historian who was familiar with the area and it's history.

This historian was very familiar with the Boggess and Peterson name.

"As for the grave site, it is not unusual at all for early families to bury their dead in family cemeteries.  Southerners also buried their slaves in family plots, usually in segregated areas.  It is a tradition in the Upper South to maintain family cemeteries on the old home site, which includes Missouri's Little Dixie.  Based upon what you have found in the creek and around your property, I would agree your land most likely is a part of an early farm site that may have belonged to the Peterson (?) family.  The area around Kearney was settled early, c. 1820s.  Several antebellum homes are near you and all built by Southerners from the 1820s to the 1850s.  Unfortunately, only a few still stand compared to what was there when I was growing up.

The Boggess name is well known in Clay County.  The family was from the Upper South and did live in the Kearney area, as well as Liberty and Excelsior Springs."

Our house was beginning to feel heavier, the mood was darker and you could feel the change. Jennifer and the girls started having health problems that were chronic.  The doctors couldn't determine the cause.  Slowly I was beginning to question what was going on.  I knew what it was but still tried to dismiss it.  I also felt it was just going to get worse. Little did I know,  this was the beginning of things getting nasty and scary.

"With the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."  And my family was right in the middle of it.